diving osprey and chase @ SBWR - Jan2015

It was an afternoon for the ospreys. It's not every day that you see a better show by any of the other raptors. These ospreys are migratory visitors from elsewhere in the Northern hemisphere which spend the colder winter months in and around warmer Singapore. They return north by about end-March. 

The afternoon skies were filled with 4 ospreys. This was unusual in itself as there would usually be about 1 or at most 2 at opposite ends of the shore. One of the ospreys took flight after having sat on a wooden pole at a kelong for a good part of the afternoon. It soon took a turn almost straight down shifting a little before swooping into a steep dive exploding into the water with great force. It soon started flapping its wings lifting its wet body out of the water with a fish attached to its talons.

Ospreys are different from other coastal fishing raptors like the white-bellied sea eagle, grey-headed fish eagle and brahminy kite as they are the only species which dive into the water whereas the others merely snatch fish from just below the water surface. Perhaps the osprey has yet to refine its technique like the others have.

After taking off, the osprey shook off the excess water with a vibrant fluffing of its feathers whilst still holding on securely to its prized catch losing a bit of height in the process, Gaining height, it fluffed its feathers again to rid itself of more water again losing a little height. It was soon targeted by another osprey which chased it trying to cause it to drop the fish. With two swift dodges, it managed to evade the competitor and was able to fly away with its dinner.

diving osprey and chase @ SBWR - Jan2015 from SgBeachBum on Vimeo.
(Videoclip has no audio)

Find out more about Ospreys and SBWR :
http://www.naturia.per.sg/buloh/birds/Pandion_haliaetus.htm
http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/birds/osprey/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Osprey

sea eagle and dinner choices @ SBWR - Jan 2015

The new Eagle Point lookout at SBWR is aptly named as the resident sea eagles do soar by during the day. A good time to see them soaring is during the evening hours between 5pm to 7pm.  Sometimes, the eagles do show off their acrobatic skills when they swoop down to catch fish at the water surface.

Exposed sandbars do present an easy source of stranded fish.

The clip shows an eagle swooping down to the sandbar and sitting beside a white object (stranded fish) on the sand(or maybe the fish was dropped by another smaller raptor like the brahminy kite circling close by). However, it decides not to grab it but flies off before spotting a live fish at the water surface. It glides down and grabs the live fish but fails to sufficiently secure it resulting in it dropping the fish.

It flies off before returning and grabbing the stranded fish from the sandbar. It is almost immediately chased by a brahminy kite which had been soaring in the area too. The brahminy had ignored the stranded fish earlier. Perhaps the fish had been too big for the brahminy to carry off but nevertheless, it did its best to chase the eagle. The eagle managed to get away with its dinner despite the harassment by the brahminy. Raptors frequently challenge each other when it comes to food and try to cause the other to drop it.

The first part of the clip was shot in slowmo with audio dubbed in from the forest nearby. The remainder of the clip shares the audio recorded at the scene with several big glass camera motor drives excitedly whirring and clicking.

sea eagle and dinner choices @ SBWR - Jan 2015 from SgBeachBum on Vimeo.

Find out more about these local birds and SBWR :

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

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

https://www.sbwr.org.sg/

mangrove bristleworm swimming @ SBWR - Jan2015

This one was a bright blue and was about 40 cm long. I had initially thought this was a snake but the only snake that comes close to it is the Malayan Blue Coral Snake which is a terrestrial forest snake. This one looked as it if was swimming much like a snake would ... only the front part of its body did not undulate from side to side like a snake would. Instead, it was only the tail end which seemed to be propelling it. Bristleworms have small bristle-like legs all along their bodies (hence the name) and this one was likely using its bristled legs to propel itself forward without having to 'snake' the front part of its body. 

mangrove bristleworm swimming @ SBWR - Jan2015 from SgBeachBum on Vimeo.

Find out more about bristleworms and SBWR :

http://www.wildsingapore.com/wildfacts/worm/polychaeta/reef.htm

https://www.sbwr.org.sg/

http://www.ecologyasia.com/verts/snakes/blue_malayan_coral_snake.htm

otter poop & 7 otters @ SBWR - Jan2015

Animal poop can give away the proximity in time of the animal. If it is moist and smells strongly, then it is more likely that the animal was at the scene not long ago. If the poop is dry or doesn't smell, then it is more likely that the poop is old poop. Fresh otter poop has a distinctively strong pervading smell which quickly attracts flies.

The clip starts with a slowmo bit showing flies set on the otter poop which is mainly fish scales and other fish bits. Sometimes, the poop may show that the otters have been feeding on prawns. Fish scales and prawn shells are passed out making it easy to generally identify what the otters have been eating.

I soon came across the otters. This was a new group of seven and their presence seems to have displaced the residing group of 4 last seen about two weekends ago. Otter families do not apparently get along and the smaller family group of four was likely displaced from the area by the incoming seven. This is despite all the fresh fish within the Nature Reserve.

This group of seven had one otter which stood out from amongst the rest. It had an unsusual dark coat much darker than the rest. Seen third from left at about 00:29 to about 00:39. It head markings were also different in that it had dark cheeks and a dark under-chin as well. Looks like this is a female (i'm guessing because i could not see a male's sexual organs when it stood up). Wonder if we will see dark morph otters in future provided this one survives and has a litter of her own.

otter poop & 7 otters @ SBWR - Jan2015 from SgBeachBum on Vimeo.

The otters went about rubbing their fur on the ground. This is likely to get rid of excess salt and water on their fur. They do spend a considerable amount of time grooming themselves to ensure that their fur is kept in top condition. After a good rub, they went down into the mangroves likely to look for more fish and prawns.

Find out more about smooth-coated otters, SBWR and otters in general : : http://www.wildsingapore.com/wildfacts/vertebrates/mammals/perspicillata.htm

https://www.sbwr.org.sg/
https://www.sbwr.org.sg/wetlands/text/99-6-1-10.htm
http://wdfw.wa.gov/living/river_otters.html

thieving eagle vs. hapless great billed heron @ Pulau Ubin - Jan2015

I had just started to observe a great billed heron fishing on a shore when another bird flew into the frame snatching what seems to be a fish from the shore near the heron. The incoming bird was probably a sub-adult fish eagle, perhaps a grey headed but maybe alternatively a white bellied eagle.

The eagle flew off with its catch into the adjacent mangrove forest leaving the heron running after it in protest. Too late. Fishing birds have to make sure that they hold on to their meals lest another grabs it away.

Thieving Eagle and hapless Great Biiled Heron @ Pulau Ubin - Jan2015 from SgBeachBum on Vimeo.

Find out more about these endangered birds :

http://sgbeachbum.blogspot.sg/2011/07/rip-great-billed-heron-sbwr.html

http://nusavifauna.wordpress.com/2012/07/27/grey-headed-fish-eagle/ 

http://nusavifauna.wordpress.com/2012/07/28/white-bellied-sea-eagle/

http://singaporebirds.net/npassers_04/white-bellied_sea_eagle.html

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

http://lifes-indulgences.blogspot.sg/2014/11/great-billed-heron-courtship-dance.html

http://sgbeachbum.blogspot.sg/2012/07/fishing-great-billed-heron-chek-jawa.html

http://sgbeachbum.blogspot.sg/2010/02/great-billed-herons-big-sister.html

marsh harrier at rest @ sg balang - Dec 2014

It was about 6.15pm at Sungei Balang and the sky was turning slightly dark due to ominous rain clouds on the edge of the ricefields. It had rained heavy for about an hour earlier in the afternoon and the everything was still a bit wet. Only about 10% of the fields were brown having been harvested sometime earlier and left unplanted. The remaining 90% were very green and flooded. Quite a few of the resident raptors such as brahminy kites and black-winged (or -shouldered) kites had been active flying about looking for dinner. The menu would have contained frogs and snakes mostly. The rats would likely only appear after the flooded fields have been drained and the padi harvested.

On the way out through one of the paths, a short frond bore an unmistakeable form. At first glance through the warp of the windscreen, I thought it was a juvenile brahminy kite. Slowly approaching closer, this was realised to be a marsh harrier. After taking some initial record shots, moving the car closer slowly proved a good ploy. The car was about 5 metres away and the engine switched off. The cover of the car provided a good vantage point for the camera to be carefully extended out and rested on the sideview mirror casing angled appropriately at the bird's direction. The bird eventually flew off showing a characteristic white band on its rump. 

I'm guessing this was a juvenile female eastern marsh harrier. It also had a dash of white at the top rear of its head which is partially visible at certain parts of the clip. A most beautiful bird. Glad it took some time out to share its beauty.

(There is a residual hum in the background and that is presumably from the motorised sprayer in use by one of the farmhands about a hundred metres away.)

marsh harrier at rest @ sg balang - Dec 2014 from SgBeachBum on Vimeo.

Find out more about the marsh harriers :

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

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

http://www.birdlife.org/datazone/species/factsheet/61709141

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

http://ibc.lynxeds.com/species/eastern-marsh-harrier-circus-spilonotus

http://www.arkive.org/marsh-harrier/circus-aeruginosus/

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

http://www.rspb.org.uk/discoverandenjoynature/discoverandlearn/birdguide/name/m/marshharrier/

http://www.besgroup.org/2009/03/05/western-and-eastern-marsh-harriers-in-singapore/