An Interesting Saying

For the Love of Birds

Got up very early to be greeted by a morning chorus of our 10 resident Magpie Robins!
Such lovely Tweets! A very Good Morning to all of you too. As I type this, it is now 06:12 am!
Our birds would be leaving in another half an hour for their day's roam.
Hopefully, the new (yes, another) batch of 3 nestlings would also be taking 'flying lessons' today.

I just love a saying as posted by a fellow blogger.....

"God Loved the Birds that He Created Trees,
Man loved the Birds that they invented Cages!"
.........Jacques Deval (date unknown)

Just look and hear her singing here! Isn't she lovely?

We are very, very proud that all of them are flying free and easy!

Please Stop It!!!

Now Everyone Can Flu!

Dear people,
[Okay, okay, I may be going to get flamed to death, for this.]

The dreaded A(H1N1) Flu Bug is getting out of hand and dear friends, please do your part to stop 'spreading it'. You see, after reading the news, I just cannot understand why so many still continue to travel, exposing themselves and taking such a high risk by being in an interior cabin of a aeroplane for hours? Or in a stuffy local bus?
Errr..."now everyone can....flu?"

Is it just because you have bought cheap tickets at the previous Matta fair?

Now that Matta is also coming around to give cheap fairs so what? You quick, quick go buy ALL the cheap fares up?
FCUK YOU, if I ever get picked up and gets quarantined (like a friend of mine did) for this frigging flu, I am going to sue for a million Ringgit!!!!! Serious.

Don't you ever think? Some even went for a holiday knowing the flu is around! Huh?
Go Shiok, Shoik without thinking and come back with da flu and passing it around for ...fun?
I hate going to hospitals and please do not make me go to one. I repeat, I hate hospitals.
Go FCUK yourself if you are one of those bloody inconsiderate ones! Also, please dear Ah Peks, stop spitting on the five foot way and please cough into your handkerchief. I still see these bloody farkers doing it, so commonly done in Klang.
This happened just yesterday! Bloody uneducated Farkers! Ptuiiiii to you too!
Dear Mothers, please 'Ajar' your blardy kids NOT to cough as they wish. You must be so brainless to let them spread disease around. Want to see this? Just go to any Hypermart and watch, especially those with large families. Blardy fark!

Therefore, please lah, just stop travelling unnecessarily until this flu go away. Is it so difficult to think with that brain of yours?

World Health Organisation Updates as at 24th. June 2009.

(Click map to enlarge... dated 24.06.2009)

Alamak, now the Matta Fair comes again.

Go quick and travel. Help spread the flu around! The Gormen also own da Airlines so how?

Die lah!

Start Em Young.

Thanks Sister Kah Yein,

Read from Petfinder.my that Dr. Chan Kah Yein, our Dhamma speaker, a true animal lover and a pet rescuer leads the I-SAW (INTI Society for Animal Welfare), INTI College at Subang Jaya. That is great news.
Please do try to get your hands on her book, "Pawprints on my heart" It is about seven little stories about kindness to animals. Also do keep a box of tissue next to you while reading her experiences with her pets and those who were discarded. She will show you how we can make our lives richer and more meaningful as we live together harmoniously as one big family.

Now this is what I call "See the Bigger Picture" and "Think Out of the Box". I sincerely believe that those who read this book, will get to fully understand and love animals even though you do not have a pet.

Educate, that's right, teach the young.

Prayer of Gentleness to All Creatures

To all the humble beasts there be,
To all the birds on land and sea,
Great Spirit, sweet protection give
That free and happy they may live!

And to our hearts the rapture bring
Of love for every living thing;
Make us all one kin, and bless
Our ways with Nature's gentleness!

John Galsworthy
(1867 - 1933)
Nobel Prize winner (Literature) 1932

Zeiss Spotting Scope.

Awesome Test!

Had an opportunity to test my AVCHD Panasonic TM-300 Full HD 1920x1080 camcorder to an awesome Carl Zeiss Victory Diascope 85 'T' FL Spotting Scope together with the Quick Camera Adapter.
A 30x eyepiece fitted nicely onto the camcorder lens. Thanks to Jason Tan of Trifid Optics.

Due to the complexity of full HD ratio of 16:9, a larger optical adaptor is required to rid of its
side vignetting, which is very common to optics designed for the usual 4:3 ratio.

Fraser's Hill International Bird Race 2009

Sheer Waste Of Our Time!

Yup, we took a week preparing our equipment for this race. We were also told that the Hill would be more 'improved' like the "Little England". Millions of Ringgit have been spent to re-create to its original state. We were assured. It came out in the Press too.

But sadly, all these Bulls were misleading. Pure misguided rubbish. It did not look like the Fraser's Hill of the 60s, 70s, and even the 80s. (the 90s were already showing signs of rot)

The 'other' road was still closed. People from Raub and the East Coast still have to do a big turn via KL and KKB to go up to FH. Many old 'England' bungalows are still closed. There is still a single public toilet (the ONE and ONLY) in town. Just why can't they put up ,say, two to three more around the golf course? Due to traffic control, it became a one way street at the main town but then, some old folks need to make a drive detour about 4 Miles (your choice...or walk uphill for 300 meters) to take a leak? It was raining too! Fuck!

Then the NOISE! If we cannot stand the noisy big bikers, noisy mat rempits, (Yes, they like birds too..of the two-legged kinds of course) noisy 'wroom' from modified cars, kids shouting & bike honking, just how can the birds take it? Moreover, almost 3 years of knocking, banging, painting, cutting & grinding distractions due to the construction, thus causing dust and more dust. I tell you, the birds are gone.
I received an SMS last nite that the Malaysian team managed to record only 70 types of birds out of 120 in this Hill. Such a poor performance. The only foreigners were from Singapore and Thailand. What happened to the International crowd from UK, Australia, NZ, Canada, Japan,South Africa, France, Holland.......? Aww! Please do not tell me it is the A(H1N1) crap again!
Another thing. Please, those 'arches' announcing the trails are just sheer waste of money. An informative board, properly maintained, is good enough for us nature seekers. I sincerely hope that they do not light up the arches at night! Ha!Ha! Hey, this is a Forest Reserve!
Doing up Puncak Inn from zero 'star' to 3 'star' is another waste of funds. Do we need that? It looked so 'posh' that I was 'frightened' to go inside! They have also 'kicked' out all the little warungs' formally located on the verandah.

Back to the Birds. I checked with many fellow birders later. Almost none managed to shoot great pictures of da birds. Me too. I was trying very hard to Video (in HD) them but were distracted by noises. It was also too smoggy and hazy thus preventing sunlight from illuminating the subjects. The video footage were of poor colors too.
The photo above is a picture of a Woodpecker. It is called the 'Greater Yellownape'. This cute chappie was 'ketuking, ketuking, on the tree bark. After adjusting my DIY parabolic dish microphone, I managed to record his pecking sounds. It is also on the video below. Cute!

Please see my HD Video here for this Bird Race. See and feel the "Sights and Sounds"

Dear Authorities, please, please cut out the "Little England" crap. The old Fraser's Hill is gone. England left us in 1957, if you have forgotten. 52 years ago! Your renovations does not even let us remember what Fraser's Hill was, 20 years ago! Such waste of funds. You should really be ashamed of yourselves.

In closing, let me quote a declaration on the entry form at the 2003 Race. ".........to encourage birdwatching as a healthy and academic outdoor activity, to create awareness among both Malaysiana and foreigners of the rich avifauna in Fraser's Hill and to protect Fraser's Hill as a bird sanctuary in Malaysia........."

Are we heading towards that direction at all? Are the birds still there?Really?

By the way, I am personally not new to this Hill. I still remember 'The Tavern', the 'James Bond' minibus driver, the 'Sri Berkat' food, the Red Cross Bungalow, The Steakhouse, The Gap.

Now, that WAS Fraser's Hill.

Heterometrus spinifer

A Giant Scopion!

Was at the Fraser's Hill International Bird Race 2009 yesterday.

It rained and rained. There was also a thick blanket of smokey haze being mistakenly thought as the usual mist at Bukit Frasers. One can 'smell' the haze.
Phooey! Not much birds anymore.
But while taking shelter at a slope, we were startled and alarmed by a very large scorpion.
No, I am not too crazy about scorpions but one must respect the wilds. This IS her place.
Later, I learned more about this Asia Giant Forest Scorpion (Heterometrus spinifer) and is also known as the Malaysian Black scorpion. She is hugh and unlike other scorpions I have seen. It kinda look like a big 'Udang Galah' walking on land and the blue color is very attractive. Noticed the yellowish bulb just before the sting. Watch it! Whoa!

This HD Video was shot in-situ. I have added an AudioSwap music "One Minute Left" by Arts & Kraphts Galleries from You Tube. Awesome! Enjoy!

A long read.

My Long View.

Dear Friends,

Below is going to be the only posting for this week because I have to get prepared for the Fraser's Hill International Bird Race this Saturday.
We lost our birds at home (With the exception of the residents) and now we have to go somewhere further to see them. This suxs!

It is a very lengthy article with plenty of photos and the content may hurt some readers.
Please forgive me.

I do not like fakes. People with fake titles, fake intentions, fake lives and fake philosophies as if they all know everything even better than the Gods. These are mine and my views only. Not even from my family. If it also look like I am bashing a 'certain' belief/religion, so be it. I am not going to 'their' heaven or hell anyway. I got my own version of heaven & hell.
Hell is like living near to one of these people.

Just relax and slowly enjoy what I have posted. Read with an open mind. Hope you like it.
For those who disagree, kindly leave politely.
Thank You.

Cheers and Regards
Donald G.H Tan

Land Cleared!

GONE!

It personally took us six long years to see and experience what loss of greenery can do to our environment.

When we bought our home here in Klang in 2003, the opposite site was pure greenery. The air was fresh, clean and one can smell what is pure oxygenic air is all about. There were old timber trees, wild bananas, wild plants, insects, birds, not forgetting frogs, snakes and monitor lizards.
That's pure Nature money cannot buy!
But then, someone bought it! Bought it to make money by clearing all the trees to build houses.
Seven years difference. Picture taken in late 2002(above) . Exactly the same position taken today, 2009, it looks like this! (below)
These houses are so closely packed that out of these 60 houses, few of them grew any trees outside of their new homes. All side spaces inside were tiled-up to put another car.

We felt warmer especially on hot days like these.

At the back area after our neighbours, there was another large tract of greenery.
This is where we still can get our clean and cool air. Along came the birds.It was heaven sent.

This small area housed many of our favourites. There were the Crested Serpent Eagle (a pair of them), the Brown Wood Owl, the Spotted Wood Owl, the Asian Koel, Coucal, Blue-throated Bee Eater,










Munia, Coppersmith Barbet, Starlings, White-breasted Waterhen, Brahminy Kite and the Nightjar. There maybe more if time were given. Birds watching was so comfy and spontaneous.

As at today, all these are GONE!
All the trees are chopped down two weeks ago. The land have changed hands and I was told that the new owner wanted to build a "palace" for his large extended family. Sounds too familiar. After looking at what was done, it looks like he can build many "palaces" for many families!! Schucks! At a stroke of a pen the birds are gone!

Is that all what we really care for? Money? Are we short of houses? Bullshit!
It is the Money. Nothing else.
OK, this land is not mine, so I cannot say or do anything. People may tell me it is 'development' for the future. Development my arse! And go fuck the future if there are people like that. Humans are just breeding too fast...just like flies!
The authorities approving another housing project without giving any thought for greenery to regenerate the air are another bunch of arseholes. It is about money. Cukai pintu, cukai tanah, cukai this and cukai that.
Now the Haze.

So, many of us have just fitted air conditioners stupidly thinking that air-conditioners produces fresh air! Bodoh! Without opening your bedroom windows for 24 hours, it will only make the carbon dioxide that you breathe out, cooler. Eventually you still breathe in what you breathe out! How stupid. Now we get the disease of the air. The Flu.
See how stupid humans think?

OK, I am paranoid because I lost the birds. But it is Nature that everyone of us loose. Not me alone stupid! So what are we going to have? New houses right? Yeah.
More of those obnoxious 'fat' richmen with their fat-wives, fat-children, a fat-maid and even a fat-dog. I think you get my drift.......

After six years here, I am begining to see better how those fat Mr.Richman works. Klang's got plenty of 'em. They all have lovely slim, sexy Girlfriends/Mistresses with BMWs or Porche Cayenne. Their fat-wives at home get a Toyota Camry or a Honda Accord. A big car mah? Sometimes you get to see the entire slob of a family in restaurants eating like pigs. You can just 'hear' them.

Come Chinese New Year, you can really hear them! This time louder still.

Even their 'GODS' hear them!

Except for the Police, MPK and Customs!
They let off firecrackers and fireworks in the wee fucking hours of the morning, frightening 'evil spirits' away (as if). They forget they have neighbours. In Klang, Day Eight makes Afghanistan looks like Disneyland. Damn bloody inconsiderate bastards!

In Day One and Day Fifteenth will see them burning 'gold' papers (as if) by some miracle of supreme-broadband-internet-connections, the gods get to receive them and give them more moolahs and nothing else but plenty more moolahs!
One can see these worshippers of moolahs by just looking from the outside of their homes.
Everything is Red and Gold in colour! Cut outs of enormously large (graphical) pineapples in pairs (like a pair of phallic Balls!)
and hor, ...also flickering super bright red LEDS at night (as if) the gods travelling at light speed can spot them at 30,000 feet above sea level! All at the same time!
Even the joss sticks are 12 feet tall and burns forever!
Money is what they pray for. Nothing else matters.
....."Moolah, Moolah,Moolah! It's a Richman World!............
Neighbours can go fuck themselves for all they care.

Now, back to my subject.

Humans, and only humans are the cause of diseases. That's for sure.....proven already.
Not the Birds, or Pigs, or Cows, or Chicken or Goats. Just bloody smart-assed humans.

The dreaded:- A(H1N1) flu, Denggue, TB, MB, Typhoid, Fuckhoid, Cocksuckie, Chikungunya, Niahmagunya, Ringgitgunya,..Whateverkunya........BRING IT ON!

It maybe Nature's only way of neutering and spaying humans! Go on!
Nature is waiting!

(All Pictures mainly mine, others by Google Images)

KTMB

Trainspotting

Spotted a KTMB Kommuter train departing the railway station in Port Klang.
Enjoy the HD Video

Bird Race Next Weekend

Fraser's Hill
International Bird Race 2009

It's back! The FHIBR will be held on 20th.-21st. June, 2009 at Bukit Fraser, Pahang.

Visit this site for more information.

This yearly event gets bigger everytime and this year's would be special, very special.
The entire hill resort have been going through extensive renovations to further enhance the quaint old charm of 'Little England'.

For almost 2 years, all major key areas such as hotels, inns, shops and restaurants would be 'remade' to its original feature. We were told of this last year and we are looking forward to not only the Bird Race but to see whatever transformed as promised.

Importantly, it must be remembered that this small hill resort is on a Forrest Reserve and respect to the laws governing this are to be followed strictly without exceptions. The common disturbances ranges from noisy exhaust pipes from motorcycles and souped-up cars and keeping the engine running while waiting for the entry/exit (only) road to be opened.Visitors are reminded that this is a 'nature' tourist spot and it has no Casinos nor any Shopping arcades.

All visitors should make less noise and not to disturb the peace. Thus not frightening all animals especially the birds.

Hopefully too, the VIPs do not come over in their Helicopters like they did in 2007!



Awww...the noise Suxs!

Talking Cock

Breaking News!
Local Animals Worried
Zealots Will Take Over
SPCA

Here.
(Warning! :This is only a satirically funny article from Singapore's TalkingCock.Com---Gotcha!Ha!Ha!-Pictures from Googles Images)

Malaysian Sunbird

Our Resident
Olive-backed Sunbird

One of our babies have grown up to be a wonderful looking girl. She is seen here sipping nectar from our own DIY feeder made from a petri dish, a recycleable cover and a fake flower.



You see, our Sunbirds are related to the Hummingbirds.
It is always our wish to see a real Hummingbird. Would have to go to the US to see one of these. In these two months in the States,....... it's "Hummers Time"!

This is the Rufous Hummingbird (below)

The Magnificient Hummingbird (below)
And the Anna's Hummingbird (below)

Wow! What excellent zingers they are !

(Pictures by Google Images; Hummingbird video by DMA Dave on You tube; Sunbird Video is mine)

Slipper Orchid

Paphiopedilum Shireen

A rare orchid hybrid bloomed in our home in Klang, last month. It had a two flower spike and the flower lasted almost 10 days each. This is a cross done in 1963 between Paphiopedilum glaucophyllum (J.J.Sm.) and Paphiopedilum philippinense (Rchb.f.) Stein. These are also known as 'slipper' orchids mainly due to its 'dutch slipper' looking lip.

Resident Magpies

Our Magpies
"Feeding Time"

The Video below shows a feeding session when a parent flies in with a 'grub' to pop it into the 'large mouth' baby. We also noticed that the parent seems to know who gets to eat next!
It is through this video we learned that the babies' dropping (poop) is also being removed and as compared to our other resident bird, the Peaceful Dove, the Magpie's nests are the cleanest.
Thus a re-useable nest!

How we wish humans are 'that' hardworking!!! ;-)

This video is shot on High Definition AVCHD format.

A Short Tour

Pulau Ketam

This is a short video filmed on our recce trip on 28th. April, 2009, shortly after discovering the dumping of the 400 dogs to Hell's Island.

This HD Video is on You Tube.

TV Smith and I interviewed the village chief (scene deleted) but this clip shows you their lives on the main island, their culture, beliefs, and their daily chores. This place is also a tourist destination listed on the Malaysian Tourists map.
Their main produce is seafood.

Swamp Dogs Rescue

The People Behind The Scene

Just completed editing a new Video on the People who have helped in the rescue of swamp dogs in Hell's Island off Pulau Ketam, Port Klang, Selangor, Malaysia.
Leading the team is FFF Furry Friends Farm's Sabrina Yeap and closely co-ordinated by TV Smith and Pamela Lim.

Please see this Video at You Tube.

Also shown is our loveable rescue dog Kunning but not forgetting Hitam.

Re-edited Videos

VIDEO REMIXED

Here are the two You Tube Videos which were posted earlier but taken down to be re-edited.
They are on High Definition and in 5.1 Dolby Sound.

1) SAVING GRACE
This is the rescue part shot on 7th. May, 2009

2) SAVING GRACE -part2
This was shot in Dr. Lian's Clinic.
WARNING: This video contains scenes that may not be suitable for certain audiences.

Note: These are copyrighted works.

Craps,Grab and Crabs!

So How Now?
Now that Kunning is back with the owner, supposedly one or two or even three dogs are found, so what's next? The important fact is that more than 400 domesticated pets were killed by this action and someone must be hauled up and punished.

Only less than 10% of the dogs were saved and half of those saved may not make it. Have we really achieved anything great?

There were elements of law breaking kidnap, drama of the finest kind even with accusation
of murder, death threats and politics, so what's next?

CRAPS
This 'ORG' is supposedly, the only organisation here in Malaysia was set to prevent Cruelty to animals and to PROTECT all living animals in the laws which is enshrined in our Malaysian Constitution. We would expect that they, the beneficiary of many Corporation's donations, do just that. But did they?
The recent action of City Hall's infamous killing of dogs by yanking their throats with so much cruelty were even shown on national TV. They denied it but if my eyes fooled me, I would have thought that dead dogs don't move! In fact 'dead' anything doesn't move!
By the way, these strays were already in their confines and pens. Do they have to be treated in this inhumane way? Come on, we are humans. We posses a thinking brain which is supposed to be smarter than animals. But are we? Animals do not kill each other just to rob them. Humans do.
I may now be thinking that maybe, just maybe, that spaying and neutering 'idiotic' humans may be the right thing to do. We are breeding faster than flies!
Yesterdays newspaper's report that now we have problems with elephants and monkeys. There are already talks of them being a 'nuisance' and may have to spay and neuter them. Just think.
It is we humans that encroaches into their territories and now we call 'them' a problem!
Just where do these animals go if we keep clearing land just to accomodate those "do-not-want-to-go-back-home" foreign labourers especially illegals?

GRAB
Ok, so Kuning is back. He can only do that much. For nine days after he was 'grabbed mistakenly' more dogs died in Hell's Island. How much dogs are still alive? Your guess is as good as mine. This 'Mystery' should not have happened. Did this ORG did the grab?
So why all the hoo-haa about attempted murder, raid, threats, sandiwara, drama-minggu-ini?
Living with 14 cats and dogs in a cabin is definitely not hygenic and talk about working with an outfit saving animals is very poor PR! Ever hear about Leptosporasis? Distemper?Parvovirus?Rabbies? (...spelling unchecked!...)Tak Malu!

CRABS
The Malay word for that is ketam.
Pulau Ketam or crab island used to be a sleepy idlylic fishing village. Now it is a cursed place. The Village of the Damned". Their stupid action caused the death of more than 400 pet dogs.
This un-educated move to chuck away the poor strays into Pulau Selat Kering and Pulau Pintu Gedung miles away from their homes are NOT actual islands. Just because it is called 'pulau' it is a tidal swamp which meant 'Sure Death' even for the thoughest human.
These cluster of salt water swamps are breeding grounds for vast numbers of marine life such as fishes, muddy crabs, clams, cockles, mangrove snails and prawns. thus sprouting numbers of kelongs (aquatic fish farms). This is the main income of this village.
Let us teach them a lesson that there are rules and laws to follow. No one is above the law. The public is very pissed off. It was understood that they still defend their right to do what they did. Paws pointing is now an 'in' thing. The next was 'oops!'
I will BOYCOT going to the island for visits. I will NOT buy, eat, promote whatever produce that come from that village. I now plea to all dogs and animal lovers to join me in this boycot. Stop buying and consuming products from Pulau Ketam such as seafood like this which is served in Seafood and Steamboat restaurants:-

Razor Clams/(Choke Than /Teik Than/Siput Buluh)

Cockles/(See Hum/Kerang) Clams/(LaLa)
Mangrove Snails/(Balitung/Lor/ChutChut)
Live fishes are usually all of the same sizes and weight, are cultured, kept alive and displayed in salt water tanks at all seafood restaurants in and around Klang valley.

The common ones are:-

Red Snappers/(Ang Choe/Hoong Choe/Ikan Merah)

Groupers/(Sack Pan/Kerapu)
Pompano/(Golden Pomfret/Kum Chong/Bawal Emas)
Barramundi/Sea Perch/(Siakap)

Of course, not forgetting their famous Pulau Ketam Fish Balls!
...and their famous Fish Crackers/(Kerupuk/Har Paeng/Hae Piah)
...and most importantly, the Prawns.......
....and da CRABS!
Just imagine this....all the seafood ate up the dead bodies of our beloved defenseless Swamp Dogs who died a horrible death even without being given a fighting chance to stay alive.

JUST LOOK AT THIS FOR THE LAST TIME! May they rest in Peace especially you, 'dear Salvation.......'

Malaysia Boleh!

(Pictures courtesy of TV Smith and Google images)