Retired Teacher

Tailorbirds are small birds originally thought to be related to warblers (family Sylviidae). However recent research allies them with cisticolas. Most tailorbirds are green or grey above and white, grey or yellow below. The head may be reddish. In appearance their wings are short and rounded, the tail is also short and held upright, the bill is curved. They are birds of open scrub and parks. Tailorbirds are named from their habit of piercing a large leaf and sewing it with plant fibre and spider's web. The grass nest is then built inside that cradle. Common Tailorbird (In Malay, Perenjak Pisang) In heavy foliage this bird can jump from branch to branch- no need to open its wings. Ashy Tailorbird (In Malay, Perenjak Kelabu).  Both photos below were taken at the Nature Park / Taman Alam, Kuala Selangor

Black-naped orioles (in Malay, Burung Kunyit Besar) belong to a species complex which  includes the Eurasian oriole and Indian golden oriole. There are many subspecies, some of which may be promoted to full species status after biologists collect samples and do a complete DNA analysis.   According to Wikipedia, “the usual call is a nasal niee or myaa and the song is a fluty iwee wee wee-leeow . They have a dipping flight.” Orioles breeding from April to June, building a cup shaped nest in the fork of a tree. Typically, two to three nests are built, to confuse egg predators, but only one is used. Males guard the unused nests. The female lays 2 or 3 eggs and incubates them. Males are active in feeding and guarding. Inspecting the ripe fruit (figs?) About to sing Looking at the camera.

 Munias are birds that mainly eat grass seed. Consequently they have large conical bills.  Flocks can be large (up to 100 birds, sometimes including other species). Tail flicking is common and is believed to be a social signal indicating the intent to fly, thereby assisting flocking behaviour. (Some birds flick their tail to startle insects, but this explanation is unlikely for munias.) Munias roost communally, sitting side-by-side in close contact. Birds on the outside are likely to jostle towards the centre. Birds in a flock sometimes preen each other, with one bird presenting its chin to a flock mate. This grooming is usually limited to the face and neck, as the bird can preen the rest of its body itself. Munias generally breed in the wet season. The nest is a dome loosely woven from blades of grass. Nests usually contain 4 to 6 eggs (maximum 10). Both the male and female build the nest and sit on the eggs. Scaly-breasted Munia (in Malay, Pipit Pinang)   Chestnut Munia  (in Mala

Clouded Monitor The clouded monitor is similar to but smaller than   the Malayan water monitor.   The table below will help you to separate the two species.   Water Monitor Clouded Monitor Behaviour when fleeing danger As their name suggests, they will attempt to reach water for safety (although they can climb trees). This species of monitor has sharp claws and prefers to climb a tree to reach safety. Position of the nostrils Near the tip of the snout (so they can breath while swimming) Mid-way between the eye and snout Size Up to 3 m in length and 50 kg in weight Length of 1.5 m or less (to facilitate tree climbing) Eats Fish, frogs, snakes, rodents, birds and their eggs, crabs, large inverts, dead animals / road kill Beetles, other insects, worms, small reptiles, birds’ eggs   Malayan Water Monitor The

The Banded Bay Cuckoo (in Malay, Burung Bay Cuckoo; also Matinak Takuwih ) is distinguished from other cuckoos by a combination of two eye stripes: one pale stripe just above the eye and another dark stripe through the eye. This cuckoo is generally found in parks and lowland disturbed forest. It feeds on insects, either by gleaning leaves and twigs or by aerial capture when sallying from a perch. Like many other cuckoos, they do not build their own nests but lay their eggs in the nests of other birds.   The ‘host’ birds include ioras, bulbuls, and babblers. Adults sing from January to May with a four note high-pitched whistle ( https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/53261998 )  

The smooth-coated otter (In Malay, memerang licin)  is mostly nocturnal but can also be active in the day. Families consist of a mother and father and up to four young.  These otters are territorial and can travel about 2-3 km. Although males are larger the female is dominant. They communicate with whistles, wails and chirps. Fun facts ·          short velvety fur that is dark along the back and light brown underneath. ·          the tail is flat; other otters have more rounded tails. ·          legs are short and strong, with webbed feet and strong claws. ·          front legs are shorter than its back legs ·          weighs up to 11 kg. ·          body length is about 100 cm (including a 40 cm tail) ·          for slow swimming it doggy paddles using all four legs ·          for bursts of speed, it tucks in its front paws, and uses its back feet and tail ·          it closes its ears and nostrils underwater Update- There are four otter species in Malaysia.  Since po

Consider the Striated Heron. It is a tiny heron (40-48 cm long) closely related to the Green Heron of North America and the  Galapagos Heron.   My wife and I were out walking and she saw this bird perched on a liana that swings above a small waterfall and plunge pool. It was misty and the sun was behind the bird, so I was not sure if I could get a decent photo.  I started taking photos in black and white using my grandmother's old Kodak camera.  Fifty years later I am still fighting the urge to conserve film- that is, only to press the shutter if I am reasonably certain the result will be worthwhile.  Nevertheless, in this instance I managed to quickly aim and shoot, relying on the camera's autofocus capability.  Fortunately the lens was already in the middle zoom position (178 mm, on a zoom range from 4.3 to 357 mm).  The photo is not cropped.   Luckily I did not wait for the perfect moment else I would have missed my opportunity.  Just after I took the above photo the heron f