Tuesday, December 20, 2005

Radjah Shelducks (Tadorna radjah)

Click on the above photo for high-res image

These wild ducks caught my attention when I was at the Singapore Botanic Gardens yesterday. There were three of them, all with the same color markings. The head, neck, and under parts are white whilst their wings and a band across their breast are black. The secondary feathers are metallic green with white tips. Legs, feet and bill are light pink.

Click on the above photo for high-res image

Click on the above photo for high-res image

Thanks to Ms Jacqueline Lau (ecologist and nature photographer cum nature guide) for ID-ing them as "Tadorna radjahs". They are also commonly known as White-headed Shelducks or Black-backed Radjah Shelducks.

Click on the above photo for high-res image

Tadorna radjahs are definitely not native to Singapore. They are mainly found around the coast of New Guinea and on the Moluccan Islands, the Aru Islands in western Papua, and on Fergusson Island. These birds prefer marshes, lagoons and swamps of shallow brackish or saline water. Both sexes are vocal, even when flying. Females sound like a harsh rattle, males sound like a hoarse whistle.

Click on the above photo for high-res image

Radjah ducks feed mostly at night by grazing in pastures or by dabbling in the water. They eat mollusks, insects, sedge materials, and algae.

Tuesday, December 06, 2005

Green Iguana (Iguana Iguana)

Click on the above photo for high-res image

Spotted this handsome Green Iguana at Sungei Buloh today. As Iguanas are not native to Singapore, I suspect that this one has been (illegally) released into the freshwater ponds at Buloh. This beautiful reptile was sunning himself at the lily pond. He was easily 1.5 to 2 meters long from head to tail. He nodded his head (and the dewlap under his throat swung like a pendulum) just before disappearing into the bush. I understand from fellow photo-buffs that there is another one at the Botanic Gardens which I have not come across yet.

Friday, December 02, 2005

Labrador Nature Reserve (Labrador Park)

Click on the above photo for high-res image

Labrador Park is well-known for its natural rocky seashore and coastal vegetation, and has been gazetted as a nature reserve in 2002. However, it is more than a nature reserve. Labrador is also a park rich in history. In its midst are historical war relics and bunkers that date back to the 19th century, when the British identified Labrador as a strategic site for the defence of Singapore.
View of the Labrador Jetty from the aerial staircase.
Click on the above photo for high-res image

The cliffside aerial staircase offers a good view of the Southern Islands of Singapore. In the distance, the chimneys of Pulau Bukom's oil refineries stand out clearly against the blue sky (though perhaps not on camera). The Jetty is also known to be a good fishing spot and is very popular with local anglers.
Click on the above photo for high-res image
The above is one of the two 6-inch Rifle Bridged Loading (RBL) guns deployed at Labrador during the war and is an apt reminder of the role played by the Labrador Battery during the battle of Singapore in February 1942.