Brown-throated Sunbirds enjoying banana nectar

Brown-throated Sunbird, male top left,female bottom right
Zone C

Female 

 You will not be mistaken that these two birds are a couple because they are often seen together hunting for food.  It is confirmed. The colourful of the species is the male while the female has dull coloration i.e. olive-green upperparts, pale yellow around the eye and yellow underparts.  The male comes to town in gorgeous metallic blue upperparts,  bright yellow breast and dark brown wings.   The Brown-throated Sunbird loves to sip the nectar from the banana flowers even though it means doing it upside down. Once they have caught sight of  a  banana inflorescence they will make many return trips to the flowers throughout the day. That means you need to get ready at the banana tree to catch up with this lovely couple in order to get a good glimpse of the birds in action.  Patience and passion plays their part.

Sipping the nectar from the banana flowers

Male

Waste not a seed

The female of the Brown-throated Sunbird searches for the few remaining red juicy seeds of the 'Simpoh Air' (Dillenia suffructicosa)  before  other  bigger birds enter the scene for their share.

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.

Tiny birds are at Heliconia point

Eastern Crimson Sunbird at the Chinese hat plant
Location: Heliconia point, Heliconia Valley, Zone C

 The Eastern Crimson Sunbird's beak is design fitted for siphoning nectar from the Chinese hat plant.  Such wonders of nature can be easily seen in the park.  So is the Little Spiderhunter and the Brown-throated Sunbird's bill.  They are sharp and on many occasions these birds take the short cut to reach at the nectar by just piercing through the base of the flower.  The are many species of birds that can be seen regularly visiting the flowers that are purposely cultivated for attracting them at this birding spot.  The planting include ixora species, Chinese hat plant, many varieties of heliconias, hibiscus and also plants belonging to the ginger family.  Additional bonuses on the sidelines may include tree shrews, squirrels, butterflies, lizards, praying mantis, stick insets, etc..

Little Spiderhunter at Heliconia 'Sexy Pink'

Brown-throated Sunbird at Heliconia'Sexy Pink'

With a helping mother's bill

Young chick of the Brown-throated Sunbird - Kelicap Mayang Kelapa (Malay)
Anthreptes malacensis bornensis

Short flight I can...but not able to hoover yet.

 I have been tracking this little darling for more than a week.  Today I am convinced that the little chick belongs to the Brown-throated Sunbird species.  Between 8.30 am - 9.00 am at the Provinsi Yellow Palm area she was making her fine calls and that got me attracted to watch her whereabouts.  She seemed to be everywhere trying to get accustomed to the place.  Finally I saw here coming towards her mother.  The mother had some fruits tucked in her bill and was ready to pass it on to her young chick.  All these actions were under the watchful eyes of the colourful male perching at a nearby Lumok tree.

Mother trying to feed the chick with fruits

Male of the species - Anthreptes malacensis bornensis
Kelicap Mayang Kelapa (Malay)

Photoshoot session with the Brown-throated Sunbird

 The tiny Brown-throated Sunbird was a bundle of joy when it showed itself this morning.  It was continuously making calls but I did not see any female of the species coming close to it.   It is a very colourful bird here with colours all over the top half of the body.   What is most interesting is to watch the metallic blue colours of its upper parts and the brownish throat.  Below are more pictures from today's photoshoot session...

The appeal of the Merkubong berries

The Merkubong is a pioneer tree and is easily noticed for its broad leaves
Location : Botanic Island Two, Zone I

Merkubong (Malay)
Macaranga gigantea

 It's fruiting time for the Merkubong trees.  The small green berries are very attractive to many birds.  Today I managed to photoshoot the Brown-throated Sunbird  and the Bulbul.  There were many  Philippines Glossy Starlings enjoying the fruits too.  The Malays believe that the latex or red resins from the tree trunk can cure mouth ulcers in children.  As a pioneer tree the Merkubong tree will not have a long life but it is beautiful for its architectural leaves and its straight trunk produce branches when it is relatively mature.

Brown-throated Sunbird - Anthreptes malacensis

Yellow-vented Bulbul - Pycnonotus goiavier

Branching of the trunk in a mature tree

Beautiful broad architectural foliage...

Chasing the Brown-throated Sunbird

A pair of the Brown-throated Sunbird, male is at right with metallic blue upper parts.

Ants and a little spider...

 On a Sunday morning (25 May'14)  my mind gets philosophical upon seeing the many tiny birds that paraded  themselves early just outside my verandah.  The colourful Orange-bellied Flower pecker made an early visit at the Jackfruit tree, the Eastern Crimson Sunbird with its beautiful scarlet feathers dropped by at the heliconia bracts and the Little Spiderhunter was the first to get a bite of little spiders.  Have we worked and not enjoy?  Have we looked but not see? Have we fought the power of nature than follow its rhythmic flow of events?  So today I decided to enjoy a little chase, so natural -  just like the early birds chasing insects and foraging for food.  There is much unspoken joy when I saw the Brown-throated Sunbird hunting in pair.  The male of the species typically in the animal world being more colourful than the female. The male of the species has very colourful upper body - rich metallic blue.  Splendid.  The opposite of the species possess a dull olive-green upper body, yet I was attracted to its ability in snatching a juicy red seed of the Simpoh Air while in flight.  Slightly later I chased it to the Botanic Island One where it successfully captured a tiny bee and about to devour the prized catch for breakfast.  All these happenings in just a turn of the hour makes me wonder how much more should I fill my life with the wonders of nature and the joy of living.  Life is not short, really.  It is long enough to fill it to the fullest.  Have I got an answer to this recurring question - Do you look at an empty glass with a smile? A philosopher does.  Do you?

Dull olive-green upper body of the female Brown-throated Sunbird.

A male Brown-throated Sunbird foraging for insects at the Pong-Pong branch

A frontal view of the female Brown-throated Sunbird at the Simpoh Air (Malay) - Shrubby Dillenia.

Female Brown-throated Sunbird successfully plucking a juicy red seed of the Shrubby Dillenia
Location : Provinsi Carpentaria, Zone F

Female Brown-throated Sunbird with a bee pinched at its beak
Location : Botanic Island One, Zone D

Two Sunbirds

Brown- throated Sunbird
Anthreptes malacensis

Eastern Crimson Sunbird
Aethopyga siparaja

 The heliconia bracts are a real attraction to two sunbirds.  I saw very early in the morning the Brown-throated Sunbird and latter joined by the Eastern Crimson Sunbird having their time at the inflorescence.  Both birds are tiny yet very attractive.  The Eastern Crimson Sunbird with its amazing crimson head and back while the Brown-throated Sunbird has very striking metallic blue upper parts.  On many occasions I notice that both birds like to pierce through the bracts to reach the nectar ....

The brown-throated Sunbird shows up again

Brown-throated Sunbird (Anthreptes malacensis) - "Kelicap Mayang Kelapa" - Malay

 The Brown-throated Sunbird is rarely seen at the park but when it is around it's such a delight to see.  It's unique feature is the deep metallic blue upper parts.  The throat is brown and the breast together with the rest of its under parts are bright yellow.   The iris is reddish brown and its legs and feet greenish yellow.  The picture shown here is that of the male of the species.

Photoshoot session with the Brown-throated Sunbird

Brown-throated sunbird - Anthreptes malacensis borneensis

 Had an excellent photoshoot session with a pair of Brown-throated sunbird this morning. They posed for me while I was at Zone I and Botanic Island Two at around 8 am.  They were flying vigorously moving between the leaves and branches apparently hunting for small caterpillars.  This morning was one of the rare moments when they gave me a chance to shoot them side by side.  They make my morning!

Female Brown-throated sunbird

Sunbirds are very active and small birds and therefore pose a challenge to photograph.

The male displays the reason for its name.

A pair feeding on caterpillars