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