Pink-necked Green Pigeons and Two Tall Trees

The Pink-necked Green Pigeon (Treron Vernans) is a fairly large bird that tends to perch high up in the tall trees in my compound. I have two very tall trees of about 40-60 feet high. 

This is one of the two trees that the Pink-necked Green Pigeons seek refuge from time to time.

 

A low hill is in the background, offering a perfect refuge for the birds at night, after their daytime forages to my garden.

 It is mostly green in colour, with yellowish-green down on the belly area and red feet. The primary wing feathers are black with greyish-green feathers covering them.

The males are colourful, with a pink neck and nape, 

and a vivid patch of orange just below the lower neck.


Much of its time is spent on preening itself.

And this tree seems to be the perfect place for its daily grooming


The tall tree with golden leaves is on the extreme left.


The other tree is a type of Casuarina which is nicely structured into a pyramidal shape. Birds of all denominations love to flock here at any one time. 

 Can you spot the dove?

 Its colourful hues make it easy to spot.

Calm and serene.

Beginning to get restless. 

The preening is a vital part of its grooming activities. 

So, its time for forty winks.



All alert after the power nap.



Poised to take flight at any moment.

Thunbergia Erecta

 I'm partial to purple-blue flowers as these hues are not as common as reds or yellows. So on this consideration, Thunbergia Erecta fits the bill perfectly. with light pruning, I've shaped this naturally sprawling plant into a single-stem compact shrub.  Some gardens have them as a low hedge.

The deep purple-blue blooms have a startling yellow throat which is a beacon to insects to move into its sweet interior. The 2-inch wide, tubular blooms  hang downwards from its many branches. 

The emerging bud to full bloom.


At times, depending on the amount of light, it appears more blue. It has  small, dark green leaves. 


A pair of flowers to double the delight.


Under the full glare of the sun, it appears velvety with a touch of deep pink.

View from posterior.

Against the blue sky.

Under diffused sunlight.

 
 With the sun overhead the flowers are under dappled light created from the canopy of its own foliage.

This plant in a container is staked so that it achieve the potential of its full height.

At dusk, a golden dragonfly perched on the tip of a leaf blade of walking iris, with a single thunbergia ereta flower in the background.

Tortosei, the pet tortoise finds bliss in this giant clam shell.

But, it is still curious of the world beyond.

Gathering of a single purple Thunbergia Erecta, a pair of yellow Allamanda cathartica and a raceme of Pseuderanthemum reticulatum in a ceramic bowl.

Scramblers and Climbers - Bougainvillea and Quisqalis

The front left facade of my city home is graced by this variegated bougainvillea with deep purple flowers. It brought much gaiety and colour to my house during the Chinese New Year period as it was at its height of blooming. Its flowers are long-lasting and can withstand the heavy showers which was frequent then. The flowers of most types of Bougainvillea drop rather easily when faced with the onslaught of the elements.

 
February 2013

July 2012

 
Dec 2011

A Quisqualis indica (Rangoon creeper) next to it drapes the right side of the house.

Sunbirds are particularly partial to Quisqualis indica flowers.


After the nectary feed it flew away to perch on the glass edge but did not go anywhere near the bougainvillea flowers.

Sunbirds on power cables

The green-yellow variegated leaves are

 
just as pretty as the flowers.

Dillenia suffruticosa - Simpoh Air

Dillenia suffruticosa (Simpoh air in Malay) is an interesting plant. It is usually found growing wild on open slopes and spread by root runners. I pulled one of the suckers out from the wild and have it planted in the garden.

The flower

 The new leaf is copper-coloured and emerge from a slit in the older leaf.


This new leaf has a lovely sheen like polished copper. Older leaves were once used as a food wrapper. 

 8.11.12: A newly formed raceme bearing flower buds 


Allamanda violaceas are seen in the background.


After a shower, water droplets dripped down the buds. The curved raceme with the flower buds lined up like grapes.

This was the first flower on the raceme. Flowers tend to face downwards.

The flower in profile.



At end of the day, all five petals dropped on to the large leaf below.

 
What was left were the five sepals of the first flower.


It looks like another flower.

  The second flower bloomed two days later. The first fruiting was aborted as can be seen from the bare stalk of the first flower.


The bud of the 3rd flower is ready to pop anytime.

In fact the 3rd flower bloomed the next day.

Ants came at dawn to partake of the sweet offerings.

Now its the turn of the 4th flower to be in anthesis.

Petals of the 4th flower dropped by dusk. The ants have not finished their business of gathering. There is no winter in the tropics, so the ants should learn to have some fun like the grasshopper.

 The appearance of the 5th flower.

Outcome of a successful pollination - A fruit.

Of the cluster of nine flowers, eventually it was the seventh flower which bore fruit.

26.12.12: The fruit dehisced to reveal six segments of seeds covered with red pulp. Birds love them. Fruits face upwards. To photograph it I have to turn it sideways.

 At the end of the day, it look rather shriveled up. Here I noticed another fruit, produced from the 8th flower. So, the final tally - 8 flowers and 2 fruits.
  
In the evening a dragonfly perched on its stem

A really good camouflage. The body looked similiar to the stem in colouring.