National Bird
When I was younger my mum have to be the one waking me up in the morning. It was a struggle, I mean why can't she give me another 5-10 minutes sleep right? Then with a hot and delicious meal of breakfast painstakingly and lovingly prepared, we sometimes have no time to eat and just rushed off to school or to work. Looking back, I could have slept and got up earlier to partake that breakfast. I never needed an alarm clock. However, on weekends when I have to go fishing, I got up early all by myself.
Now, the wife has taken over the mother but the struggle continues. Why are men like that? Or just me? I have not heard an alarm clock for ages. I mean even if I put two alarm clocks, I could not hear them in the morning. I could only get irritated by some neighbours who do not have the discipline to get up to stop their alarm clock's continuous ringing.
However, when I have to leave home early for Johor or Batam for golf years ago, I got up automatically by myself unaided even before the clock rang. Perhaps it's about passion and motivation, your brain just works things out by itself like auto-pilot when you are going to have fun? Maybe we should all make our work fun or or make fun our business. That's the way to go!
However, when I have to leave home early for Johor or Batam for golf years ago, I got up automatically by myself unaided even before the clock rang. Perhaps it's about passion and motivation, your brain just works things out by itself like auto-pilot when you are going to have fun? Maybe we should all make our work fun or or make fun our business. That's the way to go!
Birds
Whether you go fishing or golfing, chances of you getting to see different species of birds are very good. Our first interest in birds probably came when you were a kid when you see little sparrows flying everywhere and your parents or grandparents went: "Birdie, birdie" and you aped that. You'll get to see amazing Humming birds, pesty crows that actually can attack people when they have their young and a nest nearby.
The majestic Kingfisher at fishing ponds, around the sea and golf courses always standing proudly on some poles or sign boards perched like royalties. Brahmini Kites are the hawks you usually see hovering above at parks. Occasionally, I got to see a woodpecker pecking at a tree and I remember those days where Woody Woodpecker cartoons were aired frequently on TV especially the cartoon's namesake infectious laughing sound. Watching Herons zooming in to land at the top of tall trees is quite a sight too. At Sentosa, there used to be a pair of huge mynahs that could actually talk and at the Jurong Bird Park, there are parakeet or McCoy that sing.
The majestic Kingfisher at fishing ponds, around the sea and golf courses always standing proudly on some poles or sign boards perched like royalties. Brahmini Kites are the hawks you usually see hovering above at parks. Occasionally, I got to see a woodpecker pecking at a tree and I remember those days where Woody Woodpecker cartoons were aired frequently on TV especially the cartoon's namesake infectious laughing sound. Watching Herons zooming in to land at the top of tall trees is quite a sight too. At Sentosa, there used to be a pair of huge mynahs that could actually talk and at the Jurong Bird Park, there are parakeet or McCoy that sing.
You'll see swallows following and swarming around you as they dart to and fro around your buggy at the golf course some times. You begin to dream that it is a sign that a birdie is coming up next not realising that in cartoons, they would depict you getting stunned by showing birds flying around your head. Or your business mind takes over and you begin wondering what if you got all these swallows, throw them into an isolated cave or an old house, feed them beer and let them throw up all their pukes and saliva then you could become rich.
Once, while at this kelong in Mersin, we threw away some giant catfish that were like dead and each morning, this eagle from a hill nearby would come searching and attempted to make a haul. Due to the size of the fish, the eagle have to make several attempts flying around before swooping down for the catch, flapped furiously till it got tired before losing its grip and letting go. The spirit of this bird was as magnificient as the sight to behold. In the forested areas near Rifle Range Road in the night, I have seen the silhouette of some huge birds that resembled vultures due to the Yul Bryner hairstyle or rather hairless style perched on tree branches that are so high up that even if you were to throw stones you could never reach. How do I know? Because we threw stones at it and could not reach it.
Once, while at this kelong in Mersin, we threw away some giant catfish that were like dead and each morning, this eagle from a hill nearby would come searching and attempted to make a haul. Due to the size of the fish, the eagle have to make several attempts flying around before swooping down for the catch, flapped furiously till it got tired before losing its grip and letting go. The spirit of this bird was as magnificient as the sight to behold. In the forested areas near Rifle Range Road in the night, I have seen the silhouette of some huge birds that resembled vultures due to the Yul Bryner hairstyle or rather hairless style perched on tree branches that are so high up that even if you were to throw stones you could never reach. How do I know? Because we threw stones at it and could not reach it.
Then I began to get know more about birds when they printed pictures of birds onto our dollar bills but I wasn't sure what really attracted me - the bird or the money since the bigger the value of the notes the bigger the bird so that when it's an eagle, you would go Wow! Later, while awaiting National Service, I worked temporarily as an apprentice for a family friend earning a handsome $6 per day with lunch provided. Don't cringe. If I knew it is worth so little today I might have eaten more for lunch each day. Ha ha. I was like dismantling old copper wires from induction motors after burning to soften them and then having them replaced.
This family loves birds. They hung up a long-tailed bird, a thrush, some mata puteh, a jumbo and the one that impressed me most was a magpie. Fans of Newcastle United would love this. A magpie is such a talented bird as it could imitate the sounds, pitches and songs of all the other birds! Soon, as they kept encouraging me to rear birds "keep it here and we help you to look after" even when I said no. They recommended a jumbo and a baby mynah as they are easy to care for - low maintenance. It costs me two day's wages and more such that when I see "my" birds I can't help but feel sad. One day, while learning to help the jumbo have a bath by opening the cage door side by side to the bath cage, I forgotten to close the cage door and I saw $7 waving bye bye as it spread its wings and took off.
This family loves birds. They hung up a long-tailed bird, a thrush, some mata puteh, a jumbo and the one that impressed me most was a magpie. Fans of Newcastle United would love this. A magpie is such a talented bird as it could imitate the sounds, pitches and songs of all the other birds! Soon, as they kept encouraging me to rear birds "keep it here and we help you to look after" even when I said no. They recommended a jumbo and a baby mynah as they are easy to care for - low maintenance. It costs me two day's wages and more such that when I see "my" birds I can't help but feel sad. One day, while learning to help the jumbo have a bath by opening the cage door side by side to the bath cage, I forgotten to close the cage door and I saw $7 waving bye bye as it spread its wings and took off.
With the other investment and the idea they sold me saying that this bird could talk later I had to take good care of the baby mynah. I think they tried to cut its tongue (gross) but I can't remember. I brought it home and would feed it while letting it out of the cage when young and as it grew into an adult bird (if there is such a thing), it would follow after me wherever I went often flying onto my shoulder as I walked around proudly.
After my enlistment for NS, I was hardly home safe for weekends and one day my little sister thought she could do the same letting it out of the cage and my beloved mynah make a dash for freedom as it flew away into the trees and never returned. Until today, even if I look for it I can't as they all look alike. Besides, they shit a lot on people's cars these days. It's a good thing though as they were never really my cup of tea anyway. These days I only try to catch birdies with a dimpled ball which money cannot buy. It's less inhuman.
After my enlistment for NS, I was hardly home safe for weekends and one day my little sister thought she could do the same letting it out of the cage and my beloved mynah make a dash for freedom as it flew away into the trees and never returned. Until today, even if I look for it I can't as they all look alike. Besides, they shit a lot on people's cars these days. It's a good thing though as they were never really my cup of tea anyway. These days I only try to catch birdies with a dimpled ball which money cannot buy. It's less inhuman.
On and off in recent times, I get to hear the cackling sound of a bird with a very unique, clear and very very loud noise in the morning. Must be a couple of them roosting after building a nest at a nearby tree. Then I saw this similar type of bird when I was in Hong Kong and also in Tokyo making the same loud, distinctive noise around some small city parks and walkways. Later I discovered a pair near where I work.
They flutter around rather quickly or would hop up and down between branches on the same tree or may fly around a few trees in the vicinity. They start making very loud noise from as early as before 6am in the morning and would so so again sometime around 6pm. They do not seem to fly as much but appeared to dart from tree to tree. They will try to scare off or warn cats and other birds if they were close by.
They make a deep and loud piping sound repeatedly and each time increasing in decibel and another alternative sounds loud enough not just to wake me up but the entire neighbourhood. It has been reported that this bird has even made suicidal bids in attacking eagles flying head on onto the bigger bird when defending their turf in a group or sometimes even alone.
They flutter around rather quickly or would hop up and down between branches on the same tree or may fly around a few trees in the vicinity. They start making very loud noise from as early as before 6am in the morning and would so so again sometime around 6pm. They do not seem to fly as much but appeared to dart from tree to tree. They will try to scare off or warn cats and other birds if they were close by.
They make a deep and loud piping sound repeatedly and each time increasing in decibel and another alternative sounds loud enough not just to wake me up but the entire neighbourhood. It has been reported that this bird has even made suicidal bids in attacking eagles flying head on onto the bigger bird when defending their turf in a group or sometimes even alone.
At first, I have mistaken it for a Black Drongo (Dicrurus Macrocercus) and later I thought it could be an Asian Glossy Starling (Aplonis Panayensis) of the mynah family but finally I am sure I got it right - it is the Asian Koel (Eudynamys Scolopacea) of the cuckoo family. My search for it was not sufficiently intense but each time I get to see or hear it, I would try to see if I could find out what it really is. I have learned that this bird is also found in the Philippines, Malaysia, Thailand, Cambodia and India. I would like to share pictures of the bird and the sound it makes. Credit to those who recorded and found below:
http://www.xeno-canto.org/sounds/uploaded/BPSDQEOJWG/Asia-%20Koel_Singapore_Botaniska_tradgarden.mp3
http://besgroup.talfrynature.com/2007/10/18/asian-koel-first-recorded-begging-call-mimicry/
Asian Koel (Eudynamys Scolopacea)
Asian Koel (Eudynamys Scolopacea)
The dark black bird with the red eyes is the male while the one with the white bands is the female. You can hear them making very very loud and powerful sounds that begins slowly with a repetition of maybe 5-7 calls which picks up pace with each call building to a crescendo and sounded like ko-el, ko-el, ko-el. Not even an eagle can make that kind of loud sound.
I have always been in constant search of those elusive birdies on the golf course and I have particularly love this one though it may seem like a common bird which is not just found here but it certainly punches above its weight not just in sound but in bravery and action making it a true and good choice to be the National Bird of Singapore sharing the same attributes.
We have the orchid hybrid Vanda Miss Joaquim as our national flower so why not a national bird. The orchid was named after this Armenian lady who bred it and whose mother was born here. Perhaps I would take this bird and cross breed it with another good bird with solid DNA to create a hybrid, no a "hybird" retaining the red eye colour so we can call it the Little Red Dots.
Dragonflies
If there are bird experts out there, perhaps you can say if I were wrong but I do not think we have these birds found commonly in Singapore until a few years ago. We have also now found rare species of dragonflies and damsel flies at Toa Payoh Garden, a place where some friends and I frequented when we were young as that was the nearest green space to be found and there was an empty stretch of field where we could play soccer that was between the swimming pool and the stadium.
Dragonflies are amazing insects. Not only are they beautiful to look at, they are also mozzie busters feeding on them. So you are probably safe and free from mozzies when you have them near you. One definite thing I have learn about Dragonflies is that when you see them flying and hovering around the ground level, rain shall inevitably follow soon in the next 6-12 hours or possibly less. Golfers please take note. When rain comes, ABC - All Bets are Cancelled. When you are on the losing team or trailing, you would love to see dragonflies!
Dragonflies are amazing insects. Not only are they beautiful to look at, they are also mozzie busters feeding on them. So you are probably safe and free from mozzies when you have them near you. One definite thing I have learn about Dragonflies is that when you see them flying and hovering around the ground level, rain shall inevitably follow soon in the next 6-12 hours or possibly less. Golfers please take note. When rain comes, ABC - All Bets are Cancelled. When you are on the losing team or trailing, you would love to see dragonflies!
Scientists, aviation and military experts are studying dragonflies to learn something on how they can use the designs of dragonflies to make their planes, helicopters or whatever. God's designs are superior and perfect! Even a puny ant can carry a few times above its weight. A tiny ant carrying a grain of rice may be equivalent to a human carrying a car? Think about it. Our only superiority lies in the fact that we have a bit more brain that not many use anyway, a mind to think and a heart to feel, therefore, we should take charge and take care of the all the things around us. If you have no brain never mind, at least have a heart! It's better to be stupid than to be heartless.
Observing all these sights and sounds of nature makes me know my place on mother earth that individually we are really only so small, insignificant and can be quite useless unless we can put our human hearts in the right places, then we become giants of man making giant strides and leaving behind giant footprints. Sooner or later, we are just "dust in the wind".
I can't believe it when people actually complain about sounds make by birds like the Koel. It makes us feel alive and know that we are not deaf and ought to be grateful for your senses are still working fine as it should.
Just as one swallow does not make a summer, birds of a feather, they flock together. Talking birds.
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