leehwa writes: Birds Visiting My Garden 1

If you had asked me if I would be spending my time bird watching, my answer would most certainly be a ‘No!’. Never dream that I would enjoy them so much. I don’t actually bird watch, but more like “I SPY, I KNOW, I LOVE”. I simply could not help finding myself drawn to these feathered friends, although I actually do not know them that well.

Now that I spend so much time in the garden, I watch these birds courting for mates, looking for food and just enjoying themselves in my garden.

I find so much pleasure if I manage to snap a good picture of these birds, although it is not easy as they can be very elusive and they take off into the air to stay safe, the moment they sense something or someone approaching.

But there are some moments, when I am lucky enough to catch them just before they escape. I hope that these pictures will get better and clearer when my photographing skills improved.

My tribute to these small featured friends………………….

Zebra Dove aka Bared Ground Dove

This lovely, couple were sunning themselves after a night of heavy rain

Also known as the ‘Merbok’, to the local community, the Zebra Dove is a peaceful, calm looking bird. It usually forages on short grass for seeds. Home is coconut palm trees or other high trees. Both parent birds have special glands in their crop which will enlarge to secrete a Pigeon’s milk. The young chicks will then feed from their parents throat with their bill(beaks). These Doves call/sing in low melodious coo(s).

Another couple,foraging for food but the picture is not very clear

Black-Naped Oriole

The Black-naped Oriole is known as the Burung Kunyet Besar to the locals. It has bright yellow and black plumage. With wings and tails in black and yellow, the Black-naped Oriole is an attractive, medium-sized bird of around 27 cm. There is a distinctive black band, going round the head, crossing the eyes from base of the bill.

Its diet consists mainly of fruits and insects. It can be aggressive and frequently raids nests of other birds feeding on eggs and nestlings.

It makes a loud call which to my untrained ears sound like ‘oriole’.

Olive-Backed Sunbird aka Yellow-Bellied Sunbird

This is a small bird, barely 4-5 inches, bill to tail (approximately 12 cm). It flies very fast, getting away from predators or me, unaware that I am just a bird watcher, and definitely not going to cause any harm. Nectar and small insects form its diet. You can easily see them with their long, slender, decurved (curving downward) bill, deep down inside a flower, sucking up the sweet nectar. Plumage on its head, throat and upper breast are dark, metallic olive with bright yellow under part. Both sexes are olive green above and yellow below. Its shrill chirps are often heard, cutting through the morning air around our Malaysian home gardens.