Running with the Wind

Introducing Black Dillenia

2010-01-23T20:30:00.003+08:00

As part of a research module that NWQ and I are currently taking, a new blog has been created to document our observations. Have a look!

Black Dillenia (http://blackdillenia.wordpress.com)

Fallen Star - by no fault of its own 260809

2009-08-30T01:23:00.005+08:00

… kidnapped from the sea and laid to rest in a grave of chlorinated water.

I was taking a stroll around Toa Payoh Sensory Park when something highly irregular caught my attention. In the middle of a water feature, partially submerged, lay a dead Knobbly Sea Star (Protoreaster nodosus). Yes, a knobbly. Looking at it, it had been preserved and dried; the colour all bleached out of it.

Some pet shops (not limited to, I think, that specific one in the town area) do sell ‘exotic’ creatures like Knobblies, among other, ‘pets’. They may live for a little while in captivity, but I daresay that most do not survive. A while back, I read about there being sales of these stars - preserved - in some shops, apparently as a curio (thanks Ria, for trying to help me find the article); their value indicated by a price tag.

Does that sound right to you?

Knobblies are listed as 'threatened', their numbers having taken a plunge due to over-collection for the live aquarium trade, among other things. Like everything else, the best way to halt supply is to curb demand...

Birds in the Neighbourhood

2009-08-29T21:45:00.007+08:00

Crows? Oh, definitely. Mynas? You bet. Ah! Sparrows too.

Most, if not all of us, have definitely seen or heard these birds; their calls punctuating the rhythm of our daily lives. While walking to school, it’s a one hundred percent guarantee that I surely will encounter Rock Pigeons (Columba livia). Whether perched on top of a lamp post or gathered in flocks (sometimes in the middle of a walkway when food has been thrown out), upon seeing them, my brain inadvertently screams ‘Avoid, avoid!’ for fear that I will be on the receiving end of their dive-bombing activity (read: pooping).

Birds, well, are birds, and they are just doing what they do best – being birds – albeit in the city. I have lived in the same neighbourhood for close to two decades, and until recently, my knowledge of birds was limited to crows, mynas, sparrows, pigeon and that unknown yellow bird (Black-naped Oriole). Airborne birds were relegated to the category of ‘those little black splotches flying high above’. It’s amazing to find that there are so many different kinds of birds living alongside us, after all. Most are shy and prefer to maintain their distance from people, so they may be heard (eg. Collared Kingfishers, Asian Koels, Gerygones), but not often seen unless one seeks them out. Of course, there are also chance encounters with our feathered friends…

…I was rushing for time; the bus was on its way. As I rounded a corner, something darted into the foliage of a Chiku tree (Manilkara zapota) with a lot of rustling. My curiosity got the better of me and I just had to look. To my utter surprise, I saw a *female Pink-necked Green Pigeon (Treron vernans) perched on a branch and eating the fruit. Wow! I was about a metre away and thus had a really good look. I’ve frequently encountered them in Kent Ridge but that was my very first time seeing it in my neighbourhood (after nearly twenty years…sigh). While fervently hoping that it wouldn’t fly away so quickly, I hurriedly got out my camera and managed to catch a few shots.

Perched on a branch, blending in almost perfectly with the leaves (indeed, I got a few weird looks from passers-by), the bird rapidly tucked into its meal. It would scoop up the soft flesh with its beak, going almost vertically to do so (as in the picture), and then right itself, throwing back its head slightly to swallow the bit of fruit.

The PNGP with the bit of fruit in its beak :)

Swallowed.

Down it went again...

The pigeon continued to feed in such a manner for quite some time. It was a delight to watch :) though I can only hope that I wasn't disturbing its meal (the encounter occurred at around 4 pm...so I guess you can say that it was tea-time?). Too bad I didn't get a shot of the bitten fruit... I did walk around the tree to look at it though and saw that a quarter or more of it had been eaten. (In case you were wondering, I did catch the bus in the end but had to do a mad dash for it. Hehe.)

So what else can one spot in the neighbourhood? A short stroll around a park in the evening recently led to sightings of a Yellow-vented Bulbul (Picnonotus goiavier) and a tailorbird (probably a Common Tailorbird - Orthotomus sutorius). Check out gopalarathnam_v's photostream on flickr, as well as Ingo Waschkies gallery on PBase for amazing shots of the Common Tailorbird.

Here's a list of the birds that one can commonly see/hear in urbanised areas in Singapore:
1. House Crow (Corvus splendens) - not to be confused with the Large-billed Crow (C. macrorhynchus) which is native to Singapore
2. Javan Myna, also known as the White-vented Myna (Acridotheres javanicus) - another introduced species
3. Common Myna (A. tristis) - these are less abundant than their introduced counterparts, having faced competition for resources from them. These mynas have a reddish-brown body, unlike the largely black plumage of their relatives
4. Eurasian Tree Sparrow (Passer montanus)
5. Rock Pigeon, also known as the Feral Pigeon (Columba livia)
6. Black-naped Oriole (Oriolus chinensis) - I always think of the song that goes "...yel-low bird, high up in the ba-na-na tree..." when I see them
7. Collared Kingfisher (Todirhamphus chloris) - look out for a streak of blue whizzing by!
8. Asian Koel (Eudynamys scolopacea)
9. Golden-bellied Gerygone (Gerygone sulphurea) - thanks LK for the ID! For many years I have listened to its wheezing call and never knew its source. See Paul Huang's photos of this shy bird.
10. Oriental Magpie Robin (Copsychus saularis)

Birds in the photos above (from top to bottom): Javan Myna, Little Tern (Sterna albifrons) and Pink-necked Green Pigeon.

*Unlike their more commonly sighted counterparts, the Rock Pigeons, which feed on a wide range of food, Pink-necked Green Pigeons are frugivores. They also exhibit dimorphism, with different colouration between the sexes. Males are more colourful than females. Most noticeable would be their pink-purple neck and upper breast, as well as an orange lower breast. Females, as shown in the pictures, mainly have green plumage.

10 Fruit Trees of Pulau Ubin 200609

2009-06-21T18:22:00.011+08:00

Some RMBR volunteers met up on Saturday morning for an outing to Pulau Ubin cum durian feast. More about that in a later blog post! In this entry, ten fruit trees of Pulau Ubin which we saw will be featured. In horticultural usage, 'fruit tree' refers to a tree whose fruit is used for human consumption. So even though all flowering plants bear fruit, not all are called fruit trees. And 'trees' can be a misleading term...

The first fruit tree that we saw, which, at this time of year, is terribly hard to NOT notice was the Rambutan (Nephelium lappaceum). When I was a kid, I used to be unable to tell the difference between Lychee (Litchi chinensis), Longan (more than one species) and Rambutan. Well, there're all from the same family of Sapindaceae! Even now, I keep thinking that Lychee is Rambutan..and Longan is Lychee..you get the idea. Perhaps the following associations will help:

Rambutan - red and hairy (rambutan, derived from the Malay word rambut which means hairs)

Lychee - red and NOT hairy

Longan - brownish-yellow and NOT hairy

Rambutan trees grow in countries with tropical climates. They are evergreen ie. having leaves all year round. Some trees are dioecious while other are hermaphroditic.

The second fruit tree that we came across was that of the Custard Apple (Annona squamosa) (note: the common name refers to all three species in the genus Annona). This variety hails from the family Annonaceae which grows well in warm, humid climates. According to this website, "[t]here is a thick, cream-white layer of custardlike, somewhat granular, flesh beneath the skin surrounding the concolorous moderately juicy segments, in many of which there is a single, hard, dark-brown or black, glossy seed, oblong, smooth, less than 1/2 in (1.25 cm) long.". I remember eating a custard apple a very, very long time ago and thus cannot remember how it tastes like. Probably was not fond of it which explains why I've not eaten it ever since.

What's a durian feast without durians? In Pulau Ubin, a noticeable number of Durio zibethinus trees grow just along the main trail. When not fruiting, this tree, which hails from the family Malvaceae, can be distinguished by its leaves which have a bronze underside. There are 30 recognised Durio species but the one mentioned here is the variety which is available in international markets.

The durian has long been nicknamed 'the king of fruits'. The ripe fruit has a pungent, distinctive smell and comes in multiple segments. The seeds, found in shallow recesses in each segment, are covered in a soft and custard-like flesh, ranging from cream white to yellow and even red, depending on the species. Apart from the smell, the other distinctive feature is, of course, the husk, which is very prickly. Wallace, a famous naturalist, apparently said that for one to appreciate durian, he or she has to eat it three times. I used to love eating durians back when I was a kid but have since assiduously tried to avoid them (though what possessed me to eat some on Saturday is beyond me...).

Contrary to the title of this blog, the banana (Musa spp.) is not a tree but a herb - the world's largest herb, in fact. Basically, herbs are plants which have non-woody stems. The humble banana (family Musaceae) has its origins in Southeast Asia and over time, with the rapid spread of globalisation, it became well-known to the world. Musa comprises both dessert bananas (what we eat in Singapore) and plantains. The former is eaten raw while the latter has to be cooked or processed in other ways. Plantains have lower water content, making them drier and starchier than fruit bananas. They typically form a staple in the diets of people living in places such as Central America, the Caribbean and Peru.

The picture above shows the main stalks of banana plants which grow from rhizomes underground. In due time (if not already), the terminal inflorescence will grow out from the top of the stalk, and bear fruit. Each stalk produces one huge flower cluster and then dies. New stalks then grow from the rhizome. In summary, the growth of one main stalk is as follows:

Rhizome (produces more than one shoot but most are cut back in order to allow energy to be channelled to fruiting of the main stalk) -> new shoot (typically called a sucker) -> large leaves -> terminal inflorescence -> fruiting (bunch o' bananas) -> main stalk dies -> cycles repeats itself (main stalk forms from a new sucker of the same rhizome)

I was really confused about the whole process of propagation until I chanced upon these sites which can be accessed here and here (good diagram showing the parts of a banana plant). This other website details how the popularity of bananas spread and explains an interesting phenomenon - negative geotropism - which banana plants exhibit.

Hope you aren't suffering from banana overload (like I was). Here are a few more interesting things:

i. fibres are obtained from the stalks which can be made into material (for clothes) and other items such as bags. The pic on the right is a close-up shot of a bag made from banana fibres. It was given out by the Filippino restaurant, 7017 Flavours, on their anniversary. The staff there wear uniforms made from the fibre too.

ii. banana hearts (ie. male banana flowers) are used in dishes like rojak. They look like pink curlicues once cleaned off of gravy.

This pretty pink-streaked flower belongs to the Starfruit (Averrhoa carambola) (family Oxalidaceae).

Here, you can see the developing fruits which still have some way to go before ripening. The common name comes from the appearance of the cross-section of the fruit. It closely resembles a star, with both its (yellow) colour and shape.

Often eating with sour plum powder, the guava (Psidium spp.) (family Myrtaceae) is another fruit that is a favourite with locals. Apart from eating it fresh, guavas are also consumed in their preserved form. Personally, I prefer the preserved ones even though they remind me of curled-up pieces of dead skin (haha!).

When crushed, the leaves of this tree give off, what else, but a guava-ish smell.

I was surprised to see Cacao tree (Theobroma cacao) (family Malvaceae) growing in Pulau Ubin. Didn't think that they grow in this part of the world. Theobroma means 'food of the gods' in Greek, and indeed, processed cacao beans are what gives us cocoa from which the much prized chocolate is made. Each cacao pod contains 20 to 60 seeds (usually called beans). These contain a high percentage of cocoa butter, a fatty substance.

You'd think that with cocoa being so prized and all that everything about the plant must be grand. While flowers of many plants are pollinated by butterflies/moths or bees, cacao flowers are pollinated by...flies. Clearly, flies are not to be looked down upon.

While taking a break from writing this blog entry, I munched on some coconut candy - a sweet confection that is made from grated coconut. Coconut trees (Cocos nucifera) hail from the palm family of Arecaceae (Palmae is now considered taxonomically invalid), and are the only species in the said genus. Nearly everything about them is useful, from the nuts to the leaves.

Coconut palms are often seen growing by the coast for they are dispersed by water. The fruit itself has a hollow cavity that is filled with a liquid commonly called coconut water. The air-filled space allows the fruit to float on the surface of water.

I can't help but think of the Coconut Crabs (Birgus latro) upon the mention of Coconut Palms. These crabs have been observed to crack open coconuts whether by using their chelipeds or climbing up a tree and subsequently dropping the fruit to crack it open. Read more about their behaviour here and here.

This plant here is not a tree, but a climbing vine. The luscious (probably unripe) fruit here is a passion fruit (Passiflora spp.). Not sure if this is the kind that is consumed though. When ripe, the fruit is harvested and the juice, along with the pulp-covered seeds, are used in a variety of ways. In Singapore, it is not uncommon to find bubble tea that is passion fruit-flavoured.

Being a climbing vine, the plant has tendrils which it twines around a support structure. When mature, the evergreen leaves are deeply 3-lobed and finely toothed.

I 'expired' rather quickly that day and left out two other fruits which LK pointed out, namely, the Jackfruit and Nutmeg. After rooting around, I realised that I did have the resources to finish this entry (with a number 11 even), after all :D

Here we go...

Another fruit with a pungent smell is the Jackfruit (Artocarpus heterophyllus). It is the largest tree borne fruit in the world. The leaves are oblong, oval, or elliptic in form, 4 to 6 inches in length, leathery, glossy, and deep green in color. Juvenile leaves are lobed. This tree is commonly planted in and around housing estates. It is closely related to the Cempedak (Artocarpus champeden). Currently, I am not able to differentiate the two... Both hail from the family Moraceae.

Photo taken from nunukphotos.com

I'm not sure which species of nutmeg (family Myristicaceae) the ones found at Pulau Ubin belong to, but if I needed to hazard a guess, it would be Myristica fragrans, which is a commercially viable species.

The seeds are dispersed by big birds (which have bigger beaks and able to swallow larger fruits) like Imperial Pigeons and hornbills. For germination to occur, the seed has to swallowed and passed through the gut of the bird. Only then can the astringent mace (lace-like covering) around the seed be removed. With the dwindling numbers of big birds in Singapore, the nutmeg is suffering.

Nutmeg is used in cooking and baking as a flavouring. The powdered form available in supermarkets is obtained from grating the seeds. The mace is also used. Both impart a similar flavour.

Quite a few of the fruits featured are heaty, such as the Rambutan, Durian, Jackfruit and Cacao. Starfruit is cooling.

To recap, here is a list of the 10 fruits featured:

1. Rambutan (Nephelium lappaceum)
2. Custard Apple (Annona squamosa)
3. Durian (Durio zibethinus)
4. Banana (Musa spp.)
5. Starfruit (Averrhoa carambola)
6. Guava (Psidium spp.)
7. Cacao (Theobroma cacao)
8. Coconut (Cocos nucifera)
9. Passion Fruit (Passiflora spp.)
10. Jackfruit (Artocarpus heterophyllus)
(Additional) 11. Nutmeg (Myristica fragrans)

Braving the Rain at Pasir Ris 140509

2009-05-14T23:58:00.002+08:00

Even before the trip started, KS informed us of the impending storm that was blowing over from Sumatra. We could see dark clouds gathering, but decided to start exploring anyway.

Very happy that there were quite a number of 'firsts' for me today again :) Starting them off was this peanut worm (Phylum Sipuncula). They are called peanut worms as their skin, when contracted, resembles the texture of a peanut shell. More on different kinds of worms soon. Haha.

As I walked on, I decided to take a look at one of the many tidal pools. Though there didn't seem to be anything interesting at first glance, movement soon caught my eye. A piece of shell was moving when it had no obvious reason to (there was no water current in the pool). I was pretty sure that a Leaf Porter Crab (Neodorippe callida) was the cause, and yeah, the little crustacean indeed had taken refuge under the shell.

When I flipped the shell over, the Leaf Porter Crab kept really still (playing dead, perhaps?) while lying wrong side up. After several moments, with its legs twitching into action, it righted itself and proceeded to scurry under the shell.

I remember that during the biodiversity practical we had in school, we caught a Leaf Porter Crab - a large specimen it was too! It was carrying a small rock around, a most peculiar sight.

In the same pool, there was a lone Striped Bead Anemone.

Even broken shells are useful! Making this broken shell its home was a small hermit crab.

Further up the shore, I saw many Black Sea Urchins (Temnopleurus toreumaticus). Many were tangled in the seaweed. Tried to rescue a few that were stranded..but there were just too many. Like KS says, we should let nature run its course..

The two pictures at the top show a test - its skeleton - of a Black Sea Urchin. The bottom two pictures are of a live sea urchin. As always, there is a banded worm curled around the mouth of the echinoderm. When flipped over, the beak-like structure of its mouth is visible. It is called the Aristotle's lantern after Aristotle (a famous Greek philosopher) who first described it.

More echinoderms, this time a ball sea cucumber (Phyllophorus sp.). Found it among the seaweed and brought it down into the water. Got a bit of a shock when I turned it over and saw a small crab scuttling over the sea cucumber (pic on the left).

This Mini Carpet Anemone (Stichodactyla tapetum) was the only one that I came across. Wonder if this anemone has any mutualistic relationship with shrimp or nemos. In the picture on the left, a prickly ball sponge can be seen. Both organisms may look harmless, but they should not be handled. Anemones have stinging cells and sponges have spicules which can easily get embedded in one's skin.

Just beside the carpet anemone was a large rock. In one of the recesses of the rock, water had collected. Though the surface of the water was calm, some current was being generated within. Intrigued, I squatted beside the rock for some time and caught the following sequence of pics.

It's a strange feeling when a Thunder Crab (Myomenippe hardwickii), stares at you with one red-lined green eye. It would inch slightly out of the hole, raise its left pincer out of the water and retreat quickly. At one point, it even stuck its eye out of the water. The water was rather murky, but I could see some feathery extensions from its mouth which were waving about in the water as the crab generated a current. What could these extensions be? I would have liked a clearer look, but did not want to disturb the crab (further).

These yellow egg cases are rather commonly seen on rocks along the shore. They belong to a mother Spiral Melongena (Pugilina cochlidium), a mollusc which is encountered rather frequently.

Okay, it's time for the worms! As you can see, I was rather fascinated by these worms. They were writhing about the area just behind the Spiral Melongena eggs.

At first, they appeared to be connected. Note their light blue and black colouration.

Subsequently, they moved apart. Hmm..were they mating?

Here's a close-up shot of one of them...

...and another of the worm on the right. Can't find their ID =X

When while along, I glanced at a patch of seaweed and noticed this small crab with long eye stalks. It's probably a sentinel crab (Macrophthalmus sp.).

This bivalve shell is really pretty with its different band of colurs. Wonder what mollusc it belongs to.

More molluscs! This time gastropods. These are Tiger Moon Snails (Natica tigrina) which secrete sand collars to lay their eggs. As you can see, the two moon snails on the left were engaging in some strange (maybe it is just strange to humans) behaviour. One was enveloping the other with its muscular foot.

Ah! The highlight of the day has to be the two octopuses (Family Octopodidae) which sharp-eyed ZL spotted. This small smooth headed octopus was pulling itself along the spoon seagrass. We later brought it down to the water.

It bunched itself up.

Octopuses are able to change colour and this one did! It was purplish-gray when among the seagrass and changed colour to match its new surroundings.

ZL spotted the second smooth headed octopus as well. It was noticeably bigger than the first. One of its tentacles was shorter than the rest, probably as a result of injury.

This purple sea cucumber (is it a purple under-a-stone sea cucumber?) was firmly stuck to a rock.

Back to worms. Haha. Might this be a bristleworm?

This really small snapping shrimp (note the enlarged pincer) was keeping very still when we chanced upon it.

This prickly sponge had anchored itself to the side of a rock.

At the strand line, a lot of seaweed had washed up along with these blob-like creatures. Can't say for sure what they are, but they might be ascidians. Within them, petaloid patterns were evident.

Ria found this test of a heart urchin (Order Spantangoida) just as we were about to leave. Unlike other sea urchins, heart urchins lack the Aristotle's lantern structure.

For more on today's trip, check out Ria and KS' entries at http://wildshores.blogspot.com/2009/05/prickly-day-on-pasir-ris.html and http://wondercreation.blogspot.com/2009/05/pasir-ris-after-rain.html respectively.

Note to self:
Put spare clothes in a waterproof case next time. As I'm actively cutting down on plastic bag usage, I decided to just stuff my clothes in my bag. Not the best idea coz that set got wet as well. Prolly I should reconsider changing my stance on plastic bag usage to 'use when necessary'.

SJI Mangrove Walk and Cleanup with Deutsche Bank 050409

2009-04-06T20:09:00.011+08:00

It's been a really long time since I last blogged! After 3 weeks with no trips, 5th April was really something to look forward to. It was my first time setting foot on St John's Island (SJI)! Upon reaching our destination, we soon set off. A mangrove walk was first conducted for the employees of Deutsche Bank followed by a subsequent cleanup (brings back memories of the International Coastal Cleanup I participated in last year).

After putting down some belongings at the Tropical Marine Science Institute's (TMSI) pantry, we soon set off! For this trip, I was attached to Robert's group.

The guided walk kicked off with Robert talking about epiphytes. These refer to plants which grow on other plants, like trees, so that they can get better access to light. They are not parasitic though. One example of a common epiphyte in Singapore is the Pigeon Orchid (Dendrobium crumenatum) which can be found growing on roadside trees.

Greenery, away from the city.

Saw many of these pretty flowers growing among the grass and couldn't resist taking a picture of one. (ID?)

After a short walk, we soon reached the back mangroves where a very dead (it looked dried up) Paradise Tree Snake (Chrysopelea paradisi) lay among the grass. Live specimens are able to glide from tree to tree by projecting themselves into the air using a special technique.

The Sea Hibiscus (Hibiscus tiliaceus) and its characteristic heart-shaped leaves. Though there seemed to be no flowers, there were a handful of fruits.

This sight greeted us the moment we stepped into the mangroves. Unbelievable. For every small convenience that we take for granted, like eating packed lunches (above), the environment has to pay the price one way or the other. These bags of rubbish were supposed to be brought to the mainland for proper disposal, but as you can see...

...someone has been burning rubbish right in the mangroves. The stink of garbage lingered in the mangroves with acrid fumes of burnt metal and plastic. Needless to say, it was also an eyesore.

Charred mangrove plants from the burning.

Nevertheless, there was still life around. Looking like a 'botak' broom are these aerial roots. If I'm not wrong, these will grow into prop roots upon reaching the ground.

Developing aerial roots with small lenticels.

Let the cleanup begin! The participants got down to work right away, enthusiastically picking up rubbish.

Fishing nets and other rubbish often gets washed up along shores. Such discarded items often entangle animals, killing them. In total, the group collected 56 kg of rubbish (and that's not counting what the other two groups collected). Great job, everyone! :)

The mangroves of SJI are more or less rubbish-free for now, but within the next few days even, trash will start to accumulate again. This happens everywhere, at our mainland coasts, parks and housing estates. Without cleaners, I don't think Singapore would be clean at all. Green, yes, but not clean. If a small group of people are able to collect so much rubbish within an hour, can you imagine the amount of trash that can be gathered in one minute if each of Singapore's 4 million plus individuals simultaneously picks up a piece of litter? Better still, why not kick the littering habit and start picking up after ourselves...

Semakau, in the Early Morning Light 140309

2009-03-15T12:36:00.020+08:00

A couple of days back marked the last of afternoon and evening low tide windows. So, from now till several months along, trips are scheduled for the early morning.

In the wee hours of Saturday morning, dozens of Project Semakau volunteers left their homes in order to reach Marina South Pier by 5 am. We were going to the island to conduct the first transect survey.

It was still dark when we got to the pier and similarly when the ferry reached Semakau.

As transport is not provided at such an early hour, we had to walk to the intertidal zone from the visitor centre. The early morning air was cool and punctuated with bird calls, as our diurnal feathered friends slowly awoke from their slumber.

In no time, we had walked through the secondary forest and reached the intertidal area. At the beginning of the seagrass meadow, we had an encounter with...

...an unknown sea hare (Order Anaspidea).

Wen Qing, Samuel and myself were in seagrass transect team 2. While doing the survey, we saw plenty of seagrass in the 30 m stretch (but not as much as before like during the transect training) and also some interesting things like the mucus coating made possibly by a wrasse (Family Labridae) or some other kind of fish [edit]. One interesting fact about wrasses is that they can change their gender! O.O

Seagrass is indeed tricky as we soon realised for ourselves...

1) Thalassia hemprichii.

According to the ID sheet, the leaves have "short, black bars of tannin cells". But as you can see, these bars aren't obvious at all. This is a good example of how things in the field often differ from what is on paper... So how to ID Thalassia? Though their sickle-shaped leaves are a good giveaway, if unsure, it's best to feel for their rhizomes which are scarred and appear reddish-brown :)

2) Cymodocea serrulata.

Often confused with Enhalus acoroides and Thalassia hemprichii, this species does have one visible distinguishing feature - a serrated leaf edge! If that does not help, feel for the rhizomes, which are smooth and closer to the surface than Thalassia.

3) Halodule uninervis.

We didn't think we'd encounter this species, so we had to confirm its ID with Ron. The above is a young specimen. It has a white rhizome with black scars. In mature specimens, a distinctive centre vein is visible, and leaf tips have three distinct points.

Mostly, there was a lot of Tape Seagrass (Enhalus acoroides), noticeable numbers of Syringodium isoetifolium (Noodle Seagrass), some Cymodocea serrulata (Serrated Ribbon Seagrass), a little of Halophila ovalis/minor (Spoon Seagrass), even less of Thalassia hemprichii (Sickle Seagrass) and only one quadrat with Halodule uninervis (Needle Seagrass). For more info, visit the I.D. Seagrass page of the Seagrass-Watch website :)

After completing the transect survey, we were given some time to explore. One group followed Ron, while the other followed July. Saw this Sandfish Sea Cucumber (Holothuria scabra) soon after heading out.

There were numerous juvenile Knobbly Sea Stars (Protoreaster nodosus) out that day! Yay! They really come in a myriad of colours. As echinoderms have a water vascular system, they will get stressed and die if left out of water for too long. That's why we always replace them after a quick photo.

Knobbly no. 1.

Underside of Knobbly no. 1

Knobbly no. 2. One of its arms is slightly shorter than the rest which could be a result of an injury and subsequent regeneration.

Knobbly no. 3.

Underside of Knobbly no. 3, with focus on its mouth (centre) and the ambulacaral areas which house its tube feet.

Knobblies no. 4 and 5. The Knobbly on the left looks really 'juvenile' (but that's just my opinion).

Knobbly no. 6. With two of its arms closer than normal to each other, this sea star here looks like it's getting ready to dance.

Saw a few more Knobblies, but didn't upload all the pics here.

Growing in bunches were some green algae (Caulerpa sp.).

This is a first for me! In one of the tidal pools, this Heart Cockle (Corculum cardissa) was clearly visible in the shallow and clear water. When it dies, the heart breaks...

An Orange-edged Black Flatworm (probably Pseudobiceros uniarborensis). Another 'first' for me on Semakau.

Looking like a protrusion from the substrate was this Common Hairy Crab (Pilumnus vespertilio). The hairs on its body trap sediment which, over time, allows it to look like a piece of the substrate itself.

A view of the coral rubble area.

Growing in between this magnificent Staghorn Acropora Coral (Acropora sp.) was a fan shell (Family Pinnidae).

Hmm..egg cases of a mollusc? It's likely an egg ribbon of a nudibranch or some other species of slug.*

This sea cucumber (Actinopyga sp.) is thought to be a juvenile Stonefish Sea Cucumber due to similar physical traits, but that is based on speculation and not yet confirmed*.

This is by far the smallest Noble Volute (Cymbiola nobilis) that I have seen. Is it a juvenile? From its shell alone, I wouldn't have been able to ID it as the typically associated 'mountain ranges' pattern is absent. Lucky its black with orange spots muscular foot was showing.

Saw a lot of these Common Sea Stars aka Sand-sifting Sea Star (Archaster typicus). Here is a pair getting ready to mate with the male on top (such pairing behaviour is known as pseudocopulation) [edit]. Like other sea stars, external fertilisation takes place (meaning reproductive organs don't actually meet).

References:

Wild Fact Sheets of marine life on Singapore shores - http://www.wildsingapore.com/wildfacts/

Acknowledgements:

[edit], *Thanks to Ron for the corrections and IDs!

The Sun Blazes Down on Semakau 080309

2009-03-10T18:21:00.019+08:00

Remember how in primary school there were a couple of 'standard' phrases used in writing compositions? I've never been a fan of them but if there ever was a time to use one, it would be to describe the weather on Sunday. So here goes:

The sun beat mercilessly down on us...(haha!). After doing battle with the mozzies (they love me but the feeling isn't mutual) in the forest trail, we finally arrived at the intertidal area. Split into 2 groups, Wen Qing, Nonis, Xiu Li and myself followed Luan Keng while Hui Yi, Ying Wei and Elvin had Ron as their leader. We were there to pile in the transect markers for the upcoming transect this Saturday. As we headed out...

...LK spotted this Mangrove Horseshoe Crab (Carcinoscorpius rotundicauda). Two species can be found in Singapore - the one above as well as the Coastal Horseshoe Crab (Tachypleus gigas). Two easy indicators to look out for are colour and tail structure. The mangrove species is brownish with a rounded tail while its coastal relative is greyish with spines on its tail. Read more about horseshoe crabs in general here, and the 2 species that can be found in Singapore here.

Kinda seemed apt that the first animal spotted was a horseshoe crab, for on that very day in the evening, a Horseshoe Crab Population & Distribution Survey was conducted around the mainland, organised by the Nature Society (Singapore). I sure hope that minimal damage was incurred for volunteers had to dig up (a lot of) mud in order to locate the horseshoe crabs...

After crossing the seagrass meadow, we entered the coral rubble/coral reef area where two huge pore corals (Porites sp.)* caught our attention with their different colouration.

Sadly, the top of both corals are dead and the scorching sun didn't help matters.

After piling in the transect markers, we had some time to explore. Hunter-seekers who arrived before everyone else found this synaptid sea cucumber (Family Synaptidae) and marked out its location.

Another find by the hunter-seekers was this Noble Volute (Cymbiola nobilis) and its eggs. Was amazed to see that the mass of eggs it laid was as big as it was. Its shell kind of looked faded to me, compared to the previous ones I'd seen at Changi before. Also, it was smaller. Size can't be used to judge its maturity, I realised.

A dead octopus (Class Cephalopoda, Order Octopoda).* Wen Qing's close examination of it revealed that some of its tentacles were shorter than the others. We learned from one of the visitors that tentacles can get bitten off by predators and are subsequently regenerated. Cool!

Bakaus (Rhizophora spp.) greet visitors to the Semakau intertidal area. Learned that 2 species can be found growing on the edges of the sandy shore - R. apiculata and R. stylosa.

Though both species look similar, they can be told apart even at a distance by their roots. Both mangroves have stilt or prop roots, but those of R. apiculata are not so spread out as compared to that of R. stylosa. In addition, the stipule^ of the former is red while that of the latter is yellow. The stipule wraps over the apical bud, protecting it. The red stipules will eventually drop off as the young leaves grow.* Can you tell which picture is of which species? One last thing to note, R. apiculata has a shorter flower stalk than R. stylosa.

Another Rhizophora species, R. mucronata has big leaves which distinguish it from the two above.

Taking one last look at a Rhizophora stylosa before we leave.

Some other things seen but not photographed:
i. Mosaic Crab (not too sure...it ducked for cover really quickly so I only caught a glimpse)

ii. Crab with yellowish-brown carapace (ditto the above)

iii. Black-lipped Conch

iv. Sand-sifting Sea Star aka Common Sea Star

v. Ovum Cowrie

vi. Eagle

Heard about the sightings of Knobbly Sea Stars and turtles from Ron but didn't get to see them D:

Acknowledgements:
Thanks to LK for the info! And to everyone for the company :)

*Ron, thanks for the corrections!

^Thanks to Anonymous for bringing my attention to the terms used (ie. stipule and apical bud)! [Refer to Anonymous' comment]

Notes:

Given the weather, a cap and a lot of water are essentials!

For other takes on the trip, check these entries out:

i. Ron's - http://tidechaser.blogspot.com/2009/03/scorching.html

ii. July's - http://wherediscoverybegins.blogspot.com/2009/03/discover-semakau-landfill-island-8.html

iii. Samson's - http://mantamola.blogspot.com/2009/03/semakau-tidal-walk-8-march-09.html

iv. Meiyi's - http://appreciateandlove.blogspot.com/2009/03/semakau-after-so-long.html

v. Eunice's - http://naturallyours.blogspot.com/2009/03/48-semakau-guiding-w-meiyi-giant-clams.html

Reality Check.

2009-03-10T13:09:00.008+08:00

I feel heartened every time I read or hear about people doing their bit for nature. It's great that ordinary folk spend time educating the public and channelling their energies into conservation work. Then there are those who don't care and these people really get my goat.

After Pedal Ubin, we were in high spirits as we headed toward the jetty to take a bumboat back to the mainland. As it was low tide, the mudflats were exposed and we spent some time looking down for signs of life from our position on the walkway. Walking slightly ahead, I suddenly stopped short at the sight of people crouching down on the mudflats. Okay, no reason to get alarmed yet. When I got closer, the sight that lay before my eyes (and for anyone who bothered to look) confirmed my earlier suspicion.

A group of five (a mix of both males and females), with at least one wielding a long stick and a plastic bag, were nonchalantly trampling on the mudflats and destroying the burrows made by the crabs. Destroying the mudflats by trampling? Hardly. With their long stick, they proceeded to insert the end into burrow after burrow. As they pulled the stick back up each time, a lot of mud was dislodged intentionally. Disgruntled that no crabs were getting caught, they repeated the process again. One of them even took out his camera to take his friends in action.

The above happened in a matter of seconds, and by that time, the others (some guides and participants who were heading back to Changi Village) had gathered and they started calling verbal deterrents to the group below. Mindy and I informed the NParks guy at the information kiosk, who grudgingly roused himself from his nap to entertain us. As we told him what we saw, he pointed to the map of Pulau Ubin laid out and said that only Chek Jawa is a restricted zone..here we (meaning NParks) have no power..can only stop them if they're damaging or killing things (I specifically remember him giving seahorses as an example). In short, he made it sound as if people are free to do what they like in the areas that are not protected.

Clearly those people were causing damage!

We finally got him to follow us after some time (didn't seem willing to leave his post), but by then, we only saw the backs of the intrepid hunters who had finally decided to leave.

Okay, so NParks has no power to stop people from damaging areas that are not protected. Seems reasonable enough, for not ALL areas can be protected. What if endangered animals happen to live on shores/in areas that have no protection? Can poachers poach all they want?

Where do we draw the line?

The NParks staff have the option of telling people to cease their detrimental activities, but otherwise, nothing else can be done. I just called the NParks management office to ask for their take on this matter. Much of what was told to me I already heard from his fellow colleague, except that he put it across in a much nicer way. Something new to me was that the area in question falls under the jurisdiction of the LTA and even HSBC.

I asked the guy what NParks is doing about areas with no protection. His answer was that they are trying to get something done but there are politics involved. Not that word again, please.

What can we do to help?

The matter with red-tape aside, I can see why education is imperative in spreading the message of conservation. Ignorance can be attributed to the harm humans inflict and this can be reduced through education. Don't wait around for authorities to implement some policy or kick off some campaign to 'save the Earth'. It can start on the individual level, if you let it.

Did you ever collect sea shells when you were a kid? For many people, myself included, I thought that it was a harmless activity. On the day that I found out shell collection had negative effects (depriving hermit crabs of their homes, etc), I opened my mouth to start a reply but closed it when I realised that all I had to say started with either "I didn't know" or "I didn't think".

Pedal Ubin! 070309

2009-03-07T23:42:00.035+08:00

Moments after we set foot onto Pulau Ubin, a steady drizzle started which threatened to dampen our mood. Luckily, the rain abated quickly and we soon embarked on our first Pedal Ubin experience :D

Dark clouds were starting to obscure the sun...(played with my photo-editing programme).

Saw quite a lot of these birds wheeling overhead. They are Pacific Swallows (Hirundo tahitica) and are resident birds.* I've not been able to get a close look at them yet...

Before the Toddycats! guides brought us out, we were asked to test out our bikes (by playing with the gears, etc). Each group had around 13 participants and set off in intervals.

While waiting outside the Pulau Ubin Volunteer Hub, I turned my attention to the occasional bird in the vicinity. Blurry pic (argh!) of what looks like a Yellow-vented Bulbul (Pycnonotus goiaivier).

In no time, we were off and peddling hard to get to our destination (the destination of each Pedal Ubin trip varies) - Chek Jawa (CJ)! Upon reaching the CJ gates, we dismounted and parked our bikes in the bicycle stands provided, proceeding to advance on foot.

On our way in, we saw a couple of these mushrooms. If conditions are moist and humid, expect fungi! Based on their morphology, these mushrooms here are probably basidiomycetes (mushroom or club fungi). (ID?)

While exploring round the back of House No. 1 (CJ's visitor centre), Ze Lin spotted this pair of mating bugs. Are those droppings as pointed out by Samson Tan? (ID?)

ZL (with his sharp eyes) alerted us to this very well-camouflaged caterpillar. It was huge: around 8 cm long and 2 fingers wide o.O I remember there being comments like, "What kind of butterfly will it turn into?". I'm wondering too!

Identity revealed by Ron. It's the caterpillar of an Atlas Moth (Attacus atlas).* The moth is indeed big, with a wingspan of around 25 to 30 cm. Wow!

Just a stone's throw away was this much smaller white caterpillar with 'spikes'. (ID?)

At the front of House No. 1, there is a huge tank which houses marine animals that need rehabilitation. Currently, the tank is not in use as it's undergoing 'upgrading'. However, many terrestial bugs have fallen in and subsequently died, like this Scarab Beetle (Family Scarabaeidae).*

If memory serves me, those leaf-like 'pouches' are actually the modified petals enclosing the seed. Wrong info!

Those aren't modified petals, but modified leaves called bracts and belong to Flemingia strobilifera.* According to Dictionary.com, a bract is a modified leaf growing just below a flower or flower stalk. Bracts are generally small and inconspicuous, but some are showy and petallike, as the brightly colored bracts of bougainvillaea or the white or pink bracts of flowering dogwoods.

I believe this is a weaver ants' nest.. (ID?)

The view from the top of the Jejawi Tower in Chek Jawa.

As we were making our way down from the tower, this bird caught my eye. (ID?)

Curious indeed! This spider web was strung near the supporting pillars on the tower (forgot which storey). What are those lumps? Hmm..bundled up prey?

Mindy noticed the spider eating one of the lumps! (ID?)

Mud Lobster mounds can be found on both sides of the Chek Jawa Boardwalk. Though the mounds are common, the Mud Lobsters (Thalassina anomala) themselves hardly ever make an appearance.

The Nipah Palm (Nypa fruticans) is the only true mangrove palm. Its immature fruits are used extensively in desserts like Ice Kacang, and are commonly known to us as attap chee. Apart from satisfying one's sweet tooth for attap chee, this plant is commercially important as its parts - such as the fronds and sap - are used widely.

Mindy spotted this strange-looking spider. Got a clue from Samson Tan about its identity. Following it, I think this spider may be a Big-bellied Tylorida (Tylorida ventralis), a species which is falls under the Big-jawed Spiders family of Tetragnathidae.

The inflorescence of a Nipah Palm.*

The shape of their web give tent spiders (Cyrtophora spp.) their name.

Pausing for a rest on a Mud Lobster mound was this Dusky-gilled Mudskipper (Periophthalmus novemradiatus).

For more info about mudskippers in general (Family Gobiidae), check out http://mangrove.nus.edu.sg/guidebooks/text/2106.htm.

Scuttling about were the tree-climbing crabs (Episesarma spp.). One of the our guides, Tina, I think, mentioned how it's weird that she doesn't ever see the crabs climb the trees at CJ though they can be caught in action at Pasir Ris/Sungei Buloh.

Ron says: "You will see the tree-climbing crabs climbing trees when it's high tide. The crabs climb trees to escape from predatory fishes.".

A couple of leaves of the Sea Hibiscus (Hibiscus tiliaceus) were covered with a moving mass of Cotton Stainer Bug (Dysdercus decussatus). They are said to group together for the purpose of finding mates.

As we continued walking along the boardwalk, ZL gestured for Wanwei and I to come over. Our approach caused this crab to take cover, but luckily it emerged a few seconds later.

Later on, at NUS, I showed Ron the pic and found out more about them. Prof Peter Ng said that they look like Uca triangularis (Uca is the name of the fiddler crab genus) while Ron and LK provided the following info: the burrows (seen above with a crab guarding it) are known as chimneys and are built by the females. As female fiddler crabs do not have an enlarged pincer like the males, they are able to eat twice as fast. With meal times ending quickly, females have more time to build the chimneys which they use to protect themselves (no enlarged claw to fight with).

The chimney-building habit is specific to a few Uca species only. Uca triangularis and Uca paradussumieri juveniles are two such examples.*

Initally, I thought that the two Uca triangularis I caught on camera were females...but upon closer inspection, doesn't the right claw of the crab in the photo above look rather odd? Could it be a male?

This one here, though, is definitely a female.

This looks like the Blue-spotted Mudskipper (Boleophthalmus boddarti).

Looking like a mini ice cream cone was this Creeper Telescope Shell (Telescopium telescopium) lying on the mudflats.

This bug (spotted by Mindy) looks as if it has a smiley face painted on its abdomen :) (ID?)

Saw Mindy squatting by the side of the boardwalk and found out later that she was looking at this mudskipper here! It has red pelvic fins, something which I've never seen before. (ID?)

Is this an ant? Nope! It's a juvenile praying mantis (no evidence of wings). 2 pairs of its legs are on the leaf while its forelegs are held just below the head.* In some species, the nymphs rely on ant mimicry to aid them in their survival. Well, it certainly fooled me!

3 Cotton Stainer Bugs and 1..?!? (ID?)

The underside of a female Golden Orb Web Spider (Nephila maculata).

The species name has been updated to pilipes.*

The tide going out (~0.6 m), and exposing the mudflats...where many male fiddler crabs (Uca spp.) were out.

A closer look at them.

This Common Tailorbird (Orthotomus sutorius) would perch on a branch, twitter a few notes of a song, and then quickly dart to another tree. It hardly kept still!

A second after I took this pic, this Greenish Grass-dart (Ocybadistes walkeri) took off. Thought it was a moth but it's actually a Skipper butterfly like Ron said.

How do you tell a butterfly and a moth apart? For one, butterflies have club-shaped antennae. Find out more info about these creatures here and here.

As Pedal Ubin was coming to an end, we departed from CJ and cycled back to the volunteer hub. On the way back, there was still lots to see!

Can you see me? Twined loosely around a branch of similar colour was this snake. (ID?)

We made a stop at the headman's house where this Blue Glassy Tiger (Ideopsis vulgaris macrina) was flitting about in the garden of sorts.

Translucent wings.

Juvenile rambutan fruits? Far from it, as I just found out from Ron. These are the fruits of the White Mulberry (Morus alba).*

The best description I can think of is 'bright pink furry flower'! This is Cockscomb (Celosia Cristata).*

The young blooms of the same flower.

Pedal Ubin was an enjoyable experience and I do hope to participate in it again! The next one is coming up in June :)

Acknowledgements:

Credits to Mindy for the pics of the two unknown spiders, insect with smiley face on its abdomen and mudskipper with red pelvic fins.

*Thanks to Ron for the IDs and info!

Notes:

I've been using the terms 'insects' and 'bug' interchangeably but there is a difference! Thanks to Mindy for pointing it out!

Got this off Wen Qing's blog: "True bugs belong to the Order Hemiptera (hemi = half + ptera = wing) because of its forewings which are hardened near the base, but membranous at the ends. Its defining feature is its possession of mouthparts which have evolved into a proboscis and forms a "beak" of sorts which is capable of piercing tissues (usually plant tissues) and sucking out the liquids, usually sap.". So..there are bugs, and then there are insects :)

Backdated entries D:

2009-03-07T19:30:00.002+08:00

Backdated entries will be up as soon as possible, but for now, these will have a 'Watch This Space...' as their titles.

School's been hectic of late (more so than usual, I feel) hence the late entries. Sorry about it and please do check back soon. Will blog whenever I can :)

Watch This Space...

2009-03-07T19:25:00.002+08:00

...for my upcoming post on free-living animals in the zoo. There's an oxymoron somewhere. Haha.

Watch This Space...

2009-03-07T19:12:00.003+08:00

...for a combined post on shore exploratory trips to Pasir Ris Park + a day out cycling at East Coast Park.

In the meantime, do check out KS's entries on the Pasir Ris Park trips:

i.http://wondercreation.blogspot.com/2009/02/blog-post.html
ii. http://wondercreation.blogspot.com/2009/02/rain-lightning-and-rainbow-at-pasir-ris.html
iii. http://wondercreation.blogspot.com/2009/02/what-to-do-in-shelter-during-rain.html

:)

Birds in Action 240209

2009-03-07T19:09:00.006+08:00

While walking to the bus stop with my mum and sis, I caught sight of an Olive-backed Sunbird (cinnyris jugularis) that was darting to and fro. Its smaller than usual size (sunbirds are already one of the smallest birds around!) led me to wonder if it was a juvenile. Soon, it stopped darting about and hid underneath a palm frond by hanging upside down from the stem!

Bird acrobatics in action!

Later on, in the Tiong Bahru area..there came the very loud and familiar cries of the Asian Koel (Eudynamys scolopacea). It wasn't their common call of 'ko-el, ko-el, ko-el!' but the 'wreeep, wreeep, wreeep' call that they sometimes produce. Indeed, for their cries to be that loud they surely had to be nearby! Would I finally be able to catch a glimpse of the noisy yet elusive koel?

Yes!! However, I didn't manage to get a good shot. Before I got there, the guy living in the unit just beside the tree bellowed a highly irked "Go away!" at the koels. But they stubbornly remained on their perch. Lol. Kinda wish I were the one in the apartment unit and he, the one standing on the pavement across from the tree (just so I could get a good shot). Haha!

The male is on the left and the female is on the right. They can be distinguished by their plumage. According to Backyard Birdwatch, "[t]he male is glossy blue-black with a red eye and a long rounded tail. The female is the more showy of the pair with cocoa-brown, white-spotted back feathers, a lightly striped, white to chestnut underpart, black face, red eye and a white whisker mark above a black throat stripe.".

Systems at Peril: Climate Change, Agriculture and Biodiversity in Australia

2009-02-27T23:42:00.008+08:00

Thanks to Alan Goh for sharing this with me!

Though the seminar is in the Australian context, there is still much for Singapore to learn. We are merely countries apart; globally connected.

Watch This Space...

2009-02-24T02:38:00.002+08:00

...for my upcoming post on the flora and fauna seen during the walk with RMBR volunteers :)

Meanwhile, do check out these entries about the trip:

July's - http://wherediscoverybegins.blogspot.com/2009/02/discovery-bukit-timah-nature-reserve.html
Wen Qing's - http://midori-no-michi.blogspot.com/2009/02/btnr-18th-feb-2009-cradling-last.html and
Mindy's - http://sunflecksurfer.wordpress.com/2009/02/22/a-shocking-find/

Cheers!

Natural and Human Impacts on Bukit Timah Nature Reserve

2009-02-23T02:55:00.014+08:00

…flashes of lightning light up the darkened sky with harsh, intermittent glares. There! A clap of thunder resounds, muffled only by the steady torrential rain which streams down relentlessly… …

Safe at home, we close our windows; the usual drill when it pours. It’s just another storm to most of us, but for trees, storms – especially those charged with lightning – spell bad news.

With no place to seek shelter, trees are sitting ducks. As one of the tallest structures around, they are naturally more susceptible to lightning strikes. What’s more, Singapore has one of the highest rates of lightning activity in the world, so trees often get hit and die. Forest fires have also been known to be ignited by lightning.

Home to a wide diversity of flora and fauna, Bukit Timah Nature Reserve (BTNR) was gazetted as a nature reserve in the 1800s. Its summit stands at 163 metres, making it Singapore’s highest hill. With tall trees and high elevation, the forest is undoubtedly a victim of lightning activity which can result in the loss of species especially when these are localised in one area.

The Visitor Centre is a prominent landmark and also one of the first things seen upon entering the reserve.

Human activity has also impacted BTNR negatively. Many a time, irresponsible visitors go off the trail even when large notices have been put up to warn against doing so. It might seem like a harmless action, but where too many footfalls land ultimately result in trampling, which damages and even kills flora and fauna. I've also seen temporary barricades which have been knocked down in order to gain access to the closed trail.

Please be a responsible visitor. Take nothing but pictures and leave nothing but footprints (on the opened trails only).

References:
i. Lightning activity in Singapore - http://app.nea.gov.sg/cms/htdocs/article.asp?pid=1203
ii. wild shores of singapore: Lightning: the scariest thing on the shores - http://wildshores.blogspot.com/2008/08/lightning-scariest-thing-on-shores.html

Feathered Friends at NUS 200209

2009-02-20T21:38:00.011+08:00

It started with a Yellow-Vented Bulbul (Pycnonotus goiavier)...

...and a few moments later, the quiet of the otherwise peaceful evening was broken by very loud and discordant "AARRK-AARRK-AARRK!" cries made by one of the following - ...

...a cockatoo!

Whoa..had two sightings of birds that I have never seen before in the wild in a matter of minutes! Though drained after a very long day at school, I suddenly found the energy to go bird-stalking. Haha. If not for meeting and Meryl and Lynette, I wouldn't have had the chance to end the day on such a high note :) However, I did feel like kicking myself when I realised that the long shots I took of the cockatoos (YES, there were like three or more of them 'obediently' perched on a branch) were aimed too high/low and contained no birds. Argh. Didn't have a chance to take more shots upon this realisation as they had all flown to a tree opposite the road, too high up for a good shot. Argh.

Acknowledgements:

As I initially had no idea what the first bird was, I googled 'cockatoo' and one of the websites to come up was from ClubSNAP which solved the 'mystery' for me. See the page which has close-up and clear shots of both the Yellow-Vented Bulbul and cockatoo.

Thoughts:

First and foremost, I really have to do something about my 'shaky' hands problem. It gets bad when I get excited at a new sighting.

In case you were wondering, we were at the bus-stop outside the OED which is just opposite Raffles Hall and the Kuok Foundation House. I've often heard bird cries at that bus-stop while waiting for the internal shuttle bus.

Back to the unidentified cockatoo. As they all stayed pretty high up and I only saw their underside, it's hard to tell exactly what species they are. Some species of cockatoos with white plumage which can be found in Singapore are the Sulphur-crested Cockatoo (Cacatua galerita), White Cockatoo (Cacatua alba) and Tanimbar Corella (Cacuata goffiniana). Edit: There's also the Yellow-Crested Cockatoo (Cacatua sulphurea) as pointed out by Ivan. Thanks! See his full comment for more info.

For more posts of birds sighted at NUS, take a look at KS's blog entry here.

OJT1 at Changi Beach Park 090209

2009-02-14T21:14:00.019+08:00

Had my first on job training (Mindy's second) on Monday, 9th Feb. The guides who went down that day were Luan Keng, Ron, Siyang, Robert and Kok Sheng. As we were early, we had some time to ourselves before the girls from MGS arrived. As it turned out, we had our first 'sighting' soon after sitting down...

...a very cute and tiny orangey-brown ladybug! It is known as Epilachna indica (thanks Anonymous!).

Soon after, Robert headed to us carrying two tests (internal skeletons) of sea urchins. Above is the underside of a test of a White Sea Urchin (Salmacis sp.). There's a pic of a live White Sea Urchin below.

Different species of sea urchins have tests of different size and colour. On the right is the test of a Black Sea Urchin (Temnopleurus toreumaticus).

Always remember to put back the organisms - dead or alive - where you found them!

Soon, the girls from MGS arrived and each guide went to meet their group. I was attached to KS's group while Mindy went to join Robert's. At the supralittoral zone, the girls had their first 'discovery', which was none other than the small balls of sand that dotted the beach in clusters...

...made by what else, but the Sand Bubbler Crab (Scopimera sp.). The best way to see this crab is to keep still and not make any sudden movements. It will come out of its burrow soon enough.

In this photo: Robert's group. Mindy is hidden behind.

Many of the girls were fascinated by the colourful 'kites' flying in the distance, which belonged to the people who were out kitesurfing. Seems real cool!

This Razor Clam (Family Solenidae) aka Bamboo Clam caused quite a lot of excitement. We got to see it 'live' in action and quite a show it was too! The clam shocked everyone by 'torpedo-ing' itself forward, using water sucked in and out of its siphon (look at the part of the clam at the far left of the pic, the other end is its foot) to do so. It moved so fast that I had no time to get a video of it in action. It even squirted a stream of water at one girl, causing her to squeal.

There was a sea cucumber (classification unknown) nearby too, and the razor clam torpedoed itself over. Lol.

It soon settled down at one spot and used it muscular foot to burrow quickly into the wet sand, leaving its siphon sticking out so that it could breathe and feed.

Another shot of the unknown sea cucumber.

Growing on some debris (I think) was this sponge (the protruding branching knob-like structures).

Camouflaged against the substrate was this Plain Sand Star (Astropecten sp.).

Remember the test of the White Sea Urchin earlier? Well, this is how that species of sea urchin looks like when it is alive.

What I mistook for a Thorny Sea Cucumber (Colochirus quadrangularis) was actually a Warty Sea Cucumber (Cercodemas anceps). It's easy to get confused between the two as both are colourful, and largely pink, at that.

Have been wanting to see a Noble Volute (Cymbiola nobilis) for quite some time and I finally got my chance to that day! These amazing creatures have a magnificent shell that has markings which resemble mountain ranges. If I'm not wrong, each shell has their own unique markings, so two shells are never the same.

Their muscular body is spotted with orange dots of varying sizes, making them even more outstanding. Sadly, these creatures are fast dwindling in numbers in Singapore due to over-collection for their beautiful shell and over-hunting (even though they're edible, it doesn't mean that one has to eat them).

There were a lot of Cake Sand Dollars (Arachnoides placenta) on the beach that day. This is the underside of one. To the undiscerning visitor, they are difficult to spot as they look like raised circular lumps of sand (they usually burrow into the sand).

As the original pic isn't very clear, I took the liberty of enhancing it.

The topside of the another Cake Sand Dollar.

The underside of it. Wonder why it differs so much from that of the first sand dollar? Might that have been a juvenile?

Enhanced image.

First noticed this in the sand when one of the girls asked me what it was.

Well, it turned out to be a Ball Sea Cucumber (Phyllophorus spiculata) that was largely buried in the sand. Their body fluids have medicinal properties.

Just a short distance behind KS, I spotted this very unusual and pretty snail moving across the sand. I couldn't help but go over to take a better look. It reminds me of a strawberry somehow. Haha. It's actually a helmet shell (scientific name: Semicassis bisulcatum). KS gave me a questioning look when he realised I had slipped away from the group to get a better look at this snail. Oops.

Wandering about with its long siphon out.

I had many 'firsts' during this trip, including my first encounter with a sea hare! This is a Hairy Sea Hare (Bursatella leachii). When in season, these creatures can come in the thousands.

A dead Horseshoe Crab.

Yup, another 'first' for me! During the guided walk, we encountered a couple of Spotted Moon Crabs (Ashtoret lunaris). All of their legs are paddle-shaped as they are burrowers.

Humans rarely appear in this blog, but I thought it'd have a change for this entry. That's Mindy on the left, and me on the right. Thanks to SY who took this photo :)

Acknowledgements:

For this entry, I referred frequently to Wild Fact Sheets of marine life on Singapore shores (http://www.wildsingapore.com/wildfacts/), as well as KS (http://wondercreation.blogspot.com/2009/02/changi-beach-with-mgs-girls.html) and Ron's (http://tidechaser.blogspot.com/2009/02/changi-over-2-days.html) related blog entries.

For Mindy's account, do check out her entry at: http://sunflecksurfer.wordpress.com/2009/02/11/9th-february-changi-beach-walk-mgs/

Thoughts:

Upon joining KS's group, I suddenly felt a bit apprehensive but that soon passed as the guided walk progressed. KS even gave me a chance to do some impromptu guiding. Haha. It was great to see the girls getting excited over their discoveries during the course of the walk. Overall, it was a good experience! And if anything, the more I know, the less I seem to. The only way to combat that, I feel, is to know as much as I can by exploring, observing and reading. Will work on improving my photography skills too!

Everyday Flora and Fauna of Singapore 070208

2009-02-14T19:41:00.020+08:00

Was out with my friend on the 7th and of course, my camera had to come along. Just as well..for when we were at the bus stop outside Redhill MRT Station, the 'shaking' leaves of a plant caught my attention. I thought it was the wind..but then, a little yellow bird suddenly flew out and headed straight for one of the recesses in the wall of the station. I was getting weird looks from the other people at the bus stop while snapping pics of the bird. Haha.

The whole time we were there, the bird flew in and out of this recess, gathering dried leaves to build its nest, presumably.

Just found out that this is an Olive-backed Sunbird (Cinnyris jugularis)*. For clearer pictures, do take a look at the Mangoverde World Bird Guide Species Page: Olive-backed Sunbird - http://www.mangoverde.com/birdsound/spec/spec166-94.html. Check out http://rmbr.nus.edu.sg/nis/bulletin2008/2008nis207-210.pdf for interesting information about the display of the male Olive-backed Sunbird and its pectoral tufts. [Edit]

Front view of a female Olive-backed Sunbird, though somewhat blurry. Males of this species are more brightly-coloured than the females, with metallic blue feathers covering the front of their heads and extending to their breasts. Have a look at a picture of a male here. [Edit]

I always pass by this canal on my way to school, except this time I was on foot. Was not surprised to see egrets (it seems to be their migratory season now and they're fairly common in Singapore during this time). The bird on the right appears to be a Little Egret (Egretta garzetta). I based the ID on the fact that it has a black beak and slight stature. The Chinese Egret (Egretta eulophotes), a globally-threatened species, also has a blackish beak but it is larger, and is much rarer in Singapore during the migratory season.

Pretty flowers by the roadside. Likely that this is Ixora sp., as suggested by Ze Lin.

Yup, it's an Ixora as confirmed by LK*. More precisely, it's an Ixora cultivar (cultivar refers to a variety of a plant that has been created or selected intentionally and maintained through cultivation as stated at Dictionary.com) which has been given the name of Ixora 'Super Pink'. The name says it all. [Edit]

The unopened flower buds of Ixora 'Super Pink'*. [Edit] Can see that it has black specks of dirt on its leaves from all the dust and exhaust from passing vehicles.

Heads up!

This is probably a Plantain Squirrel (Callosciurus notatus), a common resident of Singapore.

What my family commonly refers to as the yellow bird is actually the Black-naped Oriole (Oriolus chinensis). Many of us probably hear its cry frequently but do not often see it. Glad I walked home that day and decided to look up. This oriole kind of reminds me of a pirate (Zorro, even) because of its black mask.

This is the Yellow Saraca (Saraca cauliflora aka S. thaipingensis)*. This tree looked as if it was decorated with bouquets of orange-gold from the way its flowers were in bloom. Pretty sight :)

Found an interesting article from the Bird Ecology Study Group on the Saraca and Sunbirds.
Read it at http://besgroup.talfrynature.com/2008/01/30/saraca-and-sunbirds/.
Got more excited upon reading the last sentence -"The tree attracts many species of birds that visit for the flower nectar and fruits.". Wow! The tree is within walking distance from my home..*starts thinking of bird-stalking* [Edit]

And just before reaching home, I couldn't resist talking one last photo of this Chiku tree, which is otherwise known as the Sapodilla (Manilkara zapota).

Acknowledgements:

For this post, much of the info was obtained from Private Lives: An Exposé of Singapore's Mangrove (editors: Peter K. L. Ng, Wang Luan Keng and Kelvin K. P. Lim).

*LK, thanks for pointing out the IDs!

Thoughts:

Ever since construction for a park opposite my block began, the neighbourhood has been filled with more cries of different birds, most notably that of the Asian Koel (Eudynamys scolopacea). This morning, upon the urging of my mother who saw a bird with a large wingspan, I quickly turned to look out the window and was wow-ed by the sight. The bird made one turn and then glided past. It mostly had medium brown plumage from what I could see (only saw its underside). The underside of its wings had a white 'row' of feathers near the top whilst the rest of it was brown with speckles. I'd really like to know what bird it was. Two birds come to mind: the Asian Koel and the sparrowhawk. But it could be neither too. Hmm...

Exploring Pulau Ubin and Chek Jawa 010209

2009-02-06T02:59:00.046+08:00

Mention 'Pulau Ubin' and descriptions like 'popular place to cycle' and 'well-known offshore island' automatically pop into mind. Well, those phrases used to pop into my mind, anyway! Haha.. Since the 1st of February 2009, I have seen Pulau Ubin with new eyes. Before that, I'd only gone there to cycle with friends..and I never knew that I was missing out on so much. Like what Luan Keng said, you really can't see anything much if you cycle; it's just a blur of green interspersed with other colours, and gray, from the track.

Here's a short excerpt from Singapore's Biophysical Environment by Lu Xi Xi, Wong Poh Poh and Chou Loke Ming about quarrying, of which granite quarrying was an integral part of Ubin's past:

"Three major groups of rocks were of economic importance to Singapore in the past. A series of granite quarries were located along the western flank of Bukit Timah and on Pulau Ubin. In 1970, there were 25 granite quarries employing about 1,200 workers. The first quarry on Pulau Ubin opened in the early 19th century and the last quarry closed in 1999. Clays were obtained from the Jurong Formation for brickworks. The Old Alluvium was quarried and the clays were washed in ponds to produced sand. This left behind a landscape of ponds and badly eroded surfaces."

Today, P. Ubin still bears the marks of its past. There are a couple of disused quarries on the island, which are very deep and filled with rainwater. They are dangerous, for obvious reasons, and thus have fences around their perimeter to keep visitors out.

The island is a great for a brief respite from the hustle and bustle of city life. Be a responsible visitor though (by that I mean DON'T poach, litter and create a din)! And if cycling is not your cup of tea, walking around the island is a great alternative...which is exactly what we did :)

At around 8am, the group of us met at Changi Village Ferry Terminal. To get to Pulau Ubin, one has to purchase a one-way ride on a bumboat for $2.50.

Though sunrise was a couple of hours before, it seemed that the last traces of dawn had spilled over into the early morning.

Ahh...

We had our first bird-sighting right at the start of our walk. Eggciting! Haha...

Found out from LK that these are Dollarbirds (Eurystomus orientalis), so called because they have one round white patch under each wings. Like a dollar coin!

If my memory serves me, it was July who pointed out that these two butterflies were mating. Does anyone know the ID of the butterflies?

'Bird-stalking'! It's getting to be one of my fave past-times (you'll see why in a later post). Haha. This is an Asian Glossy Starling (Aplonis panayensis)! Like their name suggests, they have a glossy plumage which shines in the sunlight.

It's not too clear, but the red eye of this Asian Glossy Starling can just be made out.

Further out on the water were two Grey Herons (Ardea cinerea) [Edit] keeping very still. Herons and egrets may resemble each other, but they belong to different genera. They are, however, from the same family of Ardeidae.

A "nappy" tree o.o Missed out on Ron's further explanation on why it has such a nickname. However, according to Wen Qing's blog entry, it's because the leaves are supposedly soft enough to be used as diapers. Au naturel :P Nickname aside, it is better known by its three common names - Lampin Budak, Laping Budak, Jarak Kayu - and its scientific name of Claoxylon indicum.

Lampin - napkin; diaper

Budak - child
Laping - ?

Jarak - distance

Kayu - wood

(Translations obtained from Bhanot's Malay-English Cyber-Dictionary)

A large Common Red-stem Fig (Ficus variegata) tree. Fig plants exhibit a wide variety of growth forms which include trees, climbers, shrubs, bushes, epiphytes and tree-stranglers. Those bunches on the tree may appear to be fruits, but they are actually syconium - a structure in which the tiny flowers of the plant grow. Most, if not all, of the species of fig plants share a mutualistic relationship with fig wasps (family Agaonidae). The wasps pollinate the flowers, while the syconia provide a safe place for the female wasps to lay her eggs in.

This plant was swarming with ants, possibly attracted by a sugary substance secreted by scale insects which the ants consume. Scale insects are white in colour and have no legs when they reach maturity. They are considered to be garden pests as they suck plant sap. Ants are known to transport the scale insects, offering them protection too. A movable living food source, if you like! Another mutualistic relationship :)

Thanks to Siyang for the info (hope I didn't note down anything wrongly)!

References: ants of the singapore mangroves -http://mangrove.nus.edu.sg/guidebooks/text/2031.htm and www.singaporelearning.com/cib/CIBSchSEC_pdf/CIBSchSec_8.pdf

The leaves of yet another fig plant. This time its a Common Yellow Stem Fig (Ficus fistulosa).

Red pipe-clearners hanging from a tree! That's what I thought of upon seeing this tree. It's not a tree, but a shrub though. Common names: Chenille Plant, Red Hot Cat's Tail, Red Cattail, Ekur Kuching, Buntut Kucing, Cat's Tail. Scientific name: Acalypha hispida.

Fig plant number 3! If I'm not wrong, this is a Climbing Fig (Ficus pumila). Its other common names are Creeping Fig, Creeping Ficus, Creeping Rubberplant and Ara Jalar.

No prizes for guessing what this is. The large fruit of the Jackfruit tree (Artocarpus heterophyllus) , ready for the picking (that's just a FIGure of speech). Haha..pun intended. Anyway, both the Fig and Jackfruit are from the same family of Moraceae!

Keeping one's volume down is an unspoken rule in the forest, for loud noises tend to scare animals away. Seems like we were quiet and lucky enough to be able to see this rare bird - a White-rumped Shama (Copsychus malabaricus) which is a popular songster. Due to high demand for activities such as the caged bird trade, the shama has become endangered.

References: Singapore Science Centre: ResourcesEducational ResourcesEndangered Vertebrates of Singapore - http://www.science.edu.sg/ssc/detailed.jsp?artid=3890&type=4&root=140&parent=140&cat=249 and White-rumped Shama - http://www.arowana.com.sg/shama/shama.html

I'm aware that the second link is to a webpage on the caged bird trade. Though I'm not for the trade, the webpage does contain interesting information on the shama.

There were many Golden Orb Web Spiders (Nephila maculata) around that day. This is the underside of one such spider.

Though dissimilar in appearance, the arachnid above is also a Golden Orb Web Spider. As you can see from the second pic, its web is huge.

Thanks to Glenda for holding up a leaf of the White-leafed Fig (Ficus grossularioides) so that I could take a pic of its underside! It's evident where this fig plant gets its name from :)

Depending on growth form and where they grow, fig plants may harm other plants. For instance, if a fig plant (such as a creeper?) grows on a tree, it has the tendency to grow downwards, strangling the host.

Another plant where looking at the underside of its leaves reveals the 'mystery' behind its common name. No, it's not another species of fig, but a Silver Back (Rhodamnia cinerea). This plant is a native tree that lives in open, well-lighted places. The 3-veined, directly opposite leaves with the silvery back is a distinctive feature of this species. It hails from the Myrtaceae family (also called the jambu family). [Edit]

A coastal plant, the Fan Palm (Licuala ferruginea) is often grown in homes for its ornamental value.

A Tapioca plant (Manihot esculenta).

One of the first few flowers I learned the name of in primary school was the Hibiscus (Hibiscus sp.) as there were a couple of prominent Hibiscus plants in the just outside the canteen :)

A plant of the Macaranga genus. There are over 200 species in this genus.

The leaf stalk of the Macaranga starts somewhere near the edge of the leaf blade, in the leaf blade itself. The plants are sun-loving and grow where they can get maximum sunlight exposure.

More Golden Orb Web Spiders!

On the right: a tiny male spider (well, compared to the female, it is tiny) on top of the female spider. Males are typically a tenth of the female's size. If not careful, they may get eaten by their mates. Sometimes, a small spider, known as the kleptoparasite, which is around the male's size may be found on the web. The parasites steal food from the 'owner' of the web. Being so much smaller makes them more agile and they can thus out-manoeurvre the big female.

Check out http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kleptoparasitism for more info on kleptoparasitism.

Fondly called the Bird Shit Caterpillar, these are actually the larvae of Common Lime Butterfly (Papilio demoleus).

These orange knob-like protrusions, known as lenticels, on the trunk distinguish this mangrove, Berus Mata Buaya (Bruguiera hainesii), from other species. Edit (LK): The lenticels are found on ALL Bruguiera species, not just B. hainesii. B. hainesii is called Berus Mata Buaya, meaning crocodiles’ eyes because the lenticels are very large.

The Sea Hibiscus (Talipariti hibiscus) [Edit] is a common coastal plant.

Cotton Stainer Bugs (Dysdercus decussatus)! The larvae [Edit] feed solely on the seeds of the Sea Hibiscus. Notice how these bugs have a red head. A very close relative of theirs has a black head instead (scroll down).

These belong to the Beauty Leaf (Calophyllum inophyllum), so called because of the smooth appearance of each leaf. One species is purported to have anti-aids properties. Research is currently underway.

Two species of mangrove ferns are in this pic. The leaves with the rounded tips belong to the Leather Fern (Acrostichum aureum) while those which have are reddish and have a pointed tip belong to Acrostichum speciosum. The spores of the plants in this genus are not kept in sori.

This is NOT a Cotton Stainer Bug, but a Thespesia Firebug (Dysdercus simon). The easiest way to tell apart the two is by the colour of their head. The former has a red head, while the latter has a black head. The Thespesia Firebugs, which are endangered, reside on Portia Trees (Thespesia populnea).

Though not obvious from this photo, this beetle really does have long horns which grow to roughly the length of its body. No wonder it is called the Longhorn Beetle (family Cerambycidae).

This is Chengam (Scyphiphora hydrophyllacea), a mangrove shrub. The leaves are rounded and opposite. Their glossy covering serves to protect them against sea and land breezes as it allows the accumulated salt to be blown away. Comment from LK: I am not sure if Scyphiphora secrete salt like Avicennia does. Nothing is said about salt excretion of Scyphiphora in the literature. The glossiness is probably to prevent water loss.

These are the young leaves of the Chengam. It's not too clear, but there are two leaves sort of pressed together (the vague edge of the leaf behind is just visible).

More mangrove plants! Here are the leaves of the Teruntum Merah (Lumnitzera littorea). They have a small notch on the leaf tip as one of their distinguishing features. Other features include having a red stem and red flowers.

It was only after I browsed through my photos a few times that I noticed something out of the ordinary... See it? It was right under my nose and I didn't see it. Haha.

This is the Indian Fleabane (Pluchea indica), by the way. It is a mangrove associate (refers to plants which are found in the back mangroves but are NOT mangroves).

Though small, this nymph of a Hopper caught our attention due to its bright orangey-red colouration.

Edit: This should be a Blue Glassy Tiger (Ideopsis vulgaris macrina).

Termites mounds are not uncommon in the forest. They should not be confused with mud lobster mounds though. The former is made up of sand while the latter is constructed from mud (what else!).

One of my favourite sightings of the day - a bagworm! There is actually a caterpillar inside the structure, with its front legs and mouth left uncovered. Bit by bit, this animal will build up its case by pasting bits of material (in this instance, plant matter) onto its body. Cool eh! The one that we saw had just stuck a small bit of a plant stem onto its body (first picture, top left). The type of case built varies from species to species. I think it's amazing how this species is able to make such an elaborate helical case (kind of resembles the structure of DNA, don't you think?).

Saw this dead snail along Noordin Beach. Saw an empty shell of the same species again at Changi Beach yesterday (9th Feb). Can't seem to find the ID of this snail online but I did see this shell in RMBR's collection... Wonder if it might be an apple snail (Pomacea sp.) but such snails live in freshwater... [Refer to Ivan's comment]

The oval-shaped black piece is the snail's operculum which functions as its trapdoor.

This nest of stingless bees (Trigona sp.) [Edit] caught our attention when we were about to walk into Chek Jawa (my first time there!!).

The cozy-looking house on the left is the visitor centre...

..while on the right lies Pulau Sekudu.

Edit: This is Chassalia sp., also known as Grains of Rice/Beras Beras/Beras Hitam.

Saw quite a number of these Mata Ayam (Ardisia elliptica) trees that day. Their common name of 'Mata Ayam' is apt as the fruit does indeed resemble chicken eyes. The leaves have a leathery feel. They are native coastal plants. Edit: This is the fruit of Chassalia sp. NOT Mata Ayam.

Now this is the REAL Mata Ayam. Sorry for the mix up!

Seashore Nutmeg (Knema globularia). Oriental Pied-hornbills (Anthracoceros albirostris) feed on the fruit of this tree.

ID of this, anyone?

A fluffy and white caterpillar! So cute xD
Cuteness aside, caterpillars should not be touched for some species are known to have venomous spines. Better to be safe than to be sorry. Did some research online and found that this caterpillar may belong to the family Megalopygidae, and will probably turn into a moth at a later point in its life.

Here's a video of the fluffy white caterpillar in action. Enjoy!

My camera ran out of battery soon after we set foot in Chek Jawa :( So Agnes helped to take the following shots. Thanks!

The Giant Mudskipper (Periophthalmodon schlosseri) is one of the species of mudskippers that can be found in Chek Jawa. The two black stripes running the length of their body is their most distinctive characteristic.

Commonly confused with the Komodo Dragon (Varanus komodoensis), monitor lizards are actually their close relatives and belong in the same genus. This one here is a Malayan Water Monitor Lizard (Varanus salvator). Whenever I see a monitor lizard, I inadvertently recall the time when I was out kayaking with friends last year along the waterways which cut through the mangroves of Pulau Ubin. As we were paddling, we saw a number of dead, bloated monitor lizards which had become entangled in nets left by the bank. The nets looked pretty old and quite a lot of leaves had become snagged too. One word: irresponsible.

I don't want to end this entry on such a sour note so here's a pic of Jarum Jarum (Ixora congesta) to brighten things up! The larvae of the Knight butterfly feed on this plant so no wonder...

...we had the chance to see the adult which has distinctive patterns on its wings. At least three different subspecies can be found in Singapore, with subtle differences in markings. Found an interesting scientific paper on the Knight (Lebadea martha malayana). Read it at http://rmbr.nus.edu.sg/nis/bulletin2008/2008nis183-189.pdf.

Thoughts:

There's so much diversity in Singapore, but it often goes unappreciated. What's more, it's often abused by activities such as poaching. I know this is gonna sound real cliched, but I sincerely believe that if we each do our part, we can make a difference...

Acknowledgements:

Thanks to Luan Keng, Ron, Siyang and July for the info during the walk!

For this post, I referred frequently to ria's free conversion of print to web for conservation, nature info (http://www.naturia.per.sg/), NParks FloraWeb (http://floraweb.nparks.gov.sg/index.jsp) and mangroves of singapore (http://mangrove.nus.edu.sg/).

Thanks to LK for the amendments! :)

Notes:

For more about this adventure, do visit these blogs:

http://tidechaser.blogspot.com/2009/02/exploring-pulau-ubin-with-rmbr.html
http://uforest.blogspot.com/2009/02/exploring-ubin_01.html
http://wherediscoverybegins.blogspot.com/2009/02/discover-ubin-on-2-feb-2009.html
http://midori-no-michi.blogspot.com/2009/02/rmbr-01-pulau-ubin-island-of-granite.html

I'm already looking forward to the next adventure in the wild :)

Out and About 300109

2009-01-31T01:05:00.013+08:00

Spent the day at the Dempsey area and the Singapore Botanic Gardens with my mum and sis. Going out always means another opportunity to take more photos...and when that opportunity swings by, I can't wait to start snapping away :)

While walking into the Dempsey area via the 'forested' route, I spotted (haha..no pun intended) two Spotted Doves (Streptopelia chinensis) among the vegetation. They kept moving around but luckily one kept still for a moment so I managed to snap a pic of it!

Framed against the dark green foliage of the other trees in the background, this tree, with its light green leaves dancing merrily in the zephyr, provided a stark yet pleasing contrast.

I wonder how old this tree must be.

...with their bare branches reaching out into the sky.

Seed pods of some kind.

Ah ha! On our way out via the Tanglin Village path, a squirrel scampered up a tree at the sound of our approach (oops).

Next stop, the Singapore Botanic Gardens! I haven't been there in nearly a decade. This plant with its distinctive flowers greets visitors who stroll past the garden.

These are some of the paper cranes (folded by the students from Nanyang Primary) which hang from the Tree of Prosperity in the Gardens itself.

Very Pirates-of-the-Caribbean-ish, I feel. Can you spot the octopus and other sea creatures?

This is just one of the numerous wood carvings we saw along the way to the er..toilet. The library is the same way, actually.

I love playing with the macro function of my camera..hehe.

It's not always good to look down, but in some cases, you never will know what you may find. I tried to 'stalk' it, but it moved quickly and was soon out of sight. I'm not sure, but I think it might be a White-breasted Waterhen (Amaurornis phoenicurus).

We saw many beautiful flowers along the way to Swan Lake...

...and of course, what's Swan Lake without its resident swans (the other stayed at the far end of the lake).

Another shot taken by my sis :)

Didn't manage to explore the entire Gardens as it was close to evening by the time we got there. Hope to visit the place again...and soon!

Images of a Partial Solar Eclipse 260109

2009-01-27T15:19:00.010+08:00

There's nothing like a partial solar eclipse to usher in the lunar new year! My family and I had just finished our late lunch cum early dinner at an eatery when I bugged everyone to go outside to catch the eclipse. We found a very random spot outside the shopping mall and sat down to wait (I thought the eclipse would start at 5.30pm...but actually it started at 4.30pm ><). The sun was really bright (never look directly at the sun!!) and being clueless, we thought that we'd just wait for the sky to darken or something. Haha. Bored, I looked around, when all of a sudden, a bright patch of reflection in the water (there was a small pool of water behind me) caught my eye. And WHOA...I clearly saw a bright crescent reflected in the water. Amazing. Admittedly, I thought I was seeing things and got my family to verify it for me. Sure enough, it was the reflection of the eclipse taking place for we soon saw the sliver of light in the water changing as time progressed. Cool, ain't it? So, next time if you are unable to rig a special set-up (special lenses, etc) in time for the eclipse, just go outside, get a basin of water, catch the reflection of the sun in it, and savour the moment :) Note: water tends to ripple when there's a breeze..so the image will get distorted. And now for pictures!

This was taken before I noticed the sliver of light in the water... There was increasing cloud cover, as if the Sun was reeling them in by an invisble thread..

Somehow it showed up as an orb of light in the water..probably because the image was too bright to be captured (not too sure how to adjust the camera settings >< )

Took a shot of it with flash as I heard that doing so evens the colour out..

This is my mum's favourite pic. We were all awed by this unearthly and ethereal scene...

Moments later, we saw dark clouds scudding over..like a chariot of the sun.

Shortly after, the sun itself was obscured by clouds, but where the sky was clear, light shone through. My mum thinks that it looks like a fan spreading out from the sun.

At 6pm+, we finally headed back inside.. I couldn't resist taking one last shot :)

Here are some photos of the eclipse taken by Chengyao!

Read more about the partial solar eclipse at:

http://wildshores.blogspot.com/2009/01/solar-eclipse-today.html and

http://wildsingaporenews.blogspot.com/2009/01/singaporeans-gather-at-science-centre.html

Plus, if you'd like to catch the future solar eclipses, check out http://eclipse.astronomie.info/sofi/inter/inter/S121038.HTM (got this off the wild shores of singapore blog as well :) )

Under the Stars at Pasir Ris Park 150109

2009-01-25T00:10:00.009+08:00

A couple of days later, I was back out in the 'wild' with a couple of friends - this time at Pasir Ris Park...at night! It was really chilly when we got there and the strong wind blowing continuously didn't help. The cold did keep away the mozzies though. Okay, I concede that I'd rather be cold than to 'donate' blood! Apologies in advance for the not-so-good quality of the pics. Shaky hands... Credit goes to Zelin for helping to ID the pics..thanks!

Found this tiny sea urchin taking refuge among the sea lettuce.

Could it be a Heart Urchin (Order Spatangoida) by any chance?

This is probably a Sentinel Crab (Macrophthalmus sp.), half-buried in the sand.

There were quite a few of this Striped Bead Anemone along the beach.

Yellow egg capsules of a drill (Family Muricidae) attached to a rock, possibly that of a Bumpy Drill. The egg capsules of drills are first yellow, but turn purple when the eggs hatch.

A half-emerged hermit crab.

A small goby [perhaps a Plain Goby (Family Gobiidae)?] found in a shallow pool of sea water along the beach.

Walking on, we encountered another Striped Bead Anemone having a snail for dinner...

..and it wasted no time in tucking in!

A Coastal Adventure at Changi Beach Park 120109

2009-01-20T00:46:00.034+08:00

First day of the new semester, and also a new adventure! Headed down to Changi Beach in the early evening after school where an adventure was waiting to unfold...

The wind was unusually strong that evening, blustery even. The gusts buffeted the sea, causing the waves to roll rapidly inward.

As it was low tide, there were quite a number of people out combing the intertidal area for shellfish and other marine organisms. It was disheartening to see such an activity going on as both marine flora and fauna suffer in the end. Perhaps such beach-combing activities are important in ways (which I'm not aware of/I can't understand) to the people who engage in them.

A venus clam (Family Veneridae)! It is a bivalve (bi: two, valve: referring to one half of the shell) and are common on the rocky shore.

On a brighter note, it seems that the marine life at Changi is still thriving. Let's hope it remains that way. One of the first organisms we sighted was a peacock anemone (Cerianthus sp.) with a slightly fluorescent yellow tinge to it.

These anemones are aptly named as they come in a variety of colours! They are pretty safe to touch (but if not sure, never touch an organism if you don't know whether it's poisonous or not!) and their waving tentacles (resembles hair, don't you think?) impart a curiously sticky and mildly stinging feel.

These are egg cases deposited by some marine organism (I have no idea what). Edit: They're actually eggs laid by a Spiral Melongena (Pugilina cochlidium) - a kind of large snail - as pointed out by Zelin and Ria. Thanks!

Hermit crabs are common along the shores of Singapore, and Changi beach is no exception. The species of hermit crabs vary, but one thing doesn't change: these crustaceans use an empty shell as their 'house'. It may appear tough with its sharp-looking pincers, but its abdomen is long and soft, necessitating the need for an adopted protective cover. Edit: This may be a striped hermit crab (Clibanarius sp.) as suggested by Zelin. [Refer to Ron's comment]

Marine snails are common sight along the shore. They are closely related to their terrestial counterparts but have a much greater diversity.

Everytime I see a sea urchin, I can't help but be reminded of sea urchin sushi. Finally tried it a couple of weeks ago. Let's just say that I won't be eating any again soon. Anyway, that's a Black Sea Urchin (Temnopleurus toreumaticus) in the photo.

Just a stone's throw away from the sea urchin was a sea cucumber. The sea cucumber didn't look healthy at all. In fact, it kind of looked like pitted styrofoam. Sigh... I wonder if it'll recover.

Other sea cucumbers seemed to be doing well though. Saw a lot of this Thorny Sea Cucumber (Colochirus quadrangularis) hiding under seaweed, on rocks, etc. Their pinkish-red and green colouration brings to mind the ice cream that my sister likes..some pear and strawberry flavour, I think. Edit: It suddenly came to mind while I was doing my microbiology lab report..the ice cream is 'Twister' by Walls! And I think I've got the flavours wrong..unless they did have limited edition flavours at one point in time. Lol.

And, yes, another sea cucumber! This one is an Orange Sea Cucumber (Family Cucumariidae).

This is likely a Purple Sea Cucumber, also of the Cucumariidae family. If you think it looks unhealthy, well, it probably is. Healthy individuals are of a brighter hue.

At this part of the Changi Beach, we had quite a few sea star surprises. After walking a couple of paces, we came across this Biscuit Sea Star (Goniodiscaster scaber).

The underside of the Biscuit Sea Star (Goniodiscaster scaber).

Another Thorny Sea Cucumber (Colochirus quadrangularis), visible among the marine flora.

Here's the stressed out Biscuit Sea Star (Goniodiscaster scaber) from an earlier post.

This curious-looking ball-shaped organism possibly is a sea cucumber, as suggested by Kok Sheng during the trip. Edit: (refer to comment) KS says that this might be a sponge instead!

This small pool of water had something very strange going on in it! Beneath the surface of the sand, down from some unknown depth, something caused a very bizarre 'bubbling' effect. It's sort of how water is bubbling vigorously when at boiling point..except that it's sand.

Maybe this video will give you a better idea! Do ignore the running commentary though. There was no crab!

Really happy to have been able to see so many different kinds of sea stars that day! From left to right: unidentified sea star (possibly a Cake Sea Star - Anthenea aspera - as suggested by KS in his blog), Biscuit Sea Star (Goniodiscaster scaber) and Spiny Sea Star (Gymnanthenea laevis).

You may have been puzzling over the different appearances of the Biscuit Sea Stars (Goniodiscaster scaber). The reason is simple: the above is a juvenile!

Yet another Thorny Sea Cucumber (Colochirus quadrangularis)! They really were everywhere, adding a bright tinge of colour to the seashore.

Always look on the bright side of life :) Btw, I'm not condoning littering!

As the Sun dipped lower and lower in the horizon, we knew that our adventures for the day were coming to a close...

...no matter, for being treated to the sight of a beautiful sunset was the perfect way to end the day :)

Many thanks to Kok Sheng for details on the marine creatures and also to wildsingapore by Ria Tan for the great database!

Transect Training at Semakau 100109

2009-01-19T01:14:00.024+08:00

The 10th of Jan marked my second trip with the Raffles Museum of Biodiversity Research (RMBR) and fellow volunteers to Pulau Semakau. It was my first time doing an actual transect survey.

Here are the tools of the 'trade' (clockwise from left): ruler, transect tape, clipboard with recording sheet, ID chart and quadrat. We grouped ourselves into team of threes. Gerald, Samuel and I worked together :)

At the perimeter of the seagrass meadow, Gerald sighted a Blue-spotted Fantail Ray (Taeniura lymma) hiding among the seagrass.

Some blades of seagrass had ascidians on them. Note that ascidians are not plants but animals! They are vertebrates and belong to the Phylum Chordata (like us!). These are affectionately known as Green Gum Drops Ascidians, and are colonial. The seagrass also has quite a lot of epiphyte (a kind of tiny algae) cover, giving it a dirty appearance.

This is the female flower of the Tape Seagrass (Enhalus acoroides).

Among the seagrass, there were many small bunches of this red algae (Gracilaria sp.). [Edit]

Drifting lazily on the surface of the water and blown about by gusts of wind were the tiny white male flowers of the Tape Seagrass (Enhalus acoroides).

Blue corals (Heliopora coerulea) in the seagrass meadow! Note that these may appear to be hard corals, but they are actually soft corals. Edit: These may actually be Green Gum Drops Ascidians too as suggested by Ria. Thanks!

Woohoo! My first time seeing a Knobbly Sea Star (Protoreaster Nodosus) on Semakau.

If quickly flipped over, one will be able to see its tube feet waving about as well as the protruding muscle-like mass which is its stomach.

This pic looks familiar, right? It was my first header!

Check out the intricate detail on the Knobbly's body. Simply amazing.

This tentacle-waving anemone (probably a Wiggly Star Anemone) is very shy indeed. It quickly retracted its tentacles and ducked away (methinks it is motile) when I approached it. Had to wait for a little while before it felt comfortable enough to venture out again.

Some more anemones nearby. These had bright greenish-yellow tentacles, and were about 1-2 cm in diameter. I've no clue as to what kind of species they might be. Edit: These are probably zoanthids (Order Zoanthidea) instead! They are commonly confused with sea anemones (Order Actiniaria) as they look similar. However, "while sea anemones are solitary polyps, most zoanthids live in colonies like corals do.". They also have a different make-up from corals. Thanks Ria!

The first time I saw a cowrie was on Sultan Shoal. This appears to be an Arabian Cowrie (Cypraea arabica) with its mantle covering its shell. When the mantle is retracted, the shell is glossy and smooth. Edit: This is NOT an Arabian Cowrie as I previously thought. The Arabian Cowrie has brown spots on the outer edges (the lighter part of the shell, in this photo) which the cowrie here clearly does not have. So it's probably either a Wandering Cowrie (Cypraea errones) or an Ovum Cowrie (Cypraea ovum). [Refer to Ron's comment]

A Spotted Black Flatworm (Acanthozoon sp.) swimming away.

Upon closer inspection, the flatworm is not really flat but actually has raised white bumps on its body.

This fish (a scorpionfish, maybe?) announced its presence by thrashing about wildly in the sargassum it was taking shelter in.

Ying Wei spotted this rare find: a Heart Urchin!

The cacophony coming from the direction of the sandy shore alerted me to the presence of these two birds, Great-billed Herons (Ardea sumatrana) probably . They were making barking/honking noises and one could have easily mistaken them for some other kind of animal!

And what better way to wrap up the day by having another sea star sighting? July chanced upon this Cryptic Star (Cryptasterina sp.) which was hiding under a rock.

Having been to Semakau twice already, I nevertheless look forward to the next trip. Each trip never fails to bring pleasant surprises (Knobbly Sea Stars, yay!). In due course, I hope that my photography skills will improve and more importantly, I'll be able to spot and identify more organisms. Glad to have met many new friends in Project Semakau as well :)

A Preview of What's to Come...

2009-01-17T14:08:00.007+08:00

Stressed-out Biscuit Sea Star (Goniodiscaster scaber) at Changi Beach

Cries of the Asian Koel

2009-01-17T13:09:00.011+08:00

Tube feet, and now a mention of a koel? You probably were expecting to see a post about marine life, but before that, I thought I'd give a short 'welcome' post.

Living in such an urbanised world, it is easy to relegate nature to the periphery though it is all around us. After all, what one usually sees first are buildings, buildings...and more buildings...especially for those of us who stay in high-rise flats or apartments.

In the morning when I first open my eyes, that's what I see, and a curve of the sky. Doesn't sound too bad, I know. Sometimes though, before wakefulness approaches, I hear the insistent cries of 'ko-el, ko-el, ko-el!' and in that moment, I can imagine that I'm out in the wild. So, Mr, Mrs or Ms Asian Koel (Eudynamys scolopacea), I just want to say thank you to you for being such a great reminder!

Photo taken by arm of ClubSNAP :)

Random: There was once when I was out windsurfing and couldn't get back to shore. Out of the blue, I heard the cries of the Asian Koel and felt encouraged to keep trying and trying. Quite surprised to hear its cry at ECP. In the end, I was towed back to shore by the powerboat though. Haha.

2009-01-12T15:29:00.002+08:00

Hi! This blog is currently under construction. The owner, as you probably know, is more or less a techno-noob. Haha. Do check back soon! Will get this blog up and running ASAP!!! :D