Olive-Backed Sunbirds

Olive-backed sunbird is one of the very common bird that can be found even in urban area. What do Olive-backed sunbird feed on?
Nectar is one of their main diet.
Through camera, we get to see what we usually missed just by our naked eyes. The nectar of Helicornia is richer than I thought. Just look at the nectar that splashed out from the flower!

They also feed on small insect & also spiders!

Water Monitor Lizard at SBWR

Many times when I heard somebody shouting "Crocodile" in Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve, very high chance is a water monitor lizard. From a distance they did looks like crocodile. Like with other reptiles, monitor lizards are cold blooded, which means they don't maintain their body temperature instead follow the environment.

Cold blooded also often refer to lacking feeling or emotion. Do monitor lizards really lack of feeling & emotion? Monitor lizards feed on anything that they can find and swallow including other monitor lizards!After seeing this monitor lizard keep the juvenile close to them at all time, they aren't really 'cold blooded' isn't it?
Judging from the size, the lizard on the left should be the father (male lizard are larger in size) and the mother on the right. What a happy family!

Monitor lizards use their fork-tongue to smells the air to look for food.
I am not sure if the monitor lizards also use their tongue to communicate as seen on this photo.

Monitor lizards is very common at Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve, check it out when you next visit there!

Semakau Guided Walk With SOTA

Is has been a while since I last guided at Semakau! It was still raining very heavy when I left my house to Marina South Pier to catch the ferry to Semakau. However, it was all clear when I reach the pier.

After reaching Semakau, I give a short briefing on the history of Semakau and the landfill operation on the island. After the briefing, we walk to the entry point and stop short while for the participants to apply insect repellent and change their footwear to prepare for the inter-tidal walk. I have a group of 9 very sweet students from SOTA for the guided walk today. This is their first inter-tidal walk!
We need to walk through a forest to reach the inter-tidal area and the trail is famous with the 'Kamakaze' mosquitoes! It is recommended to apply insect repellent on all exposed area of the body.

After insect repellent, follow by sun-block lotion!
Since our group is named after crab, I make sure I introduce crab first. :)

Snapping shrimp is the next animal that we saw. The enlarge pincer of the snapping shrimp that give the snapping sound and it was use to stunt their prey as well as to deter their predator!
Common sea star have a very unique way of eating! The send their stomach to the food instead of sending food to mouth. Although they are called Common sea-star, they are now only common and can be found at off-shore island.

While crossing the sea grass area, we saw a dead cat fish some part have been eaten by crabs.
The participants can;t help but stop to look at how the swimming crab enjoying this big fish breakfast!

Next was this 'any money' - Anemones.
What a big surprise to see this cushion star that usually at the deeper water.

Is not easy to spot the hairy crab be it in or out of water! The participants take a closer look at this master of camouflage!

This shrimp burrow into the sands in less than a second!

This beautiful fan shape thing is not plant but worm - Fan worm

The participants is having fun with the empty crabs moult. Now they understand how the crabs moult and grow bigger and how the soft-shell crabs are prepared.

The fan shape thing is the feeding tentacles of the Synaptic sea-cucumber.

A beautiful big sea star with knobs on the back - Knobbly Sea Star!Since this big Knobbly sea star can not be found on the main land, the participants took a group photo with the Knobbly sea star.

It was a real wonderful trip! Thanks to the participants - you 'crabs' Rock!!! :)