Birds that I see in Singapore

Aerial display

2009-12-13T18:16:00.003+08:00

This bird soared high above the Palm Valley of the Singapore Botanic Gardens. I pointed my camera and tried my luck. Fluke shots.

Sparrows

2009-12-09T17:56:00.006+08:00

Sparrows are seen often these days. I remember them from my childhood when I used to watch them hopping about in the sun in my backyard pecking on bits of edible stuff on the ground. For a number of years, I don't remember seeing them around. Nowadays I see them in my garden. What happened to the mynahs that used to be so numerous? I don't miss them for they were noisy birds and quarrelsome ones too. These sparrows were nesting in a bamboo thicket by the pond in the Singapore Botanic Gardens and flying in and out as if playing hide-and-seek. They were also looking out for bits of bread on ground that were used to feed the fish.

Spotted Dove

2009-10-30T14:27:00.005+08:00

I spotted this Dove from afar and even with the stretching of my Olympus 84.2mm zoom lens to the maximum, I only managed to bring it this much closer. Not good enough and really I should have used my Canon 400D with the more powerful zoom. If only! Since I happened to have in my hand the Olympus with its frustrating slow response to anything, I had to make the best use of it because birds are such restless creatures - even this spotted dove that was walking along the edge of a retaining wall. It was pecking at bits of the plants apparently having its breakfast. Conscious of its highly exposed position, it constantly looked up and down and around before taking a cautious peck at the plants.

Frustrating moment - The spotted dove flew off before the shutter of my camera was activated.

Bubul surveying site for nest

2009-10-19T10:02:00.002+08:00

After I pruned my Bougainvillea plant some weeks ago, the bubuls have avoided coming to my backyard. Now the new shoots have sufficient leaves to hide their visits. This serious-looking bubul saw a potential site for its nest in the bundle of shoots that I had tied up and secured to the fence. How did I know?

It dived into the 'bundle' and moved around inside as if testing the strength of the branches. Welcome back Little Bubul and I hope you will build your nest here.

Hill Mynahs

2009-10-17T14:37:00.004+08:00

These birds (5 in the first video and 4 in the second) were perched high up the branches of a tree next to the tree-top boardwalk at Kentridge park. They were making very clear high-pitch calls in the first video taken at the start of my walk to the Hortpark. The calls sounded like a choir warming up for a practice. In the second video, taken one and half hours later, there were 4 birds left but they must have had a very good practice session for they were singing a melodious tune in combination.

Sunbird encounter

2009-10-07T16:23:00.003+08:00

You cannot get within 20 metres of these birds, so I have learned. Unfortunately I did not have a better camera with a good zoom lens. Still, I think these pictures are worth posting for they are snippets of the life of this very fast-moving and busy bird and it is not easy to capture them taking a refreshing sip of nectar from the flowers.

Mynah

2009-08-25T00:15:00.005+08:00

I apologise for the poor quality of these photos. These shots were made using the digital zoom feature of my IXUS 870IS which explains the lack of clarity and definition in the subject. However, I am posting these photos because they are the only record of a phenomenon that I have not witnessed before. Most times Mynahs such as this one here are part of groups of three or four birds. They have become very common in our parks and gardens and have also become so urbanised that they even have the boldness to take their lunch at our hawker centres pecking at the leftovers on the plates. They are gregarious and I have witnessed a number of fights amongst themselves. Once I saw a group of three or four birds attacking a smaller mynah viciously.

This time I saw this solitary bird very much alone. I would not have noticed it had it not been for its noisiness and when I took time to give it my full attention I noticed that it was preening and puffing up its feathers and I guessed it must be trying to attract the attention of an interested female. Unfortunately for it, the only female was me and I was available. Sadly it did not give me even a second look. After about ten minutes of hopping from leaf to leaf and showing off its body shape, it gave up and flew away.

Bubuls are back again

2009-08-08T19:29:00.004+08:00

They came, this couple of young pudgy bubuls. They perched on the topmost branch of my bougainvillea plant as if surveying a new site to build a nest. They look very young and innocent. The mature bubuls fly off at the slightest movement I make even though I am inside the house. This bulbul did not appear to be suspicious of human beings. So I was able to take a number of shots with the zoom lens till it flew away.

Pigeons

2009-07-30T21:38:00.002+08:00

Abundant food, eat all you can. How nice if life is so simple and all you need can be had from a tree.

Not a bird but a tortoise

2009-07-17T00:07:00.006+08:00

Huh?

You bet you are!

What can you do to me, I have the best protection nature can give.

What difficulty?

You sure are a busybody!

Eh, thanks!

Yeah they are poisonous.

You have nothing better to do is it?

Sigh!

The grass is greener there!

Good bye then! Still...

You are welcome.

Same here too!

Bulbuls - the last set of pictures

2009-06-30T17:34:00.008+08:00

These pictures were taken of a pair of devoted parents taking turns to feed their young. I used my Olympus SP-55OUZ so that I could photograph these birds using the 8 X Optical zoom that allows me to keep out of sight and yet be able to capture close-up views of these ultra-sensitive creatures. Little did I know then that this was the last time that I would see these birds.

Here one moment and off the next.

Looking out for danger or threats to the nest while its partner does the feeding.

The dad and mum take turns to catch insects and be the look-0ut.

Three hundred-and-sixty degree surveillance before flying to the nest.

Here you are my lovelies!

Gone again and now it's Dad's turn to feed.

Coast is clear!

Okay safe to go the young ones now.

Pity I never got to see the baby bulbuls because...

today, when I went out to take a look at the nest in the clump of Torch Ginger plants next-door, I received a shock:

Moral of the story: Don't take things for granted. Peace and happiness are fleeting like these bulbuls. Treasure the moments of joy because they do not last. I will miss these birds and I feel really sorry that the young birds did not get a chance to grow. With the nest gone, they would not be able to survive for even if they are not harmed, the parents would abandon them because the nest has been disturbed.

Bubul nest

2009-06-22T18:39:00.008+08:00

Over two days I was hoping to get a good picture of this couple of bulbuls flying to and fro the nest they have made on the towering Torch Ginger plant in my neighbour's back garden next door. On the first day, they appeared to be taking turns to bring food back to feed the young which I never got to see.

On the second day, I managed to photograph one of them perched on the fence in the house behind me while its mate was busy delivering dinner to the kids.

I was really, really patient...

...and finally managed to get one of the parents sitting in the nest.

Not a bird, not a plane, it's an IGUANA!!!

2009-06-19T21:54:00.006+08:00

Today, I visited my mother and she greeted me at the door telling me about a monstrous creature that I thought had got into her house. I was curious about this creature and much to my relief it had not entered the house but was taking a stroll along the drain at the back of the house.

Seeing an iguana in the flesh is nothing like seeing one on Animal Planet. Even though this particular iguana did not seem very threatening, it was nevertheless quite 'monstrous looking'.

I took these photos behind a grill door and used the optical zoom when I deemed it safe to venture outside. Yes, I am quite chicken-hearted when it comes to animals especially exotic ones like this creature here. The iguana was totally engrossed in sensing its new surroundings. It tried to climb a wall.The wall was too steep and not getting a foothold, it decided to do a few poses for my camera. And then feeling bored, it carried on walking away from my camera.

Unknown bird

2009-05-14T22:59:00.003+08:00

I heard the trilling sounds of a bird up on a tree and what I saw was a pair of elegant birds flitting amongst the branches. I recall having seen these birds in captivity before. Fascinated I tried to get a good focus but to no avail because my camera's greatest limitation is its zoom capability.

The Bulbuls are here again

2009-03-12T13:17:00.002+08:00

After months of absence I saw this slim bulbul on the new shoots of my bougainvillea plant. It was not easy to take these two photos of this bird because it stopped by for fleeting seconds before flying off elsewhere.

Spotted Dove in the Singapore Botanic Gardens

2009-03-10T15:31:00.004+08:00

It was a hot Saturday afternoon. There was just me and this spotted dove seeking shelter away from the scorching sun. It was alone feeding on the fruits of the plant and when it was done it walked around the area looking pretty contented with its life.

Peacock

2009-02-11T23:26:00.002+08:00

Peacocks are found in Singapore. I have seen them in the zoo, in the Bird Park and in Sentosa. These peacocks were in Australia and they were great photographic subjects if you are interested because they roamed freely in the garden displaying their feathers as if they had been trained to do so to entertain visitors.

Superb Fairy-wren (Malurus cyaneus)

2009-01-31T23:45:00.005+08:00

This male bird is in mating attire. From what I have read, its feathers are brown when it is not looking for a mate. We were inside the apartment in Australia when this bird came knocking on the window pane with its beak and it did so for two days in a row at around the same time in the morning as if it wanted to be let in. I could not get a better shot of this attractive bird because it was hopping around in an agitated manner and when we went outside it flew away.

Female Asian Koel

2008-04-25T11:43:00.003+08:00

It was not my intention to photograph birds. It usually works like this - expect and you will be disappointed if things do not go the way you wish. Have no expectations and a surprise could await you. It happened to me when I was unprepared, caught with only a pocket digital camera that had only a 4x zoom facility - my trusty Canon IXUS 800IS. Still it was better than having no camera at all.

I could tell from the silhoutte of the creature that it was something that I had never seen before. I moved in cautiously and using the flash managed to get these photos that could help in the identification of this bird.

It was beautiful with such fine feathers and a lovely tail!

Crimson Sunbird

2008-08-19T09:40:00.004+08:00

These two are my prized shots because I have never managed to photograph these birds well enough for them to be recognizable as they are such restless creatures and my cameras are those not in the league of professional photographers. Despite this technical shortcoming, I managed to keep cool and still, while waiting for my camera to get its autofocus right. I was all the time praying for this bird to stay for just a few more seconds and miraculously it did. So, never before seen on this blog, may I introduce the crimson sunbird, and a very well-fed one at that.

Photos taken at the Yuen Ping McNiece Bromeliad Garden in the grounds of the Singapore Orchid Garden.

Bubul's visit

2008-08-12T10:48:00.003+08:00

Haven't seen you for long time. You have put on a lot of weight and it looks like you have no time to preen your feathers. What's up my little bubul?

Kingfisher and caged birds

2008-06-29T17:24:00.003+08:00

Brother I am free.
The sky is my roof.
The air warms my feathers.I am free. Here are my pampered brothers in a blue cage
surrounded by curious humans.
Ironically blue is not their sky but their prison.

Collared Kingfisher

2008-04-20T21:55:00.004+08:00

I heard the cackling call of this bird before I saw it. It was the closest I ever got to seeing this bird as it chose to land on the branch of a plumeria tree that was about ten meters from me. It looked expectant, waiting as if training its eyes on a prospective prey. I fumbled with the manual settings of the Canon SLR and made a quick decision to switch to full-auto mode.

"Ah huh, looks like my lunch over there."

"The grub is fatter on the other side."

"Too late, someone's got there first."
"Should have been mine."
"Mine, I saw it first!"Whatever its thoughts, I am glad this kingfisher stayed long enough for me to the this shot.

Sunbird

2008-04-17T11:42:00.002+08:00

These birds are small and swift and are too fast for me and my compact cameras. Usually when I hear them I just let them be. Sometimes I take it as a challenge to catch them still for just a second or so.

Yellow-vented bubul

2008-01-11T15:23:00.001+08:00

This bubul and its companion come often to rest on the branches of my Bougainvillea plant. For some reason they usually come after the rains have stopped. By now, this bulbul must be quite familiar with me knowing that all I want to do is to point a camera at it with no intention of harming it. This time, I used my Olympus camera with the 18x zoom capability, creeping nearer and nearer to take closer shots. At one point, this bubul looked me straight in the face for a few seconds without flinching even though I was moving slowly towards it. I could almost detect a look of trust on its face but alas when I got within 2 metres, it bolted. Still, it gave me some of the best shots in all the time that I spent photographing it.