flora and fauna

Probably its migrating season of birds lately, and interestingly, I was lucky enough to spot several, either lured by sharp chirping or smooth melody of calls. Sometimes randomly peeping out of my kitchen's window prized me wonderful sightings. While I have other similar postings about flora and fauna, this particular "room with a view" blog presents some interesting visual experience to readers who are as excited to know a little about the activities of common birds sighted in neighbourhood estates of Singapore (where I am lucky to be able to enjoy good visuals and learn a little every now and then about bird species, particularly from my room)...

16 Oct 2009 (Fri)
Weather was overcast, and suddenly this flock of Starlings (family?) - flew to the branches. The dark feathered ones are most likely the adults while the younger ones are in greyish feathers.

Closer look at the younger birds - nicer features..

30 Oct 2009 (Fri)
The "Golden Oriole - a forest and woodland songbird renowned for its flashy yellow and black plumage and attractive melodious songs. Orioles are robust in shape but fairly slender with an elongated look. Male orioles are usually brightly yellow and black or green and black, with black heads or eye stripes; females typically are duller, greener or browner. Oriole is from Latin aureolus, which means "golden" or "yellow"

9 Nov 2009 (Mon)
This bird has been loittering around our vicinity for more than a year, but everytime it called, none of us at home can spot it. It wakes up very early about 5.15am and calls intermittenly for about 2 hours (my parents said its calling for its long-lost partner!) then be back again later about 9am and calls for another 15 minutes. And in the evening its back again, calling intermittenly for longer duration into the night until 9pm or 10pm! It has a dense and high pitch voice and also there seemed to be a pattern of hideouts - sometimes the voice comes from trees behind our block, sometimes from the front of our block.

I was very lucky this morning when I was walking along the common corridor and heard the bird's call from my right. I turned my head, and spotted it perching on a thick branch.. I ran back, took my camera, rushed out again and snapped!

Notice how the bird gathers its internal strength(?) to its vocal box at the throat before it calls...

16 Nov 2009 (Mon)
Looking out of the kitchen window, spotted this colorful bird which flew and perched on a branch, I rushed to my room, retrieved my camera, back to the kitchen window, zoom...... alright! Bee Eater, spotted...





It flew circling that few particular branches before perching.. (same tree)

This shot is the best that I have got, coincidentally as if the bird is watching the girl walking home..

then it flew away, and a short while later, it came back, but this time I thought it looked darker - more to a darker green shade than blue. Probably a male and female specie.

then it flew away, circled the area twice,...
and returned with a catch, this picture showed its swallowing a worm inside its beak

again, it flew away, circled the area a few times,...
returned to the branch with a worm in its beak.

ok gone out flying and back with another worm...

and i was lucky today. while watching the actions of the bee eaters, this tiny bird kept chirping away and i spotted it and in less than 10 seconds it flew away!

and look, 2 bee eaters! both male and female!

and look at the other came back with a grasshopper in its beak..

it started to drizzle and the bee eater just refuse to fly away, kept calling (or waiting?) for its other partner...

i got tired of standing for 45 mins or so (when the bird is not 'moving') and I decided to go back to my room to view from there, and I was glad this angle proved to be a better shot at it! handsome! beautiful!

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Briefly, Blue-tailed Bee-eater is a richly-coloured, slender bird. It is predominantly green; its face has a narrow blue patch with a black eye stripe, and a yellow and brown throat; the tail is blue and the beak is black. It can reach a length of 23-26 cm, including the two elongated central tail feathers. Sexes are alike. This is a bird which breeds in sub-tropical open country, such as farmland, parks or ricefields. It is most often seen near large waterbodies. Like other bee-eaters it predominantly eats insects, especially bees, wasps and hornets, which are caught in the air by sorties from an open perch.This species probably takes bees and dragonflies in roughly equal numbers. The insect that are caught are beaten on the perch to kill and break the exoskeleton.

For more details, please refer to Wikipedia
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In the evening, about 5pm, spotted the yellow bird again, this time in good view of it, hopping from one branch to another... cute!

it then flew into the middle of the tree.. can you see it?

17 Nov 2009 (Tue)
this morning, after quick washup of my breakfast's cup and plate, I looked out of the window, and immediately rushed back to my room, took my camera, rushed to the window, snapped!

I shall call this pomp-pomp bird as it is so round and fluffy and seemed light as a cotton ball!

Pomp pomp bird goes, and another came almost immediately,... a pretty hairstyle and wide eyed brown fan-tail bird..

18 Nov 2009 (Wed)
Here's a short video of Oriole - we got to enjoy its singing every morning (~7.00am) and evening (~5.30pm)....free! Watch this video how it tilted its head as if wondering? - just so adorable, that look!

20 Nov 2009 (Fri)
It's a pair.. wonderful!

while writing my blog, "jheeg, jheeg,... jheeg, jheeg" (short sharp squeeky call). I took my camera, switched it on while walking towards the window, there it is!..... what a petite beauty! Its the Scarlet-backed Flowerpecker

23 Nov 2009 (Mon)
Whoa,... strong wind today!

12 Dec 2009 (Sat)
Handsome olive-backed sunbird..!

A while later, it's beautiful partner came!

14 Dec 2009 (Mon)
Blue..... sunbird??

28 Feb 2010 (Sun)
Munching bread and eggs, i stared out of the window.... huge!! HUGE WINGS!!
I raaaannnnnn to my room regardless, took my camera, ran back to the kitchen (now that I thought about it, why didnt I stay in my room and watch??), switched it on, perched it on the window grills for support, and snapped.

Eagle! This was the third time I had seen it lately.

The other unforgettable moment was when it perched just in front of this 'hollowed-out' branches of a bushy tree in front our block, directly in front view from our living room's window. I was just casually watching the train passing by and suddenly i thought I sensed something "white" moving among the leaves/branches. I stared at the 'object' and upon closer look, its the same eagle I spotted above, and it was at a much closer distance than the one I took above. Its height is about half an arm's length (from maybe about 5 meters away). Before I had a chance to get a closer look, it flew away, fast! Huge wings! [regrettably image was captured only in my head, else would have left it in here]

4 Apr 2010 (Sun)
The Oriole has been a common visitor every morning and evening at our vicinity so I have merely been lending it a listerning ear - "yes i've noticed your presence.." gesture by being its guest and admiring its call. But today its call sounded funny, as if having a sore-throat or a punctured-throat, or like a "toothless-call". So I got ready my camera, zoomed, and realised the reason was it had a fat caterpilla in its beak. It must have been calling for its partner to share its catch for the evening!

take a look at this video - it sounded eagerly 'shouting' for its partner "where are you??..."

19 Sep 2010 (Sun)
Striking colors of fruits from this tree standing tall behind our block of flats have been catching my attention...

New curiosity gave me another lesson today, that this tree with scaly branch is in fact Mahogany! "Broad-leafed Mahogany" to be exact. It is the ‘original’ mahogany of the furniture trade, and its timber is regarded as among the best in the world - used for making fine furniture and musical instruments. So that's it.

21 Nov 2010 (Sun)
I had been whinning recently - over non-sighting of birds - uncommon ones* i meant. Its the time of the year again - migratory season of the birds and because there was none* to be seen from my room, I had eagerly gone to Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve the other day to keep up the positive thinking attitude.

This evening about 5.30pm, from my room I heard an unfamiliar loud, long and sharp "gheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeek" (just once). I grabbed my camera and among the branches saw flashes of a big black bird and was about to take a good look when it flew away! Disappointed, my eyes scanned the trees and branches and suddenly something moved. Just in front of where I spotted the black bird earlier, I saw this 'big' bird:

That 'gheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeek" came from this specie called Koel, or Asian Koel. That big black bird which flew away after I caught a short glimpse must have been its partner, because this colorful specie is Female.

According to Wiki, Asian Koel is a large, long-tailed, cuckoo at 45 cm. The male of the nominate race is glossy bluish-black, with a pale greenish grey bill, the iris is crimson, and it has grey legs and feet. The female of the nominate race is brownish on the crown and has rufous streaks on the head. The back, rump and wing coverts are dark brown with white and buff spots. The underparts are whitish, but is heavily striped. The other subspecies differ in colouration and size. The upper plumage of young birds is more like that of the male and they have a black beak.

The familiar song of the male is a repeated koo-Ooo. The female makes a shrill kik-kik-kik... call.

I have been fortunate today!

As I was enjoying the scene of birds flying back to their home for the evening and hearing their calls, this bird with tinge of yellow just flew past towards another block. It perched itself on the trunk of a woody tree but its too far for my camera to zoom for sharp take of it, but I managed to get it into record - a woodpecker! Seen for the first time, I heard it pecking away while taking pictures of it. Common flameback as it is called, the male specie is differentiated by band of red feathers at top of its head. So this is a female

I have been very fortunate today!!

22 Nov 2010 (Sun)
Its evening time again when birds fly home. This couple today was in a good mood, accompanying each other and singing... Watch the video and notice how one of them (i would think its the female) could sing two different tunes! [also pay attention to other birds' calls, including from a sunbird, at the background]

1 Dec 2010 (Wed)
The male Koel is back (the same specie which I mentioned in my blog article on 9Nov2009). I could hear its loud and clear call from my room, thinking it must have been the same old routine which I could only hear but not see it, adding to the fact that it was drizzling outside. Surprisingly, it was just perching on a branch and besides the trunk of a tree which was clearly visible from my window. Needless to say, it got into my camera.

12 Dec 2010 (Wed)
The leaves kept swaying - forced by strong winds. The scarlet-backed flowerpecker is back again

1 May 2011 (Sun)
Had been hearing this bird's call lately and had for some time assumed its the 'Starling' because I dislike its 'metallic-sharp' and short-wavelength call - monotonous and irritating. Especially when it calls so frequently in mid afternoon when weather is so hot - can be disturbing to one's peaceful mood. Then mid morning I heard it again, so decided to find out why it had been behaving as such, and to my surprise it was not. It's the young of an Oriole! Its call is similar to that of the Starling, only that it sounded denser and 'smoother'...

This video's sound recording did not align with the image after rotate-editing,...

12 Jul 2011 (Tue)
I was attracted to its loud and melody song. I screened the trees from the window of my room, but could not spot any movement. The call stopped for about 5 minutes and was back again, with another song. I wondered if they were of different specie or different gender. Flipped wings with flash of yellow then flew from far and perched itself to this fruit tree - where the Starlings inhabit. Spotted!

The Hill Myna, as it is called, has (as this specie is) violet shimmering plummage and orange bill. Its favourite feed is fruits and hence the Hill Myna can be commonly found in fruit plantations, besides forest and tea plantations. This Hill Myna is happily feeding the fruits (seemingly delicious when viewed from the camera!) - which I especially like that yellow wattles on its head - resembled those (of olden days) Japanese soldiers' WWII ear-flaps hat....

Video of the Hill Myna picking on the fruits (very delicious as they seemed!)

This good 5mins video managed to capture the different melodies (at least 5) sang by the hill myna...

March 2012
Noon. Very sunny. Spotted an eagle

Apr 2012
Morning at 8. Was sipping tea and staring out from kitchen window and noticed movement at top of tree. Scrutinised the area and spotted an eagle - thought it was the same specie taken from front pouch a month ago but seemed to be different - either difference in gender, age, or different specie altogether?

A totally different settings I had in my mind (lush greens, with walking paths shaded by the greens,....) before I arrived. By the time briefing about Semakau and the birds etc were done in the office, it was past 10am. Driven along the bund in an air-conditioned van, we had a short walk afterwards - but it seemed a long journey because the bund, unshaded - weather was extremely hot! But be prepared while under the hot sun, you may get a few good catch, such as...

Heron in flight.... (no this was snapped at the entrance of office)

Brahminy Kite and Heron... (no this was snapped from inside the air-conditioned van)

Nice flowers, and butterflies (no I meant butterfly, since there were many but they were so busy and fast that I had difficulty concentrating on them under the hot sun! - i repeat, its really hot!)

It would be nice to visit again, and start the walk early during birds migratory season....

May 2011, Pasir Ris Park

At the verge of giving up while locating Pasir Ris Park, finally managed to get to the entrance after some asking, transcending wrong paths, u-turn, wrongful right turn, etc etc... and before reaching the entrance of its mangrove board walk, I was at the middle of a stone bridge that overlooked river Sungei Tampines (noticed the sheltered gazebo on the left of picture - accessible via mangrove board walk)

Entrance to the mangrove board walk looked kinda "creepy"

but good surprises awaited as I reached the sheltered gazebo protruded out slightly (from river bank) so that visitors could get a good view of the river (Sungei Tampines). So I thought, "alright, nothing much, just another river... " then suddenly this loud (and noisy) coarse-call that resembled "ducks with bad-soar throat shouting in big groups through microphone" in vicinity. Enthusiastically trying to trace its source, and only about a minute later was I able to spot nests!!

Yes, visible only because huge wings I saw flapping towards branches high up at one far end of the river... with help of zoom facility, these are the family of HERONS

Spotted 2 juveniles in nest, one on each side, the adult feeding the one nested on right...

simply beautiful family

then one returning home... (but not sure why it perched at other side of river, and it kinda 'blew its throat' (noticed flap at throat)

back to the family

Good catch today... at least with nests and juveniles!

WATCH THIS...

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May 2011, Ang Mo Kio Town Garden West

One of the well-kept parks, built on a hillock with a 120-step staircase where a pergola can be seen at the top end of the stairway - viewable from the entrance that gave a first-impression of "Little Bali in Town"

View of garden at plaza

Some interesting finds as I walked further...

- Spider busy treading along its silk web....

- Bird nest inside this tree (but was unable to spot the bulbul juveniles which I saw 2 days ago their parent Bulbul feeding it)

- Gliding Lizard






- Kingfisher perched at branch, and calling...

VIDEO....

... then flew to another branch

... and another too far

For a "town" park, this west side of the garden of Ang Mo Kio Town (compared to the east garden) is better maintained and more comfortable for strolls, away from the noisy traffic.

- well-kept plantations, with artistic branch growth

- flowering garden

- plantain squirrels (as I was busy focusing on taking pictures of falling flowers, these 2 buddies came down from tree beside and picking on fruits and seeds for their breakfast...)

- trees with sturdy branches

- beautiful branches

- growth on bark

- canes

- heliconia

- fishtail palm tree

- deserted pond

- elephant apple tree (along walk path near the pond)

- near entrance/exit of town garden, some nice flowers and butterflies

After the walk, I had my breakfast at nearby McDonalds after which a Myna was eyeing the empty tray on my table. At just a table (in front) away from where I sat, I was observing its movement and suddenly the Myna "vomitted" a black slimy mucus-like stuff from its throat and had it dangling at the tip of its beak. Then slowly the Myna hopped from the table to a chair and "placed" (kinda gently) the 'mucus' on the chair seat.

Some interesting shots of the Myna

and this was the 'mucus'...

I was told later in the day that this Myna was probably 'unwell' from the look of its 'fluffy' feathers which usually are flattened instead of 'puffed up'... so I assumed that 'mucus' was due to its indigestion...?

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June 2011, Alexandra Canal Linear Park

Sparrow searching for food....

Spotted Dove

April 2011, Alexandra Canal Linear Park

Unique as it is built on top of a (long stretch) of covered canal. Some pleasant sightings while walking the 1.1km stretch...

Bulbul in Action

The young of Bulbul... yet to develop that 'aparche hairstyle'

Green Pigeon

Flowers

Butterfly
this 'fly' in the picture was accidental. I was not aware that it was in the frame while I was focusing the butterfly, until when I was about to upload it to this site that I realised THE FLY!

...monitor lizard
I was framing the landscape through this 'side opening' alongside the pathway, when I noticed a movement...
spot it?

Squirrel
I had been lucky at my first visit to the park this morning. On return, near the entrance (after about an hour), heard some movement among bushes behind me where I had faced my back against as I was busy looking up at birds flying and chirping by the trees. I turned my back, squad, and slowly tracked the action, and saw this squirrel in a hurry

A rewarding walk today...

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I had been meaning to take pictures of the family but they are always quick to fly when I walked past. Either a couple or just one would nibble the dried-out "Sticky Cake" that was placed at the praying altar (as an offering item) along the corridor of our neighbor's flat. I was referring to the Bulbul. Today I managed! (the second try). Its the young bulbul though, because as soon as its parents (i assumed) saw me, they flew off but the young one must have been hungry as it made its return after I backed off for a minute.

Watch this

Its the season to watch migratory birds - Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve located at north-western part of Singapore has recorded more than 200 species of birds. I was eager this morning. From the visitor centre, just a few steps on the boardwalk towards the main bridge, this bulbul caught my attention

It gave me a good sense that I would have good sightings today, since a good beginning won me half a success.

On the main bridge above 'Sungei Buloh Besar', sighting of egrets perching on tree...

View of Shorebirds from Station 1

Waders are some of the longest distance migrants. Waders are so called because they frequent coastal mudflats, wading about in the nutrient-rich mudflats to feed during low tide.

Nice path full of greens...

then heard some flapping above... and pair of bulbuls!!

View of Shorebirds from Station 1.2

Besides hearing some chirping along the path, after about one hour of walk, the sky began to turn cloudy. By the time I reached back to the visitor centre, it started to pour. I waited for 2 hours for the rain to stop before continuing my second route 2.

Back to the main bridge, saw this bird (this did not quite seem a bird that can fly, but rather like a young fowl??) near the shore...

It was at the starting of Route 2 that the flapping of wings of Kingfisher caught my attention, and I was fortunate enough to snap pictures of it....

Another half hour later, this bird gave me a nice little surprise!
It just suddenly hopped out from the woods onto the walking path right in front of me... and 3 steps I took to go nearer, it hopped further from me towards the viewing station on the left of walk path,... and by the time I followed it (as silently as I could), I could not see it anymore...

This second shot, I had intently used photoshop to edit the head, in order to see its eyes! My quick snap shot was not good enough to take close range shot.

A good journey at SBWR I had today.

An Adventure with the Squirrel, July 2010

A planned visit to the garden this morning prized me entrance surprise. A common squirrel - yet not so common after I have decided to track its adventure - greeted my visit by showing off its breakfast picking skill (this imagination is probably just my one-sided affair)

Walking a few more steps slowly, trying to listen for potential animals coming out of their nests or hideouts, that same squirrel was getting my attention. Just a few trees down from where I first saw it near the entrance, it was as quick to have reached trees at the other side of the walkway - searching for more food for its breakfast.
Watch videos (below) of its action - searching for nuts;

eating spider (and how its fur got entangled with the spider's web which did not seem to bother it at all);

Notice how it paused and stare back at the camera,..... (or staring at my intrusion?)

Daring....

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Trees of the World, December 2009

After having read about the "Trees of the World" event at the Botanic Gardens, I decided to make a trip there, eagerly anticipating 150 trees being nicely decorated for Christmas, and had imagined when the lights are up in the evening, the garden would turn very beautiful...
But as I entered the garden's entrance from Cluny Road, I did not see any decorations... "they must be at the other end of the entrance where the Visitor Centre was", so I thought.

I eagerly took these pictures as I walked in the garden....

Approaching a big open field with a tall pine tree, a squirrel just about came down from the trunk and stopped for a moment....

then it ran passed the field into the bush and while my eyes followed the squirrel, I noticed something moving among the bushes area...

... on closer look, a fowl!

then to the left of the field was the swan lake, and from far, that couple looked so loving!

and then, butterflies among the flowers just behind where I stood....

Look at these flowers bloomed in string-like stems!

... and as I walked further on the footpath and came to a cross junction with low bushes on my left side..

and while I was observing these flowers...

... I heard chirping from the bush and I peeped into the bushes

and saw a fowl,...

and then another... and then...a chick!!! - a black chick followed closely behind the adult bird. I had difficulty taking pictures of them as they were amongst the bushes blocked by leaves and branches....

So I got my way into the bush from behind the path, squatted and waited for 15 mintues but the fowls refused to come out. One of them even walked so gently and slowly making sure I could not see nor hear them as they must have seen me as the intruder into its habitat,... I was adamant to get the family of them into my camera so I got out of the bush, waited along the path and I kept hearing a family of them chirping away... and finally I got hold of them (at least the father/mother and one chick!)

...then i walked behind the bushes to a pond area and suddenly the family came out from the bush, as if to have me take pictures of them!

and another short video - 3 chicks!!

What a great day with my "captures"!

Walking further down, I passed a lotus pond,

and just below the viewing platform was this fish

As I walked further towards the Visitor Centre,... more collections...! Note those individually decorated Christmas Trees were designed and contributed by different companies belonged to the "Trees of the World" project (they were placed along the footpaths in the garden near the Visitor Centre)

These were collections from the 3 hours walk in the garden ~ and only part of it! There's more to cover, but next time, shall be.

this is the first time that i come this close to a caterpillar - posted at my mum's lime tree (for matter of fact, its a small tree).

13 November 2009, Fri
my mum came knocking on my room's door and asked if I was keen to take a picture of a caterpilla before she threw it away (what? threw it???),... i took my camera, walked out to my mum's "corridor garden", searched for it (well camouflaged among the leaves) and voila, there it was! Sleeping, though.

I waited for the green worm to wake up and crawl but it was motionless. I started fidgeting it with a pricked leaf until i managed to make it moved its ass (alright, the correct term should be "Anal Clasper") and crawled a short branch distance up and back down before it settled back to sleep again. Look at its cute head, its eyes and 'mandibles' (jaws, that is)...

then it began to moved backwards after crawling a short distance,...

... and i used a stick to gently nudge its Anal to make it crawl upwards again....

... i supposed the caterpilla got tired and decided to u-turn back down...

... and again did another u-turn back up again (heading back to its safe spot)

the caterpilla safely parked itself at a safe spot to go back to sleep.

i told my mum not to throw the caterpillar, saying that it would be my 'pet' until it becomes a butterfly. my mum was quite reluctant (pointing to me the biten/ chipped leaves) but i told her there were so many leaves available, and there could only be that much a small caterpilla could eat... okay, so my mum agreed and I am sure she did not regret it as it has been one of our 'morning' watch to see the growth/development of the caterpilla

14 November 2009, Sat
caterpilla posted the same look today.. mum said it grew bigger. I read that caterpillas usually eat their foods at night so as not to post themselves in danger. so probably that was why whenever I looked at it during the day, it would always be motionless (unless of course i nudge it)

and regrettably, I did not download the pictures on the same day and adjust the brightness of the picture (as caterpillar was safely hidden among the leaves, I had difficulty taking close up of the worm in good lighting condition), otherwise I would have noticed (or probably not since I was not attentive to its anticipating pupation change) the forthcoming change! look at this same picture as above - the sides of the caterpillar had those white spots...

15 November 2009, Sun
this morning, caterpilla was in a curved position, with only its head and annal clasper hung onto the branch and a silken thread circled its upper body as support. I used a leaf to 'tickle' its legs as i was curious why it was in that position; it did not straighten its posture but merely curled up slightly more twice when i tickled it. I did not know that the caterpilla was in fact preparing for pupa stage (called pupation)!

16 November 2009, Mon
early morning, i was surprised by that the caterpilla had already transformed into a pupa! I researched the internet and realised its previous' position (curved with the silken thread support) was an indication that it was in pupation stage! Had I been more attentive, I would have been able to capture its change process from a caterpilla to a pupa! I missed it! Look at the chrysalis...with a silk girdle supporting its middle section..

17 November 2009, Tue
Now slightly fuller at the top...

18 November 2009, Wed
any visible changes?

19 November 2009, Thur
no significant changes...

20 November 2009, Fri
mum wondered if it had died... I hope not since I read that it usually takes 2 weeks or less to develop fully into an adult butterfly..

27 November 2009, Fri
11 days after it turned into a pupa, its gone!!! How could I have missed it!!! I had been waiting and waiting... monitoring it every few hours from morning to evening! I supposed to avoid being 'caught' it flew off at night! And I was still so happy in the morning when I first saw it turned transparent that I had thought the adult was about to emerge but upon scrutinising it, I noticed the 'opening' at the side!