sgbeachbum

It was about 6.15pm at Sungei Balang and the sky was turning slightly dark due to ominous rain clouds on the edge of the ricefields. It had rained heavy for about an hour earlier in the afternoon and the everything was still a bit wet. Only about 10% of the fields were brown having been harvested sometime earlier and left unplanted. The remaining 90% were very green and flooded. Quite a few of the resident raptors such as brahminy kites and black-winged (or -shouldered) kites had been active flying about looking for dinner. The menu would have contained frogs and snakes mostly. The rats would likely only appear after the flooded fields have been drained and the padi harvested.

On the way out through one of the paths, a short frond bore an unmistakeable form. At first glance through the warp of the windscreen, I thought it was a juvenile brahminy kite. Slowly approaching closer, this was realised to be a marsh harrier. After taking some initial record shots, moving the car closer slowly proved a good ploy. The car was about 5 metres away and the engine switched off. The cover of the car provided a good vantage point for the camera to be carefully extended out and rested on the sideview mirror casing angled appropriately at the bird's direction. The bird eventually flew off showing a characteristic white band on its rump. 

I'm guessing this was a juvenile female eastern marsh harrier. It also had a dash of white at the top rear of its head which is partially visible at certain parts of the clip. A most beautiful bird. Glad it took some time out to share its beauty.

(There is a residual hum in the background and that is presumably from the motorised sprayer in use by one of the farmhands about a hundred metres away.)

marsh harrier at rest @ sg balang - Dec 2014 from SgBeachBum on Vimeo.

Find out more about the marsh harriers :

http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/life/Western_Marsh_Harrier

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marsh_harrier

http://www.birdlife.org/datazone/species/factsheet/61709141

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eastern_marsh_harrier

http://ibc.lynxeds.com/species/eastern-marsh-harrier-circus-spilonotus

http://www.arkive.org/marsh-harrier/circus-aeruginosus/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Western_marsh_harrier

http://www.rspb.org.uk/discoverandenjoynature/discoverandlearn/birdguide/name/m/marshharrier/

http://www.besgroup.org/2009/03/05/western-and-eastern-marsh-harriers-in-singapore/

Lower tides over a mudflat makes for an interesting phenomenon. The smaller fish accumulate above the shallow mudflats corralled by predatory fish such as barracuda. As the smaller prey fish school themselves into tighter shoals, space becomes a premium and when you are chased by a hungry barracuda with a full set of very sharp teeth, the only way is up. The prey fish get into such a tight grouping that the barracuda literally explode into the group and out of the water in an effort to get dinner. That was already unexpected but then the forward section of the group began to jump in a continuous chain resulting in another unexpected sight. What was thereafter another unexpected consequence was to see one of the area's resident white-bellied sea eagles (or 'fish' eagles as they are also called) swoop down in an excited attempt to grab some jumping fish. The eagle was unfortunately unsuccessful despite its persistent fly-bys. It was a pity that an osprey which had been sitting on a kelong stump close by had flown off a few minutes earlier. It would have been interesting to see if the osprey would have been better at catching jumping fish than the fish eagle. Ospreys of course don't mind getting wet when going after fish. 

Click on the links to find out more about the fish eagles, osprey and the Sungei Buloh Nature Reserve .

Note however that SBWR is a Nature Reserve and has a 'No Fishing' rule...unless of course you are a fish-eating raptor, watersnake or a crocodile. Fishermen (even those on kayaks) will get paid a visit from the NParks and also the Police Coast Guard patrols. Bring a pair of binoculars instead and enjoy the show.

barracuda, fish eagle and lots of fish @ SBWR - DEC 2014 from SgBeachBum on Vimeo.

Barracuda can jump and they can jump high. The clip is being played back at 25% normal speed. The intention was to capture the shoal of smaller nasi lemak fish jumping and it was not expected that their predators would also be seen displaying their aerial acrobatics exploding out of the water after their prey fish. 

What a magnificent show of natural behaviour!

barracuda cant jump @ SBWR - Dec 2014 from SgBeachBum on Vimeo.

Note : SBWR is a Nature Reserve and a 'No-Fishing' zone unless you are a barracuda, raptor, water snake or ... a crocodile and there are loads of these helping to keep the waters of the reserve in check.
P.s. the penalty for fishing within a nature reserve is a hefty fine. 
(It's not worth the fishing actually. Bring a pair of binoculars instead.)