Birding Fraser Hill 2023-Part Three

After Bird Race, I decided to extend my stay at Fraser Hill for more relaxing photo section to join another 3 friends just arrive from Singapore. I moved from Shahzan Inn to MCM Nature Discovery Villa, An unique accommodation specially set up for naturalists, bird watchers and photographers located deep inside the rain forest on the telecom loop. I believe I made the right choice, as I have some beautiful encounters with birds, insects and other wildlife during my stay at MCM (run by Stephen from Stephen’s Place) . 

One of my favourite birds spotted along the Telekom Loop was Red-billed. I have no chance to see a live stick insect during my stay at Fraser Hill, instead found it struggling to escape from a bird's catch. On the 1st walking along the telecom loop, I found it flying around a few tall trees far far away, got a few blur shots. My luck came on another misty day while walking around the telecom loop again, we had a beautiful encounter with 3 Red-billed Malkoha, one of them having a big stick insect for early dinner. They were foraging high up the trees in the thick forest...

 

The Red-billed Malkoha (Zanclostomus javanicus) is a species of cuckoo in the Cuculidae family. This is a nest-building species and does not parasitize other nests like some cuckoos. It is found in primary and mature secondary rainforest from low elevations up to 1200 m.  Wikepedia

While searching for the red-billed Malkoha, from distance I saw this swallow like tiny bird, only from the camera lens realize this is my lifer star bird: A black-thighed falconet, it is one of the smallest raptors in the world…Half an hour spent, watching 3 of them on power line, one was taking its lunch, a big insect? Too far to get clearer photos.

 Black-thighed falconet 

There are many more other birds we spotted along the telecom loop. Like Pied shrike-babbler, Himalayan or Sunda Cuckoo, some eagles in flight, lesser coucal (too bade i am not fast enough to capture their photos).  Orange-bellied leafbird, red-headed trogon, Mountain Imperial Pigeon, large Cuckooshrike, Sultan Tit etc.

   

Pied shrike-babbler, Male is dark above and white below, Only see its grey white feather when taking photos from under the tree branches where it perched, I got another back side shot which captured its bold yellow wing panel. Photos taken in front of Hemmant Trail.  

Pied shrike-babbler female 

I got a few shots of Female bird on telecom loop. The female is duller than the male, with grayish upperparts and olive-yellow wings. They were hopping around in the forest, catching prey from branches and leaf cluster, very active bird.

  

Mountain Bulbul and Stripe-throated Bulbul

Stripe-throated Bulbul 

MCM have a very big garden, the moth trap attracted some birds in the morning, most common birds are Mountain Bulbul and Stripe-throated Bulbul, We also spotted Black-throated Sunbird, Spider hunter, Sultan Tit, Cuckooshrike, Munia etc, Orange-bellied leafbird and Mountain Imperial Pigeon spotted from sky cabin too...And the most interesting bird to me is the Swiftlet!

 

I was told this is Plume-toed Swiftlet (Collocalia affinis) 毛趾金丝燕, not the Edible-nest Swiftlet, which the white nest is made of saliva and used to make bird's nest soup. They are very interesting birds which we saw them every day but I never have chance to get a clear shot. 

Except the little one which we found on the ground on one of the early morning.

The roosting place of them is at a small man-made “cave” which I think was a garage previously, located down the slope before going up to the Stephen's Place. The cave has a grilled gate, hundreds of birds buzzing around, fly in and out at a very high speed, maybe to prevent knocking themselves on the metal bars? While I standing in front of the gate looking inside the "cave" some birds flying out almost touched my face. Looking into this smelly so-called "cave", noticed some birds circling anti clockwise, round and round, there are many nests attached to the ceiling too, I believe this is their nesting place as well. Took a few record shots…

Another highlight of the Telekom Loop was the Red-headed Trogon (Harpactes erythrocephalus), an attractive but shy bird who likes to perch surreptitiously high up in the trees.

...And this cuckoo in front of Stephen’s house

The fruiting berry tree at the entrance of Stephen’s Place is not in season, otherwise we will see more birds. Well I will come back here again for sure.