Day Two at TBG

I didn't have an actual shift today for observation, so most of my times today were spent in the office typing up yesterday's observations and finding research paper for ths project - ranging from searching for terms including Megalaima, oorti, nuchalis, Family Capitonidae, barbets, cavity nesters, and others. Sadly, very few results were obtained as there seems to be very little work done about this group of birds. This makes me think about the advantages and disadvantages of doing research about little-known animals - good being the pioneer of the subject, but bad being the lack of information available to you to write up your report.

Anyways, there were some time for me to be out in the botanical garden looking for birds, including the barbets. Some different (and lifer) species are: a Common Kingfisher (Alcedo atthis), a pair of Chinese Bulbul younglings, and a Black-naped Monarch (Hypothymis azurea) - all of them are photographed below. I also saw a Gray Treepie today perched on a satellite tower of a building.

A co-worker and I took over for a pair of volunteer observers working for over five hours. All of our volunteers (excluding me) are mostly retired teachers who like working outdoors with nature.

The parental pair of Muller's Barbets are still incubating their eggs, and switching over every thirty minutes to an hour. During this period, the parent incubating the egg will occasionally peek out of the hole and look around. Perhaps wondering why its mate has not returned, or maybe it is just bored inside the hole. We have not yet able to devise a method to record the actions inside the nest as the supply light from the video recorder frightens the adults and they will abandon the hole. Does anyone know any good method of setting up cameras inside a dark nest, particularly for a cavity nester?

Where are you, sweetie?

I am right outside, silly.

Tomorrow, a TV channel station is coming to get some footages of the barbets in action. That should be fun.

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