Tragic End - Nesting Failed

I have been observing this nest since 4th Feb (except from 14-18th Feb when I was admitted for operation). I started to have an emotional attachment with the iora parents and amazed of their hard word during the incubation and feeding the chicks.
Then this happened....
On Friday evening, I waited for nearly two hours for the parent returning to feed the chicks, but nothing. No parent in sight, not even the call. So I decided to have a closer look at the nest. I took the ladder and this was what I saw.
Who was the culprit? I don't know.
Maybe some predator bird - Gold-whiskered Barbet has been known to eat another bird at my backyard.
Black-naped Orioles has been well documented in attacking and raiding other bird nests.
(refer to BESGroup website).
The nest is still intact and the orioles are nesting about 20 feet away at the nearby Cempedak tree. So, I suspect that the chicks was eaten by Black-napes Orioles.

Untitled

Chicks now visible

Two chicks now clearly visible. They are still blind with close eye.

Now being feed with variety of high protein diet - insects and larvae.

Menetas Akhirnya - Finally the egg hatch

After incubating for 18 days, finally I saw the first evident of successful hatching yesterday. The female Iora brought out the egg shell to make room for the new member of family.
I saw the feeding frenzy with the male and female bringing food to their baby every 15 to 20 minutes.

Here female with green larva.

Male with brown insect.

The Pair - female with food. They still sit inside the nest, guarding it. Not even a second the nest left unintended. If the male is looking for food, the female sit inside the nest and vise versa.
The chicks are still small and not visible from outside.

Common Iora - Nest day 17

Not hatch yet!

Common Iora (Aegithina tiphia horizoptera) - male

New Nest at my backyard - Oriole's Nest

For the past two weeks, I had observed the courtship behavior of this bird. What surprised me was that they decided to make their nest at cempedak tree (Artocarpus integer) (Jackfruit), just outside my perimeter fence during my hospitalization. Very clear view about 20feet from my bedroom. I can't resist photographing it, so I carried the camera gear (now I can feel it heavier) and shot it from the window.
Now I have two nests to observe during my MC weeks! ;)
That Common Iora inside the nest incubating. Still not hatch after 17 days since I noticed the nest.

Black-naped Oriole (Oriolus chinensis)

No Holiday but ...

... an Acute Appendicitis.
I was admitted at Hospital Sultan Haji Ahmad Shah, Temerloh, on Sunday morning (14/2/2010) @ 1.00am and operated on 16/2/2010 @ 2.00am. Now out of Hospital since 17th Feb. The pain at the op site is still there, but now I can walk about at home. Maybe I can start working next week.
There goes all my plan for birding and all.
So, for now outing and photography have to be on hold.

Thanks to doctors and nurses at surgical ward Kenanga 8 & 7, for their hard work and dedication.

Happy Holiday

Gong Xi Fa Chai to all my Chinese friends and visitors.

I have boxes of Mandarin at home, but lazy to photograph it, so I took the pic from AMGMedia Free Stock Photos, than cut & paste with Orange-headed Thrush that I took a few weeks ago.

Courtship

Raub's Sky - SkyWatch Friday

Click the Logo below for more SkyWatch pictures from all over the world.

Common Iora

This father Iora was taking a rest from incubating his eggs.
I noticed the male and female take turn in the nest, very good! ;)
There is always at least one parent guarding the nest, maybe they are afraid of raiding by nest parasites like Cuckoos.
The female was there roosting inside the nest when I check it just now at 10.00pm. According to Ali & Ripley, incubation period is about 14 days. When I found the nest of 4th February, I don't know how many days the bird already incubating. So I have to watch out for the hatchling /feeding activity soon.

Common Iora (Aegithina tiphia horizoptera)

Common Iora Nesting

I found this Common Iora nesting on Rambutan tree (Nephelium lappaceum), near my house (about 3 meters from my back door). The last time that I saw this species nest was in July 2008. At that time it was already in advance stage where this juveniles were about to fledge.

The weather was very hot (about 30°C), so this mother bird opened its mouth and panting to cool off.

Ferrari Caps Flowerpecker

Scarlet-backed Flowerpecker (Dicaeum cruentatum ignitum) - male

Sky Rats and Spiderhunter

No outing this weekend, so I process the remaining image that was captured last week at Fraser's Hill. Very common bird at that hill station.

Long-tailed Sibia (Heterophasia picaoides) - Local name: Rimba Ekor Panjang.
Some people call this "Sky Rats".

Streaked Spiderhunter (Arachnothera magna) - Local name: Kelicap Jantung Gunung

Have a look for more bird pictures at the Bird Photography Weekly @ Birdfreak.

After the rain

Jambu leaves. (Syzygium spp)

Gold-whiskered Barbet (Megalaima chrysopogon)

Common Iora (Aegithina tiphia)

Yellow-vented Bulbul (Pycnonotus goaivier)

Black-naped Oriole (Oriolus chinensis)

Rambutan fruits (Nephelium lappaceum).

Bird and Grasshopper

I didn't realized that this male Brown-throated Sunbird was targeting that short-horn Grasshopper until the image was upload in the computer.

I few minutes later I spotted this Eurasian Tree Sparrow (Passer montanus malaccensis) with its catch of green grasshopper.

SkyWatch

Click the Logo below for more SkyWatch pictures from all over the world.

Black and White Birds

OK, it's not actually B&W but with shade of grey.

This Javan Cuckoo-Shrike (Coracina javensis) is my Lifer.

I had seen and photographed the male species of Little Pied Flycatcher, but this female is my Lifer.

Little Pied Flycatcher (Ficedula westermanni)

Wating for Lesser Shortwing

After the usual birds at the misty Jelai Resort and double dose of nasi lemak and roti canai for breakfast, we went in search of Lesser Shortwing at the junction of Mager Road and road to Istana Pelangi.

Why no bird pictures?. Ha.. ha.. because we got none. That male small black bird just teased us, flew over the road and metal railing a few times. We gave up after about 45 minutes, and went searching for flycatcher at Telecom Loop. You win some, you lose some!.

this panorama shots was taken by Chien using iPhone.