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Thursday, September 17, 2020

Goodbye Good Old Days of Birdwatching in Genting

Fruiting tree nearby the Batang Kali-Genting Highlands road. It was a challenge focusing on this tree and waiting for my feathered friends to come feed on the ripe fruits, when it is besides a winding (toll-free) road with vehicles heading towards the most popular highland resort in Malaysia.   
Spectacled Bulbul, it flew in after the Stripe-throated Bulbuls, for quite a late breakfast.
Stripe-throated Bulbuls have such melodious calls. These bulbuls were heard singing away that morning (likely to declare their territory against other bulbul species eyeing the fruiting tree) before the pair above were seen in either mating display where the male offers food to the female OR the female feeding a juvenile although the latter seems unlikely seeing that the one being fed looks like an adult bulbul. Registration is now required to visit popular birdwatching sites in Genting Highlands through a site maintained by a company HERE. Even those who just want to go for walks need to register through that website.  
Gate to Ulu Kali, Genting Highlands is LOCKED and no longer accessible by the public. However telephone numbers of public authorities and Genting Malaysia Berhad are displayed on a Notice Board, for Emergency purpose. It is now no longer possible to go look for Golden-throated Barbets in Ulu Kali, Genting Highlands. The quest to watch this Barbet and other montane species of Malaysia will now have to begin through long-forgotten trails in Titiwangsa's mountain ranges..........back to basics!   
A Black-throated Sunbird in its Morning Glory perch.
Only this Grey Wagtail can enter Ulu Kali without a permit or prior registration:) Joke aside, it is a migratory species, categorized as Least Concern with a population of 5 million and below according to BirdLife International's IUCN Red List which can be read HERE.
Black-throated Sunbirds were very vocal late that morning in Genting Highlands as a "dominant" family of three were busily flying from one bottle-brush tree to another. They did allow the Streaked Spiderhunters to visit these trees. Checklist of birds entered through eBird Malaysia is available HERE.  A view of the Titiwangsa Range from the pavements of Genting Highlands.
The cable-cars of Genting Highlands were whizzing along, on a hot Saturday morning.
The tree-fern of Genting Highlands. Seeing these tree-ferns give me such a pre-historic feel, but my senses were drowned out by the whirring sounds of the cable-cars and motor-vehicles, buses that frequent the hotels, casino and theme parks that Genting is famous for. A Red Hibiscus was in full bloom that day - Malaysia's national flower that reminded me of our National Day and Malaysia Day:) 

2 comments:

  1. Cameron Highlands is also part of Titiwangsa range. Too many agricultural farms there leaving less forests nowadays.

    ReplyDelete
  2. I went up cable car with you to Genting Highland long time ago.

    ReplyDelete

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