130million years rainforest .. “Belum-Temenggor” Hornbill Tour 2020

A yearly event, we have our yearly Hornbill Expedition trip to Belum-Temengor even the Covid-19 lock down but we make it short instead, where we just spend 1.5 days boat ride and 2 morning at Titiwangsa Rest area (which is ~30km from Belum jetty).

This forest believe to be older than 130 million years, due to the lake crossing the main forest make it an open area for hornbill seeing good spot … it is always to better chance to spot all 10 hornbills of Malaysia here within few days of birding trip.

As usual, our main target is Plain-pouched hornbill which believe peak season Aug-Sept every year.. easily spot them in big flocks flying on skyline here.

Plain-pouched Hornbill, 淡喉皱盔犀鸟,淡喉皺盔犀鳥, Rhyticeros subruficollis, ムジシワコブサイチョウ, ENGGANG GUNUNG BELANTARA

 

Sometime, birding here can be depressing, birds can be far !!!! not even able to ID without photo record as only using binocular ….

Wrinkled Hornbill, 皱盔犀鸟,皺盔犀鳥, Aceros corrugatus, ズグロサイチョウ, Enggang Berkedut

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But it is always good place to capture some Bird in flight due to open area and with some distance .. (for photographers, we need little bit luck and patient to have birds nearer and flying)

Wreathed Hornbill, 花冠皱盔犀鸟, Rhyticeros undulatus, シワコブサイチョウ, ENGGANG GUNUNG BIASA

 

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sometime, lucky to have it perch low too.

Great Hornbill, 双角犀鸟, Buceros bicornis, オオサイチョウ,ENGGANG PAPAN

 

 

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a very common hornbill but here it can stand 300m at the canopy .. the only option waiting it flying to get some BIF picture

Oriental Pied-Hornbill, 冠斑犀鸟, Anthracoceros albirostris, キタカササギサイチョウ,KELINGKING BIASA

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Black Hornbill should be one of the most common here but this is our last hornbill record for the trip .. during the boat session, we hard quite a lot of this bird but we just didn’t see the bird come close or open

Black Hornbill, 黑斑犀鸟, Anthracoceros malayanus, クロサイチョウ,KELINGKING HITAM

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Another Critically Endangered due to killing this bird for the solid-beautiful ivory like casques.. at here it is not difficult to see one ..

Helmeted Hornbill, 盔犀鸟, 盔犀鳥,Rhinoplax vigil, オナガサイチョウ,ENGGANG GADING

 

 

 

 

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here is the main target for the trip, Plain-pouched hornbill. It look almost identical like Wreathed Hornbill except

  1. lack of grooves on bill
  2. small size
  3. lack of a black patch on the pouch

 

Plain-pouched Hornbill, 淡喉皱盔犀鸟,淡喉皺盔犀鳥, Rhyticeros subruficollis, ムジシワコブサイチョウ, ENGGANG GUNUNG BELANTARA

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lucky to have this perch quite low

 

Plain-pouched Hornbill, 淡喉皱盔犀鸟,淡喉皺盔犀鳥, Rhyticeros subruficollis, ムジシワコブサイチョウ, ENGGANG GUNUNG BELANTARA

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There are a group

Bushy-crested Hornbill, 凤头犀鸟 spotted but this happen while Great Hornbill perch low … so we decided give it a missed than we didn’t see it any more for the trip ..

*** picture from previous tour

Bushy-crested Hornbill, 凤头犀鸟,鳳頭犀鳥, Anorrhinus galeritus, ムジサイチョウ, Burung Arau, ENGGANG BULUH

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only 8 hornbills for the 1.5 days boat ride but this is mainly targeting the Plain-pouched Hornbill where we spotted 9 groups and ~377 birds

There are some other birds also captured during the tour on the boat and Titiwangsa Rest area which is ~30km from Belum Jetty  ,… as below

  1. Oriental Honey-buzzard, 凤头蜂鹰

at this season , plenty of this raptor can be sight

Oriental Honey-buzzard, 凤头蜂鹰

 

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2. Lesser Fish-Eagle, 鱼雕

many fish eagle can be easily spot

Lesser Fish-Eagle, 鱼雕

 

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3. Gray-headed Fish-Eagle, 灰头鱼雕

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4.White-bellied Sea-Eagle, 白腹海雕

wont miss this bird here , plenty of them either flying high or low

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5.Large Green-Pigeon,大绿鸠

– very easy to spot this bird but as usual, standing high up in big flock

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6.Black-thighed falconet, 黑腿小隼

captured at Titiwangsa rest area which is ~30km further from Belum Jetty from Kuala Kangsar direction

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7. Sultan Tit, 冕雀

captured at Titiwangsa rest area which is ~30km further from Belum Jetty from Kuala Kangsar direction

both male and female come near the light area for insect attracted by the light

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8. Scarlet Minivet, 赤红山椒鸟

captured at Titiwangsa rest area which is ~30km further from Belum Jetty from Kuala Kangsar direction

both male and female come near the light area for insect attracted by the light

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9. Large Woodshrike, 鉤嘴林鵙

captured at Titiwangsa rest area which is ~30km further from Belum Jetty from Kuala Kangsar direction

both male and female come near the light area for insect attracted by the light

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10.Red-bearded Bee-eater, 赤须夜蜂虎

captured at Titiwangsa rest area which is ~30km further from Belum Jetty from Kuala Kangsar direction

both male and female come near the light area for insect attracted by the light

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11.Violet cuckoo, 紫金鹃

– while our resting time, there are group of this noisy cuckoo make call ..

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12. Crested Goshawk,凤头鹰

many of them flying high up on skyline

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Many more birds heard and quick sight as we mainly focus on Plain-pouched hornbill and other hornbills . so we just missed it

Collared Owlet,Brown Wood-Owl, Dollarbird, Large-cuckooshrike, Stripe-throat Bulbul, Black-crested Bulbul, White-bellied munia,large-billed crow, myna etc

 

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related posts

Birds Watch/Photograph tour feel free to contact me

观鸟或拍鸟团  您可联络我

or REFER

HERE

 

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Birds Collection | liewwk @flickr

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liewwkNature Photohunters : 2016 Jul Sichuan, Qinghai , CHINA

A 12 days liewwk Nature Photohunters to Sichuan, Qinghai – CHINA … we mostly passing by and surrounding with glass land , and out main targets are Qinghai Lake and Chaka Salt Lake … both locate Qinghai Province .

CHINA 201607250804 fb

Lets start with group picture at one of our main targets/hunting ground 😀  .. Qinghai Lake & Chaka Salt Lake

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So far, we only had 1 day full raining day happen at Hongyuan County which we should look for sunset , reflection for river curves ….. too bad we didn’t able to capture anything as raining non stop for 14 hours

update 2020 April 4

update 2019 Dec 12

 

update 2016 Aug 24

one of the most memorise sunrise ever have … we actually stuck in jam to enter this place for >30min for less than 1 hr .. and we witness this beautiful sunrise together >1000 people together sharing the same view of sunrise

update 2016 Aug 23

– Zhagana, 扎尕那 a small village locate Gansu (甘肃) … the village locate surrounding with rocky mountains giving amazing view of sunrise .. with rays in

– beautiful location where it is not tourist spot, we were happy to witness beautiful rays too at this spot

update 2016 Aug 20

– a full pano Milky way at Chaka Salt lake , with the refection and without pano head make this slikt difficult .. but finally i able to make this

update 2016 Aug 15

– Chaka Lake, Qinghai, China

when dawn everyone looking at west direction I am with another photographer attract by light from East

 

– our main target location, Chaka Salt Lake famous with reflection … beside full sky mirror … we target clouds reflection, sunset, milky way… and this is an extra the ray appear only for few of my shots while I try to capture the photographer in action. very abnormal as this was capture 8pm at East direction which sun is opposite of this …

update 2016 Aug 6

– misty morning at HongYuan

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Conclusion of the tour , we see various different environments, (glass land, mountain, biggest lake for CHINA, salt lake, glass land mountains etc)

 

We walk a lot due to the design of the park, shooting at odd hours …. But every walk , reward us with beautiful view so everyone no complaint on the walking (longest one way walk is 3.8km)

 

update 2016 Aug 6

– one of the most clear sunrise , and it is special moment we witness this sunrise together with >1000 peoples together 😀

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– Qinghai Lake , Canola flowers 油菜花

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– Glassland along the travel .. this was capture in the bus while travelling

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– one of the most beautiful spot .. village with rocky mountain surround . we were lucky managed to witness beautiful sunrise, sunset and rainbow here just for 1 night stay

扎尕那 (zhagana)

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– woke up earlier , stand in he cold …. and before the sun came out . my gang wonder why we wait as the view just so so .. the mountain dark off , sky just clear …. …. I keep tell wait wait (with worry) I believe with the mountain shape it should have light ray shine out … and when this show up everyone wow plus the mist just keep pop out from the village …

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– Chaka Salt Lake 茶卡盐湖 - main target of the outing , we spent 2 days here … lovely sunset, milky way etc ..

– mirror of the sky show reflection from the lake

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– night sky even beautiful with all stars on the lake

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related posts

CONTACT ME for Photography workshop, tours etc …

or

EMAIL me

 

 

Where to get Lee Filters/Haida Filters  | Malaysia

 

2011 FRIM Bidor Coffee Book | liewwk

We (me, Shunfa, Lio JH, Jason Loo) are honour that got invited to be photographers for the coffee-table book of FRIM Bidor, not much people know about this place but this is a GREAT project done by FRIM (Dr L.H. Ang and other contribute … )

This is a greening project for an ex-tin mining Lake (or call reforestration), where FRIM spend years to convert/green the  “sand” land … and if you able to go into the compound, you will WOW WOW WOW by the result … and we were there for months and able to capture so many different kinds of floras, fauna, birds, fishes .. etc …. after this project make me feel I should love and enjoy forest more … the forests are here, pls enjoy, love & preserve them….

 

not much pictures are allow to share on public but those wish to have a look at the book and pictures feel free ask when we meet up …

– look at the title .. 😀 “Rimba Bidor – A Gift to Natue ”

 

 

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some contents within the book

 

 

the Natural Mirror …

reflection is a good subject for landscape photographer … my Bali Guide (Agung) know where to look for it after with us for 2-3 days … 😀

let share some of my reflection series …

update 2012 Dec 6

… upside down …

1. Tanah Lot , Bali, Indonesia

Tanah Lot, Bali, Indonesia

 

2.  Mount Batur, Bali, Indonesia

Mount Batur

 

3.  From US

a cold reflection from US

 

4. from Johor Malaysia

sleeping Y

 

5.  from Kuala Lumpur, Puchong

As-Salam Mosque

 

6. star trail

star trail reflection

 

7. all love reflection .. and most recent reflection posts

shooting the mirror

 

and more can view from my flickr and search “reflection” ….

 

2011 Jul – Indonesia, Bali Photography Outing

I spent 7d6n at Bali, Indonesia for photography outing…
a tired trip as we travel most of the tourist spots and non tourist area to find
out more about this beauty Island …. thanks for our Guide (Agung for brining
us around to what we call photographer interest places)… he know what
photographers (Landscapers want and need) , and we managed to visit
1. Kintamani area round the Mount Batur and Batur Lake
2. Ubud area which include riceTerrace Ceking Tegalalang, village with paddy field and
Sanur Beach
3. a Old Palace belong to Puri Kesiman (Agung Grandfather was King and owner of
this)
4. Kuta – Blue Point Beach, Uluwatu and Jimbaran
5. Jatiluwih – not just the main tourist area but he brought us to few “appetizer”
spots (think most of Landscape photographer will love this place a lot)
6. Tanah Lot – beautiful place with so much of tourist
7. Serengan Island – beautiful place but not open for tourist
8. Seminyak Beach – not really a plan destination but due to traffic he brought us
to this gem beach ..
I will be sharing pictures for above trips for coming weeks, and also slowly
share some info on respective place …
Let start with Mount Batur,  a cooling and
beautiful places… while we step in hotel the view immediate make us WOW … at
night while we look at the sky millions of stars are up there , Batur Lake is a
good place with some human interest and beautiful lake view …
The hike to the Mount Batur is moderate, but the view along the hike simply amazing …
the stars, Milky way were like standing side by side with me … the sunrise view
with Mount Rinjani is simply awesome . But need to have local guide to bring up
~Rp200-300k per person and ~2-3hours hike for slow people like me.
this was 1st panorama capture while we left our thing into our room and walk out to the hotel walking path …
Mount Batur View

Hotel View of Mount/Lake Batur
Milky from Balcony
Milky from Balcony
The Road to Milky Way
… The Road to Milky Way …

 

views from few other angle …

 

Nightscape – weather getting better

I found this place ~2 years ago while I look for macro spots but accidentally found this is a nice place for birding (birds seem not too worry/shy to human) ….

While I revisit this place last few weeks ago, found this is a good spot for nightscape, sunrise, and sunset too …. so decide to travel ~160km from KL toward north … while we reach we are shock with the stars and the stars reflection on the lakes ….

within 48 hours I make 2nd visit and continue to shoot the star trail .. which I stop sharing months back due to the bad schedule and weather ……….

45 pictures stack
each 40s , ISO800, F2.8 (Fisheye)

5dm2

I am sure this place going to be another famous spots for night scape, sunrise and sunset soon … but before I share out the location let’s me check is this private area or public 😀

more Perak pictures will share below folder