April 23
We spent the morning and afternoon exploring more of the area around Fraser’s Hill. We continue to have good luck with some unusual species but less luck with more common ones. Part of the challenge to finding the birds is distinguishing bird calls from the chorus of cicadas, particularly as the temperature rises in the afternoon.
Near the end of the day, we were able to see a Blue Nuthatch, a bird we had been hoping to see. After it flew off, we stayed and watched for a while. We thought the nuthatch had returned, and then realized that the newcomer was actually a large cicada!
This morning we also listened to the resonant vocalizations of a large male Siamang. Siamangs are the largest gibbon-like apes, and are in a genus of their own. Both males and females have inflatable throat sacs that explain how their calls have such power. They are endangered in both Indonesia and Malaysia, primarily due to habitat loss from the creation of vast palm oil plantations. Fraser’s Hill is one of only four protected areas in Malaysia that host Siamangs. They are so black that they are hard to spot in the trees, until they leap to the next one, as happened today.
Pictured: Blue Nuthatch, Silver-eared Musia, Black-throated Sunbird, Chinese Red-headed Centipede, Tacua Speciosa Cicada.
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