Happy New Year

One more day to 2013, is been another wonderful year for me in 2012. Wish everyone got their catch of the day, everyday in 2013!

Birding Trip at Bukit Tinggi

It was an impromptu decision when my friend call me & ask me where to go for birding since he is clearing leave and have 2 days to spare. I suggest Bukit Tinggi & ask him to check if there is any room available since it is now the peak period. Surprisingly he managed to get a room and we are all set to go & start the long Christmas week end birding at 1000m above sea level an ideal place to watch bird species of submontane zone. 

Instead of staying at Kuala Lumpur (capital of Malaysia), we stay at Comal Tropicale a French-themed resort which is just a stone throw away from our birding spot.

 My room have a nice view of a golf course.

This is our birding spot, Botanical Garden that is 3500 feet or about slightly more than 1000M above sea level. Below are some of the birds that we saw there...

Common tailor bird. There are quite a number of them but not easy to get a clear shot since they only move at the undergrowth and hardly come to the open.

 Another small bird that darting around in flock is this White Rump Munia.

 Another bird that also usually show up in a flock - Common Wood Shrike.

 A very beautiful bird with nice hair style - Black crested bulbul.

 A very well camouflage bird - a male Blue Wing Leaf Bird

 Another species of leaf bird - Orange Bellied Leafbird (male)

Orange Bellied Leafbird (female)

 Crimson Winged Wood Pecker

 Orange Breasted Trogon

Perhaps waiting for the rain to stop, this Crested Serpent Eagle perch on a lamp post to keep the vantage point.

The bird of the trip is is this Red Bearded Bee Eater! I have been wanted to see this bird in the wild for some time. I finally get to see it up-close! What a good way to end my 2012 birding. Is been a wonderful year of birding for me this year, looking forward to another exciting year in 2013!

Do Not Litter

My last Semakau trip on Saturday, 15 December 2012 was indeed my best trip so far! Despite the delay by thundery shower before the walk, we saw a lot of interesting marine animals!

This trip was even more special as we get to share the rich marine life of Semakau with our Prime Minister – Mr Lee Hsien Loong.

After getting all our gears, we arrived at the starting point (entry to the inter-tidal area)  and are ready for actions!

The guides from Raffles Museum of Biodiversity Research posing in-front of the landfill.

 30 minutes before the scheduled time, dark cloud gather really fast, looks like thundery shower is coming soon.

When the hunter seekers (scout team to look for marine animals before the arrival of guests as animals in the wild are not staying at the same place compare to those in the captivity) head out to the shore, the sky is even darker.

It started to rain, and rain very heavy. Luckily, the rain stop after about 45mins and the walk continue as planned.

We were sharing with Mr Lee about all the unique animals that we saw at Semakau while waiting for the rain to stop earlier and one of them being the heart shaped cockle. I guess is our lucky day, we found not just one but two of them!

 Semakau have the largest  seagrass meadows among the Southern islands.

 Mr Lee take a closer look at the heart-shaped cockle.

 Posing for a shot with five Singapore largest knobly seastar.

Is been our pleasure to have our Prime Minister with us this afternoon. I would like to take this opportunity to wish Mr & Mrs Lee Hsien Loong a Merry Christmas & a Happy New Year!

 Message from the PM. Please do not litter, especially in nature areas!(photo from PM's Facebook page)

 Thank you Mr Lee for this lovely photo! (photo from PM's Facebook page)

An Uncommon Winter Visitor - Black Winged Stilt

Blackish needle like bill & long pinkish red leg... this indeed a not so common winter visitor that visit Singapore during northern hemisphere winter migratory season - a Black Winged Stilt (Himantopus himantopus)! I saw quite a number of them in Thailand but have not seen it in Singapore before. They are not recorded to be visited Singapore every year! I'm so excited to see them here in Singapore!

Stork-billed Kingfisher Swallow Big Fish

Saw this Stork-billed Kingfisher (Pelargopsis capensis) caught a big fish and swallow it in one gulp!

I Want to Live

Saw this northern pig-tailed macaque (Macaca leonina) at Khao Yai National Park in Thailand. Born with two deformed leg, life goes on. Nature is so inspiring...

Nature Wonders at Semakau

Every trip is different... indeed! This is how I will describe my experience of visiting Pulau Semakau - an offshore island situated at the southern part of Singapore. It is also one and only landfill in Singapore.

It was heavy rain when we arrived at the island but soon clear up and give us a perfect cooling afternoon to explore the shore that is very rich in marine animals.

Semakau is full with all kinds of seaweed such as this Coin seaweed.

Beautiful flatworm

Hairy crab that is so well camouflage

Zoanthids that with very nice pink! They are colonial anemones.

Semakau is one of the only area left in Singapore that we can find this huge Knobly sea star

There are so many of them on the island!

Jelly like egg capsule

Another very beautiful sea anemone

The corals with their polyps out underwater and I'm not even diving! 

Giant clam...again, animals that usually can only be seen while diving!

Another beautiful flatworm swimming in the water.

Bohol nudibranch (Discodoris boholensis)

Red swimming crab putting up a defensive stance

We saw a total of 3 giant clams today.

Polka dot nudibranch (Jorunna funebris) on their favourite food, blue sponge.

Today is a very fruitful day, we saw another very colourful rock boring giant clam!!

Another not so common Heart cockle.

Volute that still busy laying egg.

A very well camouflage Sea horse!!

A very common sea star on the island.

A baby Coastal Horseshoe crab - they look similar to Mangrove horseshoe crab but with a triangular tail instead of round.

Bristle worm coming out from their burrow.

Although this trip is not a birding trip, you just can't ignore them - a Brahminy kite

A rare Great-billed Heron (Ardea sumatrana) was feeding on this very rich shore

There are just too many things to see on Semakau, I', sure I will see different things again the next time when I visit Semakau!