A colourful bird at the Museum grounds

Brwon-throated Sunbird at the Sarawak Museum grounds, Kuching
4 April'15

 It is one of the most beautiful garden birds in Sarawak.  Today, while having a walk at the grounds of the Sarawak Museum gardens I chanced upon it.  The Sarawak Museum gardens is still the best place for a quick walk for  viewing a good collection of the hibiscus flowers on any regular day.  The Brown-throated Sunbird was seen busy doing its rounds of nectar sipping among the hibiscus flowers.  I guess surviving in an urban environment requires it to be 'people-friendly' and this behaviour enabled me to have a closer look at its colourful personality.  It was oblivious to the crowd of people that were having their walks and photo taking sessions  at the garden.

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

A lifer of the White-Eye

White-eye hanging down from the acacia branch

 Today's capture is a lifer for me.  At the Pustaka Sarawak grounds I was able to have  a good glimpse of the Everett's White-eye or in Malay - 'Mata Putih Belukar.'  It was seen preying on some insects among the leaves of the Acacia auriculiformis  growing by the side of the big pond. The most distinguishing feature of the bird is the big round white eye-ring.  At another location in the the surrounding greenery I stumbled upon a Common Iora guarding its nest.  It is also the first time I come across the nest belonging to the Common Iora in plain sight.  A few hundred meters away I managed to have a good view of the female Olive-backed Sunbird finding food at the coconut inflorescence.  Finally, to end the afternoon adventure I met a White-breated Woodswallow perching on a dead tree stump near the pond.  The afternoon was well-rewarded I thought, in view of the fact that I brought along  my camera for only about less than a hour's walk around the library grounds (4.30 - 5.00 pm).

Everett's White Eye

Common Iora tending its nest

Female of Olive-backed Sunbird

White-breasted Woodswallow

A female Crimson Sunbird and a Little Spiderhunter

Eastern Crimson Sunbird (Aethopyga siparaja)

Eastern Crimson Sunbird - female
in delightful mood

 Most fortunate today to come across the female Eastern Crimson Sunbird.  It was seen flirting around with the male among the branches.  Suddenly it perched above me.  I swung my camera and got the female in happy mode.  Slightly later I waited patiently for the Little Spiderhunter at the yellow ixora bush.  It too was in a delightful mood.  It enjoyed taking the nectar from the ixora flowers.  The moment she saw me in clear sight she made one last call and off she went.
Time : 9.30 - 10.30 am, Location: Zone C

Little Spiderhunnter (Arachnochera longirostra)

A sunbird's perfect mould

Chinese hat plant

 There is a certain perfection between the Eastern Crimson Sunbird and the Chinese hat plant.  Recently I discover that the sunbird is regularly visiting the Chinese hat plant bush.  There are other attractions at the location viz a healthy growing shrub of the yellow ixora and plenty of other heliconia varieties.  Seems like  there's a lot of visiting schedules for the sunbird at this location.  When sipping at the nectar of the Chinese hat plant flower, the sunbird's beak makes a perfect mould with the flower.  More pictures below..

A perfect mould

Sunbird at the heliconia plant

The location - plenty of flowering shrubs, yellow ixora, Chinese hat plant and heliconias
Zone C

Birding around the Poui tree

Kambatik garden looking good with flowering Poui tree at side garden.

Long-tailed Shrike

 Since the Poui tree (Tabebuia rosea) was flowering into its second day, I thought why not make the morning good by observing birds that might visit the tree?  The sunbirds seemed to be particularly attracted to the trumpet-shaped pink flowers.  I saw many were there for the insects and the nectar.  In many instances I noticed the sunbirds piercing the base of the flowers to reach at the nectar.  The list of sunbirds that visited the Poui tree are documented in pictures below.  The biggest surprise of the morning was the sighting of a Long-tailed Shrike that perched by the electrical line nearby the garden.  This shrike was my first lifer.  I am indeed elated by just two hours of birding around the garden this morning (8.30 am - 10.30 am) . It made my day with renewed feelings of hope and prospect of what a Kambatik garden can attract. Come what come may, the Kambatik garden is here to stay!

Tirjup Ekor Panjang (Malay)
Lanius schach bentet

Kelicap Mayang Kelap (Malay) - Brown-throated Sunbird
Anthreptes malacensis

Kelicap Bukit (Malay) - Olive -backed Sunbird (Female)
Cinnyris jugularis

Kelicap Bukit (Malay) - Olive -backed Sunbird (Male)
Cinnyris jugularis

Kelicap Sepah Raja (Malay) - Eastern Crimson Sunbird
Aethopyga siparaja

Tirjup Ekor Panjang (Malay) -  Long-tailed Shrike
Lanius schach bentet

Olive-backed Sunbird at the musuem ground

Olive-backed  Sunbird at the Asean Rosebay shrub

 On the 12th of December 2011,  I visited the Sarawak Museum's garden areas to photograph some of the flowering trees and shrubs there.  I was fortunate to have stumbled upon a male Olive-backed Sunbird.  It was resting on the branches of the Asian Rosebay (Tabernaemontana divaricata) shrub.  The male is distinguished by its metallic blue and purplish throat and breast.  The very bright yellow underparts looked very attractive.  The olive colours principally refers to its crown, back and wings. 

Birds at Pustaka

Collared Kingfisher at the compounds of Pustaka

Stork-billed Kingfisher

 I spent just a mere one hour for a quick tour of the Pustaka Sarawak grounds on the 16th of August.  There is  large landscape compound around the Pustaka (Sarawak State Library).  On many of my earlier trips I frequently bump into the Stork-billed Kingfisher and on this trip it was there as usual. Two other birds that interest me on this trip was the Pied Fantail and the Striated Heron.  The tiny Brown-throated Sunbird was of no surprise and so was the Common Iora.  By the pond I noticed the Common Sandpiper and nearby the rockery the little Oriental Tree Sparrow.  The Red- Headed Tailorbird was also seen among the leaves and branches of the Bungor tree.  For a brief one hour visit to the park, I dare say the visit was very fruitful.  The Pustaka can generally be reached in about 20 - 30 minutes by car from the Kuching City centre.

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

Common Iora - Kunyit Kacat (Malay)
Aegithina tiphia

Common Iora - Kunyit Kacat (Malay)
Aegithina tiphia

Common Myna

Common Sandpiper - Kedidi Pasir (Malay)
Actitis hypoleucos

Pied Fantail - Sambar Murai Gila (Malay)
Rhipidura javanica

Oriental Tree Sparrow

Red-headed Tailorbird - Perenjak Kelapu
Orthotomus ruficeps

Striated Heron - Pucung Keladi (Malay)
Butorides striata