Bottlebrush Tree

What is a Bottlebrush?

Bottlebrushes are members of the genus Callistemon and belong to the family Myrtaceae. They are closely related to paperbark melaleucas, which also have 'bottlebrush' shaped flower spikes. It is difficult to tell to which genus some species belong. Botanists are currently closely studying these plants to determine how they are best classified. There are 34 species currently called Callistemon.

Bottlebrush Flowers, Fruits and Leaves

The pollen of the flower forms on the tip of a long coloured stalk called a filament. It is these filaments which give the flower spike its colour and distinctive 'bottlebrush' shape. The filaments are usually yellow or red, sometimes the pollen also adds a bright yellow flush to the flower spikes.

Each flower produces a small woody fruit containing hundreds of tiny seeds. These fruits form in clusters along the stem, and are usually held on the plant for many years. The seeds are usually not released from the fruits for several years, but in some species the fruits open after about a year. Fire also stimulates the opening of the fruits in some bottlebrushes.

The new leaves of many bottlebrushes are very ornamental. The leaves are often coloured and, in some species, they are covered with fine, soft hairs.

My MUNIA's

I've seen 4 species of munia (till to-date). Small birds but fantastic characteristics.

Habitat

The Scaly-breasted Munia is a small gregarious bird which feeds mainly on seeds. It frequents open woodland and cultivation. The nest is a large domed grass structure in a tree or under the eaves of a house into which 4–10 white eggs are laid.

Characteristics

The Scaly-breasted Munia is 11–12cm in length. The adult has a stubby dark bill, brown upperparts and darker brown head. The underparts are white with black scale markings. The sexes are similar, but immature birds have pale brown upperparts, lack the darker head and have uniform buff underparts.

Habitats

The White-rumped Munia is a tiny gregarious bird which feeds
mainly on seeds. It frequents open woodland, grassland and scrub. The nest is a large domed grass structure in a tree, bush or grass into which 3-8 white eggs are laid.

Characteristics

The White-rumped Munia is approximately 10 to 11cm in length with a long black tail. The adult of the south Indian race L. s. striata has a stubby bill, dark brown upperparts, head, breast and wings, and white underparts and rump.

The sexes are similar, but there is racial variation. Northern L. s. acuticauda has paler brown upperparts and breast, and buff underparts. The rump only is white.

Habitat

The Black-headed Munia is a small gregarious bird which feeds mainly on grain and other seeds.

It frequents open grassland and cultivation. The nest is a large domed grass structure in a bush or tall grass into which 4-7 white eggs are laid.

Characteristics

The Black-headed Munia is 11-12 cm in length. The adult has a stubby pale grey bill, black head, and brown body. Some races also have a black belly.

The sexes are similar, but immature birds have uniform pale brown upperparts, lack the dark head and have white to pale buff underparts.

Description: Smallish (11 cm), white headed brown finch. Similar to chesnut Munia but paler brown and entire head and throat white. Young birds are brown on upperparts with underparts and face buff. Iris-brown; bill-grey; feet-pale blue. Voice: high-pitched 'pee-pee' Distribution and status: malay peninsula, Sumatra, Java, Bali and Celebes. In Java and Bali this is a fairly common and widespread bird up to 1500 m. Habits: frequents marshes and reedbeds. Like other munias form large flocks during rice harvest but spread out in pairs during breeding season. General behavior similar to other munias. Diet: Rice and Grass seeds. Breeding: Four to five, occasionally six, white eggs are laid in a typical munia ball-shaped grass nest. Breeding is recorded in West Java for February. Race; L.m. leucocephalus

1st Birding trip

my 1st birding trip - with my dearest boss Mr. Andy Chong on 7th Oct 2007.
(Using bushnell 7X 35)

A) Taman Melawati Ampang

• 08.15am - yellow vented bulbul - L
  
• 09.10am - tiger shrike (juv) - L
  
• 09.25am - stripe throated bulbul - L
  
• 09.35am - green billed malkoha - L
  
• 09.50am - dusky leaves monkeys
  

B) Taman Rimba Ampang

• 10.35am - black thighed falconet - L
  
• 10.40am - brown shrike - L
  
• 10.50am - yellow wagtail (male)- L
  
• 10.55am - blue banded kingfisher (female) - L
  
• 11.05am - Oriental magpie robbin (male) - L
  
• 11.25am - yellow wagtail (female) - L
  
• 11.45am - gold whiskered barbet - L
  
• 11.50am - red eye bulbul - L
  

C) Sg Kerayong treatment plant near desa water park

• 01.05pm - little heron - L
  
• 01.10pm - little egret (yellow feet) - L
  
• 01.15pm - common sandpiper - L
  
• 01.30pm - scaly breasted munia - L
  
• 01.40pm - painted stork - L
  
• 01.50pm - white throated kingfisher - L
  
• 01.55pm - peaceful dove - L
  
• 02.00pm - oriental honey buzzard (juv) - pale morph - L
  

An Introduction to Birdwatching

Going birdwatching is a great way to get out into nature, to keep in touch with the awe and mystery of the natural world. While you are birding you are also getting fresh air, exercise, and learning more about the various areas you visit.
Seeing the wildf lowers, trees, shrubs, vines, butterf lies and other critters that share the birds’ environment, helps you to appreciate how all the living parts fit into the whole scheme of things.

Tracking the seasonal movements of birds keeps you in touch with the passing seasons. The annual cycle, the mysteries of spring and autumn migration, birds are pre-eminent harbingers of spring and fall and subtly mark the passage of time Birding can contribute positively to your feelings of mastery and self esteem.
These feelings will increase as you get better at it. While identifying birds is very difficult in the beginning, as you practice and improve your observation skills and hand-to-eye coordination skills you will start to gain confidence and pride in your new found ability to take a number of clues and come up with a speedy and correct I.D. Finally, amateur birdwatchers have contributed and continue to contribute much to the scientific knowledge of birds.

WHAT TO LOOK FOR IN THE FIELD

Here are some helpful hints:

1. Try to put the bird in a basic family. While we may look at color first, you would never compare a reddish duck with a reddish tanager. So you ask yourself, is it a duck, is it a dove, is it a heron, is it a gull, is it a hawk, is it a sparrow.

2. What is its size? Compare it to a familiar bird, a crow, a robin, etc. When you have established that the bird is smaller than a crow, but slightly larger than a robin, you have already narrowed down the field considerably.

3. What is its shape? Is it slender like a cuckoo or chunky like a robin? What do the wings look like, how long are the legs, what is the shape and length of the bill? Is the tail long or short–is it notched, forked, wedge-shaped, rounded?

4. How does the bird behave? Does it pump its tail, does it wag its tail, does it dart out from a perch sallying for insects, does it feed on the ground, does
it hover, or is it a glider? Does it wade in the water, does it teeter or bob while it walks near water? For that matter, does it walk or hop, or both? These are all excellent clues.

5. Observe its f light characteristics. When it f lies, is it a straight trajectory, undulating, lurching, soaring? Does it travel in f locks, in pairs or alone?

6. What are the specific field marks? Plain breast, streaked or spotted breast, wing bars, white outer tail feathers, f lash pattern, white rumps, white bands on tail, or patches on wings or on rump, stripes over the eye, through the eye, around the eye? Does it wear spectacles? Does it sport a jaunty crest or wear a black mask? Does it have a whisker stripe or a red throat patch?

7. What is its voice like? A long melodic warble, a hoarse caw, does it say its name Chickadee-dee-dee-dee, etc.? Does it have a distinctive call note or scold? Does it rustle dead leaves when it forages on the ground, does it drum like a woodpecker or make whistling sounds with its feathers?

8. When is it found? Is it here only in the spring and fall, thus a migrant? Is it here all the time, a permanent resident? Is it here only in the winter or only in the summer? Does it show up unpredictably? Check your field guide maps and regional check list to support your call.

9. Where is it found? This is one of the most important questions. Is it always found near the coast at the beach, in mudflats, in brackish or freshwater marshes, or is it a denizen of inland desert scrub, rocky outcrops, open fields, prairies, deep woods, or bottomlands, along fence-rows and edges of thickets and woods, etc.? Habitat is by far one of the best clues to the identity
of your bird. Most birds are dependably habitat specific.