black baza hungry @ bidadari 9Nov2013

This lone black baza came into view as it flew from tree to tree. It was hunting.
Probably for a last meal for the day at about 5.45pm. It had been a cold and wet day as the afternoon rains had been heavy.

As it flew around a tree at about 3 to 4 metres above ground level, it made a sudden change to its flightpath and went towards a nearby clump of leaves. It tussled with something on the leaves and flew away to a bare branch a few metres away.

It had caught something small and started despatching it quickly. I could not make out what it had caught but it could have been a small lizard.

From the video clip, the bird's ability to use its feet to hold its food shows it to be very adept at doing so. It took about 3 minutes to finish its small meal and then flew off around the tree.

black baza hungry @ bidadari 9Nov2013 from SgBeachBum on Vimeo.

It took about 3 minutes to finish its small meal and then flew off around the tree.

Read more about this migrant bird species :

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

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

http://www.xeno-canto.org/species/Aviceda-leuphotes

http://www.planetofbirds.com/accipitriformes-accipitridae-black-baza-aviceda-leuphotes

http://sgbeachbum.blogspot.sg/2012/02/black-baza-raptor-surprise-lorong-halus.html

Bidadari, a sampler - 15Oct2013

A selection of some of Bidadari's natural residents and seasonal visitors ...

a Bidadari sampler 15Oct2013 from SgBeachBum on Vimeo.

Last chance to see. Once development of a new housing centre takes place, most, if not all, but a much smaller portion of forest foliage will likely be cleared and the resulting patches of trees and shrubbery will likely not support a similar diversity of birds. The birds will likely find alternative sites. The squirrels and lizards will have to make a run for it. 

How many species can you name?

white-bellied sea eagle fishing @ esplanade 11Oct2013

This adult WBSE flew in rather late at about 6.40 pm to do some fishing and on its second pass over the reservoir, managed to find a good sized fish for dinner. It adjusted its flight, dropping almost straight down with a slight swoop before snatching the fish with one leg. Flying off, it secured its grip with a quick look and started flying in a wide spiral to gain height before finally heading off across the Padang.

white-bellied sea eagle fishing @ esplanade 11Oct2013 from SgBeachBum on Vimeo.

(Unavoidable background music recorded with clip)

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

sofa not so good @ Ubin-Jelutong 28Sep2013

Was out for a coastal cleanup along the first part Ubin's Jelutong shore. I had seen two rather unusual items on the second part of the shore (beyond the sluice gates) some weeks ago and wanted to take a closer look since the tide had not been suitable on the earlier occasion.

#1... a weathered yellow leather sofa.

 (you can see sofa #2 in the background - to the right - in the pic above)

 Turned upside down over a small heap of fishnets.

 a closer look at the discarded fishnets below Sofa #1

#2...another weathered yellow leather sofa

within 3 metres of sofa #1 and in a similar upside down position

(What are the odds of this occuring purely at random?)

Where could these sofas have come from?

Who put them there?

The wandering currents?

or a set of hands from nearby?

Where is the nearest human settlement?

Could the nearest human settlement have dumped these sofas on the shore?

If so, why?

P.s. The nearest peopled 'settlements' are from the offshore fishfarms just about 100-150 meters away. And they obviously do not seem to have a trash collection service despite having been where they are for ... decades.!!!!!?

mama spider creating web @ SBWR - 29Sep2013

Came across this rather bloated orb spider (Nephila antipodiana ?) re-creating a rather large web after heavy rains washed away part of its web. There was a little red male spider clinging on to the mama spider as she went about her business. 

mama spider creating web @ SBWR - 29Sep2013 from SgBeachBum on Vimeo.

Find out more about orb spiders here :

http://www.naturia.per.sg/buloh/inverts/nephila.htm

http://habitatnews.nus.edu.sg/guidebooks/spiders/text/Nephila_maculata.htm

http://habitatnews.nus.edu.sg/guidebooks/spiders/text/Nephila_antipodiana.htm

smooth-coated otter @ Ubin-OBS 28Sep2013

Was treated to a rare sighting of a lone adult otter at the OBS-Ubin sandy shore adjacent to the the jetty. It nervously trotted up the beach and started to rub its body over the sand cautiously stopping every few seconds to look around. It was on the shore for just under two minutes and trundled back down into the water before disappearing with a dive.  

smooth-coated otter @ Ubin-OBS 28Sep2013 from SgBeachBum on Vimeo.

Find out more about these otters :

http://blog.nus.edu.sg/sgotters/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smooth-coated_otter

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