Lovely pigeons anyone?

Enjoying the seeds in the early morning air.

 The Pink-Necked Pigeon is an extremely attractive bird mainly for its colours, its stout body and strong wings.  It seems that every where I go they accompany me. Whether it is in the wildlife sanctuary that I have built in Bintulu, or the Kambatik Garden in Kuching these birds seem to accustom themselves building nests and breeding close to where I stay and live.  For this I am greatly honoured and indeed blessed by their presence.  They are a direct link to feeling the greatness of living nature and  an eco-friendly environment.  Today the pigeons  gave me a another rare opportunity to come close to them for a good morning photoshoot session in the garden.  The Shrubby Dillenia became their focus.  A small flock of them (about seven in numbers) were busy in the early morning air eating the numerous  juicy red seeds of the Shrubby Dillenia plant.  Back in the 80's these birds were commonly sold in town for their meat, but very seldom today due to stringent laws that protect these birds in Sarawak.

Pink-necked Pigeon - female of the species

The male Pink-necked Pigeon

Early morning captures at the park

Little Green Pigeon from a distance
Cempedak Hill, Zone G
Kambatik Park, Bintulu.

 This morning was a wonderful time for birding at the park.  The clear blue sky made the pictures like postcards.  A pair of Little Green Pigeon was perching on their favourite perch at the Cempedak Hill.  They saw me but did not seem to be bothered with my presence.  I too respected their cooperation and left the scene with them still spending the early morning hours on the perch  while I moved to another location. At the Pazau lookout I saw  a few Blue-throated Bee-eaters resting on the perches in between their sorties.  Finally to close the early morning birding which took me between 7 - 8.30 am I stumbled upon a Philippine Glossy Starling.  It has been a worthwhile walk around the park.  More photoshoots below....

Lovely pair of Little Green Pigeon, colourful male is at left.

Philippines Glossy Starling

Blue-throated Bee-eater

Bee-eaters seen from a distance
Pazau lookout

Birds on the hill

On the 12th of October, I went for a brief walkabout at the Kambatik Park and managed to photoshoot a few of the feathered species.  The full story is here...>>>http://kambatikpark.blogspot.com/2014/10/there-are-birds-on-hill.html

Pink-necked Green Pigeon

 On the 6th of September'13, a small group of my birding friends met at the Pustaka Sarawak as meeting point before embarking on a birding trip outside Kuching city.  While at the car parking area we saw a male Pink-necked Green Pigeon busy flying to and fro to collect twigs from nearby trees presumably for building nest.  It was still early in the morning.  Here are more pictures of the bird in action....

Birding at break of dawn

At break of dawn the Hill Myna delivered loud and sharp whistling calls
Location : Zone I
Kambatik Park, Bintulu.

Hill Myna with grass

 At the break of dawn I started walking towards the tall dead tree to watch the Tiong Mas or Hill Myna bird.  From afar I could already hear their whistling calls which helped boost my steps as I began to climb the steep slopes to reach at their favourite tree.  Both were there.  However today was slightly special in that the female bird was seen many times peeping out of the nest with a long blade of grass.  My best guess is that she could have used it to make her nest comfortable.  The pair later flew to nearby trees and moved about the branches and leaves while broadcasting their noisy calls over the neighbourhood.  After they disappeared into the surrounding jungle,  I moved to another location some 200 meters away to observe the pigeons at their favourite perch, a Cempedak tree at Zone F. There I met a female Little Green Pigeon or Punai Daun ( Malay).  It must have been a juvenile one since it seemed curious at me and had no urgency to fly away.  I guess she must have born here and make the park their home.

A Hill Myna partly hidden among the branches and leaves of a jungle tree.

A juvenile Little Green Pigeon

Little Green Pigeon (Treron olax) on the Cempedak perch
Location : Zone F

The colourful Little Green Pigeon

Little Green pigeon - male ( Punai Daun - Malay)
Treron olax
Date : 28 June 2013

Ok, today may not be a good day for a clear shot of the beautiful Little Green Pigeon.  Anyway, despite partly hidden by the twigs and leaves the colours speak for its appeal to bird lovers.  Just looking at its various range of colours can make one fall in love with it at first sight.  It was in the midst of eating the ripe fruits of the Eugenia oleina tree that I stumbled upon it. I hope in future it will give me a better  photoshoot session.