Saturday, November 28, 2009

My November Bird Watching Field Trip to Fraser's Hill, Malaysia

My field Trip.
In this one field trip report consist sightings of my 2 field trips that I make in the same month. My first trip is in the 1st week of November it was a long time then since my last visit. The news sightings of tiger place a great curiosity that I can’t wait for work assignment to be lighten a bit so that I could takes some time off. It was so happen that Dr Fong called me up to inquired some info about birding at Doi Inthanon. In the midst of conversation I lamented that I need a break from office and since new road is close therefore it may be a good idea to take our chance to bump into tigers. :-)

Since I managed to booked my company’s holiday apartment for this. My younger brother voluntary offer to drive and we packed along our father. Our mum decided to give it a miss cause she could not handle the curvy and winding road. My other immediate families have other commitment therefore I could have a spare room to host Dr Foong and his lovely wife. It is indeed an ideals plan cause it allow me to spend more time with my immediate family members and in the mean time able to squeeze up a birding trip with my birding friends.

Due to I did not drive up therefore it also free up my brain to think of what is the next destination of birding spot. Since we have been birding for quiet sometimes we decided to spend more times at the promising spot for a few species that are in our wish list. Dr Foong, his wife and me seems to be diligently patron at a few spots to give ourselves a great windows to have a glimpse of what is in our wish list.
The days in the 1st week of November during our visit at Fraser’s it seems that most of the days are either drizzling or raining. The leech of 3 sizes there are highly active inside the trails.
Many parts of the days are misty as this during my 1st week of november visit.
No doubt after some years of birding sightings of Long Tailed Sibia would not get one excited. Well have to remind ourselves that there are each different individual and not found at Thailand.

Beside our common wish list of the Mountain Peacock Pheasant, Cutia and Rusty-Naped Pitta. I also secretly wish to see the Malayan Hill Partridge. On the last day of our trip before we head down from this famous montane bird watching hill station in Peninsular Malaysia we are blessed to have a glimpse of Mountain Peacock Pheasant and Malayan Hill Partridge. I also have a small glimpse of a very unique looking pheasant that until today I yet to ID it. It was fogy then. Due to I’m more incline to be a birder rather than to be a bird photographer therefore I tense to look at the bird first. If they allow me more time to look at them and if they permit I would then take their photos. Therefore the above mentioned lifer I have to planned for another trips to record it in the CF card. The next trip I have to negotiate all the curvy and winding road myself as I need to drive.. ALL because of YOU - the Mountain Peacock Pheasant one of the 3 endemic birds species of Peninsular Malaysia. I wish that you give me a better glimpse.. :-)


Some part of the days are better during the 1st week of november therefore able to get a decent photos of Fire-Breasted of Flowerpecker. Due to I wish to clear a few more days of my annual leave, I head off to Fraser’s Hill again on the 4th long weekend. This time I hosted Irene and Chan. This time during our visit, the raining spelt seems to be a totally reverse. We are experiencing more hot sunny day compare to my 1st visit.
Hah.. this red fruiting trees was fruiting to it's glory during the 1st week of november. It attracted Black Crested Bulbul, Scally Breasted Bull, Black Browed Barbet, White Eye..


However on my second trip during the 4th weekend the fruits are all gone. This lone Feruginious Flycatcher winter visitors have found this place to be secure and comfy for wintering.. It was still there on my second trip.

One would not consider to complete your Fraser's birding trip if you did not notice this common montane species. We nicknamed them CCLT.
We tried to lookout for Trogon and as we drive past this area Dr Foong notice a pair of Little Cuckoo Dove.

A sudden burst of bird wave at the telekom loop. We have Chestnut Capped Laughingthrush, Cuckoo Shrike, Silvered-Eared Mesia, Minivet, Golden Warbler, Lesser Racket Tailed Drongo, Blue Nuthatch.
I must have too long since I go out to the field, until a common grassland habitat bird also takes me awhile to identify it as Rufescent Prinia.

The mission that I have set on my second trip however has failed... Hahh.. where are you Pheasant.... ?? I heard your friend the Hill Partridge calls in a very far distance. Well all I could conclude It is still consider a fruitful and blessed trip cause I managed to look at Red-Giant Flying Squirrel and Colougo. I could not believe my eyes when I saw how the Red-Giant Flying Squirrel fly across ... WOW..
Colugos are shy, noctural and they are restricted to the tropical rainforest of Southeast Asia. Colugos also known as Flying Lemur. This is a gliding mammals. They are using flaps of extra skin between their legs to glide from higher to lower locations.
The Red Giant Flying Squirrel Petaurista petaurista, it feeds primarily on leaves and branches. It is able to glide for long distances.

Birds heard of seen.
Fire Tuffted Barbet, Black Browed Barbet, Brown Barbet, Red Headed Trogon, Red Bearded Bee Eater, Collared Owlet – heard (definitely not from the playback tape), Little Cuckoo Dove, Crested Serpent Eagle, Changeable Hawk Eagle, Blyth’s Hawk Eagle, Black Eagle, Rusty Naped Pitta (h), Lesser Racket Tailed Drongo, Green Magpie, Oriental Magpie Robin, Large Billed Crow, Black and Crimson Oriole, Malaysian Cuckoo-Shrike, Bar-winged Flycatcher Shrike, Grey-Chinned Minivet ,White Throated Fantail, Asian Brown Flycatcher, Rufous Browed Flycatcher, Feruginous Flycatcher, Slaty-Backed Forktail, Blue Nuthatch, Sultan Tit, Siberian Thrush, Verditer Flycatcher, Canary Flycatcher, Yellow Vented Bulbul, Ochraceous Bulbul, Ashy Bulbul, Mountain Bulbul, Scally-Breasted Bulbul, Black Crested Bulbul, Mountain Tailorbird, Dark Necked Tailorbird, White-Eye, Chestnut-Backed Scimitar Babbler, Golden Babbler, Black-Eared Shrike Babbler, White Browed Shrike Babbler, Blue Winged Minla, Mountain Fulvetta, Fire-Breasted Flowepecker, Streaked Spiderhunter, Black-Throated Sunbird, Grey Wagtail, White-Rumped Munia, Silver-Eared Mesia, Mountain Peacock Pheasant, Malayan Hill Partridge, Chestnut Capped Laughingthrush, Chestnut-Crowed Laughingthrush.

1 comment:

All Wild said...

soooo... beautiful Fire-breasted Flowerpecker, I wish I will have a chance to digiscope it in Fraser's Hill oneday.