Highlights today at the park - 2 May'16

Angel's trumpet (Randia macrantha) flowering at Zone C

Skink at Zone D

Autumn leaves of summer still showing intense colours
View of park looking south -west from Pazau lookout
Zone C

Dragonfly at Zone B

Pink-necked Green Pigeon at Cempedak Hill
Zone G

Beautiful pigeon against the evening sun

Pink-necked Pigeon - male
Location: Cempedak Hill, Zone G

 The Pink-necked Pigeon surveyed the neighbourhood from above the Cempedak tree.  It is a welcoming scene to witness it resting comfortably against the evening sun.  This wild bird could be seen singly or in a small flock.  They fly swiftly in straight direction.  These birds are very colourful or more aptly the male of the species.  It is no secret that their favorite perch is the Cempedak tree located at one of the highest point of the park at Zone G. It is easy to check whether the birds are resting at the treetop because they can be sighted from a distance especially when resting on the tallest twigs. This makes photographing them a lot easier as at least we know of their presence without wasting too much time looking for their whereabouts.   It remains next how we are going to approach them closer without alerting them.  I never get tired of photographing these lovely birds and today's is no exception.

The neighbourhood - Zone C

Up-close with the Pink-necked Green Pigeon

Male

Female

Female

Male

Birds - an essential component

A pair of Pied Fantail ( Sambar Murai Gila- Malay)
Rhipidura javanica
Zone B

View of park,
looking east from Zone G

 The annual fruit season is almost over and the drought season has been over too with at least two occasions of heavy rain since the last ten days to usher in the end of year rainy season.  Birding today was interesting for three captures.  Firstly, a pair of Pied Fantail was happily moving about the trees and branches in their typical suicidal flights and noisy twitters.  Secondly, a pair of Pink-necked Pigeon was seen perching quietly on the Cempedak tree at Zone G.  Finally, a lone Oriental- Magpie-robin was seen resting on the very tip of a branch at Zone G, broadcasting the best music for the morning.  The birds and their music are an essential component of the park.

A pair of Pink-necked Green Pigeon
Cempedak Hill, Zone G.

Oriental Magpie-Robin - Murai Kampung(Malay)
Copsychus saularis
Zone G

A Punai company

Male Pink-necked Pigeon
Cempedak Hill, Zone G.

A pair of Punai Gading (Malay)

 It's early in the morning.  The sun has hardly risen.  Up on the Cempedak tree at Zone G, I noticed a small company of Punai birds having an early morning gathering.  It was a small company of five - two male and three females.  This team of Pink-necked Green Pigeon have not been seen for quite a while.  I was exceeding thrilled to see this small team back at the park. Could have it been that the birds were born here?  My speculation is that there is a possibility that many of the Punai birds were born here because on many occasions I encountered these birds nesting at various locations in the park.  Well, their presence is an assurance that the park is home to these lovely birds.

A small company of Pink-necked Pigeon (Treron vernans)
Cempedak Hill, Zone G

There are birds on the hill

Birds on the Cempedak Hill....

There are birds on the hill,
But I never heard them singing,
No I never heard them at all
Till there was you.....

These verses kept ringing in my head when I saw many birds at the Cempedak Hill early this morning.  As is customary between 6.30 - 7.00 am I would do a little bit of morning climb up the Cempedak Hill.  At this commanding locality there will always be birds that take turns to perch and welcome the new day with their sweet melodies.  Today's line-up included the Pink-necked Green Pigeon, The Spotted-necked Dove ( Tekukur - Malay) and the Blue-throated Bee-eater. Very soon they'll fly off in search for food but I know they'll be back again tomorrow morning  before the sun rises up for they too would like to see the beautiful flushes and many shades of green that the sun smiles on another day.  Let the sun shines on me .....

Pink-necked Green Pigeon, male at bottom and female at top of picture.

Spotted-necked Dove

Blue-throated Bee-eater (Merops viridis)

View of the park from Cempedak Hill, looking north

Flushing at the park now...orange-red young leaves of the Eugenia oleina
Location : Provinsi Carpentaria, Zone F

Romance is in the air

A fleeting flirting moment...

Female Pink-necked Green Pigeon

 It was a fleeting flirting moment on the perch.  A male Pink-necked Green Pigeon was approached by one of his females.  She became playful for a moment.  The male pigeon was a willing partner.  The male is easily differentiated by its grey head and crown and pinkish grey neck and nape.  It has black flight feathers with its back and wing coverts green in colour.  They were seen early this morning perching on the Cempedak tree at Cempedak Hill, situated at Zone G. 

Male is at left, female at right of picture.

Cempedak tree bearing fruits
Location: Cempedak Hill, Zone G

In the early morning light

'Tekukur' or Spotted-necked Dove

 In the early morning light when the rays are soft and gradually glowing, I would normally walk the park to observe the early birds.  At the Cempedak Hill I noticed a dove and a pigeon taking turns to rest on their favourite perch.  First was the Spotted-necked Dove which is more seen in the towns than in the forest environment.  Later a pigeon dropped by and it was not an ordinary pigeon.  On closer observation I noticed it was the male of the Pink-necked Green Pigeon which the Malays called 'Punai Gading'.

 The picture at right shows the Punai Gading (Malay) - Treron vernans.
It produces a very soft yet melodious whistle. Its legs and feet are coral pink with pinkish grey neck and head.  Its flight feathers are black.