The other visitors in flock

 The Ashy Minivets (Pericrocotus divaricatus) have arrived too, and as usual so high they stayed throughout.  It looked like it's an all female flock, as they flew in, darted from branch to branch, amidst the cries of some avian residents, and made their exit just as soon.

One can be easily alerted to their arrival and presence as they tend to make thin trilling sound, both sound and appearance sometimes mistaken for the Pied Triller except that the Trillers at most move in pairs instead of a flock.  Both do forage in mid-canopy although the Minivets more often in upper canopy.

16/2022

Not the best of time and situation aiming high and against the sun.

The bird singeth not

 It was not the melody, this time, that drew my attention but flapping of wings and threatening calls.  The White-rumped Shama was in a confrontational mood but unfortunately I couldn't locate the threat although all I did see seconds earlier was a black bird that flew in.  Was it the same, or was it the aggressor?

Fortunately its defensive, or was it aggressive stance worked!

And this resident eventually left too.

As I was waiting

"A thing of beauty is a joy forever."

 

Lacking flocks this round

 They've finally made their appearance in the taman but this was certainly not the flock that I had expected, less than 50 I reckoned.

The Purple-backed or Daurian Starlings (Agropsar sturninus) are always a sight to behold if they appear in flocks of hundreds which they did here years back.

And as usual these birds do travel as families, male, female, old and young.  With only one tree fruiting this time, it's only expected that these birds would not remain here for more days.

It looked like it's only pairs that I could get from this flock.

Time for a snooze.

Another pair.

I wished, like you, the rest would come further down too!

The three that were only slightly higher up.

A less than common babbler here

 It's only my second encounter with the Abbott's Babbler (Malacocincla abbotti) in the bukit but on this round it's just for record with the images it allowed!

Contrary to its characteristic of foraging comparatively slower than other babblers, and on or near the ground, this one was pretty energetic and kept higher up, also unfortunately pretty distant from where I was.

The other 'king' of fishers

 It was a rare occasion for the Little Egret to stray so far inland from its usual hunting ground along the river, perhaps the park was absolutely quiet that morning with only this one lone soul wandering around.

Knowing how super alert it could be, I had to keep a fine distance.

And it looked like success upon success, tiny may be its catch.

Surely not the water lily, dear!

Another one

And as it was going for another, it somehow sensed my presence way across the pond!

Fortunately remaining stationary, I managed to avert its apprehension, or was it hunger that prevailed and it moved on, for another catch.

Another target

And this's what made it different from the other king of fishers!

And it's a winged prey this time, a dragonfly, in its diet that's mainly fish but can also include amphibians, small reptiles, crustaceans, insects and worms.

I shared in another of its success before I decided to leave it alone.

And so it's one of those few opportune times when a bird could move about freely and unconsciously and not be hounded for more and more images!

The weaver and the munia

 One day it were the Scaly-breasted Munias (Lonchura punctulata), and when these birds no longer forage here, the Baya Weavers (Ploceus philippinus) came, looking as if the Munias always have the first go at these grass seeds.

I've yet to come across these two species forage together here.

A lone female Baya Weaver seemed to be on the look-out and I soon learnt why ...

... this juvenile was sitting quietly just a tree away.

And it looked like it's female day out.