“The Sunda Pygmy Woodpecker, also known as the Brown-capped Woodpecker (Dendrocopus moluccensis), is the smallest woodpecker in Singapore. Males can be distinguished from females by its two small red streaks located on both sides of its crown above and behind the eyes. However, the small red patch may not be always visible as it is usually hidden in the brownish crown feathers.

“In June 2009, there was an opportunity for a close-up observation of a male adult feeding its male fledgling when I chanced upon the adult bird foraging for food on a low branch of a small tree in a park (above).

“The woodpecker looked comical as it scrutinised intensely at its perch; using its flexible neck to turn its head acutely to its left, right and downwards. After a short recce, it used its sharp pointed beak to chisel at a section of the horizontal perch. Chips could be seen flying furiously into the air as its beak repeatedly hammered away. Later, it was seen picking up quite an amount of whitish grub with its beak. Part of its long pinkish tongue could be seen probing into the cavities (above left). Some sticky fluid could also be seen streaking across the air gap between its beak and the branch (above right). The food caught was kept in its beak (below left) to be later transferred into the open gape of the waiting juvenile (below right).

“The young fledgling, which had a more puffy look, was observed waiting patiently while its tired-looking parent did all the hard work foraging on another branch of the same tree. The youngster may have fledged not too long ago and may still lack the skills to forage on its own. Gradually, it will learn and acquire foraging and other skills by understudying its parent.

“I tried looking for the other members of their family but failed to locate them. The mother must be looking after the other juvenile or juveniles, which may not have fledged.”

Kwong Wai Chong
Singapore
5th March 2010

Images by Kwong Wai Chong.

“The Crimson Sunbird (Aethopyga siparaja siparaja) is described as more common near the coast but has increasingly been seen inland. I find it quite common inland in the surrounding areas of Ipoh, especially at the Kledang-Sayong Forest Reserve (up in Kledang hill or in the trails in the forest) as well as in secondary jungle/semi-cultivated land in the Tambun interior. I believe it is still very localised inland but extending.

“In literature, Wells (2007) noted it as insectivorous (thought to take spiders but not confirmed), and also feeds on nectar at base of flowers.

“I have seen it feed on the flowers/fruit of the semi-parasitic mistletoe, on invertebrate/larvae and piercing the base of Hibiscus flowers for nectar. More often at the, Kledang-Sayong Forest Reserve, I spotted it foraging in trees for insects – either spiders or pupae.

“Was fortunate to finally get photographic evidence of it robbing a spider’s nest of ?baby spiders.

“It is a consummate flier and can hover beautifully in the air while feeding off a spider web.

“The picture above shows the hovering sunbird while feeding (note the branch near feet is quite anterior and not touching bird) and an intent search for spiders (web hard to see but above and to the right of bird).”

Dato’ Dr Amar-Singh HSS
Kledang-Sayong Forest Reserve
Ipoh, Perak, Malaysia
9th February 2010

“Recently, some Red-Breasted Parakeets (Psittacula alexandri) in a flock were encountered foraging on a medium-sized tree. For some reason, this yellow flame tree (Peltophorum pterocarpum) had shed most of its leaves. On closer examination, there were many what I believe to be “larva cases” of some sort of insects, seen dangling from the underside of the branches (left). Each “larva case” is about 10 to 15 mm long and cylindrical in shape and was attached to the barren branch by a short web-like thread.

“As a few of the parakeets moved lower, it became clear that they were after the larva cases. They were observed using their beaks to pick up the larva cases, holding them in the tip of their beaks before devouring them using their tongues (above).

“What were the parakeets consuming?”

Kwong Wai Chong
Singapore
9th January 2010

Note: Gan Cheong Weei, Chairman of the Butterfly Interest Group, thinks that the structure can be a cocoon of an insect. Cocoon is a silken protective covering, inside which the caterpillar of many moths and a few butterflies pupate. A few other groups of insects also spin cocoons. We need a close-up image showing details of the structure to be able to proceed further in identifying which insect is responsible for spinning the cocoon.

“This pair of Blue-tailed Bee-eaters (Merops philippinus philippinus) was hawking for insects from this branch. It was interesting to note the behaviour of the Blue-tailed Bee-eater on the right. As the partner/friend flew in with a catch, it began to “wag the tail” and get all fluffed up in anticipation. It then continued the ”wagging” and seemed to “beg” for a bite/to eat the prey. Only when it was sure that it was not going to be fed did it return to usual behaviour.

“Not sure if this is a juvenile who has recently become an adult or just a mate expecting a feed.”

Dato’ Dr Amar-Singh HSS
Ex-mining pools around Gua Tempurung
Gopeng, Perak, Malaysia
29th December 2009

Note: Maybe the bird on the right is a female expecting to be fed in courtship? And maybe the priority of male was more to eat than to mate?

Ingo Waschkies was at Amrum, one of the North Frisian Islands on the German North Sea, just before Christmas last year. He brought back a photograph of a Sanderling (Calidris alba) catching a shrimp. The temperature then was around -10º C and the bird had the frozen shrimp for lunch.

The Sanderling breeds in Siberia, Alaska, Canada and North Greenland, feeding on insects and crustaceans. It winters on the Indian subcontenent, Sri Lanka, South Japan, South China, the Malay Peninsular, down to Borneo, Java, the Philippines, Wallacea and Australia.

Sanderling is listed as an uncommon winter visitor in Singapore. Here, it frequents “beaches rather than mudflats, so you won’t see them very often in typical wader haunts like Sungei Buloh,” writes Ingo.

Image by Ingo Waschkies.

This post is a cooperative effort between NaturePixels.org and BESG to bring the study of bird behaviour through photography to a wider audience.