I had seen this flash of black flying past occasionally over the past few months but was fortunate to see it in the open and stationary finally on 01 June 2015. I'm informed that this is a rare spot for this time of the year as this bird is an uncommon migrant and the migratory period ends in March-April each year.
However, i soon realised that there was not one but two black bitterns (both with adult plumage) within about 5 metres of each other. Perhaps these have taken up permanent residence in Singapore. Even a dragonfly thought it was ok to land on the videoed bittern for a short time. I guess the top of the bittern was the safest place to be for a dragonfly. The bittern shook off the unwanted tenant and continued with its morning breakfast hunt for a good many small fish.
Find out more about this rarely seen (in Singapore at the middle of the year) bird :
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_bittern
http://www.birdlife.org/datazone/species/factsheet/22697334
http://besgroup.blogspot.com/2006/12/black-bittern.html
http://besgroup.blogspot.com/2006/12/black-bittern-hunter.html
http://www.theguardian.com/science/punctuated-equilibrium/2011/feb/04/4
Monday, June 1, 2015
Thursday, March 26, 2015
grey-headed fish eagle squawk & flight @ SBWR - Feb 2015
Was fortunate to come across one of Singapore's endangered birds, a large bird of prey no less, at the Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve. It was a breezy February afternoon and the bird let out a characteristic squawk (at about 00:17). This, i'm guessing, was a territorial call of some sort. There was unfortunately no return call from a distant corner. There were other raptors resident in the area, namely the more commonly seen, and largest raptor in Singapore, the White Bellied Sea Eagle and also the ubiquitous Brahminy Kite. It waited for about a minute and a half before calling out again. (I had changed positions to find a better vantage point). It was finally forced off its perch by the strong February winds and it flew off to find another tree where perhaps it would have more luck with a return call.
The clip from 01:46 shows what is possibly the same GHFE taking off from another tree.
I hope this critically endangered species survives endangerment and thrives in Singapore. As a fish eagle, it does require a decent pool of water well stocked with fish and sufficiently tall trees to build a nest in. It needs an ecosystem. Can Singapore maintain this beautiful large raptor for the next generation? We need to maintain our forested areas near water bodies.
Find out more about our spectacular raptors :
Tuesday, March 24, 2015
lone otter @ pasir ris - March 2015
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
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
Monday, February 9, 2015
macaque mama, baby and some cake @ SBWR - Feb 2015
Everybody like cake. Some like it with simple raw ingredients. Many animals, including some human communities, indulge in geophagy, eating mud or clay as a necessary part of their dietary practice. It may help as a detoxification practice or a nutrition supplement.
Go eat some dirt! It may be good for you! but Don't feed the monkeys!
In the videoclip, the baby macaque is seen on what appears to be a mudlobster excavation mound. It is seen eating a small piece of dried marine clay which it had broken off from the mound. It later jumps up to join its mother on a sea hibiscus branch. The mama macaque had broken off a larger fist-size chunk of dried clay and was busy munching on the mud. The baby can be seen reaching out to mama's hand as if to sneak a pinch from mama's cake. It did this three times missing all three attempts as mama ignored it. Mama then decided to move up further into the sea hibiscus bramble and baby jumped behind it missing a good purchase on a branch ending up upside down for a brief bit before it regained its gymnastic ability scampering behind mama.
Find out more at these links :
and also about our macaques :
and mudlobsters:
and the ubiquitous sea hibiscus
Sunday, February 1, 2015
sea eagle grabs catfish @ SBWR - Jan2015
Some days the birdwatching is better than others. This white-bellied sea eagle suddenly appeared in the late afternoon sky over Eagle Point at SBWR. It flew around surveying the shallow waters before sharply turning and lowering its legs at it descended towards the water. The January winds were strong and relentless, buffeting everything it its path at times providing easy lift for the soaring raptors.
The eagle however had to lower its legs early to slow down its approach. As it descended slowly towards the water's edge, it used its wings legs and tail to effectively 'brake' its descent to a perfectly timed forward reach with its legs to grab the fish from just below the water surface.
What a show!
The clip was shot in slowmo (100fps). Audio dubbed in from a separate recording from the nearby mangrove.
Read more about these magnificient birds and the Nature Reserve :
Tuesday, January 27, 2015
downtown eaglets @ singapore - Mar 2013
I'm estimating that these white-bellied sea eagle chicks are between 3 to 4 weeks old (perhaps closer to 4 weeks). [videoclip shot in March 2013].
About 2 months after nest building had stabilised, there were 2 chicks which popped their heads up from deep within the bowl of the nest. It took about two more months before the chicks fledged successfully. This was in good time before the nest failed in strong winds.
It is not often one gets to see an eagle nest in the middle of a bustling concrete jungle. White-bellied sea eagles are Singapore's largest resident raptor. They are usually seen around coastal areas. Seeing them in Singapore's Central Business District is certainly an eye-opener as these are very large birds with wingspans up to 2 metres across. Good to see another generation of eagles in the busiest part of Singapore.
downtown eaglets @ singapore - Mar2013 from SgBeachBum on Vimeo.
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