Bird Nest Fern (Asplenium Nidus)

This attractive large leaf epiphytic fern is often seen attaching themselves to large tall trees in the nooks and crannies of its branches. The large knife shaped green leafs called fronds have a prominent dark brown midrib unfurling from a tight center, giving a bird nest effect and hence the common name.

Urbanites will usually see them at large building entrance way as it gains popularity as an ornamental plant either being hung on the ceiling, exhibited on the floor or potted individually.
I have seen excellent specimens being displayed this way right inside Singapore’s Changi Airport.

Epiphytes are herbs or shrubs, which have roots attached to trunks or branches to a host tree to get closer to sunlight which is often shadowed by trees in the forest if you are growing at ground level. They are not parasitic as they do not extract nutrients from the tree to survive and do little or no harm to its host

It is self sufficient, with its entire mass soaking up rain water which acts as a sponge storing water when it rains and its nest-like form collecting dead leaves or any potential nutrient which happen to drop onto it that will eventually decompose and thereby forming nutrients for extraction.

For propagation, spores develop on the underside of fronds known as coenosori. The ripe spores can be collected and sow on damp peat and let to germinate in our hot and humid climate. Care should be taken to keep the growing medium constantly moist, when new plants are big enough to handle, it should be potted individually to encourage faster growth.

No soil is needed for its growth although I have seen “domesticated“ specimens being potted and maintained with soil in homes. In the wild, it is often seen growing in the protected environment in the canopy or crowns of large trees offering a bright warm, moist and humid condition.

Which brings to mind, how Isabella L.Bird (1831 – 1904) a nineteenth-century English traveller, writer,and a natural historian while travelling through the Malay Peninsular jungles during the mid 1800s described the splendor of the Bird Nest Fern she saw in her book "The Golden Chersonese and the way thither" –

"The trees and plants of the jungle were very exciting. Ah! what a delight it is to see trees and plants at home which one has only seen as the exotics of a hothouse, or read of in books! In the day’s journey I counted one hundred and twenty-six differing trees and shrubs, fifty-three trailers, seventeen epiphytes, and twenty-eight ferns. I saw more of the shrubs and epiphytes than I have yet done from the altitude of an elephant’s back. There was one Asplenium nidus [bird’s nest fern] which had thirty-seven perfect fronds radiating from a centre, each frond from three and a quarter to five and a half feet long, and varying from myrtle to the freshest tint of pea-green!"

Malaysia’s Butterfly – Autumn Leaf (Doleschallia bisaltide pratipa)

This butterfly I notice has a very rapid flight normally seen flying solo along forest and not a very good subject for photography but I get lucky sometimes. A rather common species often encountered during a hot sunny afternoon in a heavily forested environment.

It has dots and lines at the hind wings on a brown background with black tipped fore wings, it certainly stands out along the more mundane species I always see flying close by.

Attempting to identify this species was also challenging as comparison with photos of identified Autumn leaf butterfly shows minor differences in wing markings, my conclusion is that it is a sub-species of the Autumn leaf unique to this particular region of the country.

My recent Bangkok Trip

Here are some rather interesting places I visited during my recent trip to Bangkok in May.

Wat Pho

Wat Pho is reputedly the largest Wat with the most number of Buddha images in Bangkok and is also famous for the Reclining Buddha statue found in it.

The gold plated reclining Buddha is 46 meters long and 15 meters high. The feet and eyes are decorated with mother-of-pearl

Chao Phraya River

The Chao Phraya river boat trips can be exciting and the scenery along the river is really unique.

Ancient City

The Ancient City, a park dedicated to preserving Thai culture where many buildings and historical places of Thailand is either replicated or painstakingly transferred into the park. If you have only 24 hours to see and absorb Thailand, this would be the place to be.

Crocodile Farm

A visit to the Crocodile Farm in Bangkok is almost a must if you are touring here and you just can’t leave till you pay them a visit. The crocodile and elephant show they have everyday is quite interesting and at the same time it is also a decent size zoo.

Wesak Day Celebration in Taiping

Wesak Day is celebrated by Buddhist throughout the world to commemorate the Birthday of Lord Buddha. It is an auspicious day in the Buddhist calendar, marking the full life cycle of birth, enlightenment and death of Buddha.

It is this day that Buddhist devotees will gather in temples to release birds from captivation and to offer prayers. Other practice includes the offering of alms to monks and giving of free meals to the needy, as symbolic acts of giving liberation and doing good deeds.

Celebration of Wesak as explained by the late Ven. Dr. K Sri Dhammananda holds a special significance for the millions of Buddhists who comprise a fifth of the world’s total population. In thousands of temples across the world from Tokyo in the East to San Francisco in the West, Buddhists will pay homage to an Indian Prince who forsakes the pleasures of a royal household to bring peace and happiness to mankind.

It is also most important to remember that this sacred day is purely and simply a religious festival and not a festive occasion for feasting, drinking and dancing. On this day all Buddhists are expected to reaffirm their faith in the Buddha Dhamma and to lead a noble religious life. It is a day for meditation and for radiating Loving-Kindness.