First Overseas Trip, Birding in Fraser Hill Part 4

 Fraser Hill Part 4

15th June Morning,

In our last day at Fraser Hill, we decided to go Telecom Loop for a chance of getting a photograph of the Collared Owlet. Outside Stephen's Place, barbets were swarming at a fruiting tree. A Stripe-Throated Bulbul also joined the feast when the light started getting better. 

Fire-Tufted Barbet

Stripe-throated Bulbul

While driving to a possible Owlet spot, I spotted a Long-Billed Broadbill by the roadside. Luckily, there was no traffic and we quickly stopped the car and discovered a family of Long-Tailed Broadbills! I was overjoyed to get some improvement shots.

"Long"-Tailed Broadbill fledgling 

Long-tailed Broadbill 

Further down the road, the Collared Owlet called. We had heard it call 3 times this morning but this was the closest sounding one. After painstakingly looking up into the trees, I finally spotted it all the way up in the canopy. Although all our necks were sore, we were able to finally see our lifer being mobbed by a Spiderhunter. Nearby a Lesser Shortwing melodiously vocalised.

Collared Owlet

Lesser Shortwing

We returned to the junction near Bishop Trail where we heard a Buff-Breasted Babbler and White Tailed Robin. A Large Niltava joined in as a bird wave with Black-Eared Shrike babblers, Lesser Racket-Tailed Drongos and Chestnut Crowned Warblers passed through.

Black-Eared Shrike Babbler

Large Niltava

White-Tailed Robin

After eating our final lunch at the Pines, we started our journey down the hill and to KLIA. We stopped next to the waterfall to try and get the Black-and-Yellow Broadbill. Weng Chun spotted a Whiskered Treeswift pair and we heard a Banded Woodpecker and Grey-headed Canary-Flycatcher. My parents spotted a pair of bulbuls.The bulbuls were very elusive and just as we were about to leave, I spotted them preening in the open and realized it was a Buff Vented Bulbul. 

Whiskered Treeswift(female)

Whiskered Treeswift(male)

Further down the road, we made another attempt for my main targets, the Black-and-Yellow Broadbill and Red Billed Malkoha. After a short wait, We heard it briefly and I found it extremely high up in the canopy of a huge tree. It was truly an extremely small bird! We also heard the sharp calls of the Dusky Broadbill and found a flock of 3 Dusky Broadbills. 

Black-and-Yellow Broadbill

Dusky Broadbill

While waiting for the broadbill to reappear, Weng Chun spotted a gorgeous Red Billed Malkoha which caught a praying mantis! It was such a wonderful encounter with this beautiful bird! The Black-and-Yellow Broadbill loudly called and finally came down low and gave good views. 

Red-Billed Malkoha

 Black-and-Yellow Broadbill

After a few minutes, drive we reached a car park where we heard a horsefield’s babbler and encountered a lot of birds. There was an entire valley of fruiting trees where Spectacled Bulbuls, Grey-Bellied Bulbuls, Cream Vented and Yellow Bellied Bulbuls were feeding. Our final bird at Fraser Hill was a bird that consistently eluded and taunted us, it was a calling Red-Bearded Bee Eater. I spotted it high up in the tree and after a few bursts of playback, it flew closer and my dad spotted it on a nice perch. Along the road at Selangor Dam, Weng Chun spotted 3 Whiskered Tree Swift perched quite low and they gave very good views.

Yellow-Bellied Bulbul

                              

Gray-bellied Bulbul

 Spectacled Bulbul

 Red Bearded Bee Eater

Whiskered Treeswift 

After leaving Fraser Hill, We only had a few targets left on our list, due to time constraints we only had time to search for the Black-thighed Falconet. When we reached the location. Weng Chun spotted them on a wire mating! What a sighting the end the trip. 

Black-Thighed Falconet

Our trip in Fraser Hill was amazing. Not only was the bird life plentiful, the wildlife was too! There were many mammals and moths. The scenery was also breathtaking. The highlights were easily the Dark-hawk Cuckoo, the Rusty-naped Pitta, Red-Billed Malkoha and Raffles Malkoha.

Mammal List:

Dusky Langur

White Tailed Surili

Siamang

Pig-Tailed Macaque

Himalayan Striped Squirrel

Grey Bellied Squirrel

Short tailed Gynmure

Yellow Throated Marten

Red Cheeked Squirrel

Red Bellied Squirrel

Our accommodation, the Pines Resort(booked online) was nice with a few maintenance issues with the shower. The water was either extremely hot or extremely cool but otherwise it is a cozy place to stay in. The place was extremely spacious and were like entire apartments. There were sometimes a lot of ants at some places. From the balcony, it is easy to enter so ensure it is locked whenever leaving the accommodation or sleeping. From the balcony, Rufous-Bellied Swallows and swifts are a common sight.

The food was amazing at the Pines and the Smokehouse although the prices at the smokehouse were slightly pricey. The service at both the restaurants and the accommodation were good too. The pines and Hillview had delicious chinese meals such as tofu, bee hoon, fried rice and even a steambot. The smokehouse had very good western food and were very filling after a long day of birding.

For Mobile we used a portable wifi router which sometimes failed to work, but from the accommodation and certain random parts of the hill, it worked fine and fast. 

Testimonial:

109 species, 92 lifers and 12 out of 15 targets ticked off the list. This would not have been possible if not for guide Weng Chun's amazing knowledge of the birds in Fraser Hill. He brought us to specific spots and tried his best to find targets and also get as many lifers as possible. His extensive experience and knowledge and bird calls helped us gain many lifers and also taught me the many different vocalizations of Fraser Hill's avifauna. When I was unable to get a photograph of a Red Bearded Bee Eater because I was distracted by an Orange Breasted Trogon. Weng Chun tried relentlessly at many spots to find the Bee Eater and just before the end of our trip due to his passion and determination we were able to photograph it in the end! His wonderful guidance and passion has sparked my interest even more and expanded my spectrum of birds to Malaysia! If we ever go birding in Malaysia, Weng Chun will be the first choice!  

Guide contact: https://www.facebook.com/malaysianbirder

Photographed 

Fraser Hill:

1. Pin Tailed Parrotfinch

2. Orange bellied leafbird

3. Streaked Spiderhunter

4. Black Throated Sunbird

5. Fire Breasted Flowerpecker

6. Little Pied Flycatcher

7. Rufous Browed Flycatcher 

8. Oriental Magpie Robin

9. Chestnut Capped Laughingthrush 

10. Silver Eared Mesia

11. Blue Winged Minla

12. Long Tailed Sibia

13. Mountain Fulvetta

14. Golden Babbler

15. Hume's White Eye

16. Mountain Tailorbird (Out of focus)

17. Chestnut Crowned Warbler

18. Rufous Bellied Swallow 

19. Pacific Swallow 

20. Common Tailorbird 

21. White Throated Fantail

22. Black N Crimson Oriole

23. Black Eared Shrike Babbler

24. Blyth's Shrike Babbler

25. Gray Chinned Minivet 

26. Long Tailed Broadbill 

27. Black Browed Barbet

28. Fire Tufted barbet 

29. House Swift 

30. Little Cuckoo Dove

31. Malayan Partridge 

32. White Tailed Robin

33. Lesser Shortwing

34. Large Niltava 

35. Blue Nuthatch

36. Malayan Laughingthrush 

37. Streaked Wren Babbler

38. Buff Breasted Babbler

39. Mountain Bulbul

40. Ochraeous Bulbul

41. Stripe Throated Bulbul

42. Pygmy Cupwing

43. Sultan Tit

44. Common Green Magpie

45. Lesser Racket Tailed Drongo

46. Large Cuckooshrike

47. Banded Broadbill

48. Lesser Yellownape

49. Red Headed Trogon

50. Crested Serpent Eagle 

51. Plume Toed Swiftlet 

52. Dark Hawk Cuckoo

53. Hill Blue Flycatcher (Out of focus)

54. Yellow Bellied Warbler

55. Bar Winged Flycatcher Shrike 

56. Long Billed Spiderhunter 

57. Orange bellied Flowerpecker 

58. Malayan Whistling Thrush

59. Pin Striped Tit Babbler

60. Cinereous Bulbul 

61. Black Crested Bulbul 

62. Rufescent Prinia 

63. Dark Necked Tailorbird 

64. Large Woodshrike

65. Lesser Cuckooshrike

66. Bamboo Woodpecker 

67. Red Throated Barbet

68. Sooty Barbet

69. Red Bearded Bee Eater

70. Orange Breasted Trogon

71. Blyth's Hawk Eagle

72. Oriental Honey Buzzard 

73. Green Billed Malkoha

74. Raffles Malkoha

75. Collared Owlet

76. Buff Vented Bulbul

77. Cream Vented Bulbul 

78. Yellow Bellied Bulbul

79. Grey Bellied Bulbul

80. Spectacled bulbul

81. Black N Yellow Broadbill

82. Dusky Broadbill

83. Whiskered Tree Swift

84. Red Billed Malkoha

85. Black Laughingthrush 

Melaka:

86. Purple Naped Spiderhunter 

KL:

87. Black Thighed Falconet 

Seen(No photos)

1(88). Sunda Cuckoo

2(89). Grey Throated Babbler 

3(90). Mountain Imperial Pigeon 

4(91). White Rumped Munia 

5(92). Blue Winged Leafbird 

6(93). Black Laughingthrush 

7(94). Greater Racket Tailed Drongo (NL)

8(95). Bronzed Drongo 

9(96). Asian Emerald Dove 

10(97). Maroon Woodpecker

11.(98). Swinhoe's White Eye 

Heard

1(99). Rusty Naped Pitta

2(100). Greater Yellownape

3(101). Bay Woodpecker 

4(102). Velvet Fronted Nuthatch

5(103). Gray Headed Canary Flycatcher 

6(104). Silver breasted Broadbill

7(105). Golden Whiskered Barbet

8(106). Blue Eared Barbet

9(107). Rusty Breasted Cuckoo 

10(108). Horsefield's Babbler

11(109). White Bellied Erponis

Seen

KL:

110: Great Myna

Photographed:

Golden-Throated Barbet

https://ebird.org/tripreport/67415

First Overseas Trip, Birding in Fraser Hill Part 3

 Fraser Hill Part 3

14th June Morning,

This was easily our best day in Fraser Hill. We woke up at 6 am and immediately went down to the entrance to the town center. Before we knew it, our target, The Malayan Whistling Thrush started making its prominent whistle. After a quick burst of playback, it came into the open. However, the lighting was horrible and it was extremely difficult to get a focused shot with handheld. 

Malayan Whistling Thrush

When the light started to come in, the Malaysian Laughingthrush and Streaked Wren Babblers appeared by the roadside. A Black-and Crimson Oriole called nearby, but my photographs were out of focus. Afterward, we went to have breakfast at the same place as yesterday. Although I had a stomachache, we decided to go down to the Gap to obtain a few lowland lifers. 

Streaked Wren-Babbler

Malayan Laughingthrush

On the way down the Gap, along New Gap Road, we stopped at a place with many fruiting trees. The first thing we heard as stepped out of the vehicle was the Blue Eared Barbet which was calling from a very high tree with a Red-Throated Barbet calling in the background. In the fruiting tree, there was a flurry of activity. Little Cuckoo Doves, Black-crested Bulbuls, and Cinereous Bulbuls were foraging. 

                                         

Little Cuckoo Dove

Black-Crested Bulbul

Cinereous Bulbul

In another fruiting tree nearby, a flock of Hume's White Eye, Dark Necked Tailorbirds, Asian Emerald Dove Pin Striped Tit Babblers, and a lucky find of a Long-Billed Spiderhunter. A Hill Blue Flycatcher made a brief appearance. Unfortunately, my photographs were out of focus.

 

Dark Necked Tailorbird

Hume's White Eye

                                

Long-Billed Spiderhunter

The birds then moved over to the opposite side of the road with another fruiting tree! My dad spotted a different-looking bird in the flock of birds feasting on the buffet of fruits. After, squinting at the many birds in the flock, it was revealed that it was a Sooty Barbet! 

Sooty Barbet

A Red-Throated Barbet started calling again, but this time, it was much closer. My mother spotted its striking red throat. Then, a raptor appeared briefly by the roadside, thinking it was my lifer, the Blyth's Hawk Eagle. While scanning the tree line, we found it and confirmed its identity as an Oriental Honey-buzzard. It flew off and started to thermal over the cliff. 

Red-throated Barbet

Oriental Honey Buzzard

We stopped at a spot where we ticked off a Bronzed Drongo and heard a Rusty Breasted Cuckoo. Just as we were about to leave, a bird made a brief appearance which we are still unsure of its identity

 

Unidentified bird

At Fraser Hill landmark, we saw first saw a group of Rufous Bellied Swallows and White Rumped Munias before a Green Billed Malkoha and Blue-Winged Leafbird flew in. A Rufescent Prinia called and pranced about in a bottlebrush bush.

 

Rufous-Bellied Swallow

Green-Billed Malkoha

Rufescent Prinia

 A flock of Black Laughingthrush called from a dense tree and never came into the open and a Greater Racket-Tailed Drongo flew overhead. A raptor's silhouette slowly formed as it soared over the hill. It turned out to be the Blyth's Hawk Eagle! Weng Chun then picked up the call of the Velvet-Fronted Nuthatch.

Black Laughingthrush

Blyth's Hawk Eagle

 At the gap, next to the bamboo patch, we saw a Raffles Malkoha hidden behind many leaves and branches. We also heard a Gold-Whiskered Barbet. At the bamboo patch, it was like a goldmine of avifauna. A Bamboo Woodpecker called as a Pin-tailed Parrotfinch silently darts around the bamboo, foraging on the seeds. 

Pin-Tailed Parrotfinch

Bamboo Woodpecker(male)

The whistle-like call of the Silver Breasted Broadbill resonated through the valley behind the bamboo patch. Trying to find the broadbill, I noticed something in a nearby tree, it was a male Lesser Cuckooshrike. A Large Woodshrike then flew down and gave good views. Unlike the male, the female Lesser Cuckooshrike was more forgiving and gave very good views too. A flock of Ochraceous Bulbul and Yellow-Bellied Warblers also arrived at the bamboo patch. 

                               

Large Cuckooshrike

                                      

Lesser Cuckooshrike

                                                  

Ochraceous Bulbul

We then proceeded down Old Gap Road where we kept on hearing the Red-Bearded Bee-Eater and Orange-Breasted Trogon. While looking for them, my mother spotted a faraway Red-Headed Trogon. In the corner of my eye, a flash of orange caught my attention and I quickly served to get a view. It was both the Orange Breasted Trogon and the Red Bearded Bee Eater perched above it. However, after photographing the Trogon, the Bee-Eater launched itself back into the vegetation. 

Red-headed Trogon

Orange-Breasted Trogon

 After returning from the Gap, we went to the smokehouse to have lunch. Turns out it only opens at 12:30. Therefore, we went birding in the vicinity. We got a few female Black-Throated Sunbirds feeding at a flowering bush and a flock of Ochraceous Bulbul also joined in. 

Black-throated Sunbird

Ochraceous Bulbul

At the car park next to the smokehouse, a Little Pied Flycatcher entertained us and gave good views. An unexpected appearance of a flock of Sultan Tits was a welcome surprise! At the smokehouse, we were able to do some birding in the garden while waiting. Unfortunately, I missed the photographs of the closest encounter I had with the Black-Throated Sunbird and Long-Tailed Sibia. While my mother was using the swing, she spotted a Blyth's Hawk Eagle which was much closer than the one at the Gap. 

Little Pied Flycatcher

Sultan Tit

Blyth's Hawk Eagle

It was raining heavily and dark clouds were sprawled across the sky. We left our accommodation at 3:30 and went to Telecom Loop. Our first lifer was a Collared Owlet which was calling from a great distance. While searching for the owlet, Weng Chun spotted a well-camouflaged juvenile Blyth's? Hawk Eagle sitting on a nice perch. 

Blyth's? Hawk Eagle(juvenile)

It was an especially quiet evening, possibly because of the rain. A Maroon Woodpecker called from the foliage and I failed to get a photograph. Disappointed, we were about to leave when Weng Chun heard a Banded Broadbill. We patiently waited after failing to get a proper view after a few brief glimpses. The bird took pity on us and showed up on an open branch for a few seconds. What a great sighting to end the evening!

Banded Broadbill

We had a delicious curry fish head dinner at the Pines Chinese Restaurant. After dinner, we headed to the whistling thrush site to do some owling but since it was drizzling, we only managed to hear a Mountain Scops Owl. What a great way to end the day!