查看完整版本: Fraser's Hill Oct-Nov 2014

Fraser's Hill Oct-Nov 2014

[b]Introduction
[/b]
A trip to Fraser’s Hill was planned only a month in advance before the actual trip, however having done some research of the area a long time ago, the booking was quite straight forward with everything pre-booked online. My Parents and our two non-birding family friends Uncle Caesar and Auntie Georgiana make up the five of us, as not all of us were birdwatchers, the trip was designed to fit both bird watching and leisure itinerary.

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Having been on the “to go” list for a long time, Fraser’s Hill boasts as one of the prime sites for higher altitude species in Peninsular Malaysia, such as Mountain Peacock Pheasants, Rusty-naped Pitta and Cutia (Now extremely rare on Fraser’s); all difficult to see. Other target species includes; Red-headed Trogon, Long-tailed Broadbill, Blue Nuthatch, Malayan Partridge and Black Laughingthrush etc.

The site is easily accessible from Kuala Lumpur, with great infrastructures and a variety of accommodations to choose from. Most visitors stay for three to four days before moving onto other sites like Taman Negara, however a six to seven days stay is recommended if you only plan to bird at Fraser’s.

[b]History
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A remnant from the British Colonial era, the hill station was first set up as a tin-ore trading post by Scottish pioneer Louis James Fraser in 1890s. After his mysterious disappearance and the depletion of the tin mine, the site was left abandoned. J. Ferguson-Davie rediscovered the site; then Bishop of Singapore, whom reported the site, was perfect for setting up a hill station where people can retreat from the heat of the lowlands. Construction of the Gap Road started in 1919 and the hill station was opened to public by 1922.

Town Centre
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The town kept much of its former colonial charms with much of the historical buildings intact and preserved. There’s an English Pub near the town centre and further up hill you will find Ye Olde Smokehouse, a perfectly preserved British countryside house that’s been converted into a boutique hotel. For these reasons, the site is very popular amongst local tourists and visitors; the town is therefore packed on weekends, but remains quiet during the week.

Ye Olde Smokehouse
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[b]Climate[/b]

Temperature up here stays constant throughout the year, 24˚c during the day and 19˚c at night. With drier Southwest Monsoons from late May to September, and the wet season from November to March brought by the Northeast Monsoons. Expect rain from all seasons, with clear mornings and wet afternoons. Waterproof gears are therefore essential. Best birding times of the year will be from March to June, when the season is dryer and birds breeding at their peaks.

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[b]Getting Around[/b]

The hill station is well covered with tarmac roads, with extensive trail system. Birding can be done via driving or walking along the roads, as well as hiking the trails. Some of the trails however are quite narrow and treacherous and may not be suitable for all. Birds can literally turn up anywhere, the best tactics will be drive along the roads and listen out for birds, and you will run into bird waves sooner or later. Another easy route is the Telecom Loop, which is a stretch of flat tarmac road that runs for 4km, easy for both walking and driving. The New Gap Road and Old Gap Road also proofed to be productive; you can either drive along it or walk down the stretch of road, however as a one-way system you can’t drive back the way you came. Most places are of walking distance but driving will make your life much easier. Public transport is nonexistence at Fraser’s; the public bus that used to run up the hill had long seized service. The only way up the hill is by taxi or driving.

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[b]Accommodation & Food[/b]

There are wide choices of accommodation to choose from, from hotels to private bungalows, prices varies from budget to expensive. We chose to stay at Shahzann Inn, a hotel close to the town centre, room’s rates are reasonable. Most important of all the rooms are very clean. There is no Wifi in the rooms, only Wifi in the main lobby, however can be very slow. It’s by no means luxurious but very adequate for any visitor’s needs. The area outside Shahzann Inn proved quite birdy, with plenty of birds to see even by sitting outside the restaurant area, the bird feeders didn’t attract a huge amount of birds but you get the odd bird that pecks at the fruits once a while.

Shahzann Inn restaurant area
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There’s a restaurant on the ground floor that serves both western and asian cuisines, food there is good and prices are by no means unreasonable. For cheaper food alternatives you can eat at the food court just up the hill past the Mosque, there are also some souvenir shops up there.  

Foodcourt
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There’s a bank and a small shop at the hotel, which is convenient for exchanging money and getting snacks or drinks.

[b]Tuesday 28/10/2014[/b]

We took the morning Air Asia flight direct from Hong Kong to Kuala Lumpur, arriving at KLIA2 at around 1:30pm. The rental car was pre-booked with Avis, pickup was straightforward, and the 7-seater easily accommodated the five of us including our luggage.

Mobile phone services can be purchased upon arrival, prices for a 1 week unlimited data access service starts from 28MYR to 36MYR depending on the company. Internet service will allow you to use Google maps, saving the rental fees for a GPS with the car companies.

Once we selected our destination on Google maps, we headed out for the 3 hours drive directly from KLIA2 to Fraser’s Hill. It was 4:30pm by the time we got going, the drive went smoothly except for the heavy afternoon rain and rush hour traffic just outside Kuala Lumpur, which set us back half an hour. Enroute we saw Glossy Swiftlets, Barn Swallows, Common Mynas, Javan Mynas, House Crows, Spotted Doves, Asian Glossy Starlings and Cattle Egrets.

A short refueling stop was done at Kuala Kubu Bharu, a small town before heading up the ever-winding road to Fraser’s Hill. There is no petrel station beyond KKB therefore it is advice to refuel here before heading. It was 8:00pm by the time we arrived at Fraser’s Hill Township, and the sun had already set. We checked into Shahzann Inn and ate at the hotel’s restaurant.

A short walk around town after dinner had us listening to a Mountain Scops Owl calling from the hills. We decided to call it a night and went to bed early.

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[b]Wednesday 29/10/2014[/b]

Woke up at 5:00am and headed out by 5:30am. Weather was very clear. However, we only realize the sun doesn’t rise until seven when we stationed ourselves outside the entrance of the Bishop trail. We sat at a shelter and waited for sunrise.

Dark Hawk Cuckoos and Fire-tufted Barbets were amongst the first birds to call, as the sky turns brighter more birds joined in, including a not so cooperative Bay Woodpecker which flew around us in circles but never gave a good view, a pair of Black-and-Crimson Oriole was however more obliging, the male showed off it’s deep red breast patch on an expose branch. Nearby, a Speckled Piculet made an appearance, giving good views for everyone. A Long-billed Partridge called in the distance. Other birds including Spectacled Laughingthrush, Mountain Fulvettas, Golden Babblers, Grey-chinned Minivets, Orange-bellied Leafbirds, Sultan Tits and Lesser Racket-tailed Drongo were seen.

Black-and-Crimson Oriole
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Speckled Piculet
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As we wanted to get back to the hotel by 9:30am for a nice breakfast, we decided to use the car to cover more grounds and headed to the Telecom Loop. The drive produced little except a few Mountain Bulbuls and Common Green Magpies, as well as a pair of Red-headed Trogons, which showed briefly.

Mountain Bulbul
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After breakfast, other went back to their rooms for some rest while my Dad and I decided to give the Old Gap Road a try. On the way we saw a few Black-throated Sunbirds in the flowering bushes. As we were looking at the birds, Mr. Durai drove past on his scooter, he is a local birder and guide whom is famous for giving pointers and help to visiting birdwatchers. He told this is not the best season for birds, but we should walk down the Gap Road and look out for Black Laughingthrush, Collard Babblers and Hornbills.

Black-throated Sunbird
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A short way down the Old Gap Road yielded a Spectacled Spiderhunter feeding amongst some flowering bushes, a Black Eagle that gave us close fly-by views and a few Blue-throated Bee-eater hawking from the treetops. A Plain Flowerpecker was seen. Further down we caught up with a pair of Great Hornbills that flew past us, however we couldn’t manage a clear look or to take photographs behind the trees before they flew off into the distance. The walk back up the hill was uneventful except for a pair of Crested Serpent Eagles that circled around, but we caught up with a pair of Black-eared Shrike-babblers that came close to investigate the playback sounds at the gate.

Black Eagle
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Blue-throated Bee-eater
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Black-eared Shrike-babbler
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We lunched at the Scott’s Pub in town, a nice place with decent food but with a pricy menu and the portions were tiny. After lunch we visited Allan’s Water, a small lake just outside the now deserted Jelai Highland Resort. Not much birds there except a Lesser Shortwing calling at a distance.

We visited Jeriau Waterfall after that. Not much was seen except a flock of Everett’s White-eye at the road going into the waterfall. On our return trip we saw a male Red-headed Trogon, which gave nice views for everyone.

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Ye Olde Smokehouse was our choice for dinner that night, the hotel building is a relic of British colonial era, the experience felt like time travelling back in time. Rooms are quite expensive there, but a dinner or tea at the hotel is definitely worth trying for any visitor.

[b]Thursday 30/10/2014[/b]

We started at 6:30am, decided to go around Telecom Loop by foot. On the way I saw a flash a blue that flew into the undergrowth not far from our hotel, we stopped the car and listened and heard the call of the Large Niltava, this turned out to be our only encounter with this species for the whole trip which was unusual as I have heard they are pretty common up here.

The whole Telecom Loop is only 4km long, which takes an hour and a half at birding pace. The walk was pleasant, produced a few bird waves that contained common birds like Spectacled Laughingthrush, Sultan Tits, Silver-eared Mesia, Black-throated Sunbirds, Mountain Fulvettas, Grey-throated Babblers, Golden Babblers, Chestnut-crowned Warblers, Mountain Tailorbirds, Orange-bellied Leafbirds, White-throated Fantails and Lesser Racket-tailed Drongos. Collard Owlets called constantly but never showed. A Red-headed Trogon also decided to show up giving close views. A Blue Nuthatch showed briefly. A Rufous-browed Flycatcher was seen not far from the bird wave, and showed well, once you got familiar with their song you realize they are everywhere, but they usually hide in midst of the forest. A Lesser Shortwing showed briefly after some playbacks. An Asian Brown Flycatcher showed up and we heard calls of the Malayan Partridge from a distance and tried calling them in; they came closer but didn’t show. There’s also a Glossy Swiftlet colony in the middle of the walk at what looks like an old garage.

Mountain Fulvettas
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Grey-thraoted Babblers
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Golden Babblers
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Lesser Racket-tailed Drongo
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Red-headed Trogon
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Asian Brown Flycatcher
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Rufous-browed Flycatcher
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After the loop we went down the New Gap Road, the road is much wider then the Old Gap Road, and allow frequent stopping to be made which is convenient for birding. The bird species lower down were drastically different from those seen higher up, you immediate hear birds like Blue-eared Barbets, Gold-whiskered Barbets, Chestnut-backed Scimitar Babbler and Emerald Dove, most were however only heard and didn’t show up. Birds seen were many Black-crested Bulbuls, Brown Barbet, Arctic Warblers, Little Cuckoo Doves, Crested Serpent Eagles, Everett’s White-eyes and a Dark-sided Flycatcher.

Brown Barbet
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Black-crested Bulbul
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Little Cuckoo Dove
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Everett's White-eye
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Dark-sided Flycatcher
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The road exits at the Gap, where a Hollywood style “Fraser’s Hill” sign was situated. The Old Gap Road back up was again the narrow and winding, not much were seen on the way up. We lunched at Shan King Chinese Restaurant, situated at the food court past the Mosque, the food there were excellent and price were very reasonable. Limejuice is a must if you visit! The rain came in after lunch so we decided to rest.

Once the rain past at around 4:00pm, we went out for a walk at Jalan Lady Maxwell, a road that run alongside the Bishop Trail. Nothing new were seen except a small flock of Blue-winged Minlas and a distance male Little Pied Flycatcher, a pair of Javan Cuckooshrike called from an exposed tree top. We also got good views of a group of Dusky Leaf Monkeys.

Little Pied Flycatcher
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Dusky Leaf Monkey
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We ventured into the Hemmant trail and walked a very short distance in and saw a few Common Green Magpies, however the lights were diminishing by then so we decided to call it a day and headed back to the hotel.

We had dinner at Shan King again and met Mr. and Mrs. Chin, a couple from Kuala Lumpur on a road trip around Malaysia. They generously gave us a portion of curry chicken they bought from Raub; a small town close to Fraser’s and recommended us to visit the town for it’s famous curry house.

[[i] Last edited by kmatthew at 17/11/2014 16:44 [/i]]

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Many thanks.....

[b]Friday 31/10/2014[/b]

A very foggy morning saw us at the now deserted Jelai Highland Resort car park waiting for the sky to lighten up. The car park used to be a hotspot for photographers because of the lights that were left on overnight attracting insects and thus birds for that matter. The resort has since then been abandoned and left to rot with no one care to take over. We saw some rice left out at a spot at the edge of the park lot with a nice “setting”, presumably left by previous photographers. We saw little except for Long-tailed Sibias and Streaked Spiderhunters. Back outside Alan’s Water we saw Lesser Racket-tailed Drongo and a few tamed Spectacled Laughingthrush. A single Brown Shrike as well as a pair of Fire-tufted Barbets was nearby.

Long-tailed Sibia
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Streaked Spiderhunter
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Spectacled Laughingthrush
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As the sun rose and mist lifted, we decided to tackle the Bishop Trail, the trail is not very long, but lack of maintenance meant the trail was blocked by numerous fallen trees and some wooden railings have already rotted away. It was however still walkable, just not what you will call easy. Leeches wasn’t too much a problem but we did encounter plenty. Birds were very quiet, we saw little except a few Mountain Fulvettas and Streaked Wren-babblers. The Wren-babblers remained very silent and did not response to any of our playbacks. A very shy Red-headed Trogon fluttered past. We heard a pair of Malayan Partridge near the last sharp hair pin turn of the trail and decided to give it a try and call it out, they responded well and came very close but never came down the ridge, after nearly forty minutes of frustration we decided to move on, just as we got around the corner of the hair pin and started to go up hill, there they were standing in the middle of the trail! I caught a glimpse of them before they ran off into the undergrowth.

Streaked Wren-babbler
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After the Bishop trail we decided to go somewhere easier and drove down to the Jeriau Waterfall, the road leading to the waterfall entrance proofed quite productive, we came across a large bird wave with the usual birds as well as Buff-breasted Babblers, a Greater Racket-tailed Drongo, Bar-winged Flycatchershrike, White-bellied Yuhinas, Common Green Magpies, Lesser Yellownapes and Greater Yellownapes, The later were especially responsive to playbacks and got great views of a pair.

Greater Racket-tailed Drongo
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Bar-winged Flycatchershrike
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White-bellied Yuhina
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Common Green Magpie
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Lesser Yellownape
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Greater Yellownape
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The walk to the waterfall was pleasant; Slaty-backed Forktails and Grey Wagtails frequent the roads near streams. The waterfall itself was not very impressive but is a popular tourist attraction at Fraser’s. It started raining so we took shelter in one of the many rain shelters at the waterfall. We headed back up the road as rain subsided and saw s Speckled Piculet, Chestnut-crowned Warbler, Everett’s White-eyes, Grey-chinned Minivets and other usual species.

Grey-chinned Minivet
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An afternoon English tea at Ye Olde Smokehouse was relaxing; we enjoyed the nice weather after the rain. Scones and Tea is highly recommended, served with strawberry jam and whipped cottage cream. During tea we saw a few Germain’s Swiftlets circling above and a distance Black Eagle that drifted past.

A short walk down New Gap Road followed, nothing much seen except an extremely distance pair of Siamangs, if they hadn’t move we would have mistaken them as simply oddly coloured tree trunks. Another short walk at the Jalan Lady Maxwell gave us good views of a pair of Greater Yellownapes again. There were also a group of White-thighed Leaf Monkeys, they are the most common around the hill station.

Greater Yellownape
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White-thighed Leaf Monkey
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We had a Steamboat dinner at the restaurant in town centre below the Bird Interpretive Centre, basically hot pot with Tom Yam Soup. A night drive around the Telecom Loop was a bad decision, as the fog got very thick and driving was extremely difficult in the dark winding roads. Nothing was seen except a toad that hopped across the road.

[b]Saturday 1/11/2014[/b]

This was our least productive day. My Dad and I started the morning at the Telecom Loop again, caught a glimpse of a Dark Hawk Cuckoo that flew past at the entrance road, but could not locate it after it landed. The walk was enjoyable but little were seen except good views of yet another pair of Malayan Partridge, which responded well to the playbacks, I managed to see them through my binoculars this time but whenever I reach for my camera they will run off.

Encountered a bird wave near the end of the loop and saw a very cooperative male Red-headed Trogon, which gave very good views and allowed plenty of time for good photographs. Other bird seen includes Greater Yellownapes, Lesser Racket-tailed Drongo, Spectacled Laughingthrushes, Silver-eared Mesias, Golden Babblers, Grey-throated Babblers, Sultan Tits, Grey-chinned Minivets, Chestnut-crowned Warblers, White-throated Fantails, Long-tailed Sibias and Fire-tufted Barbets. A few Black-browed Barbets fed on a fruiting tree by the roadside. The best bird was a single Bay Woodpecker that finally gave good views.

Red-headed Trogon
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White-throated Fantail
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Fire-tufted Barbet
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Black-browed Barbet
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Bay Woodpecker
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Met the others near the Paddock afterwards and caught up with a group of bird photographers nearby, saw a bird wave including the usuals plus a pair of Black-and-Crimson Orioles, a Blue Nuthatch and a female Little Pied Flycatcher that came close. While others decided to head to Raub for a curry lunch, I decided to stay behind and bird some more.

Blue Nuthatch
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Little Pied Flycatcher
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I headed down the Old Gap Road alone. A few Buff-breasted Babblers were seen, followed by a bird wave with again the usual, in exception of a few Ochraceous Bulbul. A Black Eagle drifted slowly past above my head. Heard a lot of Siamangs calling and kept looking out for them but no luck, however luck struck when I was going back up and encountered a group of six Siamangs passing by! Right above my head! The group remained quiet during the encounter but gave amazingly close views. A dominant male led the way with a mother caring for a baby Siamang. They swung across the trees and crossed the road before disappearing again into the dense forest.

Siamang
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Met up with the others back at the hotel and enjoyed a nice take-away curry from Raub at the outdoor sitting area of the hotel restaurant. Afternoon was birdless, we drove up Mager Road and encountered Mr. Goh, a local house keeper of the Istana Pelangi; a large mansion own by the Pahang Royal family. He sells wild collected honey and Durian, a very interesting character indeed. We called it a day and had dinner at Shan King; Saturday’s tourists packed the place!

Magpie Robin
[img]https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3948/15713014126_0c403935b1_b.jpg[/img]

[[i] Last edited by kmatthew at 17/11/2014 16:50 [/i]]

Sunday 2/11/2014

Our most productive day. We started at the New Gap Road, with Black-crested Bulbuls, a Brown Shrike, Verditer Flycatcher, Sultan Tits and a few Slaty-backed Forktails. A flock of Black Laughingthrush showed up and gave their melodic and strange call. The birds showed well as they sang from a bare tree, giving great views of their strange calling behaviour of arched back and puffed up blue throat pouch. As the flock of Laughingthrush faded down the slope, a pair of Green-billed Malkoha took over on a nearby tree, giving prolonged and great views of their metallic plumage and intriguing light green beaks.

Black Laughingthrush
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[img]https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3950/15738270312_5d2024117a_b.jpg[/img]

Green-billed Malkoha
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We heard the call of a Green Broadbill further down the road, as we headed down to look for it we encountered a large flock of Silver-breasted Broadbill, foraging near the canopy. With some playbacks they came lower down to investigate but remained quite high up, however giving satisfying views to appreciate their comical features. A Striped Tit-babbler danced around the undergrowth near-by as another pair of Green-billed Malkoha made a brief appearance on the trees.

Silver-breasted Broadbill
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Further down the road, we encountered yet another bird wave, this time in the form of Ochraceous Bulbuls, Everett’s White-eyes and an Orange-bellied Flowerpecker and Blue-winged Leafbirds. Suddenly a strange throaty call was heard, what might it be but the unique call of the Red-bearded Bee-eater. After some playback and waiting the bird finally showed itself on an expose branch, showing off it’s bright green plumage with blood red “beard” and a surprisingly bright purple forehead! It gave us some excellent views for over ten minutes before going back into the cover of the forest. Just as we thought our luck couldn’t get better a flock of Sultan Tits dropped by to a short tree and gave very close views of this canopy dwelling species for our enjoyment.

Red-bearded Bee-eater
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[img]https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7566/15551542677_036c52259e_b.jpg[/img]

Sultan Tit
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The rest of the way down was much quieter, but still produced a few Scaly-breasted Bulbuls, as well as a pair of Blyth’s Hawk Eagle soaring in the hot air current. The Gap produced nothing worthy to note, the area is now largely deserted and the former Gap Rest House lies derelict and ran down. The glorious times of the Gap had long gone since the construction of the New Gap Road, as people don’t need to wait the odd hour going up hill anymore, shops and hotels simply couldn’t get enough people to support their businesses.

Scaly-breasted Bulbul
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Blyth's Hawk Eagle
[img]https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5611/15116770674_9f27d8443e_b.jpg[/img]

Gap
[img]https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5616/15810803492_5cfd94f591_b.jpg[/img]

We had lunch at the Chinese Coffee shop near the entrance of the Old Gap Road gate near town centre. The town was packed with tourists, taking photographs around the famous clock tower and historical buildings in town. After lunch, we headed to the Pine Tree Trail for a short walk, the trail is the longest amongst all trails at Fraser’s and notoriously hard to climb, therefore we only ventured in a few hundred meters, but managed to encounter a bird wave with Silver-eared Mesias, Mountain Fulvettas, Blue-winged Minlas, Black-eared Shrike-babblers and Spectacled Laughingthrush, Mountain Imperial Pigeon. We finally managed to catch up with the last of Fraser’s three species of Laughingthrush; a flock of Malayan Laughingthrush, but they kept in the covers behind trees and branches.

Chinese Coffee Shop
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Silver-eared Mesia
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[img]https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5607/15116773814_5895b1309d_b.jpg[/img]

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Blue-winged Minla
[img]https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5606/15551282658_3c520af9dc_b.jpg[/img]

[img]https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7531/15734810001_f3862c323d_b.jpg[/img]

[img]https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3939/15551285968_2ee964f6ef_b.jpg[/img]

Mountain Imperial Pigeon
[img]https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3939/15116772724_a1363a9202_b.jpg[/img]

[img]https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7484/15116770514_d60f76656f_b.jpg[/img]

Malayan Laughingthrush
[img]https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8396/15116770504_daa96bb116_b.jpg[/img]

As the weather remained dry, we decided to give Telecom Loop a try. Nothing interesting to note except a single Ferruginous Flycatcher hawking for insects from a perch. It soon rained so we headed back to the hotel. The rain however stopped pretty soon, on the way out of the Telecom Loop on Peninjau Road I caught sight of a raptor, I stopped the car abruptly and got brief views from my binoculars to confirm it as a white morph Changeable Hawk Eagle. We got out of the car and found ourselves again in a bird wave, with Lesser Racket-tailed Drongo, Silver-eared Mesias, White-throated Fantails, Mountain Fulvettas, Golden Babblers, Grey-chinned Minivets, Black-and-Crimson Oriole, Common Green Magpie, Blue Nuthatch and Javan Cuckooshrikes. A piercing call of the Long-tailed Broadbill came from behind and soon we got our binoculars locked to these strange looking birds, with bright yellow beaks and throat contrasting it’s black “helmet”, green body and blue tail. They kept close to the canopy but gave quite good views for everyone before fading into the forest again. We went to Shan King for a late afternoon tea with Kaya French Toast, tea and coffees.

Ferruginous Flycatcher
[img]https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3952/15734804471_d60f76656f_b.jpg[/img]

Lesser Racket-tailed Drongo
[img]https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7521/15551545237_eff35a4632_b.jpg[/img]

[img]https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7540/15738272862_344a8c63bd_b.jpg[/img]

[img]https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7582/15117343063_d242c3afdf_b.jpg[/img]

[img]https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5609/15551541537_acd7946e47_b.jpg[/img]

Javan Cuckooshrike
[img]https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7470/15551280128_c1a0cec18b_b.jpg[/img]

Long-tailed Broadbill
[img]https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7509/15551541507_8d01abce21_b.jpg[/img]

One last walk on my own just outside Shahzann Inn before sunset, produced a single Rufous-browed Flycatcher and a Common Green Magpie. Our last dinner was served in Shahzann Inn restaurant, food was again excellent, and the friendly chefs Mr. Wang and Mr. Tam whom we met two days earlier decided to treat us some free Malayan desserts!

Rufous-browed Flycatcher
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Monday 3/11/2014

Our last morning at Fraser’s, we checked out early and stayed behind for breakfast at the hotel at 7:00am. We got a pleasant (but unfortunate) surprise in the form of an Oriental Dwarf Kingfisher that got it self trapped in the restaurant conservatory! The poor bird was disorientated and obvious have no idea how to distinguish between the open door and the glass windows. After we took some good photographs and views from reachable distance, it flew a few more times around the room, this time hitting the glass hard.

By that point we were very concern that it may kill itself by concussion. After a few more failed attempts on it’s own, I decided to try and grab the bird while it was on the floor. I caught up with it while it was catching its breath after yet another failed attempt and grabbed hold of it from behind. The poor bird was obviously in shock but luckily unharmed. I took the bird outside just in case when it got lose it won’t be trapped in the room again. Just before we could manage a photograph of it in my hands it fluttered it’s wings and off it went, perched on the tree opposite the restaurant. We were simply glad it was unharmed in the incident. The bird stood for some time before disappearing into the forest.

Oriental Dwarf Kingfisher
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[img]https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3944/15550849349_52d76cf85e_b.jpg[/img]

[img]https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7532/15736726085_ce892f52f2_b.jpg[/img]

After the dramatic breakfast, we headed out to the New Gap Road. Our plan was to bird the way down before heading back to Kuala Lumpur. On the way we caught up with a pair of Raffle’s Malkoha, a Brown Barbet and a Red-bearded Bee-eater that perched high on a bare tree. Further down we encountered a bird wave with other common species, in exception of a Grey-headed Canary Flycatcher and a White-rumped Shama that showed briefly. The Shama later sang it’s melodic song in the undergrowth. Nothing much was seen on the rest of the way down to the Gap except a few Long-tailed Macaque, a Blue Whistling Thrush and a Moustached Babbler that was heard around the area while driving, from there on we took the three-hour drive back to KLIA2.

Red-bearded Bee-eater
[img]https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7548/15738268172_9cdb66bbc4_b.jpg[/img]

Long-tailed Macaque
[img]https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7517/15734808431_c4b6c99846_b.jpg[/img]

Traffic was smooth and returning of the car was straightforward, we simply parked at the designated parking space and dropped the key into the Avis office key box.

A total of 107 species were recorded on the trip, recording quite a few of our target species, considering this was during the low season for birding at Fraser’s. Most birds were not in breeding season so many were silent or inactive. Though birding can be slow at times here at Fraser’s, persistent usually do pay off.

All in all, Fraser’s Hill combines history, scenery and nature all in one package. There are plenty to do and see for none birders, while birdwatchers can be endlessly entertained by the rich fauna that roams in the forest. Food in Malaysia is cheap and all in all very hygienic. The site is easily accessible by car and driving is really quite straight forward, making this suitable for most people to enjoy. I will highly recommend this place for any hard-core birdwatchers as well as anyone looking for a casual family vacation getaway.

[[i] Last edited by kmatthew at 18/11/2014 09:40 [/i]]

Wonderful set of images~~35510f1eff50445

Thanks Matthew, great report and some superb photos

I second what Geoff says. Great trip report.

It's been a long time since I was last at Fraser's Hill - back when the Gap Resthouse was still open and the old road was the only way up and down the hill. Brings back memories and makes me want to go back again.

David

[[i] Last edited by ddavid at 17/11/2014 20:13 [/i]]

Thanks Matthew, I really appreciate the effort you put into writing your trip report.  I'm also inspired to go!

Dylan

Thank you all, I do hope the report can be helpful for those who wish to go, it really is a great place and lives up to it's reputation as an IBA. Also, the people there are ALL really nice! Will definitely go back again in the future.

Great report. Wonderful place for bird watching and excellent images. Thanks for sharing Mathew !


Cheers
PWMK

Matthew

Thanks to share such details and nice report with superb photo.

oLDcaR

A great and happy trip.

It looks like visiting Fraser's hill in nov is better than in March. When I was there in Mar 2013, it was very silent. I got less than 40 bird species.

Thank you once again! Captain, more the reason to go back again~3551233cd70a445

I and my wife also visited Fraser's Hill in Oct 1 holiday. We did not have car and therefore relied on our foot. It is still a very nice birding trip. Share our photos with you [url=https://plus.google.com/u/0/photos/112701039319223711349/albums/6077156144827789889]here[/url]. Please tell me if you found that I identified birds incorrectly.

Jimmy

Jimmy, great stuff! We dipped on the Orange-breasted Trogon and Tiger Shrike that you got, good birds! Where about did you find the Orange-breasted Trogon? The "Rufous-bellied Eagle" is a Peregrine Falcon, the "Blue-throated Bee-eater" is a Blue-winged Leafbird.

The orange breasted trogon was found on the way walking down hill to the main road. It was a long way walking down and up.
The tiger shrike was found in KL, not Fraser's hill.
Thanks for your correction, anyway.

Dylan

Count me in if you need company.

S L Tai

Thanks a lot for sharing!
Lovely pictures & story