A company of birds on old Rambutan tree

Amidst the leaves and branches are two bee-eaters and four bulbuls

Early morning hours at the park, near  Kruak wetlands

Yellow-vented Bulbul

It was very early in the morning.  The morning dew still holding on the leaves and trees.  Above the trees the  air was filled with cheerful sounds.  Some birds were feasting on the bees at the old Rambutan tree.  The Blue-throated Bee-eaters found company with the Yellow-vented Bulbuls as they rested a while amidst their busy flying schedules.  Like super-jets they flew vertically and then ascending in sharp scooping moments to catch the bees in between their beaks.  Or sometimes they might catch them on their way up to the skies.  It was a wonderful sight to see and hopefully it will happen again another day...

Flowering yellows

Shrubby Dillenia - Dillenia suffructicosa

Yellow Creeping Daisy - Wedelia trilobata

Seven Candlesticks - Cassia alata

Appeal of the Jackfruit

Palm King butterfly

Orange-bellied flowerpecker

Tree lizard

Tree shrew

One, Two Punai birds

Male Little Green Pigeon, distinguished by the maroon wings
In Malay this pigeon is called 'Punai Daun' literally to mean- 'leaf Punai'

Two, Little Green Pigeons, both sexes
Location : Cempedak Hill, Zone G

Female of the species

Two Punais, up high on the Cempedak Hill
taken today, 28 Feb'15

Harvesting ripe oil palm fruit bunch

Cross-section of ripe 'Sawit' (Malay) fruits or the oil palm fruits (Elaeis quineensis)

The base of the fronds is cut first with a sickle before cutting the fruits stalk
Location: Zone C

Taming of the shrew?

A juvenile tree shrew enjoying the Jackfruit for breakfast
Zone C

(Note: We all alive and kicking at the park.  But the Celcom internet service is considered dead.  This image took 1 hour to upload.)

What has Shrubby Dillenia got to do with Celcom?

Shrubby dillenia - Dillenia suffructicosa
Family : Dilleniaceae - Dillenia family
Zone A

Note: Very much I wanted to share more pictures of the park, the internet reception using Celcom service is extremely poor in Bintulu.  This image took 1hour 30 minutes to upload.  It makes me feel that the Celcom internet service has shortchanged us in Sarawak.  Yet the Ministry involved on telecommunications just doesn't seem to be bothered with Celcom, primarily because it is a government-owned company.  This is the situation that we in Sarawak have to face with regards to Federal - State relations.  But one thing saved the day...it is the people of Sarawak.  They are very patient people, after all the South China Sea is there and the immigration laws specific to Sarawak to protect Sarawakians from being mistreated is still functional.  It is a well-known fact the many West Malaysian politicians and others like religious teachers or Ustaz  are prevented from entering the state if they are found to be insensitive of Sarawakian harmony or extreme in their religious and political mission or teachings.  Thanks for the tight immigration laws, Sarawak is at least independent even though the Federal Ministries adopt a negative, almost 'down-looking' attitude towards Sarawak and its people.  The Celcom service is a case in point.

A cockcroah mimicry

Looking more like a leaf.

Carpentarias are starting to grow tall

View of Provinsi Carpentaria, looking west.

View of Provinsi Carpentaria, looking west.
Note the Carpentaria palms at center of picture, starting to grow tall.

View of Provinsi Carpentaria as seen from Zone C, looking south.

The Provinsi Carpentaria is a fallback area. Its banks and flat areas will as experience shows be inundated with water from flash floods.  But as quickly as  the floods arrive the overflowing stream will soon return to its original size the moment heavy rains ceased.  The flat areas are planted with Carpentaria palms and coconut trees.  The beauty of having a stream that runs and cuts through the park is that in times of drought the trees planted on both sides will continuously enjoy the presence of water around them, thus guaranteeing consistent fruiting and enough water to sustain the trees in times of dry weather or drought. The Carpentaria palms are growing tall now as seen in the pictures above.

Very colourful birds at the park today

Blue-throated Bee-eater

Orange-bellied Flowerpecker

Brown-throated Sunbird

Highlights today at the park - 20 Feb'15

Stick insect
Botanic Island Two

Palm King - Amathusia phidippus phidippus
Zone C

Red flushes of the 'Jering' tree (Pithecolobium lobatum) and light green fronds of the Bird's nest fern
Zone G

By the Butterfly garden

Brown-throated Sunbird at the Chinese hat plant (Holmskiolda sanguinea)

Section of Butterfly garden where the Chinese Hat plant is planted.

Photoshoot session with the Orange-bellied Flowerpecker

Photshoot session model - Orange-bellied Flowerpecker - male of the species
On location : Kambatik Park, Bintulu.
Date : 19 February,2015.
Camera :  Nikon D5100

What have I goat?

Plaintive Cuckoo - Cacomantis merlinus
Photoshoot on 19 February,2015. 1st day of Chinese New Year (Year of the Goat)
Location : Cempedak Hill, Zone G.

Plaintive Cuckoo at the Cempedak tree, Zone G.

Today is special.  Today after years of living at the park I have the rare opportunity of catching a glimpse of the Plaintive Cuckoo.  This is not to say that it is seldom or very rarely heard at the park.  On the contrary its call is heard everyday in the park especially during early morning hours and around sunset.  After years of birdwatching here and becoming very familiar with its call the moment of truth arrived today when I saw it perching on top of the Cempedak tree broadcasting its familiar call. The sight of it and hearing it making the calls verified to me that it is the bird that has been in my hunting list since the first time I heard the call here.  On this first day of the Chinese  New Year of the Goat at long last I sighted the Plaintive Cuckoo  in clear view.  More importantly it is the confirmation of the bearer of that  familiar call that makes my day.  Yes, I've goat it !!

Male and female Orange-bellied Flowerpecker

Male Orange-bellied Flowerpecker
Dicaeum trigonostigma

 It is very interesting to watch a pair of Orange-bellied Flowerpecker enjoying the over-ripe jackfruit.  The over-ripe fruit is normally frequented by squirrels, butterflies, tree lizards and many kinds of insects.  After having a bite the flowerpeckers  would normally rest at a nearby branch to swipe their beaks and take a little rest before going for another round of eating.  It is the male of the species that appear delightfully attractive with its bright orange breast and metallic blue face, wings and tail.  The female has a dull olive-green upperparts.  The underparts of the female body are a pale yellow and without the striking orange breast of the male.

Female of the Orange-bellied Flowerpecker
Zone C

By the Butterfly garden - Grass Yellow

Grass Yellow
Butterfly garden, photoshoot 14 Feb'15

By the Butterfly garden - Cruiser

Cruiser
Butterfly garden, photoshoot 14 Feb'15

By the Butterfly garden - Lime Butterfly

Lime Butterfy - Papilio demoleus malayanus
Butterfly garden, photoshoot 14 Feb'15

By the Butterfly garden - Great Mormon

Great Mormon
Butterfly garden, photoshoot 17 Feb'15.

Red-eyed Bulbul enjoys the ixora berry

Red-eyed Bulbul (Pyconotus brunneus) with ripe berry of the Ixora coccinea

It is my first sighting of the Red-eyed Bulbul caught in the midst of eating a ripe berry of the Yellow Ixora.  It took quite a while (about 3 minutes)  for it to position the fruit well before swallowing it.

Expanding the Butterfly Garden

Progress of Butterfly garden expansion works - 16 Feb'2015'
The " Pepper Garden" is towards the left of the picture.
Zone C

I am anticipating more physical works in next month or so in order to enlarge the Butterfly garden area.  An adjacent area called the 'Pepper garden' is on a hill and the lowest section is now being carved to allow for expansion of the garden.  Footpaths leading to the area has been laid with steps.  Landscape planting follows immediately.  Today a little clearing works of some unwanted trees and debris were carried out and the wastes were later burned with topsoil to produce burnt earth.

Highlight today at the park - 15 Feb'15

Yellow-vented Bulbul  - Pycnonotus goiavier

Traveler's palm - Ravenala madagascariensis

Cruiser - Vindula dejone

A thrilling moment of flight and attack

Over the tall  'Balem' trees were seen the bulbuls and bee-eaters in a thrilling moment of flight and attack.
Location  Zone C

Yellow-vented Bulbul with a bee

Blue-throated Bee-eater in aerobic show after the bees.

It was a thrilling moment to see some aerial acrobatics this morning.  The Yellow-vented Bulbuls were joined by the Blue-throated Bee-eaters as they furiously fly vertically to snatch some bees that were blown adrift above the tall 'Balem'  and 'Rambutan' trees.  The show lasted for about 30 minutes and the moment their prey were blown elsewhere the bulbuls continued with their hunt, but the bee-eaters decided to carry on flying south as usual.