White-breasted Wood-swallow

 I am always excited to see these 'not so easy to see' birds.  Though it is written in the literature that they are a common bird it is almost impossible to see them daily or fortnightly or even monthly at the park.  On 28 Dec'13 I encountered a pair.  Here are pictures I took of them from a distance of about 30 meters.

Images taken on 30 Dec'13, location: Zone I - near Licuala trail

Long shot views of the Tiong

View of the tree which the Tiongs have called home ....a solitary tall dead tree

View of the tree which the Tiongs have called home ...seen are the Tiongs

Zooming in the nesting hollow...

Tiong (Hill Myna)  perching on a nearby tree...

Tiong at the nest....

Photographing the bulbul unnoticed

All images taken today : 30 December'13 , location - Zone F

The pull of the Parrot flower

Crimson Sunbird - female

Little Spiderhunter

 The Parrot flower (Heliconia psittacorum) certainly has a strong magnetic pull to many tiny birds.  They came dropping by at the Heliconia 'Golden Torch' too.  The' not so often' seen female species of the Crimson Sunbird visited the flower unaccompanied by the male of the species. The sharp beaks of the Crimson Sunbird and the Little Spiderhunter punctured the bottom part of the heliconia bracts to get direct access to the nectar.

Crimson Sunbird - male

Olive-backed sunbird

Little Spiderhunter

Crimson  Sunbird

2013 birdwatch albums cover

Birdwatch album - Tiong (Hill myna)

A Tiong country

The Kambatik nature park as a Tiong country...

 The park is a Tiong country.  Developed from a lowland tropical rainforest, the tallest trees that are scattered throughout the park are natural hideouts and perches for these medium-sized birds.  Their favourite home is a tall dead tree located at Zone I, nearby the Licuala trail.   From this tall solitary tree they scout the surrounding countryside and embark on medium-haul flights with their strong wings into the  secondary forests and fruit tree gardens.  They make numerous return trips throughout the day gathering fruits,berries and insects.  There is a hole in the tree they found comfortable enough to become their nest.  Today,  I ventured again to the hill because their calls and whistles brings out the itch and urge in me to be closer to them and to have another photoshoot session with them.  Here are some images taken this morning.

Note the white wing-patch on the primary wings..

Beak is stocky, dark orange and light yellow at its terminal end.

Feet are yellow and clawed. Whole body plumage is  black.

Tiong birds are good at mimicking sounds and so are sometimes to referred as Grackle.

The white wing-patch is clearly seen in flight...

The tree the Tiongs call home, where they found a comfortable nest in the tree-hollow...

Banner for FB cover - 27 Dec'13

Photo journal - 26 December, 2013

Bulbuls are having a fiesta

Red-eyed bulbul

 The bulbuls are kept busy at the park with the abundance of the tiny berry-like fruits of the Eugenia oleina.  They dashed and frolicked, chasing one another and then stopping to have a bite of the black juicy fruits.  The sounds of their flapping wings and their twittering calls makes the park lively everywhere.  All three species seemed to be oblivious of each other as they intermingle freely.  The rarely seen Black-headed bubul took time to get away from the edges of the forests and have fun in the park too.

Yellow- vented bulbul

Black -headed bulbul

Tiongs are back!

Tiong bird or Hill Myna ....Zone I

  I had a closer view of the Tiong bird (Hill Myna) this morning.  The moment  I heard the call that reverberated throughout the park, I rushed to Zone I which they call home.  It was on the same old tall dead tree that a couple of the bird rested.  They are back again after a few months of abscence.  The orangish ear flaps are a striking colour against the black body.  Its bill is also dark orange in colour. It appears now that the Tiong bird has made the park their home.

View of the park looking south from Zone I

December rains

The park looking south-west from hill at Zone C

Zone F

 The Kambatik Park is right in the midst of the monsoon rains which is from the months of November to February every year.  As usual when the rains are heavy the stream waters will overflow and creating flash floods.  Here's some images of the park in the rain today.

Zone F, Provinsi Carpentaria

Zone F, Provinsi Carpentaria

The Kambatik stream overflows...

Zone D, near Heliconia Valley

Eugenia oleina fruits

 Despite the rains, the bulbuls came throughout the day to eat the Eugenia oleina fruits that are in abundance at the park at the moment. The presence of an old dead tree provided convenient perches  for them to rest amidst their flight  schedules.

Bulbuls rest at an old dead tree

Bulbuls rest at an old dead tree

Flowers in the rain (Dillenia suffructicosa)

Flowers in the rain

 In light rain  the little spiderhunter  took to  the brief opportunity to search for food.  While the bulbuls kept themselves busy at the Eugenia oleina fruits the little spiderhunter was hurrying in bewteen the ixora and cream fruit flowers for their nectar.

Little spiderhunter at the cream fruit lowers...(Strophantus gratus)

Red flowers of the Drunken Sailor (Quisqualis indica) in the rain...

Eugenia oleina branches bending over due to the combined weight of the fruits and rain..