Our birding trips

Admiralty Park 03Feb09

From KH

Admiralty Park has some interesting wildlife to offer even though it is so close to human establishments.

One of the most noticeable animals here are the band of Long-tailed Macaques.

Typically mistaken as chameleon or iguana, the reptile below is actually a Changeable Lizard. It is a very common garden creature and is so called as it does change colour slightly, especially during the breeding season. It is, however, not native to Singapore and has been introduced here since the 1980s. It has taken over the niche of the native Green Crested Lizard. This highlights the importance of not releasing exotic animals into the wild!

Changeable Lizard. Black Wood Spider.

The Black Wood Spider is an uncommon garden denizen and it is quite a large spider. With the legs stretched out, it can be larger than the human palm!

There is a good variety of dragonflies here, like this purplish-coloured male Slender Blue Skimmer (Orthetrum luzonicum). Other insects that can be found here include this Shield Bug, which is guarding its eggs.

Slender Blue Skimmer. Shield Bug.

The bird life here is also quite interesting. Blue-tailed Bee-eaters are one of the most colourful birds we have. They are so called because they eat various insects, including bees.

You may get the occasional surprises, like this flock of more than 16 storks flying overhead. This is a mixed flock of Painted and Milky Storks. Painted Storks have more black markings on the wings and body. They fly in a V-shaped formation to reduce drag and thereby save energy. However fascinating they are, these storks not wild birds in Singapore. They are actually free-ranging birds from the Zoo.