Birds and molluscs
During the last few months we have been receiving images from various photographers of different species of birds taking molluscs as food or as a calcium supplement. We have now managed to identify the molluscs with the help of Dr … Continued
Carolina Wrens nesting in a Washington, D.C. suburb
Carolina Wren (Thryothorus ludovicianus) is a common, brightly coloured bird of the US southeast. Pairs are commonly seen in open woods and backyards, where they often duet, the female uttering chattering notes while the male sings his rich musical song. … Continued
A tragic story of an owl fledgling
In many rural villages in Malaysia, and for that matter, probably in all Southeast Asian countries (and Singapore is no exception), fledglings of birds that fall accidentally from their nests are rescued and cared for. They can then become cage … Continued
Encounters with the Great Argus
To encounter a Great Argus (Argusianus argus) is a birder’s dream come true. Both the common and scientific names make reference to Argus, the Greek mythology giant with a hundred eyes, in reference to the many eyes-like markings on the … Continued
Buffy Fish Owl encounters
“One of the most common owls I have encountered in Singapore is the Buffy Fish Owl (Ketupa ketupu) (left). The owl breeds on the mainland and also on the offshore island of Pulau Ubin. “I once went to a villager’s … Continued
Laura-Laurie’s alpha+omega to parenthood
Intense observation of nesting birds is really not my forte. Apart from being intensive and a time consuming hobby, it is treading thinly into the fragile realm of avian breeding cycles. It is not recommended for novice bird watchers/photographers or … Continued
Grey-headed Fish Eagle
There are two genera of specialist fish eating eagles – Haliaeetus and Ichthyophaga. They live around aquatic habitats and feed almost exclusively on fish. But this does not mean that they do not take other prey. Sometimes they also feed … Continued
Sparrow’s fledgling and oral flanges
I was strolling around the Singapore Botanic Gardens’ Symphony Lake one evening (14th May 2007) and enjoying the antics of the Eurasian Tree Sparrows (Passer montanus). These birds seem to suddenly become common around this area ever since visitors began … Continued
Common Tailorbird: A failed nesting
On 19th March 2007 a male Common Tailorbird (Orthotomus sutorius) was perching on one of my plants in my garden and calling loudly with his high pitch chiup-chiup-chiup-chiup (left). As he was making this incessant loud calls, he had his … Continued
Hatching of chick and removal of eggshell
While walking round the Symphony Lake of the Singapore Botanic Gardens one evening, I came across one half of an eggshell on the ground. The white shell looked too nicely cut round the equator to be natural. So I threw … Continued
