Jan 2001Newsletter

Teluk Intan Fireflies (Saturday 2-3 December 2000)  
by Cheaw Hon Ming 

Only 15 participants including a baby turned up for this trip. Again Jimmy Phuan played host and guide for the trip while Liew Chee Weng who also happened to be in Teluk Intan at about 5.00 pm introduced us to a wooden boat builder who makes million-ringgit wooden fishing boats using chengal wood but without the use of modern computers and blueprints - all in his head.
      The weather was perfect this time and the participants had an enjoyable time watching these wonderful creatures displaying their flashing lights. Only a few drops of rain were experienced at the end of the trip. Except for a few who wished to retire early for the night at the Teluk Intan Rest House thirteen of us including Jimmy, went for a spot of owling. Jimmy brought us to the same estate the last time and soon we managed to see a civet and a glimpse of probably a bat. Further on Kuan Yaow spotted an owl but the noise from the excited group spooked it before it could be identified. Later another owl was spotted and this time it was a very cooperative one showing all aspects of its personality including the soft cooing calls. It was a Spotted Wood Owl which is a lifer for all of us. With Jimmy’s 200-watt spotlight and my 100-watt spotlight shining on it, everyone had a good look through my field scope. A few in the group were amazed at the sight of the beautiful owl and were eager to know more about birding. Ending at almost 12 midnight the owlers went to buy the special Teluk Intan chee cheong fun for supper.
      The next day saw the group disbanding at about 10.30 am after breakfast and buying the local snacks and titbits. However, Chan Beng Teow, Kuan Yaow and I took the Sungai Manik way and birded home via Kg Gajah and Tg. Tualang. At first we saw the Crested Serpent Eagle but saw large numbers of egrets (Cattle and Little) in the harvested padi fields. While watching from a bus stop shelter I spotted some birds with an unusual flight about 90 meters away on some electric wires. Using the field scope we confirmed they were White-breasted Wood Swallows - another lifer for all three of us. Other birds spotted included Dollar birds, a lone Southern Pied Hornbill and Black Shoulder kites.

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Created on 1 Jan 2001