The rain was light but was accompanied by thunder. Suddenly the fruiting Singapore Rhododendron (Melastoma malabathricum), also known as Sendudok, was invaded by birds seeking out the succulent fruits. This is a short shrub brought in by birds many months ago. It flowers and fruits regularly bringing wildlife in the form of bees and birds to my garden LINK.
First came the tiny Oriental White-eyes (Zosterops palpebrosus), moving rapidly through the branches seeking out the ripe fruits (above).
Then came the many Scarlet-backed Flowerpeckers (Dicaeum cruentatum), just as tiny, darting rapidly from branch to branch (above).
The video below shows the scene during that evening…
These two species usually fly in just as the rain starts but fly off when the rain is heavy. They also come at the tail end of heavy rains. But this does not mean that they do not fly in to feed when there is no rain – see HERE and HERE.
YC Wee
Singapore
13th June 2018
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