Kites and Kingfishers: Kuala Selangor

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I started early and got to the bus hub in good time with the very efficient monorail and rapid transport. The Selangor buses had moved slightly from where wikitravel says, but I saw them from the rapid transport as it came up anyway so that was no problem. When I got to the stop, I was then told that there was no bus until 9:30. That was a two and a half hour wait and there were definitely no buses to Selangor until then, all the other buses with ‘Selangor’ written on them were going somewhere else.

Well, I had no choice but to wait so I went to get some proper breakfast, having just grabbed a quick breakfast on the way. I happened to wander back around the bus station at 8:30 and the person that had changed his mind and decided that the bus would not be leaving at 9:30 but actually 8:30 and it was going right then and there that second. So I just got the bus, which was only RM7.30 for the whole 2+ hour journey to Kuala Selangor and we headed off. Actually, we drove around the nearby streets for a bit picking up people until the bus was completely full before we actually left. I was of course the only Orang Asing, or foreigner, on the bus. I should also note that I checked beforehand what time the return bus was and was told that there was only one bus coming back that day (not true in the end) and it was at the very specific time of ‘5 or 6 PM around’ so I had to make sure to get that bus and not end up stranded in Kuala Selangor.

It took about two hours and 10 minutes to get to Kuala Selangor Bus Station and from there was a short 5 ringgit taxi to Kuala Selangor Taman Alam (Nature Park). The nature park itself was really, really nice with a mixture of secondary forest, streams, open mangroves and mud flats, and closed mangrove forest. I saw quite a few different bird species there, highlights being the woodpeckers and cuckoos as well as Cinerous Tit, split from the Great Tit in Europe with slight but clearly noticeable differences and a very different habitat being closed mangrove forest. It also opens up the possibility of lots of crude jokes, having seen Great Tits in both Europe and Asia. I won’t go over everything I saw, just look at the species list. I missed Mangrove Pitta and Smooth-coated Otter that I was hoping for, but saw a few unexpected things like the mongoose. There were also lots of Sundaic Silvered langurs, including some with the bright orange babies.

In the middle of the day, I had a quick look up the nearby Bukit Melawati which is a hill with various historical/touristy things on it like some cannons and a lighthouse and things with a couple of tour groups on it. There was also a fantastic view over the Taman Alam/Nature Park and the sea and river mouth beyond. Also loads and loads of habituated silvered langurs that were extremely tame and used to being fed by tourists. There were even a couple of people selling ‘monkey food’ on the hill too.

I decided not to go back to the town for lunch and just eat the food I had with me which was good because I spent longer at the nature reserve which really is very nice. There is actually accommodation available at the HQ and it would probably be nice to spend a few nights and do some spotlighting. There’s a place called the ‘pangolin trail’ in the reserve for example, and I think I’d have a good chance for otters. I left the reserve at 4:30 to be sure I could get back for the ‘5 or 6 PM around’ o’clock bus and I had taken the taxi driver who dropped me off’s phone number and asked him to pick me up around 4:30. Well, he wasn’t there and the number didn’t work. At this point there was also no one at the HQ to ask to call a taxi. So I just had to head out roughly in the direction of the buses (although I hadn’t looked carefully enough to see where to go because I was planning to get a taxi) and hope to find a taxi. I asked around at various people in shops etc. if they knew a taxi number but no one did. While I was walking around looking for a taxi I also stood on a rusty drain which collapsed with me on it which was dramatic but only cut me slightly. This whole bit was quite stressful, but after 45 minutes I did get a taxi who took me to the bus station. I had missed the ‘5 or 6’ bus, but luckily there was one final bus of the day leaving at 6:45 which I was able to get. It actually left at 7:15 and got me back to KL just gone 9. The rain had held off until now, although it was cloudy most of the day, and as the bus was speeding at an excessive speed in the rain and the dark back towards KL, I realised that today had been a fantastic day. Lots of wildlife, lots of adventurous travelling, and almost major problems that all turned out fine.

I was planning to go to KL Sentral to check the train for Kuala Kubu Bahru tomorrow, but a local who I befriended on the bus who seemed to know what he was talking about said not to and I could just show up whenever and there would be a train every half an hour. I didn’t need to book or confirm anything, just show up at KL Sentral tomorrow morning. So being very late and tired, that’s what I’ve done. I’m pretty confident it will be fine. I had to get a few things from the 7/11, get some cash, and get some dinner and eventually I got back to the hostel, done for the day, at about 10:30/11 ish. Very late for me. It was a long day indeed, but a good one. I don’t think I’ll leave too early for Bukit Fraser (relatively) because I feel a bit short on sleep and I will miss the morning birds anyway whenever I leave. I’m just waffling now and am too tired to think of a witty of clever ending so that’s it. Kuala Selangor is great, but just on the edge of what could be a day trip.



New birds seen:

Dusky Crag martin

White-throated Kingfisher

Purple Heron

Black-naped Oriole

Oriental Honey Buzzard

Brahminy Kite

Spectacled Bulbul

Ashy Tailorbird

Rufous-tailed Tailorbird

Little Bronze Cuckoo

Purple-throated Sunbird

Ashy Bulbul

Golden-bellied Gerygone

Mangrove Whistler

Black-winged Flycatcher Shrike

Collared Kingfisher

Sunda Pygmy Woodpecker

Blue-eared Kingfisher

Cinereous Tit (Great Tit split)

Copper-throated Sunbird

Cinnamon-headed Green-pigeon

Crested Serpent-eagle

Common Tailorbird

Lesser Adjutant

Germain’s Swiftlet

Rusty-breasted Cuckoo

Common Flameback Woodpecker

Pacific Swallow

Laced Woodpecker



Mammals:

Sundaic Silvered Langur

Short-tailed Mongoose

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Comments

[Jean Kingham]

14 lifers! Amazing!
That was certainly an adventure but well worth it judging by that list. Did you get a picture of the cuckoo?

[BirderWilliam]

I got some good pictures of the second cuckoo species on that list which posed very nicely. The first one was a binocular view, but quite a clear one. If I get around to it, I will add pictures to these last two posts which don't have them.