Bird Fest In My Neighbourhood

Last Saturday, I was idling as usual with no idea how to keep myself entertained at home. There are a few things I could do like listen to music, edit some photos, play games on Playstation 4, read a book or watch TV. But none of these was tempting to me that day.

The sky outside was cloudy and its the kind of weather which makes one want to just space out at home. Then I heard a loud call coming from one of the trees across my apartment and I recognised it as the call made by a Common Flameback Woodpecker. Now, I am no expert in birds, but the presence of this woodpecker can be heard occasionally in my neighbourhood since October 2021. During those times, this bird was calling in the evening which is not very ideal for photography due to insufficient light.

As I have nothing else to do and afraid of missing out on this opportunity, I mounted a telephoto lens on my camera and headed to the tree where the calling came from. I was glad that this kid was not terrified by my approach and could observe this beautiful girl (it’s a female because males have a red-coloured crown) close enough to capture some photos.

A Female Common Flameback Woodpecker

"One thing leads to another" so they say. After this pretty girl left, possibly annoyed by my presence, I saw another species of woodpecker which is the Sunda Pygmy Woodpecker on another tree nearby. This bird is smaller in size compared to the Common Flameback but still just as cute. At a point, it was pecking on the tree trunk like a little carpenter at work.

Sunda Pygmy Woodpecker

Lastly, when it started to drizzle, a pair of Rose-ringed Parakeets caught my eye. It seems to me that this couple has built a nest underneath the roof of a school building. Hope they will have some babies soon!  

Rose-ringed Parakeets

It is specially delightful to see some wild birds in this urban residential area where I live, as birds are more often spotted in nature parks or rural locations. Last year, there were also some visits from other winged friends at my estate which I hope to share in my future posts.