2007 May 13 - Lentor Avenue

Contributed by Doreen Ang.

This is an edited version.

Time: close to 1400h
We witnessed a pair of Oriental Magpie Robins mating on a thick horizontal branch of an Albizia tree at Lentor Avenue. Well spotted and thanks to AH, I got the chance to time the incident .. 1, 2, 3 .. not more than 4 seconds and the radiant male de-mounted. (Not bad for a bird, I thought. I've seen worse.) The male then flaunts his strong black and white tail plumage to the fullest (like a fantail) before he flew away. No one knows what that was all about. An after-courtship display or another courtship display. Anyway, he left the female singing for more before she too flew off in the opposite direction.

2007 May 13 - Lorong Halus

Article contributed by Doreen Ang
Photo of Ivy Tan


Time: 0850 - 0910h
Weather: Sunny and very humid
Disturbances: None except for mosquitoes

We were ambling along the Grebe pool at Lorong Halus when Fee Hian spotted some movements in an acacia tree by the pool. She caught a glimpse of its long tail. On closer scrutiny, Ivy found a Pied Fantail sitting on its nest!!

We beckoned the rest of the group to come over. All ten birders e-v-e-n-t-u-a-l-l-y saw the bird.

It sat still for more than ten minutes, flew off and returned about 5 minutes later.

The bird may be incubating its egg(s) as there was no chick in the nest. Close by, I heard the call of another Pied Fantail.

The fairly deep, cup-shaped nest (with an untidy trail at its base) hung from a thin branch approximately 2.1 metres above the ground.