Mission - Checking out a new Birding site

The Talang -Langkap Forest

Just last week I came to know of a new birding destination. It's been too long that we do not hear of a new place that we can venture out. Running a check on the information for this place, I came to know that this place  gain rapid recognition since its name was mentioned on the internet in October 2021.

It's time this "Lau Chiau" to come out of retirement and doing some recce. The place is named as Talang-Langkap Forest. Don't be intimidated by the name. Most people have not heard of it. To meet up with the "not-so-common birds" the place must be super "Ulu".

So this day we head for Kampong Talang. Thta's all the information we had on this new place. We know that from the Talang Road,  turn right into the road heading into the forest and the ending with an Orang Asli settlement - Langkap. Then a little distance from that junction, mobile service will be out of range. Those who had made trips before could not leave any co ordinate to alert others of the hot or productive spots. The only other reference reference would be a couple of ponds as landmark

Thus this place as I checked with Google is officially the Hutan Lipur Jeram Toi and also with a desigated square area as the Petron Green Nature Concept. I am very familiar with Jeram Toi itself. I having done birding there on several occasions. I had also done birding on top of the ridge in Telapa Buruk.

This area of Talang- Langkap is a place of land with the undulating terrain at the foot and after the Main Range of Peninsula ends at Telapa Buruk. Very well forested and remote with no settlements. So this is another typical example when we went looking for birds at a new location without being led for the first time.

We trotted with our cars like greenhorn hoping that some others looking for birds would had entered the forest earlier, They had stopped to do their hunting. After more than 5 kilometers of driving, our wish came through. A large crowd had assembled and shooting a nesting Monarch. That was also our target and our objective for the dy met.

I did a cursory shot at the Monarch nest and moved away from the group, to carry out some real birding all by myself. After an hour or so later, my buddy had enough of satisfaction at the Monarch nest, joined me But I suggested we should proceed further in to do our own hunting. True enough after another kilometer and half, we met up with the second group of Photographers. The target bird a woodpecker, called it quit and flew away. We too, laft that group and drove straight on to the Orang Asli settlement in Langkap.

Part 1 -  Reaching Tanjong Ipoh -Negri Sembilan

# 1 - Talang -That's where were were heading

State road N135 - That was for starter! looking for birding spot. Simply based on one word "Talang"

# 2 - Looking out towards the junction

Better way of describing by looking out.

# 3 - Signboard enlarged

For our own remembrance.

# 4 - Destination - internal sign board

Signage seen after turning on N135. Talang only 5 km while Talang is 17 Km. From this spot, we must have traveled 3 km in along the road.

# 5 - Close-up of signboard

Another one enlarged

# 6 - Forest scene along Kampong Talang Road

Nice pleasant country road full of green

# 7 - Almost End of Road to Dam

At last reaching the Dam. No signage to show how far we are towards the Dam. No signal to alert us about making a turn to the right. Lucky my homework paid off. Guess that must be the turn. Only one seen so far.

# 8 - The road signs

Yap! That's the sign on the Talang road

#. 9 -  New signage to Langkap - same style board

And that's also the same type of sign on the supposing Langkap Road.

# 10 - Forest scene along Langkap Road

Tapir sign - very reassuring. Place must be very remote.

# 11 - Rest Stop/shelter in every kilometer space

Beautiful sheds. All along the road. For walkers or motorcyclist using this long deserted forest road in case of rain?

Part 2 -  Found! The right spot

# 12 - Landmark for birding spot

Ar last - that much needed landmark! Even the person who told me about this place didn't notice that there is this marker stone.

# 13 - We have company!

Ye, Bird Guide Low Chee Meng brought a few guests

# 14 - Yeah! Found it

Oh yes, Jubilant Teh couldn't hide his thrill that we had successfully located this spot

# 15 - Photographers started work early

Looks like the Photographers were all hidden among the bushes! No they are not. If you were there, you even see the nest on this picture. it is less than 10 feet away. The road itself is about 14 feet wide.

# 16 - More arrivals after us

We had moved our car far away from the crowd gathering spot.

# 17 - Scenes of Shooting 1

All action!

# 18 - Scenes of Shooting 2

Bazookas in action

# 19 - A Thumbs Up

In the intervals between feeds we had time to relax

# 20 - Scenes of Shooting 3

Oh! They caught me in action too. Good One picture for myself. Far right is Low Chee Meng doing a watch.

Part 3 -  The nesting Monarch bird

# 21 - The nesting Black-naped Monarch

The poor father bird keeping the 3 days old chicks warm

#22 - The nesting Black-naped Monarch 2

This was the mother's turn

#. 23 The nesting Black-naped Monarch 3

Same shot but with wider angle and larger picture

#24 - Feeding chick

Next round - the father bird brought food

# 25 - Inspection

He was doing the feeding

# 26 - Keeping chicks warm

After feeding, the bird followed up by seating onto the nest.

Part 4 -  Encountering a pair of Woodpeckers

# 27 - A Woodpecker

Unexpected find

# 28 - A Woodpecker 2- pecking away

Apologies! The bird was some distance away

# 29 - A Woodpecker 3

This Woodpecker was pecking away and I as clicking like wise

#30 - A  Woodpecker 4

 # 31 - A Woodpecker 5

Could not get a good shot on its partmer

Part 5 -  Still trying ti ID this bird

# 32 - Babbler or Bulbul?

Never believe that I could see one bird that I am not familiar with! A lifer at this age?

# 33 - Babbler or Bulbul?

Given time, I will ID the bird

Part 6 -  The Great Slaty-backed Woodpecker shoot

# 34 -  Another Birding group down the road

Ai Yoh! more than one and the half kilometer away. They had been shooting for a while. Tried looking for their target! It was so far away. Even through the magnified lens, most of us could hardly make out the birds

Part 7 -  End of the Road

# 35 - Another stretch of the Langkap forest road

Yes nice road, after the 8th km marker, this place was more an open country with bushes and fruit farms done by the residents of Asli Settlement

# 36 - A large pond -Left side

One picture of the the big lake - a land mark tipped by our informer

# 37 - Right an overgrown smaller pond

Then another picture of the small lake - really lake ah?

# 38 - End of the road - Langkap Settlement

Recorded one signage at kampong for reference - check the dates

Part 8 -  Balek -Homeward bound

# 39 - Group photo - One for the road

Though the vicinity was very deserted but the authority had put up colorful signage in the jungle too.

Part 9 -  Detoured to Kuala Pilah

# 40 - One the way to Kuala Pilah for lunch

Wow! It's only 7 km more to go before we could have our lunch.

# 41 - Kuala Pilah town Center

I think my last visit must be 1999, the Y2K days. That was the time when I was doing write-up on Government Rest Houses all over the country and came here for pictures. The few unique features I found out about this place then was - along this road there were the mosque, temple and church all three in one cluster. Next in the shops, one item they carry stocks would be mould for making local cakes. Lastly but not the least, the Kuala Pilah is famous for offering Terrapins Soup, double boiled dark herbal soup. But for this trip, my traveling companions are not crazy about food - so leave alone the exotic version.

# 42 - Jalan Yam Tuan Raden

I had to choose between Hainan Coffee House or Foh Heong! Then for this page I had copied from the FB page of Hainam Kopithaim

"The original Hainan's who as far back as 1936 set up Foh Heong Kopitiam in Kuala Pilah and still stands tall till today. We are the Goh family that puts up together the T recipes that is to be adapted more than half decades later. Popular in colonial times, the restaurant was favored and patronized by the British and the Negeri Sembilan royalty. Together with Tunku Kudin, we set up Sinaran Restaurant Cafe in 1944".

#43 - Restaurant Foh Heong

So you get to see both names - "Sinaran" and Foh Heong on this picture

# 44 - Chinese name

It is a real pleasure to travel. We had the opportunity to tap in on to this town's short history. So it shows that the journey is more important than the taste of food.

# 45 - Another group photo

So one more pictures about us us. I remember Stephen's comments. - "Your Lam Mee looks like my "Wat Tan Hor"

# 46 - Couplets for the shop

I suppose there must have some significance, saw this couplets to the shop. Could be its relevance to the shop's name

Part 10 -  Final Part - Some other sights along the way

# 47 -Seri Menanti - The Royal Palace museum of Negri Sembilan

The Royal Museum Seri Menanti is housed in the unique Old Palace building (Istana Seri Menanti) in the small town of Seri Menanti in the Kuala Pilah district of Negeri Sembilan. Seri Menanti is the royal capital of Negri Sembilan state.

Negri Sembilan translates as ‘nine states’ referring to the nine territories which made up the confederation from 1773 onwards. The rulers of this state are of Minangkabau origin having migrated from western Sumatra about six centuries ago bringing their distinctive customs and architectural style with them.

#48 - Seri Menanti - The Royal Palace museum of Negri Sembilan

This "Welcome" arch at the start of the road, though still some way to go.

#49 - Taman Rekreasi Ulu Bendul

Lazy to write just copied some text from the internet

"The Ulu Bendul Recreational Park is also a perfect spot for you to conduct more bonding sessions with your families and your friends. Here, you can carry out a picnic session in the middle of the park itself or even near the waterfall in the park. When you are hanging out around the waterfall in the Ulu Bendul Recreational Park, you can also enjoy the cold water of the waterfall by swimming in the waterfall to wash away your tiredness and in the same time, giving yourself a treat after spending most of your time exploring the state of Negeri Sembilan"

# 50 - Taman Rekreasi Ulu Bendul - Old signage

Look classic - must be one of the original signages

# 51 - Taman Rekreasi Ulu Bendul - Snake Park

OK! First time for me to see this sign I was trying to find out more about this place but so far nothing found.

# 52 - Lebuhraja Kajang-Seremban  - Seremban end

We used the new Seremban Expressway also known AH2 or the Kajang-Seremban Highway. The tolled segment ends here in Ampangan. The dual carriage way continued toll free until the Pekan Paroi Junction.

The forested Langkap Road was 10 km long with 8 km covered by pristine forest. Very inviting place for birding. While the forest here is pristine but this is not an ancient forest. It is like a place that had being logged and now filled with rejuvenated trees reaching height of 80 feet and above. The Bird life here as I had seen is moderate but diversity is good.

Since the place is so near to urban Kuala Pilah, we took the opportunity to have our lunch in Kuala Pilah town before retuning home. Also had included pictures of a couple scenic destinations encountered along the way to Kuala Pilah