Fraser's Hill

On Thursday July 4th we headed to Fraser's Hill for an overnight stay. My goal was to see how many species I could find in a 24-hour period. I had seen about 40 species with my Bird Race team mates in 2009 and then about 60 with the contest winning team in 2011. I was interested in seeing how I would do without Malaysian help. Things did not go to plan when others decided not to stop at the Gap and it was decided that we would stay in a bad spot and not where I'd planned. Plans fell further into ruin with rain falling throughout the first day - sometimes light enough to bird in but at other times too hard to be out in.

On arrival at the Gap I had just a few minutes to walk the road before we joined others at the top. I then had tea at Shahzan Inn in a spot that overlooked the feeders, but the rain kept most birds away. I then walked up and down Jalan Lady Guillemard and then back through the town center before the rain got too heavy. The rain persisted through the evening and the hopes of seeing Brown Wood Owl were dashed as we were too far from the normal spot. I ended the day with about 20 species. We did see a couple of Spectacled Leaf Monkeys, some Giant Millepedes, and interesting pill bug, a katydid, a brown dragon and a tree frog but I did not see any birds of note.

On Friday July 5th I awoke early and headed to the well-known early morning spot at Jalai Highlands Resort to find a group if photographers already in place. We were entertained by groups of Brown-capped Laughing Thrush, Silver-eared Mesias, Long-tailed Sibias and the more industrious Black-throated Sunbird and Streaked Spiderhunter but the highlight was a single Fire-tufted Barbet. I then wandered back to the bungalow for a second breakfast. I then headed back through town to do the Telekom Loop and the Hemmant Trail before we left almost exactly 24 hours after we had arrived. In all I had just 28 species - my boys had seen a green pigeon on the way up from the Gap and my wife had a Paddyfield Pipit on the golf course. So if we had stayed as one group we may have made 30 species. I had hopes for me. Most surprising was the fact that I saw no woodpeckers at all. But then again birding in the jungle with vegetation everywhere is not as easy as most places I am used to.