24th July 2011: Fraser's Hill to Kuala Kubu Bharu

As this was my last morning, I decided to start at the top for a change and wait for the Malaysian Whistling-thrush.



My efforts from before dawn till about 8 o'clock yielded neither sight nor sound of them. This Rufous-browed Flycatcher was typically obliging in the early morning light.



As I was packing up my hide, I noticed a young Siamang feeding quietly right next to the road. Since this species is usually extremely shy, I could barely believe my luck as I stealthily reset up my camera and crept closer. A man was walking down the road so I beckoned him over, urging him to be completely quiet. "Oh", he said in an unnecessarily loud voice, I thought, "That's Bobby - he likes candy very much!" The man held out a sticky sweet and rustled the wrapper, and sure enough, this shy denizen of the forest came down and took the sweet from his hand! My sense of disappointment was palpable, and I was also left feeling pretty foolish with my stealth approach! It turns out that this is an orphan, and it was either raised, or at least fed, one of the guards at the Top Gate, so it is semi-domesticated.













































Of course, it would be nice if folks could be educated not to feed it junk food, but it's still a very fine looking beast, and will hopefully provide visitors with the thrill of seeing a 'wild' Siamang at close quarters for many years to come. Actually, I think that hairstyle might really catch on...!





Down at the Gap, I had to wade my way through the Bamboo Woodpecker hordes once again, and as before, they evaded my attempts at getting a clear shot.



On my way back to civilization, I couldn't resist stopping at the swift bridge again. The light was less favourable than last time, and I only got this head-on House Swift.



Rufous-bellied Swallows were in hunting mode (I noticed 2-3 nests beneath the bridge) and provided me with some good photo opps as they glided around.







Very fine-looking creatures indeed, and a near-endemic taxon into the bargain!

20 July 2011: Kuala Kubu Bharu, Selangor

I had a few meetings to attend in KL last weekend, and recent sightings of Ferruginous Partridge near The Gap below Fraser's Hill enticed me to head south a few days early. Usually the family visits Fraser's over Chinese New Year, but we missed it this year, so I figured I was due a visit!

I got waylaid en route by a colony of House Swifts breeding below the bridge over one of the arms of the KKB Reservoir. Give me eye-level views of swifts and I can quite happily waste hours trying to get that perfect shot - it's an addictive pass-time!















































All birds photographed were adults, and all seemed at an identical stage of moult, with fresh tail feathers and inner primaries. Many were carrying feathers and bits of straw, so were presumably gearing up for breeding.



There's always one that just has to be BETTER than all the others!



I've not managed to photograph the iris colour of a House Swift in flight before!



There were a couple of swiflets too. I felt these were darker and greyer than the usual Germain's, with a subtly different jizz, looking long, sharp-winged. Possibly the nominate race of Black-nest?

16th March 2011: Tanjung Tuan, Melaka

After yesterday's bonanza, another relatively quiet day today.



A few more of the locals. This is the scruffier of a pair of Brahminy Kites. It seems to have only two tail feathers left!



An always regal-looking White-bellied Sea-eagle. This male regularly hunted in the sea below us, catching fish and a sea-snake.



He was kept busy by two growing youngsters in this nest, viewable from behind the lighthouse. This pic was digiscoped; the nest was a good kilometer distant.





I had been hoping to see and photograph a few other diurnal migrants during our time here, but was surprised at how scarce these appeared to be. Barn Swallows came across in one and twos, and very occasionally, we would get small numbers of Fork-tailed Swifts coming 'in off'. I spotted this one while it was well out to sea, ran to get my camera, ran back, and managed to find it again just as it whizzed overhead, so was quite pleased to get 2 out of 4 shots reasonably sharp! In fact, this last pic was probably my 'Pic of the Trip'!



This female Osprey was the second in our few days (I missed the first one!). This one thermalled up to join a flock of Black Bazas flying high overhead.

Not so many OHBs today. Here are three which passed close.





A female, I think.



In this view, you can see how dense and small the feathers are on the face - to protect the bird from bee stings when it goes after honey. You can also see a strand of saliva in its open bill! The scale-like feathering gives them a reptilian appearance!



Another female, with a finely streaked breast.





A juvenile to finish off with, with dusky secondaries, and very clearcut black outer primary tips.