“Avenues that lead to the Orang Hutan Rehabilitation Centre and Rain Forest Discovery Centre (RDC) are lined with purple flowered Lagerstroemia trees and other ornamental plants and flowers.
“Many trees are impregnated with epiphytic mistletoes and play hosts to numeral species of sunbirds and flowerpeckers for their nectar/berries.
“A Bottlebrush tree (Callistemon lanceolatus) was in full bloom. It attracted three species of spiderhunters for their nectar.
“A Spectacled Spiderhunter (Arachnothera flavigaster) was observed to be also fiercely territorial (below-left).
“The bird was seen chasing away a Yellow-eared Spiderhunter (Arachnothera chrysogeny) attempting to feed on the blooms (above-right).
“A juvenile Little Spiderhunter (Arachnothera longirostra) was calling impatiently across the road, waiting for an opportunity to feed (below-left).
“Patience eventually got paid off when Spectacled was too busy chasing Yellow-eared away and had left the tree unguarded.
“While a restless Eastern Crimson Sunbird (Aethopyga siparaja) managed repeated attempts to feed, it was Brown-throated Sunbird (Anthreptes malacencis) that provided the identification shot (above-right).
“A juvenile Asian-glossy Starling (Aplonis panayensis) flew and perched innocently onto a bush branch. Oblivion of territorial commotion the Spiderhunters made, partook of the blooms (below-left).
“A row of Pride of Barbados (Caesalpinia pulcherrima) bushes near entrance to Centre had been consistent in providing nectar to two species of Sunbirds during my visit.
“Here, a pair of Copper-throated Sunbird (Leptocoma calcostetha) was observed fleeting restlessly from blooms to blooms sipping up nectar (above-right, below).
“Singular male stole short moments to preen and shut eyes in between feeds (below).
“Crimson Sunbird (Aethopyga siparaja) paid short visits to yellowish bloomed variety. Having had its fill of nectar, bird took opportunity to wing-spread and basked in the afternoon sun (below-left).
“A juvenile male, a distant away was prospecting nectar from lagerstroemia trees (above-right).
“A Scarlet-backed Flowerpecker (Dicaeum cruentatum) did similar (above-left).
“Brown-throated Sunbirds (Anthreptes malacencis) were seen seeking nectar from embedded mistletoes (above-right) and yellow-filament flower blooms.
“In village nearby, two Ixora spp. bushes received visitors from Copper-throated Sunbird (Leptocoma calcostetha) and Olive-backed Sunbird (Cinnyris jugularis) respectively (above).
Three species of birds visited purple, round blooms of Poikilospermum suaveolens. Blue-fronted Hanging Parrot (Loriculus galgulus) (above).
“Cream-vented Bulbul (Pycnonotus simplex) and Brown-throated Sunbird (Anthreptes malacencis) (above).
“Within lodging house, flow of nectar from blooms of Rose Apple (Eugenia malaccensis) attracted a male Copper-throated Sunbird (Leptocoma calcostetha) to assist in pollination (left).
“Irresistible, Red-pink Pagoda flowers (Clerodendrum paniculatum) danced like parasols in the pre-dusk wind, sent whiffs of fragrance to lure in Copper-throated Sunbird (Leptocoma calcostetha) and Brown-throated Sunbird (Anthreptes malacencis) (below).
Avian Writer Daisy O’Neill
Penang, Malaysia
19th July 2015
Copyright article and all copy bird images – Courtesy of Daisy O’Neill Bird Conservation Fund
