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 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

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.