Seasons in the Sun

Blame it on climate change or global warming but it seems that the summer season arrived very late this year. October weather normally is already a bit cool with occasional nippy breezes. This time however it was sweat-inducing hot! Even at 6:30 in the morning. Nevertheless we had joy, we had fun birding the premises of our condominium. Maybe not in that order but we still had seasons in the sun.

First off, the Eurasian Tree Sparrows were at their usual spot at the lawn. For the past week or so we found it a bit strange that the usual flock seemed to have deserted their favorite feeding grounds. 

Then there was the migrant bully whom I nicknamed "Brownie". He was surveying his realm while perched on top of a palm tree by the swimming pool.

Downstairs, at the adjacent grove of trees there was a quick flash of brown. The Zebra Dove who also had been off its regular habitats made a quick distant appearance.

The fun we experienced was with the  Scaly-breasted Munias. We observed this individual who would fly into into the bamboo grove, pick up some leaves then take it to the adjacent palm tree and use it to build a nest. This happened like a routine and gave me and my wife the challenge to take a BIF (bird in flight) shot with the leaf in its beak. And a challenge it was. Despite being able to more or less predict when it will take off, we still had a difficult time focusing on our subject. Did I say that there were several people washing their cars between us and the munia? We never got a good BIF shot but at least I had one when the tiny brown bird alit on the palm tree.

Blurred in Flight

Now the joy happened after we gave up on the munias. This time a pair of Olive-backed Sunbirds, unlike the munia, were very cooperative. Not only were they out in the open, the male even copied the feeding habits of their western counterparts, the hummingbirds!

Not even 8 am and we were already drenched in sweat. Time to take a much needed shower.