Fraser's Hill 11-13Jul08

From GC

Spent last weekend at Frasers. No Mountain Peacock Pheasant for me :-( There were other birders and one of them saw it on the Pine Tree Trail as he rounded a bend.

Only lifer was the family of Brown Wood Owls (2 chicks) at the army camp

and Bat Hawk at the Waterfall Car Park.

Hypothetical species in Morten Strange's Birds of Fraser's Hill - Red Junglefowl confirmed! A family seen. In the book, there are 2 checklists, one for species recorded there and one for species caught by mist netting only plus unconfirmed sightings. Red Junglefowl is in the hypothetical list. A family of them was seen on 13 July 08, around 7.30am, on the road near the rubbish dump. Being Junglefowls, they are unmistakeable, and they had grey legs. Driving down, rounding a bend, i saw 4 of them - a male, a female and 2 almost fully grown chicks, which looked somewhat like the female. The male went up bank into the forest on the left and the 3 others continued down the road. I stopped to get my camera ready and when i drove on slowly, they were not seen again.

Good views of a female White-browed Shrike-Babbler in the lower storey!

Good views of a female Red-headed Trogon. A pair seen on Bishop's Trail. Managed to get a pic of the female. This time, the female less shy than the male!

Good views of MWT.

Good views of Buff-breasted Babblers in a mist net! (University Malaya conducting mist netting).

Turned out to be a vertebrates trip!
1. Yellow-throated Marten - 2 cute furry fellas bounding about at the rubbish dump on 120708 around 1850h. Went to get camera and I just knew it, they were gone!
2. River Toad - on the road just up from Jeriau Waterfall car park on 110708 1950h.
3. Low's Squirrel - common i think.
4. Himalayan Striped Squirrel - common
5. Wild Boar - 3 seen on the road just below Jelai Resort 130708 pre-dawn.
6. White-thighed Surili - common
7. Butler's Wolf Snake caught by caretaker's husband at Richmond Bungalow. He released it into the forest. 110708 1442h.
8. Impressed Tortoise on the road leading up to Methodist House, 110708 1459h.
9. Twin-spotted (?) Tree Frog - pre dawn on 120708.
10. 2 small frogs seen separately, jumping on the last 1km of the waterfall road at night, but didn't stop to take photos.

A young Malayan Banded Wolf Snake (Lycodon subcinctus).

Another one from Fraser's Hill - Impressed Tortoise (Manouria impressa). This one was right on the road! I think it's a montane specialist. The ID features are the flattened carapace and pink nose.

A River Toad (Bufo asper) encountered at night, on the road near Jeriau Waterfalls.

I think this is a Low's Squirrel (Sundasciurus lowii), seems different from the Slender Squirrel.