Pelagic Outing October 2012
Meeting on October 13 at 6:00 am at One Degree North marina we set out promptly reaching Sisters Islands at 6:15 am. We were the first to clear immigration, and were off to a good, but hazy start.
Meeting on October 13 at 6:00 am at One Degree North marina we set out promptly reaching Sisters Islands at 6:15 am. We were the first to clear immigration, and were off to a good, but hazy start.
Another in the series of NParks sponsored surveys of the Straits of Singapore got underway shortly after 6:00am on Saturday, September 15th. The dawn was good and it would stay rainless the entire day, but rather hazy; and it grew quite hot and humid as there was almost no breeze. At times the sea was glassy smooth.
Meeting at 6:00 am at One Degree North yacht club on Sentosa, we began a self funded outing to check out the spring migration.
Meeting at 6:00 am at the One Degree North marina, we began the last of the NParks sponsored surveys of the Singapore Straits.
On October 15 we met again at One Degree North for our monthly pelagic survey. These trips have really been like a box of chocolates, you never know what you are going to get.
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.
The 2010/2011 migration season saw a sharp uptick of interest in the pelagic birds of the Singapore Strait, a few groups organized outings. I was lucky to go on several of these trips. On the 2nd of October 2010, we set off before dawn in the first of a series of outings organized by Colin Poole.
The highlight of this trip on 16 Apr 11 was a pod of several Indo-Pacific Bottlenose Dophins!
While photographing Baya Weavers Ploceus philippinus at a site near Lim Chu Kang in western Singapore during May 2008 certain unexpected observations were made regarding adult male behaviour at the nest.
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.
