Seeing the beautiful Oriental Magpie Robin and Little Egret

Yesterday, I had dinner with a co-worker/friend and by the time I got home it was already midnight. So sorry for the late post.

Yesterday's work was more or less the same as the past few days: observing and trying to catch barbets. We spent almost the entire day trying to catch the other barbet, but it was unsuccessful. Observing the other barbet pair was fairly simple as they are in the incubation stage so the parents stayed inside the cavity for an extended amount of time and poked their heads out every ten minutes or so. The cavity allows only one parent inside at one time, so the two alternate every hour or so.

Above is the male bird. He can be identified by the two spots on the upper left side of his face (one dark spot just in front of its eyes and one spot on his beak). The bottom is the female and she does not have the spots.

While observing the barbets, a beautiful male Oriental Magpie Robin (Copsychus saularis) flew just a few meters away from me! Definitely a worthy moment to remember.

Even though it's named a "robin", it belongs in the Family Muscicapidae (not the thrush family Turdidae).

While trying to catch the other barbets. A Little Egret flew onto the tree where the barbet nest is in.

Little Egret preening.

Maginificent looking bird.

Little Egret taking off!

This is the latest stage of the caterpillar and the parasitic eggs.

Today I will be staying home and trying to get started on my research paper. So I doubt I will have anything interesting to post about today. Laters.
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