Adopted Bulbul 10/4/2012

Its been more than a week since my friend at the backyard adopted the Yellow-vented Bulbul chicks, now its been a week. The Bulbul chucks show a rapid development, as now we transfer it to a larger cage (In order to avoid it from be eaten by any predator, cat, snake, civet etc.)

The Yellow-vented Bulbul chicks in their cage

One of the Yellow-vented Bulbul chick perch on hand - despite the bird already able to fly in a short distance, the birds will stay calmly when perched on the hand.

Feeding the chick by using stick - the chick cannot feed the food by itself yet.

The food we use to feed the Bulbul chicks - Bird's ration liquefied in a ripe cherry juice, training the bird to enjoy the sweetness of fruit. Beside cherry, we also feed it with fruit such as apple and banana. In order to help the development of the chicks, we also add protein such as ant, termites, cricket and bug gut juice to the ration.

Both chicks have different level of development - Chick perch in the cage has a rapid development compare to the sitting chick. The perching chick also has a louder voice, more agile movement and eat more frequent than the sitting bird.

I'll post the next development of this Bulbul chicks on the next week post

Spring Migration pt 2 6/4/2012

The number of passage migrant and winter visitor in my area were still a lot although the migrating season close to the end. Today I'd seen more migrant birds compare to the part 1, this including all 3 pond-herons that present in my area.

The ricefield look alive with some migratory bird still present

Chinese Pond Herons are among them

A comparison of a Javan Pond-Heron and a pond heron with no breeding plumage

Today the bird appear: Indian Pond Heron - thus this season I seen all three pond herons species in my area

Beside pond-herons, there are some other migrant present in the surrounding ricefield area:

The Black-winged Stilt were still around, despite the number decreasing slightly from 2 to 3 hundred birds in peak season (November-December) to 10 to 20 birds at the end of season

Common Stonechat : the bird I been search in the past few months - this season found when it approaching to the end.

Blue-tailed Bee-Eater - A total of 26 birds were seen today

Blue-throated Bee-Eater - only 3 bird seen today

Some of resident birds seen around the ricefield:

Yellow Bittern 

Baya Weaver - the bird with nice nest. 

Black Crown Night Heron - this is one of the few individual which not obtain the breeding plumage yet.

Some other attractive birds that present in the area today are Rusty-rump Warbler and Sand/Pale Martin. However no good photo of those bird could be post.

Next on B.O.B : Air Itam Dalam

Spring Migration pt 1 31/3/2012

The Aquila eagles in my area were already left ( I haven't seen them since coming back from Tanjung Tuan). However, the other winter visitors were there. The main attraction at the end of March to May is the Pond-herons. During this time of year, you can differentiate the pond herons to three species namely Chinese, Javan and Indian Pond Heron. For the last two season all three pond herons had been seen in my birding playground.

Chinese Pond Heron - The commonest pond heron to be seen in my area, in Malaysia indeed

Javan Pond Heron - Uncommon bird, the number seem increasing year by year. This is my favourite pond heron, they are very nice in a full breeding plumage.

The second Javan Pond Heron of the day

No Indian Pond Heron for now. Maybe it would appear after few weeks, in my observation for the last 2 season, Indian Pond Heron is the last pond heron to show their breeding plumage. Hope to capture all 3 pond  heron in a frame like Mun (http://penangbirder.blogspot.com/) did before.

Beside pond heron, there are some birds which show up their breeding plumage at this time of year:

Cattle Egret - Most bird had transform into their breeding plumage

The comparison between bird in breeding and non-breeding plumage Cattle Egret

Some bird movement also can be seen in my area, bird that fly toward north direction such as raptors and bee-eater were often seen during this time.

Blue-throated Bee-Eater - one of the bird you can get easily during this time

For now....on this post

Backyard birding 2 4/4/2012

Today, a rare occasion happen at my friend's backyard. A Yellow Vented Bulbul nest was fell on the ground, resulting from the strong wind last night. Two chicks in that nest were survived and a friend adopted them.

The Yellow-vented Bulbul chicks in the nest

The size comparison of the chicks and nest

One of the chick begging for food, at this stage, the Yellow-vented Bulbul is a insatiable bird, we had fed it about 5 times since we found them.

The food that we use to feed the chicks - made from bird ration, water and cockroach gut

Later, I heard the Koel call from the tree nearby, and there are three Koel perch on the tree, 2 males flirting a female.

The female Asian Koel carrying a cherry fruit

Two Asian Koel males flirting the female (one hidden under the leaf)

The male Koel fanned the tail - display the tail plumage to the female

The main birds attractant to this backyard is the cherry tree. Currently, there are about three fruiting cherry tree at this backyard. In the fruiting season there are few more fruiting trees such as mango, jambu, banana and rambutan.

The cherry tree

The ripe cherry fruit - Yellow-vented Bulbul, Olive-winged Bulbul, Asian Koel, Arctic Warbler, Pink-necked Green Pigeon and and Mynas usually seen feed on this fruit.

That's all for this post - to be continue in Adopted Bulbul Development