“On the late morning of 27th March 2014, I was exploring a river mouth in Singapore when I chanced upon a solitary Whimbrel (Numenius phaeopus) taking a leisurely stroll along the sandy shore (above).
“As more of the shore was exposed with the receding tide, this Whimbrel became increasingly successful at picking out a number of polychaete worms, which ranged in size from extra short to extra long (above, below). All worms were slurped up eagerly.
“Further along the shore, a small group of Whimbrels had just begun to forage in the shallow waters (image 6).
“A video clip of them feeding in the shallows may be previewed below.
“Soon after, fresh mats of algae and seaweed became exposed (image 7), offering a rich bounty of nutritious invertebrates (such as crustaceans and molluscs) to feast upon.
“So, what is the moral of the story?
“The early bird catches the worm, before it gets too warm.”
Dr. Leong Tzi Ming
Singapore
16th April 2014
