guyznewz: June 2019

June has now left the building and it was a mixed month. The weather was still unsettled and messed around with my finale with the bee-eaters.

There was however one huge highlight. On the 16th Helen and I celebrated 30 years of marriage. During these years my wife has been the centre of everything. Raising two great girls, cooking fabulous meals and efficiently running a household. In recent years we have seen Nikki graduate as a medical doctor and Dani graduating from Cambridge university. Both highlights in their lives but also in ours.

While we celebrate milestones in a partnership another liaison closes as my 'bird studio' is being repurposed by people who never realised the natural gem that was there. Below is a summary composite of my 200 plus trips to Penanti...where I have seen, wild boar, game poachers, sleeping policemen, rubbish dumpers, palm oil robbers ....and birds

I made a couple more trips to the ex-motocross track. I was amazed at the resourcefulness of the remaining bee-eaters. There does not seem to be many around, but I counted 10 active nests in a small area. They hunt elsewhere and sweep over the surrounding trees with their cargo and head straight towards their nest hole. When they leave they are away smartly back over the trees.

A bee-eater against the rising sun is a poignant reminder of the experience I have had with the kingfishers and bee-eaters. I am eternally grateful. I can only say I will always support Bee-eaters united.

On my other location there is a small population of Langurs....about 6-8. There are two species; Dusky Langurs and Silvered Langurs. I don’t know how they arrived at this mangrove forest remnant, but they are interbreeding and there are hybrid offspring.

The following images are all Dusky Langurs

This is a Selangor Silvered Langur

Below is a hybrid. It has the 'spectacles but no white moustaches and longer fur.

Mutual grooming...the hybrid and dad

You can always tell what trees the Langurs are in by the ‘hanging fruit’

I have also seen a Blue-winged Pitta pair and a Mangrove Blue Flycatcher in the same location

On sunny mornings there are always Yellow-bellied Prinias calling for companionship.

On the computer I am working on an Ebook detailing the Blue-throated Bee-eaters. I will also put the species details that are included in this book and other books on my blog page as this is run by Google and will reach a bigger audience. The collective images of the three species would be the most comprehensive ever published....I think.

At home Helen continues with her teaching and supporting local arts and drinking in the history.

Nikki is working long hours as an intern in Lower Hutt hospital. Dani is now into triathlons as well as launching her website as a personal trainer.

Locally they are building a bridge across to the nascent island.

On the house sale front we have had a good stream of viewers, or perhaps a steady trickle. We had another interested Chinese man and had a visit from his Fengshui master...who probably played the same role for Ghengis Khan. The compass and the electronic divining machine however ruled against a sale. Next time we get an offer I will tell them I have to consult my Committee of Leprechauns (sorry Rob if you believe).

At times there is more natural history around the house that out in the field.

The butterfly below is appropriately called a Red Helen

We have seen this bird (below) around the house before. It is a Coucal, a member of the Cuckoo fraternity. It is a devious hunter and goes after chicks in nests. He was looking to rob a bulbul nest next door.

Coco continues to enjoy her morning frolic on the beach. She has a friend who sits near the beach playing his guitar.....he says he is exiled from his house and the crabs and stray dogs are more appreciative.