An observation of a smooth-coated otter at the Pasir Ris Mangroves at Sungei Tampines, Singapore on 15 March 2015.
Another frequent visitor to the viewing platform commented that there had been a pair of otters seen regularly the days preceding and was anxiously looking around for the other otter. There was only one for that morning and it swam around the shallower parts of the river bank looking for lunch.
It soon made its way towards the end of the canal where it was quite rocky and caught something rather small, perhaps a small fish, which it despatched quickly. It caught its first meal about four and a half minutes after arriving at the spot. Within another couple of minutes it managed to catch a larger fish much to the delight of the observing grey herons which were waiting to grab the chunky leftovers as otters are usually messy eaters.
It took its time to munch through this larger fish spending about ten minutes eating the choice parts. Different otters also seem to like starting at different ends. Some choose the heads and some prefer the tails. Otters frequently start at one end of the fish but seldom proceed all the way to the other end. Significant chunks are usually left behind providing an easy meal for other opportunistic scavengers.
It abandoned the rest of the fish and swam across to the far side of the river swimming underwater and briefly surfacing before it went for a long dive and disappeared into the mangrove waters.
lone otter @ pasir ris - March 2015 from SgBeachBum on Vimeo.
Find out more about the smooth-coated otters :
http://www.wildsingapore.com/wildfacts/vertebrates/mammals/perspicillata.htm
Showing posts with label pasir ris. Show all posts
Showing posts with label pasir ris. Show all posts
Tuesday, March 24, 2015
Sunday, June 22, 2014
crab-eating snake & dinner @ pasir ris mangrove - June 2014
Came across what seemed to be a neat spiral lump of turd on the sandy mangrove floor. It was about 6.30pm and getting dark. It looked suspiciously like someone had an emergency and 'had to go'. Only this little lump began to move slowly. It was alive.
At first i thought this was a mangrove pit viper. It's colour was a deep dark brown close to black. However, the shape of the head was not as triangular as the pit vipers i had come across earlier. And it was on the ground. I had never seen a pit viper on sandy ground. All my mangrove pit viper sightings have been of the snake wrapped around the branches of a tree. This one, I was prepared to assume, had fallen from an overhanging tree branch.
It was eating something as it moved its head swallowing the item. My guess was that the snake was eating a crab. It soon finished swallowing the 'crab' and straightened itself out. It was about 45cm long and had a pale patch below the head on its underside. The bulge of the prey item in the snake's throat was clearly noticeable as it would slowly move further down the snake's digestive tract. It flicked out its tongue as it moved towards a sandy mound and into a hole in the mound before totally disappearing into it.
The crab-eating snake is mildly venomous but is of little risk to humans (like most snakes which prefer to shy away from people). It is rarely seen as it is a nocturnal hunter and it more commonly encountered as the light fades and after dark.
The crab-eating snake is mildly venomous but is of little risk to humans (like most snakes which prefer to shy away from people). It is rarely seen as it is a nocturnal hunter and it more commonly encountered as the light fades and after dark.
Read more about the Crab-Eating snake here :
Monday, September 16, 2013
malayan water monitor holed up @ pasir ris mangrove 14Sep2013
The amazing disappearing magic show by a Malayan Water Monitor was one of the highlights observed during a free nature walk conducted by the Naked Hermit Crabs volunteer guides.
The lizard was about 1.4m long (maybe a bit longer as it had a very long tail) and had been resting on a branch of a mangrove tree which reached above the viewing platform. It was already about 6.30pm and the lizard must have been basking in the afternoon sun on a safe perch on a high branch. Some kids spotted it on the high branch and their howls of delight must have been too much for the lizard. We need to be quiet in Nature Parks so that the animals do not run and hide which is exactly what this lizard did. The lizard crawled down the branch to a hole in the trunk of the tree. The hole was not much wider than the lizard's head and certainly smaller than the lizard's belly girth. It cautiously looked inside the hole to see if anything else was inside before deciding that all was good. The video clip is self-explanatory....the background dialogue is also interesting. It was certainly amazing to see the entire lizard disappear into the cavity.
Check out all the mangrove denizens spotted during the walk at the unique Pasir Ris mangroves at this link http://nakedhermitcrabs.blogspot.sg/2013/09/family-fun-exploring-pasir-ris-mangroves.html.
Find out more about the unique Pasir Ris mangroves :
Find out about wild happenings in Singapore here :
And here are some fabulous links about the star of this blogpost...the ubiquitous Malayan Water Monitor :
http://varanidae.org/6_1_Ng-and-Mendyk.pdf - read about a water monitor getting eaten by crocodiles at SBWR!
Sunday, September 15, 2013
buffy fish owl @ pasir ris mangrove - 14Sep2013
Finally got a few seconds worth of this rarely seen fishing owl in the Pasir Ris Mangrove.
The owl was spotted during a free nature walk conducted by a group of passionate volunteers who call themselves the 'Naked Hermit Crabs'. Find out more about their fabulous free walks! Join them as they show you what gems Singapore's shores and mangroves have! Send them an email at nakedhermitcrabs@gmail.com.
The owl was spotted during a free nature walk conducted by a group of passionate volunteers who call themselves the 'Naked Hermit Crabs'. Find out more about their fabulous free walks! Join them as they show you what gems Singapore's shores and mangroves have! Send them an email at nakedhermitcrabs@gmail.com.
Check out all the mangrove denizens spotted during the walk at the unique Pasir Ris mangroves at this link http://nakedhermitcrabs.blogspot.sg/2013/09/family-fun-exploring-pasir-ris-mangroves.html.
Find out more about the unique Pasir Ris mangroves :
Find out about wild happenings in Singapore here :
Find out more about this fabulous owl :
Monday, August 12, 2013
bad birding practice @ pasir ris - 11Aug2013
Visited a small nook at Pasir Ris to see if there was any appearance by the rarely seen Greater Painted Snipe(GPS). However, the disappointment came not only from a no show (which I had been expecting) from this shy bird, but mainly from the wanton use and discard of styrofoam boards on the muddy ground.
I had previously seen photographers use these boards to stand their tripods on them or even sit their chairs on the boards whilst waiting for the GPS to show but I had assumed that the photographers would know better than to simply abandon the boards on the ground once their watch was over.
As can be seen in the photo, some bit of the boards had broken off and littered the muddy ground. The smaller bits of styrofoam will likely remain in the ground for a very very long time (forever by human lifetime references) and I hope the GPS or some other animal would not inadvertently consume the muddied styrofoam granules peppering the muddy ground.
The two photographers on the right who have been masked out are doing the RIGHT thing as pictured by using boots and being unafraid of the mud. The styrofoam boards to the left were probably left by other photographer(s) doing the WRONG thing.
Perhaps it is time for bird photographers to pay more attention to how they go about their art and to take a critically reflective attitude towards some basic dos and don'ts. Peer pressure by other photographers should also be practised to encourage the baddies to practise good common sense. It would be a shame if the GPS or some other animal suffered fatally from ingesting the undigestable styrofoam bits.
The bird photography community will know who the lazy photographers are and what little value to accord to their images....all of them. Professionalism does count.
I hope I maintain a decent standard of good practice as well.
It should not be too difficult.
Wednesday, May 2, 2012
wbse & eaglet & mynah @ pasir ris
Was keeping an eye on the eaglet after the adult wbse had returned with food when a mynah flew in to rest on the branch just above the nest...well within reach of the adult wbse. The mynah stayed for about a minute before flying off to another nearby branch. Obviously, the mynah did not feel threatened by the adult eagle which was busy nibbling some recently dead kill which it had brought to the nest.
Tuesday, May 1, 2012
coppersmith barbet @ pasir ris
Heard the characteristic dull tukh tukh sound which comes from a coppersmith barbet whilst at the Pasir Ris Mangroves. I have heard the characteristic call at other forested locations around Singapore, but have never managed to see the bird in action. I made it a point to search it out and located the tree which I thought it was in by walking around it and listening to the repeating 'tukh tukh' sound. After a few frustrating minutes at each branch looking for what was essentially a needle in a haystack, I did managed to spot it on a high branch near the edge of the mangrove.
There were quite a few other bird chirps from other birds in the area as well as the ding-ding from a passing cyclist.
There were quite a few other bird chirps from other birds in the area as well as the ding-ding from a passing cyclist.
It stayed on the tree for about ten minutes in total (at least from when I first heard it) afterwhich it flew to another tree in the park about 50 metres away where it stayed and called out for about a minute before flying off again further into the park.
Why is it called a Coppersmith Barbet? This is because of the characteristic dull tukh tukh sound which somewhat resembles the sound made by a coppersmith's hammer repeatedly hitting a copper sheet.
Read more about this bird :
Sunday, April 29, 2012
wbse chased @ pasir ris - April 2012
White-bellied sea eagles are a common sight over the skies at Pasir Ris. Especially over the forest bordered by Elias Road and Pasir Ris Drive 3 as there are at least 3 nests in this small patch of forest.
Eventhough these eagles are the Singapore's largest resident birds, they are sometimes mobbed by smaller birds keen to keep their air clear of large raptors.
The clip shows a much smaller bird mobbing a wbse in the sky over Pasir Ris Drive 3.
This is going to be a rare sight once the forest patch is developed. Last chance to see.
Wednesday, April 25, 2012
WBSE eaglet @ nest 2 @ pasir ris - 22Apr2012
A short clip of the eaglet at nest 2 (opposite Blk 626 Pasir Ris Drive 3).
The adults were nowhere to be seen. They may have been away looking for food. This eaglet did not move very much and stayed rather still in its nest for the most part.
Time : about 3.15pm
Unfortunately for the eagles, this patch now also has its own 'Land for Sale' signboard. Nest 2 is situated in a tall tree just behind the signboard. Last chance to see.
The following link is to a poignant article about another patch of forest at Yishun which was cleared some years ago. The Vanishing Forest of Yishun by Melissa Lin
Tuesday, April 24, 2012
WBSE eaglet @ nest 1 @ pasir ris - 22Apr2012
Was pleasantly surprised to see an unfledged white-bellied sea eagle chick in two of the nests within the coastal forest at Pasir Ris. There was an earlier post about this patch. See this link.
Here is a collection of clips of the nest #1 eaglet :-
One interesting observation was when it raised itself to a higher part of the nest edge and ejected liquid projectile poo from its posterior right out of the nest area. Toilet training from such a young age!
Nest #1's eaglet was rather active. It popped up its head to look around every now and then in addition to stretching its wings. My guess is that this eaglet is about 5 weeks old. (see this link for info about the Bald Eagle)
one of the adult birds kept a close watch on the eaglet... can you spot the adult?
Unfortunately for the eagles, this patch now also has its own 'Land for Sale' signboard.
Seeing that the Tender Submission date is June 2012, I hope that the eaglets would have outgrown the need for the nest in good time before the land is developed further.
It's a 'last chance to see' moment. Bring a good pair of binos though.
The following link is to a poignant article about another patch of forest at Yishun which was cleared some years ago. The Vanishing Forest of Yishun by Melissa Lin
The following link is to a poignant article about another patch of forest at Yishun which was cleared some years ago. The Vanishing Forest of Yishun by Melissa Lin
Thursday, March 8, 2012
pitta and bathing waterhen @ pasir ris - feb 2012
At about 7pm, the light level had dropped considerably and the lower light levels below the mangrove canopy made it difficult to capture the busy Mangrove Pitta which was still actively running about its muddy little patch flipping leaves and looking for food. The rest of the photographers had left leaving the air clear of persistent clicks from motor drives.
The pitta suddenly made a beeline deeper into the clump of mangrove trees. I followed it along the boardwalk and managed to get a good angle. The pitta had been distracted by a waterhen which had intruded into its little patch of the mangrove. The waterhen had started to have a bath in a shallow stream of water flowing through the mangrove clump and the pitta must have been distracted by the sounds of water splashing. It kept a close watch on the intruding waterhen for a few seconds before deciding that the waterhen was not to be a bother and then running off continuing its search for dinner. The waterhen was probably 'recognised' by the pitta as a resident neighbour from the surrounding mangrove. I wonder if the pitta would chase off any other intruding bird.
Read more about this colourful bird :
Read more about the white-breasted waterhen here :
http://singaporebirds.net/npassers_02/white-breasted_waterhen.html(incl. audio link)
http://www.xeno-canto.org/species/Amaurornis-phoenicurus (incl. audio links)
Monday, March 5, 2012
hunting waterhen @ pasir ris - Feb 2012
White-breasted waterhens are probably one of the most common bird species seen in our parks, gardens, mangroves and in fact just about anywhere there is a body of water...and in some places far away from water too.
I've always wondered what they eat and where they go about looking for food. I was fortunate to come across one at the Pasir Ris mangrove boardwalk and it did not seem very bothered with me being just only about 2 metres from it. It was amazing to me how accustomed the bird was being in close proximity with visitors on the boardwalk. The Pasir Ris mangroves are truly a magical place for budding birdwatchers!
It was about 5.45pm and the bird was out walking about the drainage channels and turning over dead leaves which had settled on the muddy ground. As it turned over the leaves and discarded them to the side, a bare patch of mud or sand was uncovered. The waterhen very quickly pecked at the ground as if it had seen a small worm or crab which had been suddenly exposed by the removal of the leaves.
This particular section of mangrove housed many mangrove tree climbing crabs as well as burrowing crabs. I did not see the waterhen eating any crabs that time but have a reasonable hunch that crabs do play a big part of its diet, amongst other things, at the Pasir Ris mangroves ... especially the smaller crabs.
Read more about the white-breasted waterhen here :
http://singaporebirds.net/npassers_02/white-breasted_waterhen.html(incl. audio link)
http://www.xeno-canto.org/species/Amaurornis-phoenicurus (incl. audio links)
Tuesday, February 21, 2012
galloping mangrove pitta @ pasir ris - Feb2012
This rarely seen bird prefers not to fly, although it can very well, but to hop or gallop about on the ground and it does it fast! Viewed at normal speed, the bird seems to have an rather peculiar gait. However, when slowed down to 12.5%, one sees that the bird tends to gallop on both feet instead of running with each foot alternating. I'm not sure if there are any other birds which prefer, not to use their wings, but to gallop or hop like the blue-winged pitta over not-so-short distances (eg. 3 to 5 metres). Most of the birds I have observed which do walk on the ground will prefer to flap their wings to assist a walk of more than a metre. White-breasted waterhens do walk over extended distances and they also do run without using their wings but their step is one which alternates each foot. Understandably, flapping a set of wings would take up more energy than running or hopping along.
(note : the bird is actually a mangrove pitta and not a blue-winged pitta. These look very alike but there are some slight difference such as the size of the bill )
Read more about this colourful bird :
Monday, February 20, 2012
spotted wood owls @ pasir ris - Jan2012
Was informed by a friendly birder that there were some rarely seen owls nesting at Pasir Ris Park near the mangroves. I went to the location and started looking. It was like looking for a needle in a haystack. Finally, after some aching neck muscles, I spotted the first one. This was an adult Spotted Wood Owl. And closeby on the same tree, was a juvenile. The juvenile was covered in more white feathers as compared to the darker plumage of the adult. It was about 5pm and both birds were sitting silently on the high branches of the tree. Their wide faces and big eyes following every movement. Apparently, there were supposed to be two adult birds. I could not locate the other one that day though. Perhaps it was in the nearby mangroves. It was fascinating to know that the Pasir Ris mangroves and park could support such rarely seen birds of prey.
According to the Singapore Red Data Book, this species of owl is critially endangered.
One of the main causes of this is probably due to habitat destruction. There just aren't enough patches of forest left in Singapore to sustain more of these rare birds.
According to the Singapore Red Data Book, this species of owl is critially endangered.
One of the main causes of this is probably due to habitat destruction. There just aren't enough patches of forest left in Singapore to sustain more of these rare birds.
Read more about these amazing owls :-
Thursday, February 16, 2012
whimbrel at rest @ pasir ris - Feb2012
Visited the Pasir Ris mangroves in early February and came across this wader sitting across from the mangrove viewing platform near the Heronry. It was quietly sitting on a branch amongst overhanging leaves. It was a little finicky in that it was keeping a lookout for any sudden concerns....a predatory raptor maybe? It was a high tide at that time and so the mudflats all around the mangrove would have been covered. Not much for a wader to do but to sit out the tide.
The wailing in the background was coming from some party function at a park shelter some distance away. The volume control knob must have broken off as it was rather loud. Perhaps the whimbrel was instead annoyed by the loud music instead.That would not have been surprising. Perhaps the park managers need to exercise some volume control over such sound intensive activities. The Pasir Ris mangroves are after all one of the last remaining mangrove patches on mainland Singapore's Northern coastline.
Time : about 4.00 pm
Location : Pasir Ris Mangroves, opposite viewing platform
Read more about the whimbrel here :
Saturday, February 4, 2012
brown-throated sunbird @ pasir ris - Jan2012
Came across a male brown-throated sunbird* sitting on a tree at Pasir Ris Park. This was close to the mangroves and by the footpath where there were quite a few park visitors walking by. Time was about 6.30pm. The bird kept twitting away with a rather monotonous 'twit twit twit...' and it was unconcerned with the passing people. The brown of the throat and the somewhat shimmering upper parts of the wings are not clearly visible...but an experienced birder would know that this was a brown-throated sunbird. [unless a more experienced birder tells me otherwise :)]
(*thanks once again to DTJX for the ID correction)
Read more about this bird :
Sunday, January 1, 2012
white-bellied sea eagle forest @ pasir ris - 01Jan2012
A short write-up on a section of forest at Pasir Ris near Elias Road which houses at least 3 WBSE nests which are visited by 3 pairs of eagles (my assumption). No eagle chicks seen in any of the nests yet.
I would not normally post locations of birds nests but these are high and far away enough to be out of reach of 'flashy' or otherwise destructive photographers/enthusiasts.
I had known, through a friend, of one white-bellied sea eagle nest (with a pair of eagles in residence) near the edge of the forest near Paris Ris Heights. The nest (#1) is visible from Elias Road.
(click on the pics for a bigger pic)
Here is Mr Ng who had also known of the nest and who dropped by on his bino-equipped scooter last weekend to have a look at the nest from Elias Road. The nest is high up the tree in the middle of the photo.
a closeup of nest #1
here is a clip shot the week before of an eagle at nest #1.
a short clip of a nest #1 eagle in the nest looking around before flying off
I did not know that eagles are able to twist their heads 180 degrees. I had thought that only owls were capable of that. You can see this in the clip before the bird flies off.
(shot on 02Jan2012@7.13pm)
and a short clip of an eagle from nest #1 resting on a branch above the nest
(shot on 02Jan2012@7.15pm)
[possibly the same eagle as in the preceding clip]
However, the eagles were elusive in that they would refuse to visit the nest if anyone was close by i.e. if one tried to walk up the adjacent hillock. I decided against that approach and since I had seen the eagles flying in the skies above the neighbourhood and above the tree-tops, I thought that a nearby HDB block would give a good view of the birds in flight.
The 13th floor of Block 626 does present a spectacular view of the forest adjacent to Pasir Ris Farmway 1 although nest #1 itself was obscured by foliage.
What I did not realise was that it was not only a great vantage spot to various birds flying in and out of the forest. but that it enabled one to spot other large nests in the upper layer of the trees. There were two nests clearly visible from the 13th floor. One was a very large nest (#2) which was partially obscured surrounded by leafy branches.
The other nest (#3) was much further away and it was in the fork of a tree with an unobstructed view.
Both nests were empty when i first spotted them. Nest #2 was much bigger than nest #3 and it was probably a lot older having been reused over many years.
However, the green of the treetops was soon interrupted by a pair of large black and white wings returning to nest #2. Shortly thereafter, another pair of wings joined the first at nest #2. Both eagles stayed in the nest for a couple of minutes before one flew off into the foliage of the trees nearby. Then the other followed suit but with what looked like the remains of a longish fish in its beak. They disappeared into the foliage below the nest. However, i could hear the unmistakeable squawking of the eagles and shifted my viewpoint towards the left end of the corridor. I was just in time to see one eagle mount the other eagle on a branch somewhere below the nest. It took just a few seconds and then the male (presumably) eagle took its position beside the other eagle (presumably female).
The pic shows the two eagles ex-post facto with the male on the right partially hidden by the tree with the female looking at him.
Here is a short clip of the two lovebirds
Nest #3 had been empty all this time but one (i'm assuming there is a pair) of it's resident eagles had flown in and was busy pecking (eating) at something and occasionally looking around.
Here is a short vidclip of the eagle at nest #3.
It was surprising to know that the 3 nests were all within about 150m to 300m of each other. This patch of forest was able to support the nest building and maintenance of 3 nests by the 3 pairs of eagles (although i have not seen the other eagle at nest #3).
I hope there are no plans to develop any part of the forest. Let's hope the forest is left alone as it has for the past 18 years at least. That what a resident said as she moved in 18 years ago and the trees were all much much shorter providing her with an actual sea view whereas now, most of the seaview has become blocked by the taller trees which the eagles seem to prefer.
An adjacent forested plot of land across Elias Road has been earmarked for sale by HDB and there is a large billboard highlighting the pending sale for condominium development.
a short video pan of the eagle forest from left to right.
The leftmost part of the forest is on Mindef 'shoot-you-on-sight-red-billboard' land. However, the rightmost part bordering Elias Road is not.
I suppose living in a land-starved country poses greatly conflicting land-use issues and a balance is sometimes impossible to manage. Pity the white-bellied sea eagles are not rare birds but rather common. Indeed they are seen as pests around Changi Airport due to their large size and the potential impact on jet engines and airline safety.
Forest habitat loss will probably push them from mainland Singapore eventually except for already threatened pockets around the Central Catchment areas and other minor forested areas.
Last Chance to See and appreciate the Eagle Forest!
Showtimes : from a brief observation over a couple of days, flight usually is prevalent in the mornings with the birds flying in and out until about 1pm. Thereafter its siesta time until about 5.30pm whereupon its flight time again until about 7pm when they seem to perch on nearby trees for the night. These birds have been seen coasting the Pasir Ris coast and flying between Pasir Ris and Pulau Ubin sometimes in pairs.
An adjacent forested plot of land across Elias Road has been earmarked for sale by HDB and there is a large billboard highlighting the pending sale for condominium development.
a short video pan of the eagle forest from left to right.
The leftmost part of the forest is on Mindef 'shoot-you-on-sight-red-billboard' land. However, the rightmost part bordering Elias Road is not.
I suppose living in a land-starved country poses greatly conflicting land-use issues and a balance is sometimes impossible to manage. Pity the white-bellied sea eagles are not rare birds but rather common. Indeed they are seen as pests around Changi Airport due to their large size and the potential impact on jet engines and airline safety.
Forest habitat loss will probably push them from mainland Singapore eventually except for already threatened pockets around the Central Catchment areas and other minor forested areas.
Last Chance to See and appreciate the Eagle Forest!
Showtimes : from a brief observation over a couple of days, flight usually is prevalent in the mornings with the birds flying in and out until about 1pm. Thereafter its siesta time until about 5.30pm whereupon its flight time again until about 7pm when they seem to perch on nearby trees for the night. These birds have been seen coasting the Pasir Ris coast and flying between Pasir Ris and Pulau Ubin sometimes in pairs.
Read more about this magnificent bird :
http://www.naturia.per.sg/buloh/birds/Haliaeetus_leucogaster.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White-bellied_Sea_Eagle
http://infopedia.nl.sg/articles/SIP_579_2005-01-05.html
http://singaporebirds.net/npassers_04/white-bellied_sea_eagle.html
http://www.iucnredlist.org/apps/redlist/details/106003359/0
http://www.nss.org.sg/report/f494524f-1SingaporeRaptorReportJan11.pdf
http://www.besgroup.org/2010/01/09/white-bellied-sea-eagles-catch-sea-snakes/
http://besgroup.blogspot.com/2006/05/white-bellied-fish-eagle-fishing-rat.html
http://besgroup.blogspot.com/2006/09/white-bellied-sea-eagle-not-just.html
http://www.ecologyasia.com/verts/birds/raptors.htm
http://www.naturia.per.sg/buloh/birds/Haliaeetus_leucogaster.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White-bellied_Sea_Eagle
http://infopedia.nl.sg/articles/SIP_579_2005-01-05.html
http://singaporebirds.net/npassers_04/white-bellied_sea_eagle.html
http://www.iucnredlist.org/apps/redlist/details/106003359/0
http://www.nss.org.sg/report/f494524f-1SingaporeRaptorReportJan11.pdf
http://www.besgroup.org/2010/01/09/white-bellied-sea-eagles-catch-sea-snakes/
http://besgroup.blogspot.com/2006/05/white-bellied-fish-eagle-fishing-rat.html
http://besgroup.blogspot.com/2006/09/white-bellied-sea-eagle-not-just.html
http://www.ecologyasia.com/verts/birds/raptors.htm
Sunday, December 25, 2011
suicidal bugs v champion bee-eater @ Pasir Ris Mangroves
Did not notice that the bee-eater managed to catch a bug in flight but it certainly did!
Only noticed the successful catch when i slowed down the videoclip.
It's amazing how the bird is able to follow and track the flight of the bugs in realtime. It is obvious that the bird is able to guess where an approaching bug will be in order to catch it.
The clip shows a bee-eater being apparently dive-bombed by some bugs. It follows the bugs even to the extent of twisting its neck backwards. Finally, it sees a bug approaching and with a timely hop off its perch, and despite the strong wind swaying the tree which provides the perch, it grabs the bug in its beak with finesse and flies away. (Look at the 25% and 12.5% slo-mo segments).
Simply amazing!
The clip shows a bee-eater being apparently dive-bombed by some bugs. It follows the bugs even to the extent of twisting its neck backwards. Finally, it sees a bug approaching and with a timely hop off its perch, and despite the strong wind swaying the tree which provides the perch, it grabs the bug in its beak with finesse and flies away. (Look at the 25% and 12.5% slo-mo segments).
Simply amazing!
Location : Pasir Ris Mangroves
Time : at about 1.30pm
Read more about the blue-tailed beeeater here :http://www.naturia.per.sg/buloh/birds/Merops_philippinus.htm
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