We gathered in front of the pamelo stalls opposite the Hillcity Hotel at 7.30 a.m. As we were a bit worried about the rainy weather, after a short briefing we wasted no time and headed towards our first destination – the pond with a long stretch of sand bank on the opposite side of the pig farm. 

Along the sand bank, a flock of Little Egrets and a few Purple Herons stood quietly, probably resting or just waiting patiently for their preys to come out. Common Sandpipers, Wood Sandpipers and Black Winged Stilts were busy foraging for food.  A few shy Chinese Pond-herons flew across the water looking for hideouts  when they sensed the presence of human beings. Flying low above the water was a flock of swallows. Occasionally some of them would stop and rest on the branches coming out of the water, allowing us to identify them as Barn Swallows. A Greater Painted –snipe was spotted in the little stream along the sandy road. What excited the group most was the sighting of a Common Kingfisher that was perching on a low wire across the water. It stood motionless for a long while thus allowing every one in the group to have the chance to take a good look at it through the spotting scopes.

When we moved to the green pond, we were delighted to see even more birds there, the most prominent species being the Black Winged Stilts. Pacific Golden Plovers, Little Ringed Plovers, Common Sandpipers, Wood Sandpipers, Snipes, Richard’s Pipit, Grey and Yellow Wagtails were all present, plus a few unidentified waders. Pied Fantails were jumping about in the bushes as if trying to attract our attention whereas a few Yellow Bitterns were trying hard to hide themselves from us. A few new birders among us found it amusing to see a purple heron perching right on top of a tall tree, as though it was a soldier standing on guard on top of an observation tower. Above the sky, a pair of White-Bellied Sea Eagles made a few circles and then rapidly disappeared into the distant mountain.

When a few of the ladies in the group kept hiding themselves in the shadows of our vehicles, only then we realised that the few patches of rain clouds that hung over our heads had long disappeared and replaced by scorching sunshine. We then began to move to the next pond where it was reported that Oriental Pratincoles had been sighted some times ago.

On reaching the pond, we heard a few rounds of gunshots. A few men appeared in front of us, carrying firearms in their hands. We knew that we had encountered with the much talked about poachers who have been haunting the Malim Nawar birding sites recently. Our attempt to contact the Wild Life Department by cell phone was futile because it was a Sunday! Our presence did not seem to bother them at all as they continued with their shooting. Knowing that we could do nothing to stop their cruel act, we decided to leave. With a heavy heart, we left Malim Nawar at about 11.30 am. We could only hope that they would not proceed to the green pond where many more birds could fall victims to these heartless people. 

(Reported by Lean Yen Loong)

Webmaster's note: Some participants were also fortunate to see a small group of otter sunning near the pig farm area.