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3 No 1 Jun 96 Nature's Nest Architects at Sungei Buloh A Close Look at Nature: speech by Dr Aline Wong Events for Clean & Green Week: Spot-Art Competition and Treasure Hunt Wader Ringing Programme: Shoot the Birds! Photography at Sungei Buloh Wader Watching at the Main Hide VIP visits |
 The Park
by night provided a completely different experience, especially for my father,
brother and I, who were nocturnal visitors for the first time. We were greeted
at the Visitor Centre by a large crowd of volunteers and staff from the
Park, in time to witness the tagging of a Collared Kingfisher and Pacific
Golden Plover. I was really excited at this, as I had never seen these birds at such a close range. This particular ringing session was focused on waders, as it was the peak of the migratory season (September to March). A few of us piled onto the Club Car and set off to the sites where the nets had been set up earlier. We had two experienced ringers with us: they went down into the mud to inspect the nets. I did not join them as I was not wearing boots. Our site yielded one bird, a Mongolian Plover. This bird had been ringed previously, so there was no need to ring it again. However, its measurements had to be taken, namely the wing, beak, tarsus (below the thigh) and tail. Carefully, I dyed its rump and tail blue. This dyeing process is a prominent way to see which birds have already been ringed. However, the dye was not indelible and would wear off gradually after a week or so. These studies allow us to find out more about these birds (e.g., migratory route, arrival and departure date etc). Earlier in the night, a Large-tailed Nightjar was also ringed; unfortunately I did not witness this and would have to wait for another opportunity to see this oft-mentioned bird. A Yellow Bittern was our next candidate for ringing. We were told to be careful when handling it, as it could stretch out its long neck and pierce a person's eye with its extremely sharp bill. The session ended at about 1:30 in the morning. It was such a memorable experience for three of us. |
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