Asian Koel

The bird that refuses to leave!  I guess never is there one that 'annoys' so many with its 'morning calls', that I've been asked countless times what that bird with that ceaseless deafening (to most in the quiet early morn) calls is; in fact its calls are most reflective of its name 'ko-el'.

However the female Asian Koel's sharp and high-pitched 'kik-kik-kik' couldn't have been more different. 

This one flew in most quietly and left likewise.

Accepting koel

Time when sound belies sight.

Time when it's a challenge to convince another why and how this bird can still be considered a beauty.

Time when it's time to go beyond human senses of sight, hearing to embrace another uniqueness and imperceptible purpose, unquestioningly.

Charm amiss

 I do hope that the taman has not lost its charm as it has been incredibly uneventful and uninspiring lately with mere sporadic presence of resident avians and nary migrant visitors in sight.

Even the Asian Koel (Eudynamys scolopaceus) hardly visited, this being its breeding season.

Perhaps the longest courtship, Part II

 I wouldn't have dreamt of a sequel to 'Perhaps the longest courtship' when I heard the male Asian Koel koo... oooing again in the same area, his call crescendoing through that part of the taman.  And so I sauntered over, hardly expecting any excitement, perhaps only a glimpse of Her Ladyship if she so consented with her presence.

And just as I arrived below where the besotted lover was koo ... oooing away, there was a flurry and indeed Her Ladyship seemed to have responded this time, or so I thought.  

And so I must confessed out front that I was still as baffled at this point with her performance as I soon would be too when she left.

There was no acknowledgement of the lover's presence as she did not fly in to be with him, but seemed merely to survey the area as she hopped about on an adjacent tree.

And that's it, off she flew and seeing that she had landed low pretty close by, off I sped after her, hoping to comprehend what's going on.

And indeed she had landed on a low branch, not at all bothered that I was moving about close by trying to zoom in between twigs.

And after almost 10 minutes of 'silent' display she decided to hop down looking like she had spotted something.

And then the strangest thing happened, she regurgitated!

She then deftly peeled off the skin of the fruit with her beak before consuming it.

And then she did it again!

There was no peeling this time as she promptly swallowed it.

And then as expected, she flew down eventually.

So Her Ladyship seemed to be having a little adventure of her own, and I could hear  clearly now the male calling from an adjacent tree so he must have moved closer.

But she heeded him not!  Because she soon flew off to the palm trees across the road, hopping and clinging and spreading her wings among the multi-stems of the palm trees.  

Completely mind boggling to me!

And then that's it, she proceeded to fly right across into a tree at the other end of the taman, and I could her call, a shrill kik kik kik.

My attempt to track her this time came to no avail but I did come across the male who had trailed her again, revealing his presence again with its koo ... ooo call, now high up at the upper canopy.

And I would think that's the end of the sequel.

But no, for he was seen later to be picking fruits at this tree which seemed to be a favourite one as I have seen time and again him harvesting here.

And I could only guess it's another offering for Her Ladyship, wherever she was.

And so with a stock of 3 stashed down his throat, he flew off, safe to deduce it's once again to court Her Ladyship!

And dare I say I was any wiser at the end of this entire episode about what had just happened?!

Perhaps the longest courtship, Part I

 It has been two month's of intense courting already, its calls also the time alarm for many at the crack of dawn, not at all welcoming for neither early nor late risers, and even a harbinger for the superstitious.  

Nevertheless you persisted, morning, noon and late afternoon to evening too.

When I first spotted you, you seemed to be still at the same game, still courting your Lady Love, but with a more muted koo...ooo ... koo...ooo, perhaps restrained by the fig in beak?

And almost a week later you're still hogging this tree, koo...ooo ever so softly away, but now territorial too.

I'm convinced by now that your middle name is Patience as I walked off a couple of times and back, and you're still there, a silent vocaliser as I perceived but could not pick out your soundless throaty movements.

And then you decided to do the unexpected, flying down to sprawl out! It seemed like an aggressive move as the smaller birds were flying in and out around you.

I didn't think it was a need to dry out because the weather had been hot and dry.

But I guessed it was as you preened.

And there you were at it again, flat out and almost lazily that you allowed me to walk about for the best zoom angle.

And here we go again!

The Asian Koel (Eudynamys scolopaceus) is a large bird of the Cuculidae family of cuckoos.  And so I thought, perhaps you'll present me with a 'cuckoo pose'?

And hardly had I finished my thoughts, you read my mind?!  Loving your 'ballerino' pose!

It felt like you knew you were being watched, so put on a performance!

 Unfortunately, there's still no Lady Love and yet you still loafed around, still territorial chasing off the smaller birds.

And you seemed to have a favourite branch, for you came down again, the silent vocaliser!

I'm afraid by now I've exhausted my patience so decided to leave you, Besotted One, to continue your wait.