Living colours (Part 2)

Some of the birds found here in Fraser’s Hill find it hard to respect personal space of others. But for birders, it is a trait that is most welcomed. Rufous-browed Flycatchers can be ridiculously tame at times and this individual came close enough for me to give a pat on the head. I guess this is the magic of Fraser’s Hill.

No visit here is ever complete without feasting your eyes on the splendid colouration of the Silver-eared Mesia. No doubt it is common and conspicuous here but I do not get to see it often enough. And after all these years, it can still get me excited.  

This trip the Silver-eared Mesias outdid themselves and provided several intimate encounters and photographic opportunities that were simply amazing.

I am well aware of the sexual dimorphism found in this species. Perhaps both sexes are just as spectacular that I do not even bother to take notice of the differences all that often. Here, the male in front exhibits a slightly more intense colouration to the throat and nape area compared to his mate.

However, not all avian residents of Fraser’s Hill are confiding and this resting Mountain Imperial-Pigeon reminded us that we are dealing with completely wild birds here and occasionally may not adhere to the will of man.

With its preference for the canopy levels, the Large Cuckoo-shrike usually does not provide close encounters. But it is not uncommon here. Its vocal nature especially in flight makes it rather conspicuous in a way.

It took some persistence to finally obtained great views of the Fiery-tufted Barbet this trip. This remarkable resident of the montane forest is a pure delight to photograph and it certainly left a lasting impression on my guest.

The larger than life personality with eye lashes that are the envy of women everywhere and as well as vivid coloration makes the Fiery-tufted Barbet one of the most distinct species of birds found here.

On the last day of our birding adventure, we have not forgotten about the Red-headed Trogon. We spent the morning along Hemmant’s Trail as there was where we came the closest to tasting success. A male bird offered a brief view at a distance and that only compounded our frustrations. After checking out from the hotel, we decided to give it a final try. It was almost noon and with each passing minute, our chance grew ever slimmer. Just as we about to give up hope, I spotted the trogon resting just next to the forest trail. Finally, after more than six attempts along this isolated stretch of the hill resort, we got the Red-headed Trogon. It would have been perfect had it been the male but the all the anxiety leading up to this moment and the confiding nature of this female bird made the encounter as good as it is ever going to get.

We took our time to savour the moment and this girl was more than happy to oblige. I am not sure about my guest but I was feeling a little out of breath as we positioned ourselves the best we could to capture her images. It could have been the sight of the trogon perched so elegantly on this curvy vine or the suspense of the hunt. She did shift position once during our observation before flying deeper into the forest to join her mate. The male, yet again, taunted us from a distance. I guess in life, sometimes you just have to roll with the punches.

Here is Paul, on his knees, in the presence of a startling beauty. He added one more trogon for his lifetime gold and yours truly, an overwhelming sense of satisfaction (and relieve) for helping him achieve his targets for the trip. Just in case you are wondering why I am taking photos of a human instead of a trogon, the latter was so cooperative I had ample time to do basically anything I want.

Shortly after mist began crawl up from the valley below and rain clouds darkened the sky. It could well be only a coincidence but I like to take it as divine intervention. A soft word of gratitude was uttered to a higher power before we start our descent from the birding haven. Fraser’s Hill proved once again why it is one of the best birding locations in Malaysia. And for both of us, it was certainly a memorable visit. It is routine for me to stopover at the Kek Lok Tong cave temple in Ipoh for my drives back to Penang. The temple with its impressive and artistic limestone formations is quite a sight to behold. Although Paul did give this natural phenomenon its due attention, it was not our main reason for the visit here. The temple grounds were rather devoid of interesting birds this time with the exception of a Square-tailed Drongo-Cuckoo hunting along the boundary of the temple.

At the car park area, we encountered one of the reasons birders flock to this place of worship – the resident Blue Rock-Thrushes. Accustomed to human presence, these limestone dwellers usually provide great photographic opportunities. The female although slightly less intense in colouration put on a memorable performance for a couple of weary visiting birders.

But once the radiant male makes an appearance, all eyes and lenses were on him. The Blue Rock-Thrush was a fitting end to another fantastic road trip and his vivid colouration certainly went well with my guest’s taste for luscious colours of the avian world. The drive back was smooth although there intermittent showers along the way. But one thing is for sure. Both of us, had one particular bird in our thoughts and it was the Red-headed Trogon that almost got the better of us.