Black-crowned night heron

The rain came pitter-pattering down and we had to seek shelter before we got drenched. Then I spotted this lone black-crowned night heron by by the edge of the pond in West Coast Park.

 

For the entire duration of the heavy downpour this bird stood in the open receiving showers of blessing from the heavens. I watched it wondering if it would catch a cold, wondering if like humans, it would run a fever afterwards and whether it needed an umbrella. As I watched its every move I realised that this bird knew how to take care of itself and that was its life. When the rain ceased, it spread its wings, shook away the water as if emerging from a bath and flew away.

Birds spotted along the beach at Changi

Changi Village is a place I would like to retire in. In a far corner of Singapore it is still very "kampong" in appeal and it's nearness to Pulau Ubin which is just a two-dollar boat ride away is the added attractiveness for me. While spending a few hours there walking along the coastal boardwalk I came across these birds. Their presence indicate that despite Changi Village's proximity to the Changi International Airport, migratory birds or perhaps birds that have decided to take on the status of permanent residents here can still be seen going about their daily lives.

Migratory birds - they are here again!

Where in Singapore is this place? It reminds me very much of Jiuzhaigou and I could not believe my eyes at first when this scene greeted me. The lush greenery, the perfect mirror reflections and the colours of the water.From a distance that was out of reach of even my Olympus 10x zoom camera, I could only gaze at the faraway image of this huge bird that was probably a stork. To the right of where the stork was, I suddenly realised that that a whole community of migratory birds of different species have built their summer homes on the bare, bleached skeletal branches of these trees.
If you were not looking out for them, you would most likely have missed seeing these birds.
Until one or two of them took glides across the water or flutter around their nests.
Wednesday was a respite from the rains of Monday and Tuesday. Wednesday was a lovely day with muted sun rays and lovely breezes. A great day for a walk from Chek Jawa to the boundaries of the Outward Bound school on Pulau Ubin.