19th February 2010: Fraser's Hill

The third resident species I haven't yet seen at Fraser's Hill is Long-billed Partridge, so I set my hide up on the Pine Tree trail at first light in hope! What I hadn't bargained for was a particularly numerous and irritating biting insect - too small to see but certainly not too small to feel! At times it felt as if my skin was crawling with the things, and I soon started getting lumps all over my hands and face. Staying still was a practical impossibility! Whether that mattered or not I don't know - in two hours I neither saw nor heard any sign of avian life!



The view from my hide (the Long-billed Partridges have been photoshopped out!).



Another view of the sun!






















A mid-morning wander along Jalan Mager was uneventful except for distant views of this Lesser Racket-tailed Drongo. These drongos are common, but finding one with a full set of rackets isn't, so it's a shame it didn't hang around for better photos.



This Collared Owlet was perched quietly along Hemmant's Trail.



The cool thing about this owl is that it has a bluff 'face' on the back of its head, complete with eyes and bill!



Collared Owlets are usually unresponsive to imitations of their call, but I tried whistling, and the bird flew straight in.






















It was then joined by a second bird and the two of them sat directly over my head - not great for taking pictures!

In the late afternoon I walked down the road to the Gap from the top gate. There was a little bird activity...







A small flock of foraging Grey-chinned Minivets, including this young male...



...And this adult male, which picked insects off the canopy while hovering.



There were also a couple of wintering Yellow-browed Warblers among the resident insectivore flocks.