Old CCK Road 26Aug06

From KH

Today's 1st destination is the patch of land beside Tengah Air Base access via Old Choa Chu Kang Road. This was a pretty shady and full-of-bird area when we were here in the afternoon 3 weeks ago. However, today the birds were pretty shy. We did see kingfishers, bee-eaters, woodpeckers, sunbirds, flowerpeckers, ioras, tailorbirds, munias, pied trillers, magpie robins, but nothing special and no migrants. The interesting creatures were in fact non-avian - the ferocious medium-sized wild boar was rustling and grunting in the tall grass just beside the road; the toad that Kong did his dance to save; the hornets with orange-red abdomen and their huge nest up on the tree.

Sensing that we were not having much luck here, we decided to leave for some consoling food. Kong had to leave for his office, but not after finishing a warm cup of coffee at the NTU canteen. The rest of us (Con, Danny, PC and I) proceeded to Upper Seletar, where a fruiting tree was reported. However, when we reached there, only mynas, orioles, starlings were to be found. (Con did return to check on the tree within the next few days and sure enough the Thick-billed Green Pigeons were there.) So we ended the day with Con never clicking the snap button on his camera. But it is ok, every birder has his/her dips.

Banyan tree. Its branches grow out from the top and anchor themselves to the ground giving this fascinating structure. There are a few of these here.

Kong doing his dance to save the toad from incoming monster vehicles!

This is the toad. Ain't it cute...