There was this flock of beautiful Scaly-Breasted Munias feeding on the seeds of the long grasses. These birds have grown accustomed to the lush surroundings of the gardens and are frequently seen. So far, I have not seen the Javan Munia here though.
In Bay East, I noticed a beautiful Painted Jezebel flitting on the flowers of the Carphalea kirondron and was poised to capture better photos of it until I got a shock. It suddenly flapped its wings towards the opposite direction and when I looked closely, I saw it being clenched tightly between the jaws of a lizard. Oh my gosh, it was like now you see it now you don't. One moment it was flying merrily and just a split second later, it ended up as food for the lizard camouflaged amongst the plant. It looked like a young butterfly but sadly it would never get the chance of breeding anymore. This is the cruel side of nature.
I love such passerine birds since the day I saw small flocks of them at the Punggol field in 1994. Amongst the various Munia species, this one has distinctive black head feathers that are separated from the brown body plumage. Even its bluish beak is a statement. Its other interesting common name is the Chestnut Munia.
A link on this finch is shown below:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black-headed_Munia
These are evidences of more interesting flora and fauna at the park.
The Little Heron (scientific name: Butorides striatus) is a common resident here, especially along the rock bund of the rip rap wall. Its plumage coloration helps it to blend into the concrete and water. Only when one hears its call or when it takes flight that its presence is noticed.
I spotted some Passiflora foetida weeds growing amongst the thick ground cover of Ipomoea pes-caprae on the rip rap wall. This explains why I occasionally observe the Tawny Coster butterfly flying around in the park and amongst the dense undergrowth.
By chance, I saw a Black-Headed Munia taking a bath in a ground puddle of muddy water. There is no way this is the same bird I saw earlier right? It has to be another individual.
The thick undergrowth towards the end of this park is a haven for birds, butterflies and some weeds such as this Paederia foetida (common name: Skunkvine, Stinkvine; Family: Rubiaceae) and Black-Headed Munia.
It is interesting to see the Casuarina cones up close too.
Anyway, some related links are shown below:
- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paederia_foetida
- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black-headed_Munia
