Endau Rompin National Park, Kampung Peta - Birds

How do Endau Rompin National Park Originate
In 1892, a miner and surveyor H.W.Lake and Lieutenant H.J.Kelsall climbed Gunung Janing. They collected plant specimens, recorded a number of animals such as elephants, monkeys, sumatran rhinoceros and deers in this area. With the fact that it is a home for the largest population of the highly endangered Sumatran rhinoceros and the rich biodiversity that have been recorded, it stand a strong point for conservation to preserve it's natural heritage. It is believed that fewer than 300 of them are left currently in the world. In 1933 Endau, Kluang wildlife was gazetted as a forest reserve. Later in 1972 Pahang state government earmarked Lesong Forest to be expanded to Endau, Kluang Wildlife forest reserve.

In the early 1980s logging activities creep to the boundary of the forest reserve threatened to devastate the areas. In 1985 Malaysia Nature Society takes the lead to document all plants and animals and study the ecology. This 1 year Scientific Heritage Expedition completely financed by the public have attracted many Malaysian from all walks of life to appreciate and experience the rich bio-diversity of Endau as they volunter themselves in one way or another. In the same year, the government of Johor finally allowed 251.95 km² of the area to be gazetted as a national park. The national park was further enlarged after Pahang and Johor come to agreement of such action. In 1993, the Endau Rompin National Park was finally created.

Where is Endau Rompin National Park.
It's area covers from the south of the state of Pahang to the northest of Johor, a protected rainforest in Malaysia approximately area of 870 km². This national park is named after both Endau and Rompin rivers that flow through the park.

Entries point
As the localities there are 1 entrance to Endau Rompin from Pahang and there are 2 entrance from Johor. Entry from Pahang you need to head to Mersing just before reaching Rompin (the taman negeri park is 35km from Rompin town) turnoff at the signage of Taman Negeri Endau Rompin and/Felda Selendang.

Entry from Johor there are two, you can choose to enter from Selai or Kg Peta.
If you want to access Endau Rompin Selai take the north south highway head to Yong Peng then head to Labis and follow the signs for Bekok.

If you want to access Endau Rompin Kg Peta by own vehicle use the North South Highway exit at Ayer Hitam, proceed and follow the road direction to Kluang/Mersing. That would leads you to Kahang town which is the midway to Mersing.The Endau Rompin National Sign Board would leads you to the Park office at 11, Jln Bawal 1. Tmn Kahang Baru. 86700 Kahang, Kluang. Johor Tel: 07-7882812 Fax 07-7882813 which is on the ground floor of a 2 story shop lot. Entry permit and registration need to done at this park office. Please do not enter this park without any prior registration at it's park office. If you do so the park staffs would not bear any responsibilities nor render any help in the event that you need any medical help during your visit.

As this National Park is only established recently the road access to it (about 56Km) is not a nice roads compare to out 1st National Park. For Endau Rompin there are two entry points to the park kampung peta and Kampung Selai. It is preferably arranged 4WD transfer to the park from the Park Office, this is due to the rough stretch of 56km would be too much to be bear by a normal car. The 4WD would travel along the dirt tracks that is used to be the old logging track pass by rubber, oil palm plantations, orang asli settlement. This rough journey on the road takes 2 hrs. One 4WD drive transfer to and fro include the driver will cost RM350 per vehicle.

The journey from UPM toll to Ayer Hitam head to Kluang and then to Kahang took me 4 hrs with 2 pit stops with my driving speed of 90/110 kmph. If you have booked the 4WD transfer from Kahang office that will normally wait for you at 12noon, do work backward the time you need to start your journey.

For more information regarding Endau Rompin National Park, Kg Peta click on my earlier sharing at

http://wcm-birding.blogspot.com/2008/06/birding-at-endau-rompin-kg-peta.html

My birding field trip report
The duration of visit to Endau Rompin, Kg Peta is from 23th of October to 28th of October. Some days the wheather is not too kind to us. We have gloomy days in the morning and rain in the afternoon.As it is birds migratory season. We spotted this Juvenile Tiger Shrike.
It is much easier to spot Brown-Fulvetta in this patch of forest.
I yet to positively ID this bird. I have a feeling that this is the Blue and White Flycatcher.Another pose of the flycatcher. This is another look of the Tiger Shrike.

I do recall it was just after a brief drizzle, we spotted this Lesser-Racket Tailed Drongo at the NERC ground.
Another individual of a Brown Fulvetta.

Babblers are very much dependent on low shrub bushes for their survival. At Endau Rompin I seems to noticed chances to see Babbler are more as the eco-system are less disturb compare to the Forest Reserve that are created with the concept of urban forest. This Moustached Babbler was preening when I spotted it.
Babblers would prefer thick shaddy shrub, sighting of jungle Babblers would stand a better chance start from the 1st daylight till about 9am. I do recall that this bird was sighted in the afternoon after the rain, it was in the midst of preening and it does not call that time.

A flock of Asian Paradise Flycatcher Male and Female came by. Well I always admire how the Male bird manage to carry out it's long elegant beautiful tail.

Taking birds photo at Endau is a great challenge due the camera tense to focus branches, twigs and leaves rather than my model the birds.

My teammate who are with me for this trip wish to bump into a Trogon. Due to the attractive plumage of Trogon, it would never fail to excite any birders. This female Scarlet Rumped Trogon do drop by to says hi to me.

Hairy-Backed Bulbul tense to be quite plentiful here.

I do recall that I took a slow trek down to the visitor complex, a strong bird waves at one of the spot held me up for a while. Among the spp, this female Black-Throated Oriole was there. The Male bird was also nearby.

I missed to point my lense to the Male bird even though the bird was quite near. Well next time yar do pose for me. Every time we walked past one spot during our visit we heard of woodpecker call. Today I decided to wait for it's appearance to come out to the outer layer.

A little more prominent field mark ID - it's red crest.

The Female Bird of the Orange-Backed Woodpecker.

Cream-Vented Bulbul came by to feed on this fruiting tree. Besides the Cream-Vented a flock of Brown Fulvetta also feeds here. This pair of Oriental Magpie Robin pop by while we are having our lunch break. I normally would not point my lense to them, they are quite adaptable they can be found in our urban housing estate. They calls are very melodious that gives a reason some people kept them as pet. Well to me wildlife are more fit to be free roaming rather then in cage unless they need rehabilitation.

This is the female Oriental Magpie Robin looks like.

This nice pristine forest during birds migratory season provides a good temporary shelter for them.
This Little Spiderhunter find this Musa gracilis the smallest Malaysis rare banana plant is a good source of food.

This individual bird gives me a good view of a Brown Fulvetta.

Woow.. this Blue-Winged Leafbird come quite near.

This is it's counterpart.

Another pose of the female Blue-Winged Leafbird.

Birds heard and sighted

Red Jungle Fowl, Great Argus, Checker-Throated Woodpecker, Banded Woodpecker, Buff-Necked Woodpecker, Orange Bellied Woodpecker, Rhinocerous Hornbill, Scarlet Rumped Trogon, Red Bearded Bee Eater, Drongo Cuckoo, Greater Coucal, Brown Hawk Owl, Collared Scopts Owl, Malaysian Eared Nightjar, Rafles Malkoha, Chestnut Breasted Malkoha, Fish Eagle spp, Crested Serpent Eagle, Blyth's Hawk Eagle, Asian Fairy Bluebird, Blue Winged Leafbird, Lesser Green Leafbird, Lesser Racket Tailed Drongo, Greater Racket Tailed Drongo, Tiger Shrike Juvenile, Black Magpie, Large Billed Crow, Dark Throated Oriole, Bar Winged Flycatcher Shrike, Minivet Spp, Black Naped Monach, Asian Paradise Flycatcher, Spectacled Bulbul, Asian Brown Flycatcher, White Rumped Sharma, Oriental Magpie Robin, Cream Vented Bulbul, Streaked Bulbul, Red-Eyed Bulbul, Grey Bellied Bulbul, Straw-Headed Bulbul, Grey-Checked Bulbul, Hairy-Backed Bulbul, Rufous Tailed Tailorbird, Moustached Bulbul, Rufous Crowned Babbler, Black Throated Babbler, Chestnut Rumped Babbler,Chestnut Winged Babbler, Brown Fulvetta, Yellow Bellied Yuhina, Stripe-Tit Babbler, Yellow Breasted Flowerpecker, Crimson-Breasted Flowerpecker, Plain Flowerpecker, Orange-Bellied Flowerpecker, Purple-Naped Sunbird, Ruby-Cheeked Sunbird, Olive Backed Sunbird, Little Spiderhunter, Scally Breasted Munia, Eastern Crowned Warbler, Hill Myna, Scooty-Caped Babbler.