Overview

Date: Weather: Locality:

11-17 June 2012. Hot. Partially cloudy. Dry. Taman Negara (Kuala Tahan and Merapoh).

With Paul Carter. The idea for visiting Taman Negara originated from a mixture of Paul having to visit Kuala Lumpur and both of us making use of the dry season to revisit Taman Negara with a view to finding a few target birds and mammals. All arrangements were made privately. The weather was excellent the whole time, and leeches and mosquitos were only encountered in small numbers. We originally planned to visit Kuala Tahan, but added Merapoh on a couple of recommendations.

Itinerary

11 Jun. Took Air Asia from Chiang Mai to Kuala Lumpur, arriving on time. Due to Kuala Lumpur having effectively three airports, had to take a taxi (50 RM) to the international airport to meet up with Paul and our prearranged car. We'd arranged rental from Hawk Rent A Car who provided a new Camry that was more than fine. The rented GPS though gave us some navigation problems getting across KL as several of the not-so-new highways were not on the GPS base map which kind of implied the map was a few years out of date. Consequently we found ourselves on non-existent roads with the GPS trying unsuccessfully to recalculate our route. So we were not impressed by that aspect of Hawk.

Kuala Tahan Canopy walkway view River trip to Kumbang hide

Left the airport just after 15:00 and arrived Kuala Tahan about 19:30, just after dark. We'd booked to stay at the Traveller's Home, which was adequate but not particularly recommended, and like all the accommodations in Kuala Tahan, not very good value. On the plus side, the owner, "Jack" (read Mohammed), was very helpful and friendly, and gave us a discount as we missed most meals to be out in the field. On the negative side the shared bathroom facilities had only one facility operational, a non-working hot shower and pressure problems with the cold shower. We made a quick dash to the local stores to buy some general provisions for the forest trip, and then took a boat (1 RM) across to the park HQ to arrange permits, hides and boats for the trip upriver to Kumbang Hide. Despite the late hour the park office remained open until about 22:00. By 21:00 we'd completed the necessities so decided to try some spot-lighting. After trying a couple of roads we eventually discovered the road parallel with the river that runs past the Rainforest Resort that dead ends at a pumping station after a couple of kilometres. Some taller trees and hacked over forest along here gave us Leopard Cat and Common Palm Civet as well as vocalising Collared Scops Owl and Reddish Scops Owl. 12 Jun. Set the alarm for 6:00 but discovered it was still pitch black, so had another 30 minute lie in. We took the first boat across to park at 07:00 and did a slow walk to the canopy walkway. The walkway doesn't open till 09:30 - far too late for any meaningful wildlife, and costs 5 RM. To make matters worse, just before opening, a guy with a leaf blower walks the walkway scaring away every bird and mammal anywhere nearby! Not surprisingly we failed to see anything of much note - just Long-tailed Macaque, Common Treeshrew and Buff-rumped Woodpecker. Basically the canopy walkway is a tourist attraction rather than a serious attempt at nature observation, as a steady flood of tourists ensures you have limited time on the walkway and are surrounded by noisy visitors. Best to give this a miss from a birding perspective.

The rest of the morning was spent walking back along the river trail, with birds including Grey-bellied Bulbul, Raffles's Malkoha, Chestnut-breasted Malkoha, Scaly-crowned Babbler, Malayan Black Magpie, Large Woodshrike. Grey-breasted Spiderhunter and Rufous-crowned Babbler. Lunch at the resort, then back to the Traveller's Home to gear up for the trip upriver. The 12 kilometre boat trip from Kuala Tahan to the drop off took only 35 minutes, and we had to navigate some pretty mean looking rapids which the boatman handled excellently. The walk to Kumbang Hide took about an hour, and although only two kilometres felt a lot more carrying all our sleeping stuff, food and water. Around the clearing was Black-thighed Falconet. Night spent in the hide, with four others. Malayan Tapir came into the clearing several times after dark. A fair number of undentified rats and mice were very active; raiding bags and trying to run off with plastic boxes and anything remotely edible.

Malayan Tapir (Paul Cater) Malayan Civet (Paul Carter) Sundaic Arboreal Niviventer (Paul Carter)

13 Jun. All day spent based at Kumbang Hide. In the morning a walk to and from the river produced Malayan Black-capped Babbler, Mourning Babbler, Grey-headed Canary-flycatcher, Ochraceous Bulbul, Scarlet-rumped Trogon, Grey-cheeked Bulbul, Yellow-bellied Bulbul, Bronzed Drongo, Rufous-winged Philentoma, Rufous-backed Dwarf Kingfisher, Dark-throated Oriole, Spotted Fantail, Large Wren-Babbler, Crested Treeswift, Yellow-breasted Flowerpecker, Orange-breasted Green Pigeon and Black-and-red Broadbill, plus a Prevost's Squirrel. Night in the hide again, with Malayan Tapir and Malayan Civet around the hide. Surprisingly only a single rodent visiting in the night - Sundaic Arboreal Niviventer. Vocalising night birds were Reddish Scops Owl, Collared Scops Owl and Gould's Frogmouth.

Royal Assyrian (Paul Cater) Grey-headed Canary-Flycacther (Paul Cater) Barred Eagle-Owl (Paul Cater)

14 Jun. Pre dawn had calling Brown Boobook plus Moustached Hawk-Cuckoo seen close to the hide. On the return to the river Rail-babbler and Great Slaty Woodpecker heard. At the river a good fruiting tree had a number of bulbuls including Finsch's Bulbul, Cream-vented Bulbul, Ochraceous Bulbul, Red-eyed Bulbul and Buff-vented Bulbul as well as Blue-crowned Hanging Parrot. The buffet lunch at the HQ restaurant went down greatly after two days of beans and tuna in the hide.

In the afternoon took a boat (80 RM) to the Blau Hide area and walked back. On getting off boat a bunch of game birds were flushed but not seen. On the three kilometre walk we had three Malayan Banded Pitta including a recently fledged juvenile, Crimson-winged Woodpecker, Moustached Babbler and Green Broadbill. Beer and dinner then a night walk through the lodge with the tame Malayan Tapir, then up the Camp Site Trail to the first river crossing but nothing seen. An Eastern Barn Owl was calling. We returned to the road on other side of river past the Rainforest Resort and obtained good views of Barred Eagle-Owl, but no mammals.

15 Jun. Into the park at first light. We'd intended to walk the Loop Trail but found a good fruiting tree in the clearing in front of the Tahan Hide. Again an Idiot with a leaf blower came around. However, in two hours the tree attracted an impressive collection including Jambu Fruit Dove, Finsch's Bulbul, Greater Green Leafbird, Lesser Green Leafbird, Thick-billed Green Pigeon, Orange-breasted Green Pigeon, Golden-whiskered Barbet, Sooty Barbet, Scaly-breasted Bulbul, Common Hill Myna, Rufous Woodpecker and Asian Fairy Bluebird.

Merapoh entrance road Buffy Fish Owl (Paul Cater)

We left Kuala Tahan around 12:00 to drive to Merapoh, arriving about four hours later. The facilities here, were better than we'd been expecting - as we'd been expecting to find nothing. Canned food was available in the local village so beans and tuna were back on the menu. The accommodation was OK, with aircon and cold shower for 70 RM. Walked the main entrance road from 17:30 - 19:00 but few birds; Buff-rumped Woodpecker, Chestnut-breasted Malkoha and Rufous-capped Babbler. After a quick dinner, out again at 19:30 but found the road now gated.

Prevost's Squirrel (Paul Cater) Large Frogmouth (Paul Cater)

Small-toothed Civet (Paul Cater)

However, one of the staff allowed us to pass, and within a couple of hundred metres we had good views of Large Frogmouth. Other night birds included vocal Reddish Scops Owl and Collared Scops Owl as well as a fly by large owl that was probably Barred Eagle-Owl. By the time we arrived back at the bridge at the entrance Buffy Fish Owl was perched over the river as well as a group of Small-toothed Civet. 16 Jun. Out at first light to find the gate on the bridge locked this time. Apparently this gate doesn't open till 08:00, so we contented ourselves with a walk along the River Trail for an hour.

First bird of note was Red-naped Trogon, followed by a group of Chestnut-rumped Babbler and a Chestnut-naped Forktail. Walked the entrance road until 10:00 covering only about 1.5 kilometres but finding Sooty-capped Babbler, Garnet Pitta and Large Green Pigeon. Returned for tuna and beans, then walked the river again with another Red-naped Trogon but little else in the heat of the day. At 15:00 we walked the 1.6 kilometre loop which was really quiet. Walked the Interpretive Loop twice but only Malayan Black-capped Babbler seen despite good looking habitat. At night we walked the river trail yet again seeing roosting Tickell's Blue Flycatcher, and Lesser Mousedeer. Walking back through the camp site had Buffy Fish Owl and calling Brown Wood Owl.

17 Jun. A four hour drive to Kuala Lumpur to drop car, with a short shower en route being the only rain of the whole trip. Taxi to airport (140 RM). Air Asia to Bangkok and Chiang Mai.

Details of the mammals and reptiles seen and photographed on this trip, by Paul Carter, here.

Species List

	Taman Negara		Count
	Crested Serpent Eagle	Spilornis cheela	2
	Changeable Hawk-Eagle	Spizaetus cirrhatus	1
	Black-thighed Falconet	Microhierax fringillarius	1
	Spotted Dove	Spilopelia chinensis	2
	Common Emerald Dove	Chalcophaps indica	2
	Orange-breasted Green Pigeon	Treron bicinctus	10
	Thick-billed Green Pigeon	Treron curvirostra	6
	Large Green Pigeon	Treron capellei	6
	Jambu Fruit Dove	Ptilinopus jambu	2
	Green Imperial Pigeon	Ducula aenea	1
	Blue-crowned Hanging Parrot	Loriculus galgulus	40
	Blue-rumped Parrot	Psittinus cyanurus	3
	Greater Coucal	Centropus sinensis	4
	Raffles's Malkoha	Rhinortha chlorophaea	8
	Chestnut-breasted Malkoha	Phaenicophaeus curvirostris	6
	Banded Bay Cuckoo	Cacomantis sonneratii	2
	Plaintive Cuckoo	Cacomantis merulinus	2
	Square-tailed Drongo-Cuckoo	Surniculus lugubris	5
	Moustached Hawk-Cuckoo	Hierococcyx vagans	1
	Eastern Barn Owl	Tyto javanica	1
	Reddish Scops Owl	Otus rufescens	4
	Collared Scops Owl	Otus lettia	6
	Barred Eagle-Owl	Ketupa sumatrana	2
	Buffy Fish Owl	Ketupa ketupu	1
	Brown Wood Owl	Strix leptogrammica	1
	Brown Boobook	Ninox scutulata	1
	Large Frogmouth	Batrachostomus auritus	1
	Gould's Frogmouth	Batrachostomus stellatus	1
	Grey-rumped Treeswift	Hemiprocne longipennis	6
	Edible-nest Swiftlet	Aerodramus fuciphagus	100
	Red-naped Trogon	Harpactes kasumba	3
	Scarlet-rumped Trogon	Harpactes duvaucelii	4
	Rufous-collared Kingfisher	Actenoides concretus	1
	White-throated Kingfisher	Halcyon smyrnensis	5
	Rufous-backed Dwarf Kingfisher	Ceyx erithaca	1
	Blue-throated Bee-eater	Merops viridis	1
	Oriental Pied Hornbill	Anthracoceros albirostris	4
	Helmeted Hornbill	Rhinoplax vigil	10
	Wreathed Hornbill	Rhyticeros undulatus	2
	Golden-whiskered Barbet	Psilopogon chrysopogon	20
	Yellow-crowned Barbet	Psilopogon henricii	10
	Sooty Barbet	Caloramphus fuliginosus	2
	Rufous Piculet	Sasia abnormis	1
	Crimson-winged Woodpecker	Picus puniceus	4
	Maroon Woodpecker	Blythipicus rubiginosus	1
	Rufous Woodpecker	Micropternus brachyurus	1
	Buff-rumped Woodpecker	Meiglyptes grammithorax	4
	Buff-necked Woodpecker	Meiglyptes tukki	2
	Great Slaty Woodpecker	Mulleripicus pulverulentus	2
	Green Broadbill	Calyptomena viridis	4
	Black-and-red Broadbill	Cymbirhynchus macrorhynchos	20
	Black-and-yellow Broadbill	Eurylaimus ochromalus	2
	Malayan Banded Pitta	Hydrornis irena	3
	Garnet Pitta	Erythropitta granatina	3
	Large Woodshrike	Tephrodornis virgatus	1
	Rufous-winged Philentoma	Philentoma pyrhoptera	10
	Green Iora	Aegithina viridissima	2
	Bar-bellied Cuckooshrike	Coracina striata	4
	Scarlet Minivet	Pericrocotus flammeus	4
	Dark-throated Oriole	Oriolus xanthonotus	6
	Bronzed Drongo	Dicrurus aeneus	4
	Greater Racquet-tailed Drongo	Dicrurus paradiseus	10
	Spotted Fantail	Rhipidura perlata	1
	Black-naped Monarch	Hypothymis azurea	2
	Malayan Black Magpie	Platysmurus leucopterus	6
	Large-billed Crow	Corvus macrorhynchos	5
	Rail-babbler	Eupetes macrocerus	2
	Grey-headed Canary-flycatcher	Culicicapa ceylonensis	4
	Black-headed Bulbul	Brachypodius melanocephalos	3
	Scaly-breasted Bulbul	Ixodia squamata	2
	Grey-bellied Bulbul	Ixodia cyaniventris	4
	Puff-backed Bulbul	Euptilotus eutilotus	2
	Stripe-throated Bulbul	Pycnonotus finlaysoni	4
	Yellow-vented Bulbul	Pycnonotus goiavier	10
	Streak-eared Bulbul	Pycnonotus conradi	20
	Cream-vented Bulbul	Pycnonotus simplex	2
	Asian Red-eyed Bulbul	Pycnonotus brunneus	4
	Spectacled Bulbul	Ixodia erythropthalmos	2
	Finsch's Bulbul	Iole finschii	2
	Ochraceous Bulbul	Alophoixus ochraceus	4
	Grey-cheeked Bulbul	Alophoixus tephrogenys	20
	Yellow-bellied Bulbul	Alophoixus phaeocephalus	10
	Hairy-backed Bulbul	Tricholestes criniger	3
	Buff-vented Bulbul	Iole olivacea	10
	Pacific Swallow	Hirundo javanica	20
	Common Tailorbird	Orthotomus sutorius	2
	Dark-necked Tailorbird	Orthotomus atrogularis	4
	Rufous-tailed Tailorbird	Orthotomus sericeus	3
	Chestnut-rumped Babbler	Stachyris maculata	4
	Chestnut-winged Babbler	Cyanoderma erythropterum	25
	Pin-striped Tit-Babbler	Mixornis gularis	10
	Large Wren-Babbler	Turdinus macrodactylus	2
	Abbott's Babbler	Malacocincla abbotti	20
	Mourning Babbler	Pellorneum malaccense	3
	Moustached Babbler	Malacopteron magnirostre	2
	Sooty-capped Babbler	Malacopteron affine	5
	Scaly-crowned Babbler	Malacopteron cinereum	30
	Rufous-crowned Babbler	Malacopteron magnum	20
	Ferruginous Babbler	Pellorneum bicolor	10
	Malayan Black-capped Babbler	Pellorneum nigrocapitatum	6
	Asian Fairy-bluebird	Irena puella	20
	Asian Glossy Starling	Aplonis panayensis	40
	Common Hill Myna	Gracula religiosa	2
	Jungle Myna	Acridotheres fuscus	6
	Oriental Magpie-Robin	Copsychus saularis	10
	White-rumped Shama	Copsychus malabaricus	40
	Rufous-tailed Shama	Trichixos pyrropygus	1
	Chestnut-naped Forktail	Enicurus ruficapillus	2
	Southern White-crowned Forktail	Enicurus leschenaulti	3
	Tickell's Blue Flycatcher	Cyornis tickelliae	2
	Greater Green Leafbird	Chloropsis sonnerati	4
	Lesser Green Leafbird	Chloropsis cyanopogon	20
	Yellow-breasted Flowerpecker	Prionochilus maculatus	3
	Plain Flowerpecker	Dicaeum concolor	2
	Puple-naped Spiderhunter	Kurochkinegramma hypogrammicum	6
	Little Spiderhunter	Arachnothera longirostra	2
	Grey-breasted Spiderhunter	Arachnothera modesta	4
	Additional Species en route		Count
	White-breasted Waterhen	Amaurornis phoenicurus	1
	Zebra Dove	Geopelia striata	3
	Asian Koel	Eudynamys scolopaceus	1
	Silver-rumped Spinetail	Rhaphidura leucopygialis	2
	House Swift	Apus nipalensis	10
	Common Iora	Aegithina tiphia	1
	Black-naped Oriole	Oriolus chinensis	3
	Rufous-bellied Swallow	Cecropis badia	2
	Common Myna	Acridotheres tristis	10
	Eurasian Tree Sparrow	Passer montanus	30
	White-headed Munia		2