Tiny sunbirds in the garden today

Brown-throated Sunbird at the Drunken Sailor 0r Rangoon Creeper flowers.

Crimson Sunbird

Tiny birds in the garden this this morning.  Brown-throated Sunbird and Crimson Sunbird'

"Makan sirih" and the origin of Penang

Ingredients for 'Makan Sirih' - Betel or  "Sirih"  leaves ( Piper betel ), Kapur ( lime) and  Pinang fruit or areca nut  ( Areca catechu) and a mixture of spices

Front side garden

 The palm tree at the side garden is bearing fruits.  This tree is the reason why Penang was called "Pulau Pinang' to mean island of Pinang trees.  The scientific name of this tree is Areca catechu.  Many civilisation in the world are familiar with this fruit especially Indian and the Malay world civilisation.  It is habitual among Indians and Malays to consume the areca nut by chewing it with other ingredients mainly the Betel leaves (Piper betel), lime or 'Kapur' (Malay) and a mixture of spices ( e.g. ketumbar, jintan manis/ jintan hitam, akar 'tahi angin' (Radix usnea), etc.).  In the top picture, I have arranged the ingredients for the culture of eating the areca nuts with other combinations which custom is called "makan sirih" in Malay.  No makan sirih is complete without the Betel leaves, lime and spices.  In fact because of this cultural practice many have mistakenly called the Pinang tree as the 'Betel nut' palm. Scientifically betel is a herbal plant  belonging the piperaceae family whereas the Pinang tree's botanic name is Areca catechu and therefore the Pinang fruit/nut should properly be called 'Areca nut'.

The areca nut cut in half.  The seed or nut need to be sliced or pounded for easier chewing.

The ingredients ready to be wrapped in the betel leaf for chewing.

The Stag's horn fern is well

Disc Stag's Horn Fern ( Platycerium coronarium)

The fern is attached to the branches of the 'Cempaka Putih' tree (Michelia alba)

The Dics Stag's Horn Fern I brought from Bintulu is doing well.  I had temporarily placed it on the Cempaka Putih branch before and now looks healthy and well.  I may have to move it to another location probably on a taller and bigger tree for maximum effect and growth.  For more pictures and stories abou ferns, please visit The Kambatik Park, Bintulu.

Lime Butterfly attracted to 'Seribu Bahasa'

Lime Butterfly attracted to the purple flower of 'Seribu Bahasa' (Berawan) - Centratherum punctatum
The plant belongs to the Sunflower family (Compositae)

Smoke gets in your eyes

Burning of grass cuttings, old branches, fronds and ferns, weeds etc  in progress

Yellow Penda in CU

 There is no rain today,which is exceptional for Kuching.  I say this because it rains almost daily in Kuching especially after 4 pm.  It is speculated that the remaining months of this year the rains in Kuching (and Sarawak in general) will be heavier with the coming of El Nina, starting just now!. The small window of opportunity accorded me this afternoon made me rush to carry out much needed garden cleaning up works and later quickly made the debris disappear in smoke.  Project completed!
After everything looked fine, I zoomed my camera lens to the green canopy.  Focus on the lower story, then middle story and finally a picture of the garden in LS (long shot). Below are the images of the garden today ,17 May'16.

Long shot view of the greenery
Note the flowering Yellow Penda tree (Xanthostemon chrysantus)

Lower story
Note the grass lawn that has just been given a low cutting.

Middle story - in the center of the picture is the Yellow Penda tree

Climbers reach for the skies

Shower of orchids vine - Congea velutina at the side garden ( back)
Note how the vine has scrambled over the Ong Lumok tree (Artocarpus odoratissimus)

Drunken Sailor or Rangoon creeper - Quiqualis indica
At the Front garden, the Drunken Sailor has reached the flowering/fruiting stalk of the Carpentaria palm.

New bird sighted in the garden

Pied Fantail (Rhipidura javanica) on the Poui branch
Location : Side garden

 I have not seen the Kuching birds namely the Pied Triller and the Long-tailed Shrike visiting the garden yet. However, the new sighting of the Pied Fantail makes up for their absence.  This is the first time that the bird is seen visiting the place.  I noticed that it comes here with its mate, dropping very early in the morning and occasionally would re-visit the place in the late afternoon.  It is a nervous and panicky bird with a suicidal behaviour. I mean it will not stay still for long and would attempt to drop several branches down in suicidal fashion.  It utters a clear whistle that is fair to the ears. Oh, by the way, its suicidal behaviour has made the Malays call this bird " Murai Gila"! ( "Gila" means mad or crazy.)

Olive-backed sunbird and hibiscus flower

The Pink-necked Pigeon building nest

Pink-necked Pigeon flying out of its nesting place

Picking seeds of Simpoh Air (Malay)

 Intent on watching the Pink-necked Pigeon building its nest at the bamboo clump, I finally got a good shot of it waiting anxiously to fly out of its resting place today.  The environment at the bamboo clump (tall stems, thick growth, hidden , cool, undisturbed) must have encouraged it to locate its nest among the bamboo stems. I noticed how it perched at the electric cables nearby and picked some seeds of the Simpoh Air (Malay)  for breakfast.  These birds are greatly welcomed here.

The bird getting ready to fly out of its nesting place

Perching on the electric cables next to the bamboo clump

Making our life buzzing

A hibiscus hybrid blooming at the front garden

 Learning nature studies is so neat and real these days with google and the internet.  I just type 'parts of the hibiscus flower' and in seconds I'm brought back to my early school days of the 60's when we had to draw and name the parts of a hibiscus flower.  Now with libraries of images learning is so much fun. This allows for fast track self-learning too. Why wasn't the internet created in the 60's? Learning would have been much fun then.  But for us who are still alive learning through the internet is the best thing that money can buy and the best thing to keep our remaining life buzzing.....

Source: Just google 'parts of a hibiscus flower'

Source: Just google 'parts of a hibiscus flower'

The Red Hisbiscus or 'Bunga Raya' in Malay - the national flower of Malaysia
View from the kitchen.

A grasshopper munching away the hibiscus pistil

A grasshopper at the Red Hibiscus flower

 On the third day, I checked out the garden early to see any signs of interesting wildlife.  A grasshopper was seen at the tip of the Red Hibiscus flower apparently munching  away the pistil section of the flower.  Next, two birds species namely the Sunbird and the Bulbul were seen perching at the Tabebuia rosea branches.  Though I could see the presence of the Little Green Pigeon and the Pied Fantail I couldn't snap a picture of them.  Probably I would have to wait for another day, especially for the Pied Fantail.  Of the butterfly species, I could only managed to spot the Great Eggfly.  Hopefully, more species of birds, insects and butterflies will be met in the next few days.

Yellow-vented Bulbul

Great Eggfly on the leaf of the Congea velutina

The blooming Drunken Sailor

All images taken today, 11 May'16

General views of the Kuching garden in May

Front garden -  porch area

Front side garden

Back garden - centre

Back garden, focus on the orchid

Back garden - view from kitchen

Back garden 

Note: All pictures taken on 11 May'16.