Thaipusam in Penang - time to get away and what better place than Pedu in North-Eastern Kedah.

The 90 km Penang-Gurun drive was easy. After we exited the PLUS highway, it was another 90 km through the small towns of Jeniang, Sik, Gulau and Gubir.

This quaint police station in Jeniang must have been a former sentry point, during the Communist era perhaps.

A total of 23 people came for this trip. As I had intended to introduce birdwatching as a recreational activity, it was heartening to note that three families, all beginners, had signed up, eager to know what bird-watching is all about. And we had four septuagenarions, with one coming all the way from Singapore.

Our venue was Desa Utara Pedu Lake Resort and by the time I arrived, all except one family had checked in and were already checking the place out. Set on 400 acres of land on the eastern bank of Pedu Lake, the landscaping incorporated many original forest trees and the kampong-styled chalets blended well with the natural surroundings. It was ideal for beginners as it offered a safe, comfortable place to bird at the forest fringe.

Briefing time after lunch.

and then we proceeded to walk around the resort looking for birds.

At an inlet of the lake, the kingfishers were obliging and 4 species were spotted, namely the White-throated, the Stork-billed, the Black-capped and the Common Kingfisher. Then, someone spotted a Buffy Fish-Owl perched on a dead tree-stump right in the middle of a small lake adjacent to the inlet. Wow! That's beginner's luck, an owl hunting in mid-afternoon.

Our excitement did startle the owl though and it sought refuge in the surrounding trees.

Other birds seen included the Gold-whiskered Barbet, Brown Barbet, Greater Racquet-tailed Drongo, Raffles's Malkoha and the Osprey.

The bright sunny afternoon turned gloomy unexpectedly. The group who had gone to Ulu Muda to watch the hornbills coming back to their evening roost also had to cancel their trip because of the rain.

Nevertheless, everyone seemed quite happy during dinner.

For beginners, what they saw were all lifers. For the seasoned, well, they were just happy to see these birds again, in a natural habitat.

After dinner, the resort had kindly set-up their karaoke lounge for my slide presentation show-casing the birds of Pedu Lake.

A group of UITM students joined us for the show.

Then, we had a night-walk but we did not see the usual Brown Hawk-owl or civet that my family had seen during our previous trips.

The next morning. a small group of us opted to go for a nature walk with the resident guide. The Singaporean member, Mr Kon (far right), in only shorts and sandals, put us to shame as we were all dressed up to fend off leeches.

Mr Hazdiman, our amiable guide introduced us to the native plants and their uses.

He pointed out this lovely wild ixora.

A flowering wild palm.

Buttress roots forming in a young tree.

A hide built by locals, to trap birds?

And the refreshing taste of liana jiuce.

The rest continued bird-watching and some of the birds seen were the Grey-breasted Spiderhunter, Crested Goshawk and the Oriental Pied Hornbills. The highlight came at lunch-time when Mrs Hum spotted a pair of Black-and-Yellow Broadbills carrying nesting material.

They were ingenious…. they were building a nest next to a hornet's nest which will protect them from marauding invaders like the monitor lizards and the squirrels.

After having a good look at the cute broadbills, it was time to leave. It was a short trip. We saw only 41 species. But as some lingered on and took another leisurely stroll around the resort, I could see that they were planning to come back another day, if not for the birds, then for the peace and quiet of nature.

I wish to thank Mr & Mrs Hum Kim Choy, Mr James Ooi and Mr Tan Choo Eng for their kind assistance and my hubby and daughter for their support and help in organising this trip.

by Seet Mei Ling