Down from the hills

Friday April 24

This morning we traveled back down the mountains from Fraser’s Hill, walking sections of the “gap road” and driving other sections. In the early 20th century the road through the gap was so narrow that it operated one way, alternating at different times of day. There was an inn at the beginning of the road for motorists to rest if they got their timing wrong. Now there are two narrow twisting roads from the valley up to Fraser’s Hill, each one way. The creators of the turns in both roads had passenger vehicles in mind rather than 11-person vans or supply trucks, so navigating was a bit slow and careful. As we came down the hill, the vegetation and temperature changed, first to bamboo and then palms, and a decided increase in warmth. 

As we re-entered the lowlands, it was a bit horrifying to see massive stretches of forest cut down, this time for durian plantations rather than palm oil. Our local guide said “any forest that is not controlled by the government will be developed”. 

In the afternoon we drove on major highways west towards the coastline. The roadsides were again lined with palm plantations, some mature and some recently replanted after a harvest. We did a little birding near our hotel and then drove to rice paddy fields, where we saw many new kinds of birds. 

We have been very lucky with the weather on this trip; rainstorms came at night when we were indoors. That luck ran out today when a huge thunderstorm burst upon us while we were out walking, several of us without our rain gear. We got thoroughly soaked, and then sat in the vans for another hour for the storm to subside and for the lightning to move far enough away for it to be safe to emerge. 

The plan had been to go “owl-ing”, and as it happened one of the owls was roosting just across a water channel from where we sat in the vans. Once we were able to come out to see him properly, we also got to see several other birds. At dusk, a huge number of swallows ( we estimated about 250) gathered over a rice paddy feasting on insects. Then as night fell, two kinds of nightjars flew around us, and, during a short walk, we saw two additional kinds of owls.

All told it was a day that began at 6am and finished at 11pm… but we saw great things. 

Pictured: Large-tailed Nightjar, Sultan Tit, Sunday Scimitar-Babbler, Dusky Eagle-Owl (a little bedraggled from the rain), Bronzed Drongo on nest, Spotted Wood- Owl