sooty-headed bulbuls @ lorong halus - Dec 2013

Came across a bush which seemed to be frequented by sooty-headed bulbuls. There were quite a few of these birds flying about the bush during the 20 mins of observation. Looks like a possible breeding site close by.

sooty-headed bulbul @ lorong halus - Dec 2013 from SgBeachBum on Vimeo.

Find out more about these birds :-

http://www.ecologyasia.com/verts/birds/bulbuls.htm

http://besgroup.blogspot.sg/2007/01/sighting-of-sooty-headed-bulbuls.html

https://www.nparks.gov.sg/cms/docs/redbook/List-of-alien-species-in-Singapore-2009May.pdf

http://singaporebirds.blogspot.sg/2012/07/bulbuls.html

unknown raptor flypast @ lorong halus - Dec 2013

Was observing a yellow-vented bulbul on a tree stump when the large raptor flying past in the background caught my attention. I had seen this raptor flying past earlier but had not been able to capture an image of it before it disappeared into the nearby treeline.

I'm not sure what raptor this is. Anyone got any guesses?

unknown raptor flypast @ lorong halus - Dec 2013 from SgBeachBum on Vimeo.

white-breasted waterhen & chicks @ Lorong Halus, Singapore - 20Dec2013

The undergrowth was abuzz with chirping as I walked past it and the chirpers soon showed themselves chasing after their parent waterhen as it went about looking for breakfast for its hungry brood of three little jet-black long-legged downy balls.

Two of the chicks seemed to be more dependent on the parent and rarely strayed more than a half a metre from it. The third was however more independent and did not seem to mind being away from the protective wings of the parent bird. The parent bird extended back its wings as if to provide shelter for its brood eventhough the chicks seemed a little big to all fit under the umbrella at the same time.

The parent bird went about picking grass seeds for the chicks which were obviously in a somewhat vertically challenged state.

white-breasted waterhen & chicks @ lorong halus, singapore - 20Dec2013 from SgBeachBum on Vimeo.

Find out more about the white-breasted waterhen here :

http://www.naturia.per.sg/buloh/birds/Amaurornis_phoenicurus.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White-breasted_Waterhen

http://singaporebirds.net/npassers_02/white-breasted_waterhen.html(incl. audio link)

http://www.besgroup.org/2011/03/22/call-of-the-white-breasted-waterhen/ (w. video)

http://ibc.lynxeds.com/species/white-breasted-waterhen-amaurornis-phoenicurus

http://www.xeno-canto.org/species/Amaurornis-phoenicurus (incl. audio links)

http://www.ecologyasia.com/verts/birds/rails.htm

http://www.oiseaux-birds.com/card-white-breasted-waterhen.html

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kZLv30uzd44 (a nice clip by iHengbok)

little grebes @ lorong halus - 01may2012

Checked on the little grebes in the northern pond. The distinctive burgundy necks were gone replaced by mottled greyish plumage. Presumably, these little grebes had shed their breeding plumage. There were only two adults in this pond. No juveniles were seen.

(long clip = 6.49 mins)

read more about the little grebe ;

http://sgbeachbum.blogspot.com/2012/01/two-little-grebes-lorong-halus-jan2012.html

http://www.besgroup.org/2012/04/13/a-family-of-little-grebes-2/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Little_Grebe

http://www.rspb.org.uk/wildlife/birdguide/name/l/littlegrebe/index.aspx

http://www.birdlife.org/datazone/speciesfactsheet.php?id=3628

http://www.besgroup.org/?s=little+grebe&x=0&y=0

http://www.besgroup.org/2010/04/24/courtship-ritual-of-the-little-grebe/

http://www.besgroup.org/2011/07/04/little-grebe-feeding-on-fish/

http://www.besgroup.org/2010/12/23/little-grebe-struggling-with-a-large-fish/

http://www.besgroup.org/2011/01/08/little-grebe-at-the-singapore-quarry/

http://www.besgroup.org/2008/09/28/little-grebe-piggybacking-chicks/

http://besgroup.blogspot.com/2006/03/little-grebe-going-out-with-fight.html

crimson-rumped waxbill @ lorong halus - 01 May 2012

Spotted movement in the long grass lining the sides of the reservoir near the northern pond. I had never seen this little bird before and it's bright red eye-band was a real eye-catcher. It did not mind my prescence about 2 metres away and kept flying in and out of the long grass. It seemed to be gathering thin grass stems and then flying off to a spot lower down the granite retaining wall. I just needed to wait less than 30 seconds each time it disappeared for the bird to return to two main areas about 5 metres apart. One spot was deep in the midst of a clump of long grass and the other was in the upper half of another clump of long grass about 5 metres away. Undoubtedly, it was gathering nesting material and was somehow undeterred by me being closeby on the adjacent gravel trail.

I had initially thought it was some kind of shrike but could not find any entry in my copy of Craig Robson's Field Guide to the Birds of South-East Asia. A check with a friend, (GPH), suggested that it was a crimson-rumped waxbill which was not native to not only Singapore but also South-East Asia.

This bird is actually native to Africa and in particular Eastern Africa. How did it get here? Probably through the pet bird trade as it is not known to be a migratory species(?). It may have escaped from its cage or been 'released' into the skies around Singapore. 

Read more about this beautiful bird here :

http://www.besgroup.org/2011/02/16/crimson-rumped-waxbill-another-exotic-canary/

http://ibc.lynxeds.com/species/crimson-rumped-waxbill-estrilda-rhodopyga

http://www.birdlife.org/datazone/speciesfactsheet.php?id=8653

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crimson-rumped_Waxbill

http://chopo.pntic.mec.es/biolmol/publicaciones/Estrildinae_finches_2009.pdf

black baza raptor surprise @ lorong halus - Jan2012

Was observing the swiftlets (i think) flying about in the late afternoon sky (about 5pm) above the Lorong Halus wetlands when the sky was interrupted by 4 much larger birds flying as a close pack. The swiftlets made a hasty exit and soon the sky was empty of them. The black baza* is a migratory bird which passes through Singapore between the months of September to April each year.


(*thanks to DTJX for the ID)

here are some screen-captures of the raptors :

Read more about this little known bird of prey (to most Singaporeans anyway) :

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Baza

http://www.birdlife.org/datazone/speciesfactsheet.php?id=3329

http://www.besgroup.org/2011/01/12/black-baza-in-comfort-behaviour/ 

http://www.besgroup.org/2008/11/19/arrivals-of-the-black-bazas/

http://www.besgroup.org/2007/04/06/black-baza-rescue/

http://www.besgroup.org/2007/12/13/raptor-migration-over-malaysia/

http://besgroup.blogspot.com/2006/12/migratory-habits-of-black-baza.html

http://www.oiseaux-birds.com/card-black-baza.html

http://ibc.lynxeds.com/species/black-baza-aviceda-leuphotes

under-water monitor lizard @ lorong halus - Jan2012

This malayan water monitor was out for a swim when he suddenly realised that there was a human eyeballing him as he swam. He stopped immediately and lowered his body whilst keeping his head above water himself eyeballing the human who was eyeballing him. He submerged and disappeared below the water. 

However, a trail of bubbles fleeing the spot showed exactly where the submerged lizard was. He covered about 20m underwater until he reached a clump of vegetation where he surfaced.

Find out more about water monitors here :

http://www.wildsingapore.com/wildfacts/vertebrates/reptilia/salvator.htm

http://www.naturia.per.sg/buloh/verts/monitor_lizard.htm

http://iyb2010singapore.blogspot.com/2010/12/magnificent-monitors.html

http://mangrove.nus.edu.sg/guidebooks/text/2115.htm

http://www.ecologyasia.com/verts/lizards/malayan_water_monitor.htm

http://lazy-lizard-tales.blogspot.com/2008/04/malayan-water-monitor-emblem-of.html

the uncommon common kingfisher @ lorong halus Jan2012

Managed to catch a glimpse of this now somewhat more common but previously thought uncommon (in Singapore) Common Kingfisher. Perhaps it is more commonly seen during the migratory season each year.

It flew in to perch just a little above the water and occasionally bobbed its head and looked around. It flew off shortly thereafter.

Read more about the common kingfisher here :

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Common_Kingfisher

http://www.naturia.per.sg/buloh/birds/Alcedo_atthis.htm

http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/life/Common_Kingfisher

http://singaporebirds.net/npassers_01/common_kingfisher.html

http://www.birdguides.com/species/species.asp?sp=84011

http://ibc.lynxeds.com/species/common-kingfisher-alcedo-atthis

halus wetlands lechate fishing @ Jan2012

Was at the new Halus Wetlands (it opened less than a year ago in March 2011) and joined quite a few people appreciating the ambience of the wetlands. PUB has done a wonderful job creating the wetlands.

“The Lorong Halus Wetland will provide a new space for members of the public to enjoy not just the tranquility and greenery of the wetland, but also the new habitat that this wetland has created for birds, butterflies, dragonflies and other wildlife,” said Mr Tan Nguan Sen, PUB’s Director of Catchment and Waterways. “We hope that through this site, the public will understand the functions of the wetland, be drawn closer to water and in their own way help to keep the water clean.”

However, there were quite a few people fishing there. In the words of a fisherman, "there are no signs what!".  Well, there were no signs at the pond itself but there was a prohibitory sign at the far corner of the wetlands which did not see many visitors. Some things are beyond everyday comprehension!

There were also people with full loaves of bread...also fishing....i.e. feeding the fish with bread.

Note that the flour in white bread is often bleached using potassium bromate or chlorine dioxide gas. I suppose if it is safe enough for human consumption, then it should be ok for fish...maybe. The fish were certainly enjoying it. And besides, there are no signs restricting the feeding what!

Fish living in treated lechate water could not possibly complain about stuffing themselves with bleached white bread.

Everyone thought that one of the fishermen who was using a bigass artificial lure had finally caught the  whopper he deserved in the treated lechate water pond....only to realise that he had got his line caught on the lotus plants lining the pond. It took some considerable effort but in the end, he managed to yank the line free. Of course there was some collateral damage to the plants ... but well, ... there are no signs what!

(Alas, even if there were signs ...who would stop them?)

I wonder what PUB's position is on fishing at the treated lechate water pond.

Is it allowed? Is it safe? Are the fish OK to eat?

If the fish are not safe to eat, then perhaps PUB should quickly put up signs to alert visitors 

not to fish at the treated lechate water pond.  

P.s. a No-Smoking restriction would also be a good idea as there were already a lot of ciggarette butts lining the pond edge.

You might ask...what is lechate?

Have a look here : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leachate

Now that you know what lechate is about, would you want to eat any fish from a treated lechate water pond?

Some links about the Halus Wetlands :

http://www.ura.gov.sg/pr/text/2011/pr11-25.html

http://wildsingaporenews.blogspot.com/2011/03/lorong-halus-wetland-nature-lovers-get.html

http://wondercreation.blogspot.com/2011/05/first-look-at-lorong-halus-wetland.html

http://waterqualityinsingapore.blogspot.com/2011/04/latest-wetland-craze-lorong-halus.html