My Bulbuls

Actually, the previous days posts of the sunbird and whiteye were taken as I was staking out this plant that the red-whiskered or crested Bulbuls love to feed on, hoping to get this picture of mid seed feed, showing this behaviour.

Now, some bonus information for the subscribers by email: Thanks to Gary of Kadoorie Farm I now know that this plant is called Alocasia macrorrhizos which is cultivated particularly in the Philippines, and it is the giant taro. In Australia it is known as the cunjevoi (a term which also refers to a marine animal). Is is mainly cultivated for starch, but it is edible if cooked for a long time - but its sap irritates the skin due to calcium oxalate crystals, which are needle like, and can really irritate the skin.

I know this first from a friend who went into the bushes on a walk and used one of these leaves to, er, wipe. They could not stop scratching for a long time...hahhahaha, how we laughed. You know who you are.....

and now some more pics of the ubiquitous, noisy, but iconic and cute Bulbul.

this one the wind was blowing his crest

and two more pictures from the same day in Kadoorie last week.