May 29, 2017
May 28, 2017
Oriental pratincole (Glareola maldivarum).
Adult in breeding plumage. Malim Nawar, Perak. Looking dignified.
May 27, 2017
Anthurium flower @ Maxwell Hill, Taiping, Perak
Anthurium flower @ Maxwell Hill, Taiping, Perak. Common names include tailflower, flamingo flower and laceleaf. Commercially captivated and used by florists for flower arrangement.
Vietnam sojourn - star birds and much more!
After over 2 months planning for our first trip to Vietnam we were all set (almost) and on our way to the KLIA for our Malindo Air flight to HCMC. The six of us ladened with our equipments and food, yes food were all quite happy with the baggage allowance of 30 kgs! A very generous offer from a new airline determined to give the bigger and longer established players a good run for their money. We had a good fare too having booked 21/2 month ahead of our scheduled trip.
'Solitude'
Bunga Kantan (Etlingera Elatior) aka torch ginger is the most beautiful, wild and edible flower in the rainforest of Malaysia. The scientific name is Etlingera Elatior. In the picture is a bud.
Nostalgic Return to The Nest @ Maxwell Hill, Taiping, Perak, Malaysia
Maxwell Hill was our next destination. Wouldn't want to pass it over especially since it is in the same district as Ulu Tupai Resort - our last overnight stop with fellow MNS Selangor Branch members for the annual Volunteer Appreciation Day (VAD) weekend sojourn.
We arrived at the foothill early for the 2.30 pm jeep ride up the hill station, full of expectations. As it turned out the predictable weather of Taiping discharged it's load precisely at 2.30 pm thus delaying our ascend by some 45 minutes. When we arrived at the jeep stop of Speedy bungalow the rain had not stopped, hence we took refuge under the jeep shelter. Half an hour of waiting later the rain abetted. We picked up our 'gears' and made our ascend up the concrete steps, pass Speedy bungalow and trudged on more concrete steps before hitting the trails ladened with decaying leaves rendered muddy by the earlier torrential rain.
Not too long after the iconic fasade loomed above us. Just a few more rocky steps and we will be home! A return (of sorts) to the favourite playground of many etched by 130 years of history and still rock steady. Awesome history by any standards. We have returned to The Nest!
Additional info: Maxwell Hill, now renamed Bkt Larut is a hill resort located 10 km from Taiping, Perak, Malaysia. Founded in 1884, it is the oldest hill resort in Malaysia. It is approximately 1250 m (4,101 ft)above sea level. Daytime temperature at Maxwell Hill is between 15 and 25 °C and can drop to 10 °C at night.
The Nest standing tall and rock solid after 130 years of colorful history. A thick blanket of mist had formed and wrapped itself around the whole area making birding impossible. We resigned to just pacing around the bungalow to kill some time before dinner.
Peter our co-host together with Liew Suet Fun was preparing a treat which promises to make us forget about the 'lost' birding opportunity. Peter shown here working on succulent spare ribs of wild boar.
Almost ready. Crispy on the outside and soft and juicy on the inside! Bario stye wild boar BBQ spare ribs for dinner. Sinalau Bakas!
Just look at the finished ribs! Yummy! And look again, almost no trace of oil on the pan.
Steamed lady's fingers and cucumber
Stir fried four angled beans with generous toppings of fried onions, chilli and soy sauce.
After dinner everyone retreated to the warmth of a great fireplace. Wonderful is an understatement!
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