Today, I had the opportunity to take Heather up to Fraser's Hill, something different from what she experienced in Singapore a few days before. As usual on the way up towards the Gap in the morning, we will certainly not miss the Oriental Magpie Robin. Lots of Barbet callings too. Didn't bother to stop so we head up straight to the hill station. Before reaching the upper gate, there was a Slaty-backed Forktail (we saw this bird again when we walked along the path towards Jeriau waterfall).
As soon as we arrived, we stopped by near the arch. Totally surprised to see a Red-bearded Bee-eater perching so low and close to where we were standing. There were several Long-tailed Sibia and Silver-eared Mesia too. For the next 30 minutes we birded between this spot and the Chinese school, and we were rewarded with Black-throated Sunbird, Blue Nuthatch, Mountain Fulvetta, Lesser Shortwing, and Golden Babbler. Somewhere behind the golf course, we had birds such as Large Niltava, Rufous-browed Flycatcher, White-browed (Blyth's) Shrike-babbler, Black-eared Shrike-babbler, Orange-bellied Leafbird, Streaked Spiderhunter, Buff-breasted Babbler, Chestnut-capped (Spectacled) Laughingthrush, Black-browed Barbet, Sultan Tit, Bay Woodpecker (glimpse) and others. Before lunch, we were along the path towards the waterfall where we nailed 2 Slaty-backed Forktail, Everett's White-eye, Yellow-bellied Prinia, Little Cuckoo-dove and Mountain Bulbul. There were also Hill Blue Flycatcher on the road before reaching the car park to the waterfall.
After lunch, we stopped by near a small playground and saw 4 Javan Cuckooshrike. Meanwhile, at the Telekom Loop, we had a nesting Mountain Imperial Pigeon, Black Laughingthrush, Green-billed Malkoha, Fire-tufted Barbet, Black-and-Crimson Oriole, Chestnut-crowned Warbler, Mountain Tailorbird, White-throated Fantail, Chestnut-crowned (Malayan) Laughingthrush and several other birds. Before going down the New Road for late afternoon birding, we stopped by at the Flycatcher stakeout but we were not able to add anything new to our day list except for a heard only Greater Yellownape. As we were about to leave the hill station, we finally saw a Lesser Yellownape.
On the New Road and the Gap, we managed 4 species of woodpecker that includes Crimson-winged Woodpecker, Checker-throated Woodpecker, Maroon Woodpecker and Bamboo Woodpecker (which was the finale for the day).
Here is the bird list for the day.
- Crested Serpent Eagle
- Little Cuckoo-dove
- Blue-crowned Hanging Parrot
- Green-billed Malkoha
- Collared Owlet (Heard Only)
- Red-bearded Bee-eater
- Fire-tufted Barbet
- Red-throated Barbet (Heard Only)
- Gold-whiskered Barbet (Heard Only)
- Black-browed Barbet
- Blue-eared Barbet (Heard Only)
- Greater Yellownape (Heard Only)
- Lesser Yellownape
- Crimson-winged Woodpecker
- Checker-throated Woodpecker
- Bay Woodpecker
- Maroon Woodpecker
- Bamboo Woodpecker
- Pacific Swallow
- Rufous-bellied Swallow
- Large Woodshrike
- Javan Cuckooshrike
- Fiery Minivet
- Scarlet Minivet
- Blue-winged Leafbird
- Orange-bellied Leafbird
- Black-crested Bulbul
- Yellow-vented Bulbul
- Ochraceous Bulbul
- Mountain Bulbul
- Bronze Drongo
- Lesser Racket-tailed Drongo
- Black-and-Crimson Oriole
- Large-billed Crow (flying away)
- Sultan Tit
- Blue Nuthatch
- Golden Babbler
- Grey-throated Babbler
- Striped Tit-babbler (Heard Only)
- Black Laughingthrush
- Chestnut-capped Laughingthrush
- Chestnut-crowned Laughingthrush
- Silver-eared Mesia
- White-browed Shrike-babbler
- Black-eared Shrike-babbler
- Blue-winged Minla
- Chestnut-crowned Warbler
- Yellow-bellied Warbler
- Mountain Tailorbird
- Yellow-bellied Prinia
- Dark-sided Flycatcher
- Asian Brown Flycatcher
- Verditer Flycatcher
- Mugimaki Flycatcher (Heard Only)
- Rufous-browed Flycatcher
- Little Pied Flycatcher
- Large Niltava
- Hill Blue Flycatcher
- White-throated Fantail
- Black-throated Sunbird
- Streaked Spiderhunter
- Everett's White-eye
