‘I am posting the Ruby-cheeked Sunbird (Chalcoparia singalensis singalensis) family of 4 (2 adults and two juveniles, the normal configuration) that … were foraging together with an adult male Plain Sunbird (Anthreptes simplex).
“Sometimes all of nature conspires, with the confiding nature of my favourite sunbird and a sprinkling of God’s magic to give you observations and images that take your breath away. At these times any camera and lens will do. My wife asked how I got these and I said not by my hand.
“…There were 2 adults that had split up to care for the 2 juveniles, feeding nearby each other, largely on caterpillars, but also on Blue Mahang (Macaranga heynei).
“I concentrated on the near two which were the adult male feeding one of his brood. He was finding caterpillars and bringing them to the young. I managed to document one sequence of feeding in detail due to problems with feeding. I have combine 28 consecutive images of this feeding episode into a video at one frame per second (below).
“The adult male had brought the caterpillar to a branch to process it – branch swipe a number of times. The juvenile hopped over to the right to prepare to receive the bite. Daddy then offered it to juvenile who happily took it. Daddy continued to monitor the situation intently and noticed that juvenile was having difficulties. Obviously the caterpillar was still not stunned adequately making it difficult for juvenile to feed. Daddy then decided he need to process the caterpillar again and tried to take it from juvenile. But as all of us who have children know (especially me, as a paediatrician), babies seldom give up easily what they desire – be it a toy or food, even if they cannot manage. A tussle ensured in which daddy had to forcibly snatch the caterpillar from the juvenile. He then flew to another branch to finish the job and came back to offer it again (I missed the final feeding event and what you see at the end are post feeding images).
“Notice that the juvenile is slightly bigger than adult male.”
Dato’ Dr Amar-Singh HSS
Taping Foothill, Perak, Malaysia
Disturbed forest adjacent to primary jungle
28th March 2012
