James Heng was at Lower Peirce in late January 2008 when he came across a sarcaca tree, possibly yellow saraca (Saraca thaipingensis), in full bloom:

“There are about five pairs of Purple Throated Sunbirds (Nectariniua sperata) feeding voraciously on the flowers of a tree at Lower Pierce Reservoir (above).

“That flowering saraca tree is a magnet for the birds of the Nectariniidae family. At one point in time this afternoon, there were four species of sunbirds - Olive Backed (Cinnyris jugularis), Brown-throated (Anthreptes malacensis), Crimson (A. siparaja) and Purple Throated, feeding together on the flowers’ nectar at the same time.

“A pair of Scarlet-Backed Flowerpeckers (Dicaeum cruentatum) also decided to join in the buffet. They plucked off and ate the saraca small green fruits.

“The feeding frenzy rose several notches just before and immediately after each of the intermittent episodes of rain.”

There are a few species of saraca trees planted in Singapore, originating from nearby Malaysia. The image above shows the yellow saraca with its attractive purple young leaves hanging like tassels from the ends of branches. It would take a few days before these leaves stiffen up and turn green. The tree is just beginning to flower. When in full flowering, the large bunches of yellow to orange-red flowers appear in dense clusters from the main branches and trunk. The flowers are faintly fragrant, each with a crimson eye-spot that darkens to blood-red.

The tree attracts many species of birds that visit for the flower nectar and fruits.

Image of sunbird by David Tan and of tree by YC.

Albizia (Paraserianthes falcataria) trees have been in the local news since the recent spate of tree falls that resulted in a number of people being injured and even killed - locally as well as in neighbouring Malaysia. As a result of the bad publicity in the media, various government agencies have been quick to remove these large and graceful trees from wastelands all over Singapore.

The tree is native to countries in east Malesia to the Solomons. It was introduced and grown in the Singapore Botanic Gardens in the 1870s. It has been flourishing in wastelands ever since. The nitrogen-fixing bacteria that are found growing in the roots help the trees to proliferate in these nutrient-poor soils.

The tree is fast-growing, capable of attaining 20 metres in three years or more. It bears compound leaves, bearing small white flowers that develop into pods. It grows tall, with wide-spreading branches and as such was once commonly used as a shade tree in coffee and tea plantings. Because growth is rapid, the wood is soft and earlier used in the manufacturing of matches and packing boards.

Since the start of Singapore’s Garden City Campaign in the 1950s, albizia has never been used as a roadside tree. In fact, any found growing near roads were removed. The shedding of branches during tropical storms and the aggressive roots that grow near the soil surface make it dangerous for such use.

Albizia trees are now confined to wastelands where they proliferate, helping to reduce soil erosion and providing refuge to a wide variety of wildlife (above). Yes, there is always the possibility of branches falling, but away from human habitation and in areas where few, if ever, any people venture, they should not pose any threat to life and limb. Their presence thus should be tolerated. To chop down these magnificent trees and replace them with other species is a waste of resources.

According to an article by Dr Ho Hwa Chew, these trees are rich in wildlife. There are at least 40 resident and migratory bird species that make use of the trees, either seeking food, nesting materials or a place to build their nests. Prominent among which are the Common Flameback (Dinopium javanense) (right), Long-tailed Parakeet (Psittacula longicauda), Dollarbird (Eurystomus orientalis) and Hill Myna (Gracula religiosa). The White-bellied Sea Eagle (Haliaeetus leucogaster), Changeable Hawk Eagle (Spizaetus cirrhatus) and Grey-headed Fish Eagle (Ichthyophaga ichthyaetus) make use of these trees to nest.

At the same time, natural cavities that develop in these old trees provide potential nesting holes for hornbills, as seen in an old and magnificent tree at Eng Neo. Although the pair of hornbills, Great (Buceros bicronis) and Rhinoceros (Buceros rhinoceros), are both escapees, not to mention that they are also both females, the fact that they were prospecting for a nesting cavity points to the value of albizia to the bird life of our Garden City, if not a City in a Garden - see 1 and 2 for details.

Also, an old, rotting albizia trunk nearby, that was never a danger to anyone, was the centre of a busy and exciting community of birds that fought for the privilege of making use of the few cavities for nesting, posted earlier: 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5.

So, where these large and beautiful trees pose no danger to anyone, can the authorities please leave them alone?

This post has been commissioned by Yong Ding Li, who is concerned that these trees would continue to be indiscriminately removed. Images by YC.

A bird flew onto the balcony of Daniel Koh’s apartment in Hougang on the night of 17th January 2008 at around 2200 hours. The bird did not appear to be physically hurt but in shock. Daniel kept it overnight in a large cage for observations.

Initially thought to be a cuckoo, Daniel soon realized that it was a raptor, from the looks of the claws. He later identified it as a Japanese Sparrowhawk (Accipiter gularis).

The next morning the bird appeared restless and so it was released at around 1400 hours at Lorong Halus. Once released, it immediately flew towards the secondary forest where it disappeared.

This is a common winter visitor and passage migrant. The bird could probably be tired and disorientated after its long flight from the north and crashed onto the balcony. Or it may be chasing a prey…?

The sparrowhawk breeds in East Russia, Southeast Siberia, Japan and China. It migrates southward from late September to December to winter in Southeast Asia. From mid-March to mid-April it moves back north.

Images by Daniel Koh and Chan Yoke Meng.

The loud cawing of crows outside her apartment window alerted Gloria Seow to an exciting spectacle of an owl being mobbed…

“Unbelievably, a Spotted Wood Owl (Strix seloputo) appeared at 2pm on 19th January 2008 in the most unlikely of places – on a tree just outside my 12th floor flat in Toa Payoh, a housing estate in Singapore with towering flats up to 40 stories high. However, my house happens to be located just beside a grove of shady mature trees providing thick leafy cover ideal for an owl’s daytime roost.

“This grove is also the home to dozens of other birds. Over the last two years, I have recorded 31 species seen in Toa Payoh itself, from migrants like the Blue-tailed Bee-eater (Merops philippinus), Arctic Warbler (Phylloscopus borealis), Asian Brown Flycatcher (Muscicapa dauurica) and Crested (Oriental) Honey Buzzard (Pernis ptilorhyncus), to residents like the Sunda Pygmy Woodpecker (Dendrocopus moluccensis), Oriental White-eye (Zosterops palpebrosus) and Pied Triller (Lalage nigra). All these birds were seen in the trees right at my carpark. Even the concretised canals hold water birds like the Little Egret (Egretta garzetta), Striated Heron (Butorides striatus) and Collared Kingfisher (Todiramphus chloris).

“Still, the appearance of this rather rare owl was a huge surprise to me. I was alerted to its presence by the loud and persistent caws of House Crows (Corvus splendens) emanating from just outside my study’s window.

“I took a quick glance and saw a curious brownish bird which I thought at first to be a female Asian Koel (Eudynamys scolopacea) (as seen from afar), and it seemed to be at the center of the crows’ attention. Since I’m one that makes a habit of peering at birds outside my windows through my binoculars, I decided that a closer look was in order. Imagine my shock and utter delight when I realized that the Koel was actually a Spotted Wood Owl.

“However, I soon realised that my Owl was under siege. The crows were mobbing it relentlessly and mercilessly throughout my 40 minutes of observation, dancing around the poor, agitated Owl, taking turns to jab and jeer at it from all directions. The Owl in turn followed this threatening display with increasing irritation, swiveling its head all 270 degrees as it tracked the movements of these aggressive warrior crows. It also attempted to lunge back at the black menace, snapping its razor-sharp beak in turn, but no actual physical contact was made between the birds. There was a point when the Owl almost lost its balance trying to defend its perch. In the end, the crows won the battle, successfully asserting their territorial claim by chasing my beloved Owl away. The video of this avian drama has now been uploaded to youtube.

“This Spotted Wood Owl could be the same one recorded at the former Bidadari Cemetery (now transformed into a jogger’s park), which is located about 3 km away. It could also be a post-breeding dispersal juvenile trying to establish new territory. My house is near the fringe of the Central Catchment Area, with MacRitchie Reservoir, a potential owl roosting ground, being just 1.5 km away.”

All over the world, predator birds are regularly mobbed by smaller birds. Over in Singapore, owls are often mobbed, especially when seen roosting during the day: two cases involving Spotted Wood Owl (1, 2) and one with Barn Owl (Tyto alba) have earlier been posted.

Image by Gloria Seow.

On the morning of 7th November 2007, Tan Teo Seng brought me a cutting of a creeper with a Common Tailorbird (Orthotomus sutorius) nest still attached to it. Inside were three damaged eggs.

The nest was attached to a number of aerial roots of the creeper and a single leaf of the climber, an araceous plant. A single dried avocado (Persea americana) leaf was sewn to the leaf of the climber to complete the shell within which the nest was lodged (above left). Copious cobwebs were used in the construction of the nest, as shown in previous posts (1, 2). So good was the camouflage that the gardener did not notice the nest when he trimmed the plants growing along the wall of the porch.

When Teo Seng discovered the gardener’s mistake, he immediately took the nest, still attached to the plant stem and hung it back. There were three small, light bluish eggs covered with various sized chestnut blotches and speckles.

The next day when he examined the nest, he found a small puncture in each of the three eggs. When he handed the nest and contents to me three days later, the openings were large and the eggs empty (left).

A few questions need answers. Did the parent birds returned and punctured the eggs, considering that the nest and eggs were disturbed? Could it be predation? In which case why were the eggs not seriously damaged? Are there any animals capable of causing a small puncture on the egg to extract the contents?

If any reader has an answer, please share with us.

An earlier failed nesting of a pair of tailorbirds was due to the parent birds not feeding the two chicks that eventually died in the nest.

Images by YC.