Early mornng rush

Plantain squirrel joins the early morning rush for ripe fruits..

Kantan - Torch Ginger

 It was a pleasant morning walk.  Despite the puasa or fasting  I seldom miss an early morning walk in the park.  There is always something invigorating watching the early morning birds twitter and dash for the early morning seeds.  Soon many other birds join in the early morning rush for insects, nectar and ripening fruits.  Today many plantain squirrels showed their natural skills,  effortlessly climbing tall huge trees, jumping from branch to branch and often nibbling vigorously at some ripe oil palm fruits to their hearts content.  At the start of day, the flowers of the Kantan (Etlingera elatior) shows its pink bracts, looking fresh in the early morning dew.  These sharply spicy-fragrant inflorescences are very much sought after by chefs in Malaysia in the making of the 'laksa' dish. The morning never fails to brighten up one's spirits.  The shining red colour of the common hibiscus called Bunga Raya in Malay start to bloom early every morning throughout the year.  This variety which was picked as the national flower of Malaysia in 1957  has single red and semi-pendulous flowers.  It is nice to see how nature tries to captivate one's attention in its early morning rush ..... 

Bunga Raya - national flower of Malaysia
Family : Malvaceae - Hibiscus family