Mixed Flock and Mixed Feelings - Birdwatching during Monsoon Season

This small road leads to a Water treatment plant in Kampung Pertak, Kuala Kubu Bahru, Selangor. I was fortunate enough to witness a bird wave on an afternoon trip at this small patch of forest BEFORE Conditional Movement Control Order was issued from 14th October 2020 onwards. Freedom of movement has been curtailed following CMCO. Going beyond Klang Valley (Selangor, Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya) to birdwatch, is no longer possible. Short day trips within Selangor are possible, although birdwatching sites are decreasing with the notable example of Genting Highlands being off-limits since pre-registration with a private entity one week before is now required. When the window of opportunity for birdwatching opens, it is tempting to go all out and bird as much as possible, but with monsoon season now in full swing, that window of opportunity gets smaller and smaller by the day. A birdnote's Audio Story on Mixed Species Flocks including the calls of the North American birds, really brings back memories of my first encounter with the bird wave at this patch of forest in Kampung Pertak.
The woodpecker in my bird wave was the Buff-necked (pictured above), and then there was the Yellow-rumped Flycatcher, the Red-eyed Bulbuls, Hume's White-eyes, Ruby-cheeked Sunbird, the full list of which is recorded HERE in eBird Malaysia.    

A view from the bridge across the reservoir, leading to Kampung Pertak.

Tree brimming with low-hanging Petai in Kampung Pertak

Yellow-rumped Flycatcher behaving like a well-played ping pong ball during the mixed flock/bird wave

A partially hidden view of the mountains beyond

A scary encounter reminded me of the additional need to bird safely. The growls I heard along the road leading to the Reservoir near Kampung Gerachi Jaya (a different Orang Asli village), gave me cold scary chills. Whether the growls were that of a dog or bear or other mammal, that was enough to make me stay inside the car. It seems the growls and barking of a bear are similar to that of a dog. I very much doubt it was the Malayan Sun Bear that was growling that day, as that species is facing a bleak future according to an article by Dr. Wong Siew Te on "The Status of Malayan Sun Bears in Malaysia" which can be read HERE. The forests leading to the reservoir is not undisturbed, with oil palm plantation sighted further uphill so it was very unlikely that a Malayan Sun Bear was growling that day. It might have been a dog since the Orang Asli village in Kampung Gerachi Jaya was further up the hill but I did not dare to walk and bird too far from my car. 

Can imagine owls may be possible to see along this stretch of road near Kampung Gerachi Jaya