01, 02 Jan 2026 – Kledang Saiong Forest Eco Park

New year, new blog, new birds.

For two consecutive mornings, I visited the Kledang Saiong Forest Eco Park (Ipoh, Perak, Malaysia) to kickstart my birding journey for 2026. Both sessions proved to be productive adding a respectable 11 new species to my life list.

Entering the park at 8AM sharp, I went straight to walk the river before the crowds of swimmers and picnickers came in. I was hoping to spot some kingfishers alas no luck. What I did spot though was a Chestnut-naped Forktail. The bird came to the river’s edge for a short while before it disappeared into the forest again.

I spent most of the morning around the birdwatching tower (incredibly frustrating that the facility is not opened to the public). A fruiting tree attracted plenty of birds (various Bulbuls, Barbets and Flowerpeckers) to feast on the ripened fruits.

I called it a day by late morning on both visits. As I was making my way out, I continued to scan the trees along the service road to the park entrance. I was pleasantly surprised to spot the Black-and-yellow Broadbill and Velvet-fronted Nuthatch.

e-Bird checklists:
1. https://ebird.org/checklist/S291511294
2. https://ebird.org/checklist/S291796455