28 March 2025

Eastern Yellow Wagtail

 Passeriformes - Motacillidae - Motacilla tschutschensis (Pipit-Batu Zaitun Timur)

Attractive ground-dwelling bird. Slender and long-tailed, bright yellow below with paler throat and grayish-olive back; extremely variable. Tail is black with white outer feathers; often pumps tail up and down while walking on the ground. Young birds lack yellow color, but have distinctive head pattern. Often seen near water. Listen for high-pitched, piercing call note. Common breeder on Arctic tundra from Alaska to Russia; found in grassy and waterside habitats in Southeast Asian wintering grounds and in migration.
(eBird)



Changes are inevitable, in form or substance.





* To put behind one self - the higher self does not exhibit, does not compete to prove superiority *
- do not over-state, over-display to impress -




27 March 2025

Malaysian Rail-babbler

Passeriformes - Eupetidae -  Eupetes macrocetus (Kekicau-sintar) 

Astoundingly odd ground-dwelling inhabitant of dense lowland and foothill forests; typically quite shy and reclusive, but utterly unmistakable. Warm brown with a burst of bright color on the face: black, white, yellow, orange, and rusty red. Of these, the white and black are most obvious if the bird is under heavy cover or in the shade (as it often is). Long, slender, wader-like legs, neck, and bill are unlike any other forest ground-dweller in range. Displaying birds inflate purple balloons on the neck and sing a haunting whistle that gradually rises and falls in pitch.
(eBird)





Presence is lost in a blink, a disturbing occurrence of uncommon episode




What's lost to the unexplainable




* Simplicity's virtue - going back to Tao is the only virtue -
- do not over-act, do not over-react -



26 March 2025

Violet Cuckoo

Cuculiformes - Cuculidae - Chrysococcyx xanthorhynchus (Sewah-Zamrud Ungu)

Small, sluggish cuckoo, more often heard than seen; listen for the male’s explosive descending trills and a loud but unremarkable “chom-wit!”, often given in flight. Adult male glossy purple with white-barred belly. Female greenish-brown above with curvier, paler barring extending up to the face; juvenile similar but with stronger rufous tones to the wings and orangish crown. Female and juvenile similar to female Asian Emerald Cuckoo or Little Bronze Cuckoo; look for combination of orange bill and patchy iridescent green instead of the Emerald’s unbroken sheen or Little Bronze’s dark bill and duller sheen.
(eBird)





Having is not for one, sharing comes naturally









Heed what's instinctive





* Mind the insignificant - leave alone what's natural, act only when natural *
- avoid the unnatural in behaviour -




25 March 2025

Red Junglefowl

Galliformes - Phasianidae - Gallus gallus (Ayam Hutan)

This “original chicken” is smaller than its domestic descendants, and is widespread throughout South and Southeast Asia; can also be found as an introduced species in many regions around the world (especially prevalent on many Pacific Islands, including Hawaii). In its introduced range and some areas of its native range it has interbred widely with feral and domestic chickens, producing intermediate hybrids. Many of these birds cannot be distinguished from genuine wild-type birds. Within native range calls are useful for ID: the wild male’s crowing is hoarse and choked off towards the end, unlike the loud, vibrant calls of the domestic rooster.
(eBird)



When behaviour is by instinct 


 



* Consider the beginning - do not overlook non-action, the flavourless, the small, the simple, the easy for these are paths to peace and the great
- do not underestimate any circumstance -




24 March 2025

Cotton Pygmy Goose

Anseriformes - Anatidae - Nettapus coromandelianus (Balabas Kapas)

Tiny duck. Male has a bright white head and neck with a dark crown and eyes. Female is plainer, with a strong dark eye-line that does not continue back to the nape. In flight, females have thin white edges on the trailing edge of the wings, while males have big white slashes on the wings. Usually seen swimming in freshwater wetlands, including small ponds and farm dams, especially those with extensive floating vegetation.
(eBird)


 




Rationale behind behaviour.





What's flight




Evasion is not an option - fleeing or staying is flight.







* Practise reason - seek and understand why attained by Tao *
- seek and beget the natural way -