Asian Glossy Starling - Feeding time!

Asian Glossy Starling
(Aplonis panayensis)




























All in the family - mother, father and three kids

Asian Glossy In Action

Asian Glossy Starling
(Aplonis panayensis)

Under the shadow ~ Copper Smith Barbet

Asian Glossy Starling

Preening

Oriental Magpie Robin

Little Egret & Pond Heron ~ Preening

Backyard Birding spot - Dead teak tree

This picture was taken on 17 August 2007


Birding at my backyard is relatively easy. I just wait at my back door and point the binocular and camera to this tree. The birds will perch on that dead tree. This is called passive birding.
Now my birds count stay at 41 species, and most likely I would not find any new one. I started to get boring to see the same birds. Maybe I have to move to a new location, but TIME is the limiting factor.



Recent picture: 25 March 2008


Look what happened to this same dead teak tree in about six months. Most of the small branches are now gone.






This latest picture - 30th March 2008.
(Original Date/Time = 2008:03:30 18:02:03)


All the small branches at the left and center are now gone. Only the right (arrow) remain, for small birds to perched.





Another pictures of my backyard click here.




My set-up for bird photography, an entry level with Canon 400D + 400mm f5.6 telephoto lens.
The accessories are:-
* Opteka BP-XT Battery Grip
* Manfrotto 190XPROB Tripod
* Canon Speedlite 580EX
* Wimberley F1 Flash bracket
* Flash extension cord, Canon OC-E3
* Better beamer-FX3 Flash extender
* Remote switch RS-60E3
* Wimberley P20 Lens plate

Green Cicada

This green cicada rest at the cloth hanging outside my house.
(Unidentified species)
Search the internet for the name and photo.
This photo (taken by Rhett A. Butler) is the closest/identical specimen, but also without scientific name.


A cicada is an insect of the order Hemiptera, suborder Auchenorrhyncha, in the superfamily Cicadoidea, with large eyes wide apart on the head and usually transparent, well-veined wings. There are about 2,500 species of cicada around the globe, and many remain unclassified
(Ref: Wikipedia.)



The size, compare to my fingers.

Pond Heron ~ Preening

Preening with beak.
This Heron was spending his time preening and stretching his wings.










Birds preen to maintain their feathers, to keep themselves warm and dry, to remove parasites, and to strengthen relationship
(Ref: here and here)









Preening with claws

Fate of Papaya trees

There are seven papaya trees around my backyard - mostly at the river bank. It grows by its self probably propagated by birds.
Half of it already damaged. The culprits are the birds - Black-nape Orioles, Asian Glossy Starlings and Mynas.





The same tree (as above) healthy tree, before destruction.


Original Date/Time = 2007:10:27 13:55:39

more picture here.






The shoot is already dead, but the new one grow at the side of the tree. A few of them make a branch.
It generally branches only when injured.













This papaya tree branches into eight shoots, which are also damaged.












The new shoot branch out from the side of the tree, so this tree still survive.
















Original Date/Time = 2007:09:16 13:21:03

Photo taken in September 2007, shows most of the lower leaves are still intact.









This is how the birds unintentionally damage the papaya petioles (stalks).
The birds (Asian Glossy Starling) weight cause the stalk to break. This picture shows only one bird. Usually up to three birds perch at the same stalk, especially the stalk near the ripe fruits.


Original Date/Time = 2008:02:09 17:50:32




Black-nape Orioles is quite a big bird, about 27 cm in size, ? kg in weight.

New prominent leaf scars at upper stem.


Original Date/Time = 2008:02:14 18:11:17

Look, what happened to the leaves after five days (9th to 14th February)



They destroy the tree which they also help propagated it by the seeds.
All the lower leaves are gone.


Original Date/Time = 2008:02:14 18:18:20







This recent picture (24/3/08) show two petioles broken.
If you look closely, this are the last remaining leaves for that tree. (the background is a different tree)

Original Date/Time = 2008:03:24 07:30:27



<<===================================================================================>>

The new trees appear, to replace the aging and dying generation.





This is male species








Female flowers
(note the differences with the above flowers)

A male papaya is distinguished by the smaller flowers borne on long stalks (above). Female flowers of papaya (left) are pear shaped when unopened, and distinguished from bisexual flowers which are cylindrical.
(Ref: here)





New tree with ripe half eaten fruit.


















Young carica papaya.