Thursday, July 09, 2009

6th July 2009: Cameron Highlands, Malaysia

The morning was spent on Trail 5 in the hope of seeing Mountain Peacock-pheasant or Brown Bullfinch - no luck on either account!

Just as well as I discovered that my flash wasn't working, which would have been very frustrating on this shady trail!


















Zebra Ringlet, or Ragadia crisilda to the experts!























Once again I had point blank views of Blue Nuthatches, but their frenetic pace was no match for my flashless camera. There were also several yellownapes about, including this juvenile Greater Yellownape...


















...and a couple of Lesser Yellownapes. This female (?) worked methodically at each of the protrusions on this tree trunk, making a small hole in each and then poking its long tongue in.























The male just hung about not doing anything much.

In the afternoon I went to the summit of Gunung Brinchang, which is, memorably, 6,666 feet asl!



















 A party of Bar-throated (formerly Chestnut-tailed) Minlas took great interest in me.


































This race - malayana - has much darker grey ear coverts than the castanicauda race I photographed on Doi Inthanon in Thailand here. Also, the the eye-ring seems much more distinctly bicoloured on the Malaysian birds..























Another upper montane specialist - the treecreeping Rufous-winged Fulvetta. This is the race soror, which has more extensive chestnut on the remiges (primaries and secondaries) than the one I photographed on Doi Inthanon, which I think is 'castaneceps'.




















The tiny Snowy-browed Flycatcher is quite common and tame near the summit but easily overlooked as it sits quietly.




















In the fading evening light I found this Golden-throated Barbet enjoying supper in a fruiting tree.



After dinner I filmed the full moon rising. I could see swiftlets flying around in its light occasionally.

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