Rain in the early morning threatened to give a gloomy day so the gang stopped in Pasir Putih to fill up their bellies and petrol. Cheang led the way. After Batu Gajah, Cheang stopped by the road because he spotted a road kill � a scaly anteater weighing about 10 kilogram. Poor guy was captured on film only after its demise.

Turning towards Ulu Dedap, we stopped by a durian stall and set up our equipment to gawk at the long-tailed parakeets feeding their young ones peeking out from holes in a dead durian tree. Around the same tree brown barbets and yellow-vented bulbuls came and went without much fear for humans. In the distance other birds were seen. When the birders' eyes were full of bird images they began filling their stomachs with an assortment of fruits.

The padi fields of Ulu Dedap were quite disappointing as the migratory birds were not seen and the resident ones were few in numbers except for the almost ubiquitous white-throated kingfisher. A watercock was spotted while the black-shoulder kite seems normal in their numbers. Surprisingly the harriers were missing. On reaching the Perak river estuary a fruiting fig tree attracted a number of small birds especially the sunbirds and bulbuls. Lunch time saw the whole gang adjourning to Amu's place for seafood. After a heavy meal the birders set off towards Lumut to the Sungai Dindings mangrove swamps which has a boardwalk. Many birds were heard but few were seen because of the thick foliage. Soon it was time to leave as the light was fading.

(*For a more detailed report please refer to Mr. Yeoh Lam Swee's letter in Members' Write)