Category Archives: zoos & gardens

white-breasted water hen & all about singapore

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close look at the white-breasted water hen

This was the best bird photo from my trip to Singapore. Taken at the Singapore Botanical Gardens.

white-breasted water hen at water's edge

Reasonably comfortable around people, he was hunting along the edge of a large pond and in the reeds.

white-breasted water hen walking away from the pond edge

I did not take pictures of the overly enthusiastic visitors chasing the poor bird around with their cameras. They’d get much better photos if they were still, observed the bird, and let it come with in camera range on its own.

white-breasted water hen feeding

Fortunately for the bird’s health and my sanity, they left after a minute or two, and after a minute or two of quiet, my avian friend reappeared for this photo op.

 

 

As some of you know or may have guessed, I’m just back from a week in Singapore. Of course, I couldn’t pass up an opportunity to get in some birding, and I as a result I saw more of the country outside of the city center than just about anyone else at the conference. The smartest thing I did was to contact Lim Kim Seung and make arrangements for him to be my guide, knowing that my enthusiasm far exceeds my birding skills. Birding with Kim Seung was a wonderful experience. He knows not only the birds of Singapore and where to find them but also is knowledgeable about other animals and plants as well. Highly recommended if you should find yourself and your bins in Singapore.

So where did we go?

Central Catchment nature reserve

Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve

Kranji Marsh

Bukit Batok Nature Park

And what did I see?

SUNDA PYGMY WOODPECKER    Dendrocopus moluccensis
COMMON GOLDENBACK    Dinopium javanense
LINEATED BARBET    Megalaima lineata
WHITE-THROATED KINGFISHER    Halcyon smyrnensis
COLLARED KINGFISHER    Todiramphus chloris
BLUE-THROATED BEE-EATER    Merop viridis
BLUE-CROWNED HANGING PARROT    Loriculus galgulus
RED-BREASTED PARAKEET    Psittacula alexandri
HOUSE SWIFT    Apus nipalensis
COMMON PIGEON    Columba livia
SPOTTED DOVE    Streptopelia chinensis
RED TURTLE-DOVE    Streptopelia tranquebarica
COMMON EMERALD DOVE    Chalcophaps indica
PINK-NECKED GREEN PIGEON    Treron vernans
LITTLE TERN    Sterna albifrons
OSPREY    Pandion halieatus
BRAHMINY KITE    Haliastur indus
WHITE-BELLIED SEA EAGLE    Haliaeetus leucogaster
CHANGEABLE HAWK EAGLE    Spizaetus cirrhatus
GREY HERON    Ardea cinerea
PURPLE HERON    Ardea purpurea
ASIAN FAIRY-BLUEBIRD    Irena puella
LARGE-BILLED CROW    Corvus macrorhynchos
BLACK-NAPED ORIOLE    Oriolus chinensis
PIED FANTAIL    Rhipidura javanica
GREATER RACKET-TAILED DRONGO    Dicrurus paradiseus
COMMON IORA    Aegithina tiphia
ORIENTAL MAGPIE ROBIN    Copsychus saularis
WHITE-RUMPED SHAMA    Copsychus malabaricus
ASIAN GLOSSY STARLING    Aplonis panayensis
COMMON MYNA    Acridotheres tristis
WHITE-VENTED MYNA    Acridotheres javanicus
COMMON HILL MYNA    Gracula religiosa
PACIFIC SWALLOW    Hirundo tahitica
STRAW-HEADED BULBUL    Pycnonotus zeylanicus
YELLOW-VENTED BULBUL    Pycnonotus goiavier
OLIVE-WINGED BULBUL    Pycnonotus plumosus
YELLOW-BELLIED PRINIA    Prinia flaviventris
COMMON TAILORBIRD    Orthotomus sutorius
DARK-NECKED TAILORBIRD    Orthotomus atrogularis
ASHY TAILORBIRD    Orthotomus ruficeps
WHITE-CRESTED LAUGHINGTHRUSH    Phylloscopus borealis
SHORT-TAILED BABBLER    Malacocincla malaccensis
CHESTNUT-WINGED BABBLER    Stachyris erythroptera
STRIPED TIT-BABBLER    Macronous gularis
ORANGE-BELLIED FLOWERPECKER    Dicaeum trigonostigma
SCARLET-BACKED FLOWERPECKER    Dicaeum cruentatum
BROWN-THROATED SUNBIRD    Anthreptes malaccensis
PURPLE-THROATED SUNBIRD    Nectarinia sperata
COPPER-THROATED SUNBIRD    Nectarinia calcostetha
OLIVE-BACKED SUNBIRD    Nectarinia jugularis
CRIMSON SUNBIRD    Aethopyga siparaga
LITTLE SPIDERHUNTER    Arachnothera longirostris
PADDYFIELD PIPIT    Passer montanus
BAYA WEAVER    Ploceus philippinus
JAVAN MUNIA    Lonchura leucogastroides
SCALY-BREASTED MUNIA    Lonchura punctulata
EURASIAN TREE SPARROW Passer montanus
LESSER WHISTLING DUCK Dendrocygna javanica
BLACK SWAN Cygnus atratus
RED JUNGLEFOWL Gallus gallus
HOUSE CROW Corvus splendens
WHITE-BREASTED WATERHEN – Amaurornis phoenicurus
ZEBRA DOVE – Geopelia striata

This list is consolidated across all four locations, plus a few birds I saw on my own at the botanic gardens or walking around the city. I haven’t sorted out precisely which ones are life birds for me, but there will be a lot on this list that are. Not bad for the off season!

I’ll have more photos to share. Singapore is a wonderful city – vibrant, diverse, sophisticated, welcoming  – in addition to the great birds to be found there.

Got birds?

camera critters: otterly delightful fun

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otter swimming on its back holding a green ball

The otters are the stars of the Monterey Aquarium, as they so often are in any environment. There were three in this pool, all very active and playful. Unfortunately, it was raining, so the photos aren’t so great. Still, I loved this series of otter-child interactions. The otters were playing with balls, and would periodically bang the ball against the side of the enclosure. In the series below, one of the otters is banging at the observation area glass, to the delight of the watching child. The otter reacted to the child and the child to the otter. Despite the intervening glass, they were having a great time playing together.

child not yet watching otter through glass wall

otter with child watching

child notices otter and smiles

child clearly delighted with otter

child continues to enjoy watching otter

If you love otters as much as I do, you’ll want to visit the Cute Otters website, too.

And that’s this week’s camera critters.

Camera Critters

a night at the zoo (my world)

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detroit zoo marker

I finally visited the Detroit Zoo. I should say up front I didn’t pay to get in, but seriously, the trip was courtesy one of my credit cards, not the zoo itself. Also, neither one knows I’m a blogger, so it’s hardly payola. Regardless, as customer thank yous go, this one went well with me.

zoo banner with RDA of vitamin z

Love this marketing campaign. Vitamin Z, indeed!

yellow bird on branch (captive)

Although I overheard one of the registrars say that more than 2,000 people had signed up for the event, and most were showing up, it was significantly less crowded than a normal day at any zoo. Many families with young children left after the first hour or two, but we stayed until the end, enjoying the opportunity to wander, visit the animals, and take photos with lots and lots of elbow room.

another aviary denizen

I particularly enjoyed uncrowded time in the aviary. For almost a half-hour, it was just me and the birds.

two scarlet macaws

At one point, I heard voices and the sound of equipment, but I didn’t see anyone when I looked around, except these two, looking innocent.

scarlet macaw

another scarlet macaw

I took these close ups, in case there was a need for mug shots of the rabble-rousers.

My World