Rimbun Dahan -- Nature Notes April 2009

home > environment>Nature Notes	Nature Notes	Click on the images below to view larger versions. The tangled scrubby area preferred by the blue-winged pitta for nesting, now out of bounds. The fruit of a young Baccaurea lanceolata.
The flower of Firmiana malayana, commonly known as mata lembu. The flower of Kayea grandis, formerly named Mesua grandis.	April 2009 by Angela Hijjas May is nesting season, and we have sporadically heard and seen the Blue-winged Pittas that successfully bred two years ago in Rimbun Dahan. According to Jesmi the gardener, there are at least four individuals that call to each other from the depths of the garden. We hope to see another breeding success this year, so the area they favour for nesting has now been put off limits for grass cutting and pedestrians, although restricting dogs is a bit hard. Meanwhile, among the native trees in the garden, the Firmiana malayana, mata lembu, and the Kayea grandis are flowering, and a very young Baccaurea lanceolata has a few fruits. No new snakes this month, although the Copperhead Ratsnake that caused such a stir a few months ago was sighted again near the studios, and I almost trod on one while walking the dogs up near the front gate! It reared up and demonstrated its characteristic vertical inflation that makes some people mistake it for a cobra. We have laid out the sulphur powder around the houses so people can sleep easy!
Last updated 10 May 2009.

Nature Notes