Spending the first day of the New Year at the Bukit Brown cemetary may seem out of place (and contradictory to local superstitious beliefs) but I was glad that there were not many visitors on the first day of the year. This left the whole place less disturbed and the birds more relaxed.
[Note : the cemetary was designated as a Municipal Cemetary on 1 Jan 1922 by the then Municipal Commissioner Tan Kheam Hock and so the 1st of Jan is an anniversary. Find out more here. LINK]
[Note : the cemetary was designated as a Municipal Cemetary on 1 Jan 1922 by the then Municipal Commissioner Tan Kheam Hock and so the 1st of Jan is an anniversary. Find out more here. LINK]
I spent about 7 hours from about 7am until about 2pm walking about the grounds. 7am is a good time to visit the cemetary as the sounds of the various birds is more clear than the lower level of traffic noise coming from the nearby Lornie Road.
On my exit along the last stretch leading back to the carpark, I was approaching a huge rain tree at the first 'y' junction from the roundabout when a large bird took off flying low away from me towards a denser part of the surrounding foliage. It settled on a bare branch and moved to another tree soon after where it started calling out loud with its characteristic signature call. (check clip below and compare with LINK) Somewhere close by, another changeable hawk eagle returned its call. It soon took off soaring in a spiral with the midday thermals but kept to about 50 meters off the ground in a tight circular path. After flying low for about 3 minutes, the bird flew off towards the main gate still calling out occasionally. After I left the cemetary about half an hour later, I could hear the calls coming from the forested area adjacent to Kheam Hock Road. This part of the forest would eventually be cleared for the proposed road building later on in 2013.
On my exit along the last stretch leading back to the carpark, I was approaching a huge rain tree at the first 'y' junction from the roundabout when a large bird took off flying low away from me towards a denser part of the surrounding foliage. It settled on a bare branch and moved to another tree soon after where it started calling out loud with its characteristic signature call. (check clip below and compare with LINK) Somewhere close by, another changeable hawk eagle returned its call. It soon took off soaring in a spiral with the midday thermals but kept to about 50 meters off the ground in a tight circular path. After flying low for about 3 minutes, the bird flew off towards the main gate still calling out occasionally. After I left the cemetary about half an hour later, I could hear the calls coming from the forested area adjacent to Kheam Hock Road. This part of the forest would eventually be cleared for the proposed road building later on in 2013.
I wasn't alone in appreciating the eagle as a very enthusiastic lady ('GC'), an accomplished bird photographer herself, drove by with two camera-toting friends. They must have heard the eagle's calls and came looking for it. GC's enthusiasm for the eagle can be heard in the background audio accompanying the video. The eagle was flying low and provided a good subject. GC, who visits Bukit Brown probably more often than anyone else, later shared that there were 7 types of eagles which could be seen in the Bukit Brown area. I had seen a crested serpent eagle flying in the sky above Bukit Brown about half an hour earlier and I had heard from others that one can see the grey-headed fish eagle as well as the white-bellied sea eagle around too. I would assume that the dark morph version of the changeable hawk eagle can also be found around Bukit Brown. Must keep a lookout for other eagles too!
What a fabulous way to start the New Year!
Best wishes to all!
Best wishes to all!
Find out more about these rarely seen resident birds here :
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