NSS Kids’-ESN Fun with Birds & Butterflies

By Gloria Seow, Education Committee Vice Chairperson

The Society’s Every Singaporean a Naturalist (ESN) programme has been raising a new generation of naturalists in selected schools around Singapore since its launch in mid-2018, following a 10-week pilot phase from January to March 2018. Together with their teachers, participating students regularly monitor their school compounds for birds and butterflies. NSS Kids joined up with some of them at two walks on 14 and 21 July 2018. These were conducted at Tampines Eco Green and Singapore Botanic Gardens respectively. At both walks, ESN lead Sung Mei Yee introduced the programme and shared its mini guides to 35 birds and 28 butterfly species easily seen in Singapore. 

Grey Heron and Malayan Water Monitor co-existing in the same pond at Tampines Eco Green.

The first outing at Tampines Eco Green was led by Lee Ee Ling of the Bird Group as well as Amy Tsang, Simon Chan and Lena Chow of the Butterfly and Insect Group. At the pond, we were treated to a Grey Heron (Ardea cinerea) patiently waiting for its fishy breakfast to show. Just metres away, a gargantuan Malayan Water Monitor (Varanus salvator) was scavenging cooked rice left by well-meaning but misguided folks who regularly feed the pond creatures. Auntie Lena pointed out a Hoverfly (Syrphidae spp) which resembles a bee with its yellow and black stripes. Auntie Ee Ling was in her element, finding and scoping birds for close-up looks. We saw the White-breasted Waterhen (Amaurornis phoenicurus), Zebra Dove (Geopelia striata), Common Tailorbird (Orthotomus sutorius) and Pink-necked Green Pigeon (Treron vernans) before the skies opened up, forcing us to take shelter at the non-smelly eco-toilets.

The rare Club Silverline at Tampines Eco Green.

After the brief downpour, we found a tree with three Baya Weaver (Ploceus philippinus) nests at different stages of completion. Auntie Gloria explained that the male bird weaves a pendulum nest that is inspected by various females. If courtship is successful, he will complete the nest by building a narrow downward-facing tunnel that deters predators such as snakes from entering. Uncle Simon and Auntie Amy showed us several butterflies. Our star butterfly was the striking Club Silverline (Spindasis syama terana). Next, we observed a noisy parent-and-child pair of Red-breasted Parakeets (Psittacula alexandri) feeding and found another Grey Heron strangely perched high up in a tree. Our walk ended with Auntie Lena highlighting the Petai Jawa (Leucaena leucocephala) tree, which has flat green pods with seeds that taste like Petai (Parkia speciosa) or Stink Bean.

 Hairy moth caterpillars chomping voraciously on leaves.

The second session at the Singapore Botanic Gardens was led by Yap Wee Jin and Lee Ee Ling of the Bird Group as well as Amy Tsang, Simon Chan and Lena Chow of the Butterfly and Insect Group. Auntie Gloria found a number of Yellow Vein Lancer (Pyroneura latoia latoia) butterflies sipping from clusters of Leea rubra flowers. Uncle Wee Jin then spotted a handsome Pied Imperial Pigeon (Ducula bicolor) that had landed in a distant tree. Our stroll yielded many bird species including families of Red Junglefowl (Gallus gallus) complete with chicks, the ubiquitous Pink-necked Green Pigeon, the ‘scary’ Asian Glossy Starling (Aplonis panayensis) with its red eyes and more. The NSS Kids looked up to their older counterparts, the Secondary 3 ESN students who had come, for guidance on bird and butterfly identification using the mini guides. Auntie Amy, Uncle Simon and Auntie Lena were excellent in showing us the St Andrew’s Cross Spider, a typical cricket with antennae longer than its body, and a bush covered in hairy moth caterpillars.

 

The Hill Myna is sometimes kept as a pet as it can mimic the human voice, much like a parrot.

The trip’s highlight was two Hill Mynas (Gracula religiosa) singing a tuneful duet and perching cooperatively on lower branches to give us awesome views. Auntie Gloria shared that this bird is kept as a pet as it can mimic the human voice, much like a parrot. Our last stop was the Healing Garden which features plants grown for their medicinal properties. This garden tends to attract a higher density of butterflies. Here, kids and their parents became excited over a Four-lined Treefrog (Polypedates leucomystax) up in a shrub. We had superb looks at the Scarlet-backed Flowerpecker (Dicaeum cruentatum) as well as the Rustic (Cupha erymanthis lotis) and Cycad Blue (Chilades pandava pandava) butterflies. As we exited the garden, a colony of Stingless Bees that had made its nest inside a thick metal gate bade us farewell.