A colourful day to start the new year

 It's a good way to start the new year.  Early in the morning I was chasing a small flock of bee-eaters that were busy making calls and at the same time hawking for bees.  It is a regular occurrence at the park whenever the swarm of bees are blown here a flock of bee-eaters would begin their chase.  In the midst of the warfare, some of the bee-eaters would take a rest at the perches to batter the bees on the branches for a knock-out effect on their prey.  I took considerable time to watch them  having their morning breakfast in between their beaks. The Blue-throated Bee-eater is a very colourful bird with green wings, blue throat and upper-tail,

Location : Cempedak Hill, Zone G

Breakfast on wings

In between flights the birds takes a breather while battering the bees on the branch to a knock-out before devouring them
Location : Botanic Island Two

Malay : Berek-berek Tadah Hujan
Blue-throated Bee-eater
(Merops viridis)

 At around 7.00 am,  I took an early morning walk in the park before the sun has risen over the horizon.  The greenery and cool morning air was invigorating.  On nearing Botanic Island Two the atmosphere above the canopy sounded noisy with cluttering sounds, somewhat familiar.  It has been a while since swarms of bees get blown to the park.  This morning was another occasion of this much awaited phenomena.  There were hundreds of the Blue-throated Bee-eaters circling and making sallies as they grab the bees with their beaks in mid-air.  The lighting conditions for photography were not so ideal but nevertheless the opportunity of seeing with my own eyes some fierce battle in the air was an amazing experience.  These birds pass by the park everyday in a north-south direction but seldom do pay a pit-stop unless swarms of bees are present like this morning. Well, they had an early breakfast on wings at the park.  Thank you for dropping by and come again soon whens the lights are better.

The bees taking a breather while battering their prey to a knock-out
Location : Zone C

Battering the bees on branches

Hello there, I'm here

Blue-throated  Bee-eater making call over the neighbourhood
Cempedak Hill, Zone G

 The early morning air was sweetened by the familiar call of the bee-eater.  I quickly decided to do my rounds checking out the source of the attractive voice.   I finally found a solo Blue-throated Bee-eater at the Cempedak Hill, Zone B.  It has been a while since I have not captured any shots of the bird, thus I began my uphill climb carefully in order not to alert the bird.  I moved in from a northerly direction and decided to take as many pictures as possible for the album. Moving stealthily I managed to get some good shots of it.  Apparently the bird was preening itself on the Cempedak tree's  perch and only when it saw me towards the end of the photo session that it flew away.  Here a few selected  pictures for today.

LS view taken at Cempedak Hill

Hawking for bees

Blue-throated Bee-eater (Berekberek Tadah Hujan - Malay)
Merops vividis
Location : Cempedak Hill, Zone G

 It was  still early in the morning, around 8 am and the cheerful calls of the Blue-throated Bee-eater were distinctively heard in the cool morning atmosphere.  The sole bee-eater had decided to make a pit stop at the Cempedak tree perch.  I climbed the hill to get closer and the climb was well rewarded with images of the bee-eater with a prey  caught between its beak which it hawked in mid air nearby.  Incidences of the bee-eater coming to the park is a daily phenomena.  The park lies in  their north -south flight path (from Bintulu towards Tatau ) which they habitually follow in the morning and in evening return flights. The bee-eater has striking turquoise-blue for its throat and greenish-blue for its breast. It possess green wings.  Its head or crown is a beautiful chestnut colour.

Partial view of the neighbourhood as seen from Cempedak Hill, looking south-west.

Bee-eater  settles on a twig with a bee hawked from mid air
Location : Cempedak Hill
Zone G

Two birds and a chick

Magpie- Robin or Murai Kampung (Malay)
Location : Cempedak Hill, Zone G

 On a Sunday morning, I thought how pleasant it would be to have a stroll around the park.  I was trying to look for a surprise.  Any surprise.  The surprise came in the form two birds and a chick.  Firstly, the Magpie Robin was singing her heart out to the denizens of the park.  Pitching her voice to a melodious tune, her song ran for a couple of minutes but stopped when she spotted me.  Later, at the same tree a lone Blue-throated Bee-eater took  to the perch unnoticed by me but soon as I took a glimpse of it, the colourful bird flew away.  It has been a while since the bee eater has been spotted perching on the Cempedak tree.  Finally, as I was about to finish my morning walk, my eyes were focussed on a black object that moved about the short grasses near the Kruak Wetlands.  And sure enough it was a young White-breasted Waterhen, but because it was still very very young the white breast didn't show.  She was all black.

Blue-throated Bee-eater

Young chick of the White-breasted Waterhen

Young chick running for cover
Location : Kruak Wetlands

 

Busy battering the bees

Blue-throated Bee-eaters battering the bees on to the branches before devouring them
Location : Zone I

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...

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. 

Bee-eater, flowerpeckers and a beautiful butterfly

 The Blue-throated Bee-eaters started their day early.  A small company of three dropped by at the Sunset point birding spot, near Licuala Hill (Zone I).   Battering the bees onto the branches before devouring them has been a familiar routine act.  Nearby the perch, among the dense lower storey foliage I saw a pair of Orange-bellied Flowerpecker flirting about the branches .  I managed to zoom in to the female of the species.  Going down the Licuala Hill slopes I encountered a brown Palm King butterfly.   The morning seemed fine and I thought I'm truly blessed with nature around me.

Orange-bellied Flowerpecker - female of the species

A beautiful brownish butterfly - Palm King ( Amathusia phidippus phiduppus)

View of the park, looking west from Zone A

Many wheats in the air above

 There are two types of birds that fly over the park everyday.  The swiftlets and the bee-eaters.  The park just happen to be in their flight path which they have used for many years now.  The calls of the bee-eaters is easy to identify.  It sounds like ' wheat- wheat-wheat'.  Every time I hear the 'wheat' sounds I would take the opportunity to watch these beautiful birds fly high and then dive for the insects especially the bees.  Often they would perch on nearby dead trees to take a rest or to enjoy their kill after battering them on the branches.  Today I stumble upon one bee-eater that was having a rest on its favourite .....

Blue-throated Bee-eater
Zone C

Morning, morning....and welcome back!

Blue-throated Bee-eater

Little Green Pigeon - female of species

 A pair of Blue-throated Bee-eater and a pair of Little Green Pigeon came out early to say good morning.  But it was a special good morning from the bee-eaters because for quite a while they have not stopped by at the park.  Their visit is always met with joy and excitement.  It is a real delight to see their beautifil blue and green feathers.  While the Little Green Pigeons are residents of the park, building nests on oil-palm branches, fruit trees and other jungle trees, the Blue-throated Bee-eaters are temporary visitors and pit-stoppers. When bee-eaters are around it is a sure indication that there is a swarm of bees to be hunted. 

A pair of Little Green Pigeon perching on the Cempedak tree
Location : Cempedak Hill, Zone G.

Photoshoot session with the Blue-throated Bee-eater

 I was fortunate today to be greeted by two Blue-throated Bee-eaters.  It was an up-close and personal session which has been rare lately.  Today the weather was hot and humid and like what the weatherman has predicted on the local tv news will herald the coming of the El Nino phenomena.  Some gusts of wind have brought many swarms of bees to the park which were the target of these bee-eaters.  Here's more pics of its beautiful chestnut mantle, blue throat and greenish blue breast.....

Note the dark brown iris

Blue-throated Bee-eater - Berek-Berek (Malay)
Merops viridis
Family : Meropidae