30 September 2011

Following in the footsteps of Fraser...MALAYSIA (29 Sept.)



We spent an incredible day birding the upper slopes of Fraser's Hill and in the afternoon down at the base around The Gap. Fraser's Hill first though. After an unsuccessful attempt to find the elusive Malayan Whistling-Thrush (but picking up a fine pair of Large Niltavas), we started on Bishop's Trail (named after Reverend Bishop of Singapore, C. J Ferguson-Davie, who explored this area in search of the missing adventurer Fraser after whom the hill or "Bukit" in Malay was named). Things were quiet for a while before a Streaked Wren-Babbler relented and hopped around within a meter of us with a little encouragement from my I-Pod. A Red-headed Trogon sat motionless while on the hunt for any passing bugs, and a pair of Pygmy Blue-Flycatchers flitted around nervously. Then the biggest shock of all: a Rusty-naped Pitta was taped in (albeit briefly) and visible from the trail!

Moving out into the town we ran into an aggressive Mountain Leaf-Warbler that very nearly took my knee out when I played the tape. Quite scary for a bird of a mere ten centimeters long!

In the afternoon I decided to mix it up and cover the lower slopes and The Gap for a very different mix of birds...

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