Report from Mrs Tiong

View of Licuala Hill and our nest (in a hole).

Mrs Tiong - female Hill Myna
(Gracula religiosa) 

 Woke up late this morning, around 9 am.  The reason - the weather last night was so cool that makes us both feel lazy.  Anywhere where is my husband? Oh, there you are! I can now see you through the trees and branches at Licuala Hill.  Well, I am not yet ready for today's flight.  Let me refresh a while and then we can fly as far as we can.  My dear, yesterday we managed to get lots of fruits from Tatau area.  Can we find something special for me today? I think, I'm thinking of enjoying some large insects for lunch, ok. Now wait a second.....I'll take off to join you on our daily hunt in five seconds. (Approximately at 9.15 am we took flight towards the direction of Sebauh, some 50 kilometers away. Bye for now)

Mr. Tiong

Mrs Tiong making an early morning call, " Hey there ! Husband, where are you?"

Re-connecting with nature again

The Tiongs ( Hill Myna birds) at Licuala Hill

Physalis minia - showing more ripe
fruits

 It is so good to be back at the nature park.  It is a place to re-connect with nature after having been away for two weeks in Kuching,  The first thing I checked out in the late afternoon was the Tiong birds.  I have left them for about two weeks and today they assured me of their confidence in the safety of  the park.  I saw a pair moving about the tall branches at one of tallest perches at Licuala Hill.  From the distance I observed that the birds looked somewhat bigger now.  Having encountered them I then proceeded to get back home sooner, consoled by the thought that the nature park has passed a stringent litmus test as a wildlife sanctuary with the continued and uninterrupted presence of the Hill Myna birds.

Licuala palms at Licuala Hill, just below the tall tree where the Tiongs perched this afternoon.

Close-up of the Tiong birds (Hill Myna)

A lovely Tiong pair

A pair of Hill Myna at rest, play and fun
Location : Licuala Hill, Zone I

 Between 5.30 pm - 6.00 pm, the pair of Hill Myna bird ( 'Tiong' - Malay) would regularly return to their nesting home.  They must have gone far to look for food but would normally return home before night falls. Today, even though they rested on the second favourite perch which is not their nesting tree, I still could get a good view of them as they played and whistled loudly against the evening light.  From my experience they would normally fly in to their nest between 6.30  pm - 7.00 pm.  at an adjacent tree.

Location: Licuala Hill, Zone I

The nesting tree for the Hill Myna birds at a nearby location
Location : Licuala Hill

The Prevost's Squirrel tries to catch the Hill Myna bird.

The Prevost's Squirrel is seen at the bottom of the picture starting to reach up to the Hill Myna perching at the very tip of the branch.

Alerted by the presence of the squirrel the Hill Myna flies off.

The squirrel returns back empty handed.
Location : Licuala Hill

It was by coincidence that I came across the Prevost's Squirrel attempting to prey on the Hill Myna bird or 'Tiong' as it is locally known, early this morning.  The failed attempt of the squirrel is shown as in the three pictures above.  The Prevost's Squirrel is a large and attractive squirrel.

Even humans cannot whistle as loud as the Tiong

Hill Myna or Tiong Mas (Malay) having a perfect view of the park and whistling ...
Location : Licuala Hill

Gracula religiosa - Hill Myna

 The Tiong came in before sunset and was calling for its mate.  The mate answered its call from the surrounding hills but did not fly over to join the company.  Unnoticed by it, I took as many pictures as I could get for stock photography.  It appears that this December the Tiongs will continue to stay at the tall 'condominium' in a special hole that faces a northerly direction.  In the meantime while waiting for its mate it produced all sorts of sounds and calls and many a time threw out a whistling sound that even a human cannot compare.  Tiongs are normally liked as pets for its ability to mimic sounds.  They do seem to be able to 'talk'.

It's time to fly away and locate my mate!

The Tiong's  favourite spot in the park.  It prefers the 'penthouse' level.

The more we are together, the happier we will be

The more we are together, the happier we will be.

The two of us

 Playing hide and seek again today.  But worth it.  The Tiongs returned to their sanctuary just before sunset.  Earlier on I waited in the company of nasty and irritating mosquitoes.  Then I heard the flapping of strong wings and soon both settled on the tall tree.  They looked happy and cheering each other while remaining close.  It has been another fruitful day  to see both of the birds back and giving me the opportunity to take more close-up and personal shots of them.

Hill Myna
Location : Licuala Hill, Zone I
25 Nov'15

The Tiongs presence is nature alive and well

Note the white wing-patch at the primary wings.
Location : Zone I

Tiong (Malay) or Hill Myna
Gracula religiosa

 It's great to see the Hill Myna birds perching at the tallest dead tree at Licuala Hill this afternoon.  It seemed that the two birds are looking good as mature adults.  I'll be following their story again this November and December.  The park is now home to the Tiong birds primarily due to the presence of tall perches especially those with holes acting as 'nest'.  The Tiong is a resident of lowland forests like what we have here.  I notice they will leave their nest early in the morning and would return before sunset.  This has been their routine from my annual observation.  I very much welcome their presence here for the loud calls they reverberate throughout  the neighbourhood, a sure sign that nature is alive and well.

In the distant are seen the two Hill Myna birds perching on the tallest dead tree at Provinsi Licuala
Location : Licuala Hill

The Tiongs are amidst the leaves

A pair of Tiong at Zone D
3 Oct'15 

One of the tallest trees
at the park, Zone I

 I had a field day this morning  chasing after two pairs of Hill Myna birds or 'Burung Tiong' ( Malay).  They were flying all over the zones of the park and immersed well to the surrounding greenery when they stopped for a while to rest and play on the branches and twigs.  For about two weeks now they are regularly seen and heard, especially early in the morning.  Their presence makes for some welcome music at the park.

At Zone E

Resting on the Durian tree at Zone G

Resting on one of the tallest jungle trees  at Zone I

What October brings?

Black Hornbill (male) - Anthracoceros malayanus
Location : Zone G, near bamboo clump

Hill Myna or 'Tiong'

 The morning was fine with a slight haze.  Between 7-7.30 am I had a morning walkabout at the park, when all of a sudden I spotted a lone Hill Myna.  It was perching on the dead tree at Zone G, close to the clump of tall bamboos. I managed to get a couple of good shots but from a distance.  Then to my greatest surprise a Black Hornbill entered the frame.  What a catch! A Black Hornbill and a Hill Myna in one frame. It's a good sign to start the month of October.

A Black Hornbill (left) and Hill Myna (right)
Location : Zone G
Date taken : 2 October15

The lone Hill Myna before joined by the Black Hornbill
2 Oct'15, Zone G.

A pair of Tiong in silhouette

A pair of Hill Myna bird.
Location : Licuala Hill, Zone I

Hill Myna or Burung Tiong (Malay)

The Tiong bird through the maze of leaves
Location : Licuala Hill, Zone I

The Tiong Story - Part 1

The Hill Myna birds or 'Burung Tiong' in Malay
Location : Licuala Hill, Zone I

View from a new hideout

 I am getting excited with the arrival of the Tiong birds at the park.  For one thing it is a sure proof that the park is showing results as a sanctuary for birds.  This has been achieved not one year but over many years of planning and development.  The preservation of its habitat especially tall perches are critical for the survival of the species.  The tall dead tree must remain standing for in its trunk is a hole which the Tiongs call home. Other nearby perches are important for temporary rest and lookout points before they return to the safety of their nest.  Around 5.30 pm or the latest 6 pm, they would return from their daily hunt or foraging expeditions to rest for the night at the hole.  Today in order to come closer to the birds, I created another jungle track at the Licuala Hill leading to the tree.   From the new hideout (see inset) I can take better aim of the birds unnoticed under cover of small trees and bracken ferns.  Here are more pictures from today's photoshoot session.

2

All images above taken on 3 May'15, using Nikon D5100

The Tiong nesting couple is back

The two Tiongs are back at their favourite perch
Location : Licuala Hill, Zone I

Hill Myna (Gracula religiosa)

 It has been quite a while since the Tiong birds dropped by at the park.  Today a pair of the Hill Myna bird or 'Tiong' in Malay checked in at their favourite 5 star hotel at the Licuala Hill.  It was about 6 pm when I made the climb to catch a better glimpse of them.  With an unexpected perfect lighting conditions I was able to obtain a clearer shot of them.  In order to get close to them I had to walk slowly and discreetly among the shrubs while on the way up the hill.  I was bent on having a good shot of them this time around.  Below are more shots of the Tiongs and the sunset during the photography session.

The Bintulu sunset as seen from Licuala Hill.
Zone I