5th June 2008: Fraser's Hill, Part 6

I again set up the hide at the whistling thrush site, and this time the bird obliged. Unfortunately, the early morning fog made using the flash tricky (the flash bounces off the mist, creating a milky effect). Also, I find that the flash creates very unnatural colours with a bird as irridescent as a whistling thrush.



Here are a couple of efforts with the flash. These show shiny blue lesser coverts and forehead which enable it to be identified as a Malayan Whistling Thrush. Notice also the bluish edges to the secondaries and lack of shiny spots on the throat or median coverts, and small bill and head relative to Blue Whistling Thrush.







These shots, taken using natural light and a very slow shutter speed, give a more realistic idea of colour. Neither the lesser covert patch nor the shiny forehead are always visible, and a better way to eliminate 'dicrorhynchos' Blue Whistling Thrush may be the smaller bill and head proportions (compare these pics with these (and scroll down to 29th Feb), taken in the Cameron Highlands of a bird which is probably 'dicrorhynchos' Blue.



A sucker for punishment, I again spent two fruitless hours at the pheasant spot, although I did manage to photograph this Chestnut-crowned Laughingthrush.





A quick visit to Jalan Mager produced a very obliging Pygmy Wren Babbler, as well as another whistling thrush (calling only), a small party of Bay Woodpeckers and a Red-headed Trogon.

Bishop's Trail was again in fine form, with Red-headed Trogon, Pygmy Blue and Rufous-browed Flycatchers, Greater Yellownape and Blue Nuthatch seen, and, best of all, a party of three Large Scimitar Babblers.




These were incredibly furtive and difficult to get a clear shot of. The only thing that helped me was the fact that the three birds would follow each other, choosing the same perch as the previous bird. I managed to get these shots by focusing on the branch that the previous bird had landed on and waiting for the next one!

At dusk I went down to the Gap in the hope of photographing Malaysian Eared Nightjar. Unfortunately the clouds descended into the valley, cutting visibility down considerably.



I got a lucky couple of shots of a Yellow-vented Pigeon flying to roost.


Several Brown-backed Needletails whizzed overhead, and finally, a pair of Malaysian Eared Nightjars flew over once, heading up the valley, not to be seen again.


This Collared Scops Owl gave good views in the mist.

February 20th, Fraser's Hill

I decided to get down to Jeriau waterfall early to try to see the Malaysian Whistling- Thrush. I was unsuccessful in that endeavour, but did see a good selection of birds - including a female Red-headed Trogon and a pair of Slaty-backed Forktails - and hear others, including Malaysian Eared Nightjar, Lesser Shortwing and the Whistling-Thrush.



A female Red-headed Trogon






















Jeriau waterfall



This Asian Brown Flycatcher was a nice diversion at breakfast.



So was this male Oriental Magpie Robin!

After breakfast we packed a picnic and went to visit High Pines - one of my favourite places in the whole world! A stroll around the gardens revealed the usual residents and visitors - a pair of Little Pied Flycatchers, a pair of Large Niltavas, and a stunning male Mugimaki Flycatcher.



The view from High Pines can't be beat!



Even the stone bannisters of the verandah look stunning in their moss and lichen livery.




This male Large Niltava was not too bothered by my approach.





In fact, really not bothered at all!



Nor was this female Little Pied Flycatcher. It felt like a piece of the Garden of Eden!

In the late afternoon I went to the Telekom Loop, where I met Jason Tan, who, it turns out, is the distributor for Swarovski for Malaysia - a good guy to know! Check out his website. He told me about a fruiting tree by the road where he'd seen, among other birds, a Siberian Thrush. I had a look but it was a bit too late to get good pics. I made a mental note to come back tomorrow!



A Fire-tufted Barbet enjoys the last rays of the afternoon sun.



The 'Loop' was crawling with Sultan Tits this evening, splendid creatures in regal colours!

Whistling Thrush Project: Fraser's Hill 20th June 2009

We were at the Waterfall before dawn, but unfortunately there was no whistling thrush there to greet us.
























Some distraction was provided by a female Red-headed Trogon which spent most of the morning around where we had set up our ringing station.



Later we came across an extraordinary party of five birds, which we assumed were a pair with three juveniles, although no apparent juvenile plumage could be seen. Even more peculiar was this behaviour of two of the birds - an adult male feeding another apparently adult male bird!










































The party stayed together throughout the two days we were present at the site, inciting several non-birding picnickers to comment on the 'pretty red birds'!



This male Little Cuckoo-Dove was another early morning visitor to the trees around our ringing station.























A short distance away, a fruiting tree attracted a variety of birds, including Blue-winged Leafbirds...











...and several Fire-breasted Flowerpeckers.



After closing the nets in mid-morning Muin and I worked our way slowly up the road, listening for Marbled Wren-Babblers at promising looking ravines. We drew a blank on the babblers, but saw several of these attractive Echo modesta damselflies.





The start of the Bird Race was greeted with torrential rain, which sent all but the most dedicated back to their digs. No such luxury for this pair of Little Pied Flycatchers!

In the late afternoon I returned to Jeriau to open the nets again, while the other team moved the nets from the top gate of the old road to a couple of streams on the new road. Once again we drew a complete blank. Even the Jeriau Blue did not put in an appearance!



A Grey-headed Canary Flycatcher turned up at dusk to hawk for moths in the gathering gloom.





On the way back to our vehicles after dark, we came across this 'gravid' Cyrtodactylus elok, which goes by the amazing English name of White-eyed Bent-toed Gecko! Gravid means it's pregnant apparently. You can see two eggs beneath the skin. Thanks to Muin for educating me!



After dinner I took out a party of people anxious to see the owl. Unfortunately we only got glimpses of the bird in flight this evening. I did manage to snap this wolf spider though.

February 22nd, Fraser's Hill

Our last full day on the Hill, and still no sign of my Big Five most wanted! I decided to go down the road to Jeriau waterfall again, and dropped in on one little patch of forest that was alive with birds for a good hour. The Red-headed Trogons were around almost constantly, both the male and female and possible a juvenile bird as well.



The female trogon, trying to hide behind a branch



And here's the male, suitably red-headed.



Taking a closer look.



I caught this romantic couple being all lovey-dovey - Little Cuckoo Dovey to be precise!




A fern in the early morning forest light.





A little flock of Blue Nuthatches spent some time around the road, but they are so fast that they're extremely difficult to get good pics of. Here are my best attempts.



I called in at the house to see if I was being missed, but the family were into some serious mah jong, so I was able to pop out again!

I went back to the fruiting tree for a last look.



I was quite pleased with this portrait of a Mountain Bulbul.

On our last evening, my wife and I decided to have a final try for owls. On the first night I'd had a brief glimpse of a Mountain Scops Owl, but we were hoping for better. We were rewarded by a very obliging bird that came and sat in front of us four times.



The last two times it sat close and stayed for a few minutes calling. However, during the first of these, my autofocus wouldn't lock onto the bird, and I only managed a blurry shot as it flew off! Frustration!




Fortunately it came back, and I was able to use manual focus to get a reasonable shot. So - one down, four to go! Something to come back for next year!