On September 17, 2011, thanks to the efforts of Colin Poole and Geoff Davison we convened again at ONE°15 Marina Club and boarded our boat shortly after 6am. The dawn light promised a good start to the day with partly cloudy skies. Some time passed while waiting to clear immigration formalities, finally getting underway past 7am. The plan was to proceed along our usual track but go a bit further East towards Horsburg hoping to see another frigatebird. It wasn’t long before we rounded St. John’s island and started picking up Swinhoe’s Storm Petrels, not knowing that it would be a bumper crop!
Continue Reading →
Written on September 21st, 2011. 0 Comments
Nine seafaring individuals gathered as usual at 6:00am at One Degree Fifteen Marina and were off for our monthly outing. It is amazing the difference a month can make. Our July outing was a low point in numbers and diversity, we were not sure what to expect for this trip, but felt it also might be low in count, and hence a not very important month. Perhaps for that reason, this trip was selected to be the long trip out to Horsburgh Lighthouse, and Geoff Davison put in yeoman’s effort gaining approval from all the relevant authorities.
Continue Reading →
Written on August 23rd, 2011. 0 Comments
There are four species of Leaf Monkeys in Peninsular Malaysia. They are all (IUCN) Near-Threatened mainly due to habitat loss especially clearance of forest for oil palm and human habitation.
Continue Reading →
Written on July 22nd, 2011. 2 Comments
The July outing started at 6:00am on 16 July 2011. We didn’t expect much as all the pelagic birds show be on their Northern nesting grounds. And sure enough, we saw mainly just resident birds. The usual numbers of swiftlets, a Brahminy Kite, a White Bellied Sea Eagle, several Grey Herons. The only terns seen where several Little Terns and Swift Terns, but there were no terns perched on the usual buoys. The bird of the day was a single Great billed Heron on St. John’s island.
Continue Reading →
Written on July 19th, 2011. 0 Comments
The highlight of this trip on 16 Apr 11 was a pod of several Indo-Pacific Bottlenose Dophins!
Continue Reading →
Written on June 21st, 2011. 0 Comments
A good day with another new species for Singapore waters on 14 May 11! May was the month we expected the peak passage of Swinhoe’s Storm Petrels and we weren’t to be disappointed, logging about 25 petrels. But on the way back was when we got our best action, usually this portion of the trip is quiet. Close to St. John’s island we were heading into a squall and a large number of petrels were running in front of the squall, and then just behind a group of 8 Short-tailed Shearwaters, which should be a first record for Singapore. The shearwaters were doing what their name implies and putting on a majestic flying display, swooping down close to the waves and then soaring back into the air, all following one another.
Continue Reading →
Written on June 21st, 2011. 0 Comments
In the continuing series of boat trips into the Straits of Singapore organized by Colin Poole, a group of us gather at 1 Degree North yacht club on a stormy Saturday morning 18 Jun 11. We delayed our departure thirty minutes to give the rain a chance to pass, and weren’t bothered by rain the rest of the day. But the sea was very choppy and several of us weren’t feeling in peak form. We got our minute of excitement early in the day, around 8:20am when two Swinhoe’s Storm Petrels were spotted floating on the water. They took off and we gave chase, but it’s wasn’t the best photo opportunity. Anyway, we can confirm a new late date for this species in Singapore waters, what they are still doing here in June is anyone’s guess.
Continue Reading →
Written on June 19th, 2011. 0 Comments
An interesting encounter between a Cape Buffalo and a pair of young male lions. The lions were having a go at the buffalo, not sure what they were thinking as a fully grown Cape Buffalo is one of the few animals that can hold it’s own against a lion. This buffalo was fearless, when the lions would get too close he would charge, and the lions would definitely retreat. Interestingly, the wildebeest just stand around and watch. Although they are a favorite meal of the lions, I guess they knew they weren’t on the menu here! The lions eventually gave up.
Continue Reading →
Written on June 16th, 2011. 0 Comments
On Safari in the Masai Mara, departing from Fig Tree camp, we started our morning taking some pictures of the balloons as they were being filled. We were on a two week safari, and this was our next to last day, Sept 10, 2010. Then a few mintues later we came across a pair of Bat-eared Foxes, but the light was still very low at 6:30am. Sunrise wouldn’t be until 6:38am.
Continue Reading →
Written on June 15th, 2011. 2 Comments
9 pm Wed Feb 16 So we all got to the airport. All checked in. All overweight, but ANA let us on! Now in an hour we’ll be in the air 🙂
9 am Thu Feb 17. Arrived in Haneda. Whew trying to connect to the Internet for past two hours. Difficult! Will catch flight to Hokkaido soon. No sleep on the red eye, a wee bit sleepy!
4:15 pm Thu Feb 17. Arrived at Washi mo Yado in Rausu. Been traveling for about 17 hours! Now we are in the small inn. There are plenty of Stellar Sea Eagles perching on the trees around the inn. And also lots of deer 🙂
Continue Reading →
Written on February 16th, 2011. 3 Comments
