Imagine having your childhood dream comes true. That was exactly what happened to me when for the first time my friends and I joined a birdwatching trip with Selangor Bird Branch Group (SBBG) on the 24th of August 2019 at the fashion forest of Awana Bio Park, Genting Highlands. This time SBBG organized a day trip which made it convenient for all 50 of us to leave our busy lives for a day to participate and come together over the love of birds.
When we arrived at the fashion forest, Mr. Low Kok Hen, the group leader gathered all of us to hear a short briefing by the very charismatic Eddie Chan, one of the key people in propelling this fashion forest into worldwide fame. Wearing his trademark pink hat, he told us a bit about the area and Awana Bio Park is also home to several species of adorable and human-like gibbons besides being designated as an Important Bird Area (IBA). The committee members then proceeded with a short briefing on the etiquettes of birdwatching. We were very grateful that MNS had spare binoculars to aid our birding endeavor.
After the briefing, we were divided into three groups to explore the different parts of Awana Bio Park. One group is to explore the trails of the fashion forest, another to explore around the long house near the entrance of Awana Bio Park, and the last group would explore along the road exiting Awana Bio Park. We were told by the SBBG committee members that fit and tough folks can come and join the group that is going for the trails. Naturally, to prove my ‘manliness’ I insisted on going for the trails. Just a few meters from the entrance of the trail, an experienced member of the group spotted the fluttering wings of the little cuckoo dove. As we enter the trail, already we heard the low trills of barbets singing confidence that it’ll be a good day for us.
While traversing a downhill slope, we arrived at an opening on the right side of the trail revealing a ledge and a view of the next hill far away. This is where someone from the group expertly spotted a pair of Gray-chinned Minivet and a Cinereous Bulbul perching on the top of the canopy. The pair of minivets were apparently both the black and orange male and the black and yellow female. To my friends and I, they looked like specks of dust. Further down the trail, we finally arrived at a viewing deck which allowed a beautiful view of the valley and some of the surrounding hills of Genting Highlands. The mist crept up on us and this was when we saw the regal Crested Serpent Eagle perching on a lonely dead tree.
We continued to marched forward deeper into the trail bringing us to the less fashionable part of the trail. The trail became narrower, the shrubs and canopy became thicker, and leeches were starting to be a problem. But the trouble wasn’t for nothing. This is where we heard and spotted a few Lesser Racket-tailed Drongos, Black-browed Barbet, Silver-breasted Broadbills and the terribly uncommon Long-tailed Broadbill among other birds. When it was approaching noon, we turned back to the viewing deck, where a pair of Bushy-crested Hornbills was seen foraging for food from tree to tree to end our expedition in the trails of the fashion forest.
When we arrived back at the long house, we caught our breath and started to share our findings with the other group. I was slightly disheartened to find out that the other groups spotted way more than we did but I was quickly reassured that we did see a lot more of the rare and uncommon birds in the trail. Some of the bird species spotted by the other groups are Wreathed and Helmeted Hornbills, Red-bearded Bee-eater, Oriental Honey Buzzard, Sultan Tit, Large Woodshrike, and Banded Kingfisher. Later that day, a band of birders went back into the trail due to the extremely uncommon sighting of the Yellow-vented Green Pigeon. A total of 57 species of Birds were spotted that day which include several species that aren’t supposed to be at this elevation.
My personal experience birdwatching with MNS for the first time has been wonderful because for the first time I had so many experienced birders around me to gain wisdom from. Furthermore, I am still awed by the sheer colorful diversity in the highland birds as well as the gorgeous sceneries these birds call home. I’m sure all of us are as of now day-dreaming to visit Awana Bio Park again. Thank you SBBG and MNS! What a memorable day.
