Cool drongo

 A young Greater Racket-tailed Drongo perched quietly alone as a gang of long-tailed macaques played close by, and was certainly unfazed by the commotion and I eventually discovered that a parent was actually close by.  This subadult finally took off at a call from the parent.

Lighting certainly did not do justice to the fresh and fine black feathers of this one as it had a commanding view of the macaques fooled around.

Mynas brood

 Cackles of Javan Mynas and I would have just walked past without a single look until something about how these three remained there as I eventually decided to pause close by, and I was glad I did because this was a clutch of juvenile siblings.  It's also the first time I came across myna juvies which suggested that an adult myna could lay up to three or perhaps more eggs. 

I was proven right when a parent flew in and these juveniles looked like they still wanted to be fed.

But it was not to be as the parent (looking wet as it must have taken a bath somewhere on this pretty blazing hot day) took off again, perhaps the usual tactic of hoping the juvies would follow suit.

So they remained in the comfort of their perch, flexing and preening.

It certainly looked secure where they were until the calls of a lineated barbet put them on alert.  Perhaps safety in numbers, they continued to remain where they were.

An unfathomable loss

It needs no explanation why this Common Iora chose this cluster of leaves to nest, the one question was merely why so low because it's no less than 7 feet high.

And a mere couple of days later, this happened - act of man? act of another bird, or a squirrel? or both man and beast?

The parent was observed to be incubating for almost a week already so there was perhaps a chick already when this destruction happened.

I had thought before that if such a loss was due to an act of man, to be specific, of an over-zealous photographer, then it's not simply a harsh perception but indeed it's despicable.

The loss of any chick when it happens often enough will inevitably lead to a change in the existence status of a bird of even the commonest.  

Sadly, this happens too in the bukit.

Swiftlet's record

 I've not thought to include the Swiftlet species for the bukit's record because one simply take their presence for granted as these birds populate the lower air space day long, seen in small flocks, going after flying insects caught on the wing, so this is a first attempt at an image for a much overdue record, starting with this Germain's Swiftlet (Aerodramus germani).

As I was passing by

Enchanted!

 

Paying respect to a resident

A walk in the taman feels incomplete without a quick visit to check on this resident.

A cool noon breeze and being rocked gently on the spine of the palm leaf, and this was why this resident Large-tailed Nightjar hardly stirred even as we advanced and withdrew repeatedly close to it, and clicked away.

And a relaxing yawn as it continued to doze on.

And it's See You shortly as we walked off .... wondering if it would keep to this open position if undisturbed when we returned; nope, it has retreated slightly further in, perhaps got too uncomfortable too out front ... and snoozing with slightly open eyelids now,  truly like a grand old man of its domain (as suggested by the large area of white across the throat, and the tell-tale white patch on the primary feathers of which the female's is buff-coloured).

Woodpecker stand-off

 I heard piercing cries and flapping of wings and knew that these were of the Banded Woodpeckers.  A quick search revealed a gorgeous pair of males.

And I wouldn't have foreseen the hostility until this happened.

It looked like a lengthy confrontation as both circled the trunk, went up and up, went head-on till they dropped to the ground and quickly recovered and up the tree again to continue with their stand-off.

I had seen earlier another fly across just as I heard the cries and was hurrying to seek out the cries, and this third one kept on calling even as it flew back close to where these two were engaged in aggression, but did not appear at all.

And they were certainly not engaged in any hide-and-seek as they circled up the trunk again, and on to the next tree.

And it looked like it's an older woodpecker against a young upstart(?), perhaps territorial claim, the older one being the aggressor.

And it didn't look like it was going to end any time soon as they went on to their third round of confrontation as both fell clashing to the ground a second time, then hopped on up the next tree.

Perhaps I unwittingly ended, or merely temporarily halted their aggression as I stepped round for closer shots (still smarting from missing out on their erstwhile clashes on the ground) and forced them to fly to separate trees.

Unfortunately it was hard to say which was the winner as both remained there as I left, nevertheless with sweet images of these two.