Jul-Aug 2011 - Nature Society news Jul-Aug 2011... · have made their home in Lorong Halus, an old rubbish dump site. Grassland birds such as Yellow-bellied Prinias, Munias, Baya

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NATURE NEWS JUL-AUG 2011Jul-Aug 2011

LOCAL & OVERSEAS TRIPS LED BY NSS MEMBERS

MICA (P) 073/07/2010 ISSN: 2010-4308

Railway Ramble from Bukit Timah to Ten Mile Junction Jul 2 Plant Walk at Mount Faber Jul 9 Birdwatching at Bukit Batok Nature Park Jul 10 Talk on Singapore’s Wild Marine Mammals Jul 15Nature Walk at Kranji Marshes Jul 17 Butterfly Walk at the Jurong Railway Track Jul 23 Birdwatching at Halus Wetland Jul 24 Discussion on The Seacil Artificial Reef Jul 27 Talk on Impact of Climate Change on Singapore's Biodiversity Jul 29

NSS Kids’ Fun with Dragons and Damsels Aug 13 Butterfly Walk and Picnic from Rifle Range to Jelutong Tower Aug 13

Birdwatching at Bukit Brown Aug 20 Birdwatching at Botanic Gardens Aug 21 Birdwatching at Kranji Marshes Aug 27 Public Walk at Butterfly Trail @ Orchard Aug 28 International Coastal Cleanup at Mandai Mudflats Oct 29

Activities 2Colugo Encounter near Changi Village 5

Minutes of the NSS 57th Annual General Meeting 6

Loss of Sea Eagles' Nest 8AGM Statement of Income & Expenditure 9

AGM President’s Report 10

Fun at Chek Jawa 12AGM Special Interest Group & Committee Reports 13

26th Annual Bird Census 25Announcements 26NSS Directory 27

All Purpose Form 28

1D Trek at Gunung Lambak in Kluang (two departures)

J u l 2 3 o r Aug 20

3D/3N The Lost Waterfalls of Pahang Jul 28 to 31 4D/3N Explore Endau Rompin with Raja Aug 7 to 10 1D Explore Mata Kuching Forest Reserve in Batam

Aug 13 Colugo

Encounter near

Changi Village

Pg 5

Minutes of the NSS

57th Annual General

Meeting Pg 6

As we were going to press, we were deeply sadden to learn of the passing of Dr Navjot Sodhi, eminent ornithologist and NUS professor in conservation ecology on 12 June 2011, and Dr Daryl Karns, herpetologist and professor of biology at Hanover College, Indiana on 9 June 2011.

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NATURE NEWS JUL-AUG 2011

Saturday 2

Railway Ramble from Bukit Timah to Ten Mile JunctionMarking the end of a railway era in Singapore, the Nature Ramblers will lead a trek from Bukit Timah Railway Station to Ten Mile Junction, an estimated distance of 6 km. This is an attempt to retrace the northbound train journey. Expect to see interesting plants, birds and landmarks along the way. Meet Benjamin Ho at Bukit Timah Railway Station near King Albert Park at 3.45 pm. The trip will end at Bukit Panjang Housing Estate. We will depart at 4 pm sharp, and should finish by 7 pm. Wear good walking shoes and have adequate sun protection. For members only. Saturday 9

Plant Walk at Mount FaberIn celebration of International Year of Forests, join Yap Von Bing and the Plant Group at Mount Faber. Expect to see mature and juvenile specimens of native trees, cultivated trees (including fruit trees) and attractive ferns. There will be numerous bird calls and the likely sighting of thermal-riding raptors. Get acquainted with this regenerating forest and be inspired to think about promoting habitat restoration in other locations. Meet at 9 am at the bus stop on Telok Blangah Way opposite Radin Mas Community Centre. The walk will take about two hours. For members only.Sunday 10

Birdwatching at Bukit Batok Nature ParkSituated in a densely populated corner of Singapore, Bukit Batok Nature Park is a green gem. This patch of woods is no bigger than the Botanical Gardens, yet support a surprising variety of bird species. These include locally threatened birds like the Violet Cuckoo and the Changeable Hawk Eagle. It is also one of the best places in Singapore, and perhaps even in South-east Asia, to see the highly-threatened Straw-headed Bulbul. Join Yong Ding Li as he leads us in exploring the Park. Meet at 7.30 am at the main entrance. The walk should end at 12 noon. For members only.Friday 15

Talk on Singapore’s Wild Marine Mammals Join Cyrena Lim to learn how you can help NUS researchers discover more about Singapore’s wild marine mammals. Pilot studies by the Tropical

Marine Science Institute (TMSI) in NUS have confirmed that several species of coastal dolphins can be found in Singapore waters, even the rare Finless Porpoise and Dugong. TMSI has launched the Singapore Wild Marine Mammal Survey (SWiMMS), a research project where it wants to establish a volunteer network and sighting reporting system, as well as carry out field studies. Reliable observations from South-east Asia are also welcome, and will help TMSI study whether Singapore contributes to seasonal trans-national migration routes. Meet at 8 pm at The Sunflower. Open to the Public.Sunday 17

Nature Walk at Kranji Marshes Meet Gerard Francis at 7.45 am at the Kranji Dam Carpark near the Tidal Gates of Kranji Reservoir, off Kranji Way. Reachable by Bus 925 from Kranji MRT Station. From here, a hired bus will ferry us to our destination. This walk will cover the plant life of the marshland as well as provide good birdwatching opportunities. The marsh is designated by URA as a Nature Park and is currently adopted by NSS under PUB’s ABC Waters Programme. Register with Gerard at [email protected] by 8 July. Max: 20 pax. Open to the Public. Saturday 23

Butterfly Walk at the Jurong Railway Track This is a nice butterfly walk starting at King Albert Park, passing through the Bukit Timah Railway Station, and ending at Old Holland Road. Steven Chong will lead us on a journey following the railway track. He will take us through areas with plenty of Pansy and Emigrant butterflies. Expect to also see a good mix of forest and open field butterflies and lots of Bush Browns. This is also a Common Birdwing habitat. Bring along your binoculars, a cap and lots of sunblock. Meet at 9:30 am outside McDonalds, at the intersection of Bukit Timah Road and King Albert Park. For members only.Sunday 24 July

Birdwatching at Halus WetlandFor years, Little Grebes and Common Moorhens have made their home in Lorong Halus, an old rubbish dump site. Grassland birds such as Yellow-bellied Prinias, Munias, Baya Weavers, Long-tailed Shrikes and more thrive here. Under the ABC Waters Programme, PUB recently completed

Activities July

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Saturday 13

NSS Kids’ Fun with Dragons and DamselsIf you were a little insect, a dragon that flies is a terrifying thing. Find out more about dragonflies and damselflies, how they hunt in our freshwater streams, and learn how to recognise some of the commoner species. Tang Hung Bun, author of the book “A photographic guide to the Dragonflies of Singapore”, will lead us in a fascinating walk along the Venus Drive stream. Dragonfly enthusiasts Dr Cheong Loong Fah, Robin Ngiam, Cheong Yu Jia and Cheong Yiwei will also be our guides. Time: 9 am to 11.30 am. Please register your children (4 to 12 years old) with Gloria Seow at [email protected], stating their names and ages, if they are NSS members or not, if you need us to loan you a pair of binoculars or not, and let us have your mobile number. A fee of $5 per child (member) or $10 per child (non-member) will be collected on the spot. Parents / caregivers are encouraged to join in at no charge. Details will be emailed to those who sign up. Open to the Public.Saturday 13

Butterfly Walk and Picnic from Rifle Range to Jelutong TowerMeet KC and Amy Tsang at 9 am at the end of Rifle Range Road. We will walk and butterfly watch to the upper arm of Upper Pierce Reservoir. Expect to see butterflies such as Cruisers, Fivebar Swordtails, Blue Jays, Blue Bottles, Crows and

Sailors. We intend to pause for a 30-minute picnic at the scenic water edge. Bring along some snacks and plenty of water. Thereafter, our butterfly trek will continue to Jelutong Tower in MacRitchie Reservoir. We target to return back to the starting point between 1 pm to 1.30 pm. Members should arrange for their own car pool to get to the starting point. For any queries, kindly email KC at [email protected]. For members only.

Saturday 20

Birdwatching at Bukit Brown Meet Sutari Supari at 7.30 am at the junction of Sime Road and Kheam Hock Road, near the entrance to Bukit Brown Chinese Cemetery. We will take a casual walk around this unique and quiet corner of Singapore. The area is partially open and has many huge trees. Expect to see a mix of parkland, open country as well as forest birds such as babblers, bulbuls, doves, flower-peckers, parakeets, sunbirds and woodpeckers. For members only.

Sunday 21

Birdwatching at Botanic Gardens Meet Wong Chung Cheong at 7.30 am at the Visitor Centre. We will take an early morning stroll through one of the best botanical gardens in the region. Many species of birds call this park home. We have the chance of spotting colourful species like the Long-tailed Parakeet, Crimson Sunbird, Banded Woodpecker, Common Iora, Pink-necked Green

works to create Halus Wetland, to help purify run-offs from the dump site. Join Wong Chung Cheong from 7.30 am to 12 noon, in an enjoyable morning of sights and sounds presented by these birds. Send a completed All Purpose Form to the NSS office or register at the NSS website by 18 July 2011. Max: 30 pax. Open to the Public.Wednesday 27

Discussion on The Seacil Artificial ReefThe Seacil Artificial Reef project was a source of controversy a few years back. It aimed to restore and preserve corals at Sentosa and Labrador Park. Project leader Charles Rowe will give a presentation on its merits. Detractors in this project will also be invited to air their views and concerns. Join us in this discussion, and judge for yourself if the project is more of a boon or a bane to local coral conservation. Meet at 8 pm at The Sunflower. Open to the Public.

Friday 29

Talk on Impact of Climate Change on Singapore's Biodiversity Much information is now available on global cl imate change, including some frightening predictions. Temperatures and sea levels are expected to rise worldwide, while many areas will receive less rain. What then will happen to the biodiversity and natural vegetation in Singapore and South-east Asia? Going by current predictions, Yong Ding Li will explore the likely changes to Singapore's flora and fauna by the years 2030 and 2050. Will our rainforests still remain as it is, given fragmentation and a different climate? Will our forest birds still be around? What should we do now? For more information, contact Ding Li at [email protected]. Talk from 8 pm to 9.30 pm at The Sunflower. Open to the Public.

Friday 29

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Pigeon and Stork-billed Kingfisher. We might also get to see some early migrants. For members only.

Saturday 27

Birdwatching at Kranji Marshes Meet Dr Ho Hua Chew at 7.45 am at the Kranji Dam Carpark near the Tidal Gates of Kranji Reservoir, off Kranji Way. Reachable by Bus 925 from Kranji MRT Station. From here, a hired bus will ferry us to our destination. We will begin at the NSS adoption pond, followed by a pleasant stroll along the PUB Bund. Birding highlights here include the Red-wattled Lapwing, Purple Swamphen, White-browed Crake, Osprey, Changeable Hawk Eagle, Grey-headed Fish Eagle and more. If there is time, we will end the walk along Neo Tiew Lane 2, up to the vehicle-barrier. The marsh is designated by URA as a Nature Park and is currently adopted by NSS under the PUB’s ABC Waters Programme. Register with Dr Ho at [email protected] by 12 August 2011. Max: 20 pax. Open to the Public.

Sunday 28

Public Walk at Butterfly Trail @ OrchardLet’s take a leisurely stroll along the newly-created Butterfly Trail @ Orchard, to witness the sight of butterflies living in an urban environment. We will

start at the butterfly garden in Stamford Green, passing through SMU, Dhoby Ghaut Green, Istana Park and ending at the open space in Penang Road. We hope to see butterflies such as the Plain Tiger, Leopard, Tawny Coster, Autumn Leaf and more. Meet Anuj (HP: 8139-1564) at 9.30 am in front of the National Museum at 93 Stamford Road. Stamford Green is accessible by the outdoor escalator next to the museum. Duration: 2.5 hours. Open to the Public.

October 29

International Coastal Cleanup at Mandai MudflatsThe NSS-led participation at the annual International Coast Cleanup Singapore (ICCS) is set to take place at the Mandai Mudflats from 4 to 7 pm. Located at the extension of Kranji Rd where it intersects with Kranji Loop, these mudflats are a key habitat for horseshoe crabs. If you are keen to make a difference here, please register with Goh Ter Yang at [email protected]. There are other ICCS events organised by RMBR where you can also help:

Saturday 9 Jul 2011 at 9 am (Site Buddies Workshop) Saturday 6 Aug 2011 at 9 am (National Day cleanup) Saturday 17 Sep 2011at 8 am (ICCS event day)

Sign up at http://tinyurl.com/iccs-volunteer.

Saturday 27

Date: 13 Aug 2011Cost: $98 per pax. Price includes ferry tickets, land transport, insurance and resort lunch. Cheque payable to Sun-City Travel & Tours Pte Ltd. Min participants: 10 pax Closing Date: 6 August 2011

Surprisingly, the nearby Indonesian island of Batam has a sizeable belt of intact forest in the

form of the Mata Kuching Forest Reserve. Come explore this relatively unknown part of Batam.

Lunch at Sijori Resort with dinner and shopping at Batam Centre. For details and registration, please contact Sutari Supari at [email protected], Tel: 6283-5069 or HP: 9770-0432.

1D Explore Mata Kuching Forest Reserve in Batam

Sunday 28

October 29

1D Trek at Gunung Lambak in Kluang (two departures)

LOCAL & OVERSEAS TRIPS LED BY NSS MEMBERS

Dates: Choice of dates on 23 July or 20 Aug 2011Cost: $85 per pax. Price includes van transport, insurance, trail snacks and dinner. Cheque payable to Sun-City Travel & Tours Pte Ltd.Min participants: 8 pax per trip Closing Date: 16 July 2011

Gunung Lambak is one of the most climbed “neighbourhood” mountains in Malaysia. It

forms an imposing landmark overlooking the town of Kluang. The initial ascent is gradual, through tropical rainforest. After the midway rest point, an almost vertical climb awaits trekkers. This is where the challenge and fun begins! At 510 m

above sea level, the summit will reward you with a panoramic view of Kluang. It takes about an hour and a half to reach the top. Even kids as young as four years old have summited. For details or to register, please contact Chew Leong Hai at [email protected] or HP: 9689-3074.

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Date: 7 to 10 August 2011 Cost: $250 per pax. Children staying with parents pay $210 each. Price includes return train journey and accommodation in chalets.Min Participants: 20 pax Closing Date: 16 July 2011

Activities include jungle trekking, waterfall visit, night walk, birdwatching, Orang Asli visit and kayaking. Please

complete the All Purpose Form, using one per person. Do enclose your cheque made out to “Nature Society

(Singapore)”. Mail these to S Rajamanickam at 61 Chestnut Crescent, Singapore 679412. For enquiries, please email Raja at [email protected].

4D/3N Explore Endau Rompin with Raja

Colugo Encounter near Changi Village

3D/3N The Lost Waterfalls of Pahang

Dates: 28 to 31 July 2011. Leaving on 28 July at 11.30 pm.Cost: $330 per pax. Price includes leader services, limited edition Lost Waterfall tee, goodie bag, one training session, all trekking meals, permits and entrance fees, local guide fees, land transport, first aid and travel insurance. Cheque payable to Sun- City Travel & Tours Pte Ltd.Min Participants: 10 pax Closing Date: 15 Jul 2011

Brace yourself for an adrenaline rush with a 4WD ride through the deep forests of Pahang. You will be

pampered with a gastronomical galore of food served in these forests. Photographers and hikers alike will be awed by the many scenic and pristine waterfalls found here. Locals have affectionately named these obscure falls Lata Telur, Lata Selesa, Lata Manik and Lata Lebah. The Lost Waterfall has no pond beneath it, giving us a sense of

falling water being swallowed back by the earth. Locals say that these jungles provided asylum to revered Malay warrior Mat Kilau. In colonial times, he used it as a training ground and hideaway during his frequent skirmishes with the British. The trip is suitable for all fitness levels. For details and registration, please contact Bernard Koh at [email protected] or HP: 9199-1280.

While admiring heritage trees

at Cranwell Road near Changi Village o n 2 4 O c t o b e r 2010, Clayton Lee Chin Lye was very for tuna te to se t eyes on the f irst record of a colugo ( G a l e o p t e r u s variegatus) in the C h a n g i a r e a i n recent memory.

It was the mammal’s s u d d e n g l i d i n g movement , f rom

a tall Khaya senegalensis tree to an under storey Syzygium tree far inside the forested vegetation, that alerted him to its presence.

Members of NSS’ Vertebrate Study Group expressed

surprise and delight at this sighting. “This is a great record! I have never seen colugos in Changi before, and did not expect them to be here. This is really good news,” exclaimed colugo expert Norman Lim who authored the book “Colugo: The Flying Lemur of South-east Asia”.

The colugo is native to Singapore. It can be seen in forests in the Central Catchment Nature Reserve, Bukit Timah Nature Reserve, Bukit Batok Nature Park, Swiss Club Road area, and in the forest north of Mandai Road. It has never been found in the fragmented forests in the eastern parts of Singapore, nor in the Western Catchment Area.

In the past, the forests around Changi used to yield a good number of mammal specimens, some of which are preserved in the Raffles Museum of Biodiversity Research today. A huge fire in the last century is purported to have destroyed most of these woods. Thankfully, remnants of primary forest trees still stand, supporting remnant populations of wildlife. There are also two camps nearby, Hendon Camp and Changi Air Base, both of which have small belts of forest. Indeed, it would be worth checking out the Cranwell site to confirm the sighting and to survey it for other mammal species

By Gloria Seow

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Outgoing Exco Members:Dr Shawn Lum Leong Kwok Peng Margie Hall Dr Ho Hua Chew Ong Eng Hin Dr Hsu Chia Chi Goh Si Guim Soo Choon Kiat Tan Hang Chong Members:Eldwin Wong Gan Cheong Weei Steven Chong Wong Yew Chuen Benjamin Ho Moira KhawDr Lesley Cartwright-Taylor

Bernie Tan Ching Chabo

Lee Lay Tin Charles Letts Alan OwyongVinayagan Dharmarajah

Willie Foo Yin Kok Yap Von Bing

Chua Leng Sim Ilsa Sharp Ronald Lim Klyth Tan Rehan Yusoff Gerald TayApologies:PN Avadhani Tony O’Dempsey Gloria Seow

The Annual General Meeting did not have a quorum at 2 pm. It started at 2.30 pm with 14 ordinary members present. Vice President Leong Kwok Peng took the Chair. He welcomed members and noted that the President and some others were delayed in traffic jams.

1. APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES OF THE 2010 ANNUAL GENERAL MEETINGThe Minutes had previously been circulated. Alan Owyong proposed that they be accepted and Dr Ho Hua Chew seconded this proposal. There were no matters arising from the Minutes.

2. TREASURER’S REPORTTreasurer Soo Choon Kiat and Assistant Treasurer Ong Eng Hin had requested to present early as they both had other engagements. They presented the Audited Accounts (Financial Statements) for the financial and calendar year 2010. This had previously been circulated to members at the meeting. While taking the meeting through the Statement of Comprehensive Income, Eng Hin expressed doubt on its relevance to a charity like NSS. Charities rely on donations to fund their activities rather than on regular trade income. The Society would not have embarked on a project until it had raised the necessary funds. Therefore, its income could result in a surplus in one year (when money raised is not spent) and a

deficit in the following year (when money raised is spent). He felt that the Society’s cash position was of far greater relevance. Eng Hin directed members’ attention to the Statement of Financial Position on page 4. It reflected a cash position that exceeded $900,000. He noted that the Society had sufficient cash to cover several years of essential expenditure. He also noted, for governance purposes, that our staff all earn well below $100,000 per year. He then invited questions from the floor.

Bernie Tan asked for the details of donors that had contributed a donation income of $286,287. He also wondered why our website maintenance costs had increased to $30,841 from $345 in the previous year. Eng Hin replied that $160,000 donated had been for the Butterfly Trail @ Orchard project. Far East Organization was a major donor, while Ricoh and SingPost also contributed substantial sums. Our website was completely upgraded this year, incurring a cost of $30,000. Therefore, this cost was overwhelmingly due to upgrading rather than maintenance. However, a government grant of $20,000, as stated in the third line of “Income”, helped defray about two thirds of this cost. Ching Chabo asked if this grant was a one time grant or a continuing one. Eng Hin replied that it was a one time grant.

Wong Yew Chuen asked for the name and background of the company performing the website upgrading, and if there was a warranty. Eng Hin replied that the contractor was IWI. It was selected out of three quotations. He recalled that the warranty period was one year. Gan Cheong Weei informed the meeting that the upgraded website had enhanced features. These included the capacity to pay for membership subscriptions and renewals online, l inks to the Society’s Facebook page, and shared administration so that activity organisers and the Secretariat can upload information directly onto the site. Wong Yew Chuen then enquired about the expected lifespan of this software upgrade. Eng Hin felt that as long as the upgraded website can serve the Society’s

Minutes of the Nature Society (Singapore)

57th ANNUAL GENERAL MEETINGHeld on 21 May 2011 at MOE Dairy Farm Adventure Centre

By Margie Hall, Honorary Secretary

MEMBERS PRESENT

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needs, there was no need to have another upgrade. As there were no more queries, Bernie Tan proposed that the Audited Accounts for 2010 be adopted and Yap Von Bing seconded the proposal.

President Shawn Lum arrived at 2.45 pm and took the Chair. He thanked outgoing Treasurer Soo Choon Kiat and Assistant Treasuer Ong Eng Hin for doing a great job. Shawn also apologised for his late arrival because of traffic jams. Noting that this had affected a number of members, Margie Hall suggested that the meeting could consider starting at 4 pm next year.

3. PRESIDENT’S REPORTShawn Lum presented his report on behalf of the Executive Committee. This report can be read on page 10.

4 . S P E C I A L I N T E R E S T G R O U P & COMMITTEE REPORTSReports were made by Alan Owyong for the Bird Group, Gan Cheong Weei for the Butterfly Interest Group, Leong Kwok Peng, Dr Ho Hua Chew, Dr Hsu Chia Chi and Dr Lesley Cartwright-Taylor for the Conservation Committee, Margie Hall on behalf of Gloria Seow for the Education Group, Benjamin Ho for the Nature Ramblers, and Angie Ng for the Plant Group. These reports were presented separately. Tony O’Dempsey had earlier sent his apologies for the lack of a report from the Vertebrate Study Group at the AGM, due to his recent accident.

5. ELECTION OF THE 2011/12 EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE & FINANCE ADVISORY GROUP MEMBERSWe received a single nomination for each of the Executive Committee (Exco) positions. The following would make up the Exco:President: Dr Shawn Kaihekulani Lum, proposed by Dr Ho Hua Chew, seconded by Khoo Kim ChooVice President: Leong Kwok Peng, proposed by Goh Si Guim, seconded by Ong Eng HinHonorary Treasurer: Eldwin Wong, proposed by Margaret Hal l , seconded by Ong Eng HinHonorary Secretary: Margaret Hall, proposed by Dr Ho Hua Chew, seconded by Khoo Kim ChooHonorary Assistant Treasurer: Ong Eng Hin, proposed by Leong Kwok Peng,

seconded by Goh Si GuimHonorary Assistant Secretary: Tan Hang Chong, proposed by Gloria Seow, seconded by Timothy PweeCommittee Members:Dr Ho Hua Chew, proposed by Dr Shawn Lum, seconded by Sutari SupariGoh Si Guim, proposed by Alan Owyong, seconded by Chua Leng SimDr Hsu Chia Chi , proposed by Vinayagan Dharmarajah, seconded by Margaret Hall

In line with the requirements of the Code o f Governance introduced by the MCYS Commissioner of Charit ies Off ice , Shawn reminded members of the resolution passed at AGM 2008: “That at the first Exco/Council Meeting after each AGM, all members of the incoming Exco and of the Council declare and have minuted any general conflict of interest which they consider they may have, and that before any specific discussions and decisions at this or any other meetings of the Exco and Council, members consider whether any conflicts of interest exist for any members and, where they are considered to exist, request that member to abstain from the vote or decision-making process.”

6. ELECTION OF ONE MEMBER FOR THE FINANCE ADVISORY GROUPChing Chabo was stepping down from the Finance Advisory Group. She proposed Dr Lee Lay Tin as the new member for three years. This was seconded by Vinayagan Dharmarajah. Margie Hall noted that as initiated last year, one member of this three member group would step down and be replaced each year. Next year, either Dr Robert Casteels or S Rajamanickam would step down and be replaced by another member for three years. Shawn thanked Chabo for her service. He also thanked Robert, Rajamanickam and Lay Tin for their continued and future service

7. APPOINTMENT OF AUDITORS Leong Kwok Peng proposed that the Society reappoint Helmi Talib as Auditors. This was seconded by Vinayagan Dhamarajah.

8. ANY OTHER BUSINESSThe President introduced the following items for discussion: 1.NSS Second Office at Tanglin

Leong Kwok Peng presented slides of the office that Birdlife International (BL) would be leasing

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Loss of Sea Eagles' Nest

We reproduce below an extract of the letter that appeared in the online forum page of The Straits Times on 23 May 2011, penned by Dr Shawn Lum and Bird Group Chairperson Alan Owyong

The Nature Society (Singapore) and its Bird Group wish to state that we do not

concur with the views attributed to one of our members ("Eagles nest on executive condo site"; 28 April) on the loss of the sea eagles' nest.

We care deeply about protecting and preserving Singapore's wildlife and its natural habitats. We will certainly regret the loss of any nest of any native species. But this passion must also be anchored in sound conservation science to have traction and credibility.

The White-bel l ied Sea Eagle is l isted as "common" by the international birdwatching definit ion of the term - any bird that is encountered with at least 90% probability in its preferred habitats. "Common" in this sense does not mean "abundant", it just means that if one visits a coastal area, the White-bellied Sea Eagle, a large bird with a considerable soaring range, can be encountered most of the time.

In fact, the sea eagle is anything but common in terms of population size in Singapore. During the Nature Society's Annual Bird Census on 20 March, only 22 eagles were recorded, This

number tallies with monthly population size counts of the species taken from September to March every year for the past four years, where the highest number was 35.

Past studies on nesting records over a one-year period yielded only nine sea eagles' nests across all of Singapore, confirming the relative scarcity of this apex predator. The loss of even one active nest of this resident sea eagle may have implications for the long-term status of the species.

We are fortunate that City Developments, being an environmentally conscious developer as well as a longstanding supporter of our society, had indicated that it will be conducting an environmental study for the site as well as consulting the relevant experts to explore the best possible alternative for the nesting eagles.

Nature lovers, birdwatchers, conservation scientists and all who call Singapore home should be relieved with the outcome. We feel that a broader feeling of concern and stewardship for our natural heritage will make Singapore a better place.

for three years. Its location is on the ground floor of the Tanglin Block at the International Centre in the former MOE buildings at Tanglin Road. BL had offered a share of this office space to NSS at cost. The Exco hopes to move some functions there. In particular, it wants to use the conference and meetings rooms for meetings and talks. The proposed office has ample parking space. Since NSS is still keeping its Geylang Office, the arrangement with BL would be on a trial basis. It is also on a strict cost sharing basis, however much space is used. The meeting had no questions.

2. Ubin HouseThe Ubin House is rented from SLA. Currently, it is not being used enough. Shawn said that he would call for a President’s Chat to discuss possible options, and to decide whether to continue with renting it or not. The decision also relates to present discussions on reshaping our outreach programme.

3. Membership NumbersBenjamin Ho enquired about our membership trends for the last few years. He asked for ideas to boost membership numbers. He was informed that there are about 1,500 subscribing members and 150 Life Members to date . Our highest number of subscribing members happened some 10 years ago, when we had 2,000 members. The President noted that next year was the 20th Anniversary of NSS as a separate Singapore organization. This could be a good basis for a membership drive.

4. Nature News Delivery by EmailMargie Hall proposed to find out if more members would like to receive “Nature News” by email. At present, only 10% of members have opted to do so.

9.CLOSING OF MEETING BY PRESIDENTThe Meeting ended at 5.40 pm with Shawn thanking everyone for attending the meeting and helping to create a vibrant Society.

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NATURE SOCIETY (SINGAPORE)

Statement of Income & Expenditure for the financial year ended 31 December 2010 2010 $ 2009 $

INCOMEMembership subscriptions 50,574 54,301Donation income 286,827 40,366Grant 20,020 -----Special Interest Group & Committee activities 37,495 31,906Event and activities income 63,436 14,589Interest income 474 818Other income 5,647 11,266

TOTAL INCOME 464,473 153,246

EXPENSESAudit fee 1,765 1,766Bank charges 805 806Depreciation 16,035 17,047Event and activities expenses 137,454 ----General expenses 8,447 4,275Insurance 932 797Maintenance 3,974 3,726Nature Watch 29,050 22,620Nature News 12,937 13,523Postage 7,630 7,030Printing and stationery 2,435 1,793Property tax 2,070 1,242Rental and Maintenance for Pulau Ubin House 4,474 12,084Skill Development Levy 304 143Special Interest Group & Committee expenses 53,638 60,694Staff salaries 124,183 62,523Staff CPF 14,848 7,195Telephone 1,944 1,868Transportation 1,192 811Trip and talks expense (local and overseas) 10,414 5,524Utilities 2,157 1,389Website maintenance 30,841 345

TOTAL EXPENSES 467,529 227,201Net deficit for the financial year (3,056) (73,955)

Statement of Financial Position as at 31 December 2010ASSETS 2010 $ 2009 $Non-current assetsProperty, plant and equipment 515,631 531,666

Current assetsReceivables 30,699 3,733Cash and cash equivalents 936,867 887,522Total current assets 967,566 891,255

TOTAL ASSETS 1,483,197 1,422,921

LIABILITIESCurrent liabilitiesPayables 93,176 29,997Liability arising from fund held in trust 31,204 31,051TOTAL LIABILITIES 124,380 61,048

FUNDSGeneral fund 1,322,282 1,330,140Project Painted Wings Fund 29,401 31,733Butterfly Trail @ Orchard 7,134 ----TOTAL FUNDS 1,358,817 1,361,873

TOTAL LIABILITIES AND FUNDS 1,483,197 1,422,921

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AGM President’s Report By Dr Shawn Lum, President

IntroductionMy report will commence by considering the goals of the Executive Committee this time last year. I wil l then highl ight our specif ic achievements in the year under review, as well as outline goals and areas to work on for the coming year. Thirdly, I would like to provide some important viewpoints for us to think about as a Society in Singapore. I will end with acknowledgments for our main sponsors and all those with whom we have worked with during the year.

Goals of the Executive Committee in 2010/2011 Our goals were four fold:

To keep doing what we do well , namely our regular activit ies for members, our lobby work, our conservation projects, our partnerships and so on.

To work on a comprehensive outreach programme.

To develop medium and long-term plans.

To devise membership and fund rais ing strategies.

We have started work on the first three goals. But we have not started on the fourth goal, which we hope to work on this year.

Highlights of 2010/20111. Major projects

a)The launch of the Butterfly Trail @ Orchard, due to the hard work of Gan Cheong Weei, Simon Chan, Justin Wong, Anuj Jain and Christy Davis. This was highlighted by our Patron, Professor Tommy Koh in Nagoya, Japan in December 2010.

b)The continued achievements at Kranji Marsh, underpinned by Dr Ho Hua Chew’s sustained endeavours. We are now liaising with URA and NParks in relation to the future of these marshes.

2. Major Policies & Proposals

a)Proposal for The Green Corridor, brainchild of Vice President Leong Kwok Peng. He has ably headed a working group comprising both members and non-members. They hail from various fields such as architecture and planning. Publicity liaison is coordinated by Tan Hang Chong.

b) The fine-tuning of the Code of Ethics for Nature Appreciation and Photography. This is the work of Vinayagan Dharmarajah, Gloria Seow and Timothy Pwee.

3.Conservation & Restoration Activities

a) Lorong Halus Artificial Wetland has been adopted by the Bird Group. Proposals have been made in relation to the Grebe Pond.

b) Horseshoe Crab Research and Rescue - Dr Hsu Chia Chi continues to oversee this project. A scientific paper on horseshoe crabs, written by Dr Lesley Cartwright-Taylor and Dr Yap Von Bing, has been accepted for publication in the Journal of Aquatic Biology.

c) New bird census activity in the form of the Parrot Count. The Bird Group has also supported two research initiatives on two of our local eagle species.

4. Outreach Work

a) The Webpage revamp was spearheaded by Gan Cheong Weei and administered by Justin Wong.

b) The Little Green Dot Research Grants to be funded by WWF and IKEA. This project is administered by Justin Wong and our newly-appointed Outreach Officer Goh Ter Yang.

5. Work with the Public Sector

a) Such work has continued to increase. We have worked with PUB, NParks, Sentosa Development Corporation, STB, MND and NLB. There has also been a transition in terms of types of link-ups. From working t h rough pe r sona l l i n k s w i t h s pe c i f i c individuals on both sides, we have begun to create institutional links. For instance, with the then potential reclamation of Chek Jawa, NSS rel ied on personal l inks that

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our Immediate Past President Dr Geh Min had, as a person and as an NMP. We used her connections to reach out to relevant government positions. Of late, the linkages are increasingly with the Society as a body, and not just with our Presidents or other indiv idua ls . This trans i t ion has taken a number of years.

6. Work with other NGOs

a) The development of the Little Green Dot research project with WWF Singapore.

b) Work on the International Year of the Forest.

c) Work with Birdli fe International on the Harapan Rainforest Project. Dr Geh and Vinayagan Dharmarajah have worked for several years behind the scenes. They have brought in f inanc ia l suppor t f rom our national airline SIA. SIA has announced its $3 million donation. We are also engaged in the extension of the Harapan Rainforest Project, in the form of the Forests of Hope programme. To this end, we hosted an event graced by His Serene Highness Prince Albert II of Monaco. The event was sponsored by Hour Glass and coordinated by Justin Wong.

d) Work with other NGOs on The Green Roundtable. Tan Hang Chong and Vinayagan Dharmarajah have both played active roles in this initiative.

7.Work within NSS

a) Recent discussions with Birdlife International were on setting up a second office location in the Tanglin area.

b) A history project , led by Leong Kwok Peng, Lee Lay Tin, Moira Khaw and Ching Chabo. They visited the MNS Office in KL with Prof Avadhani. They searched out and brought back old papers related to the MNS Singapore Branch history. They are now actively collecting the reminiscences of older members. NSS will be 60 years old in three years time. We might commission a book to give us a sense of our past. This is planned so that we can stay grounded in our historical aspirations and achievements, even while taking on new challenges.

c) Accounts process review by Ong Eng Hin. This has been completed to ensure ful l

compliance with the rising requirements of charity governance.

d) Bringing the production of Nature Watch back on schedule, culminating with Nature Watch’s January to March 2011 issue. This feat was due to the persistence of Editor Morten Strange and Assistant Editor Margie Hall.

Areas to Work On in 2011/20121. Reaching out to a wider audience, such as

Generation Y. We intend to step up our public engagement using Facebook and other social media. Our hope is to reach out to all segments of the population.

2. Developing and nurturing a wider member-volunteer pool. We hope to set up training and management programmes for volunteers.

3. A comprehensive survey of the conservation landscape. This will help Singapore develop an appropriate conservation discussion platform. Over the years , there has been a re -energised governmental effort spearheaded by NParks and RMBR. These bodies are at present engaged in a mega marine survey. In l i ght o f th i s , we have to determine where NSS should direct its energies. One important role for us is to continue to speak up for areas not under protection. Another role is to widen the conservation discussion.

4. Strengthening partnerships by developing and finalising our outreach programme, as well as outlining and developing both membership and fundraising campaigns.

Developing Singapore’s Conservation DiscussionAs a Singaporean NGO, should we expand

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the s cope o f ou r e f f o r t s to h i gh l i gh t conser va t ion issues that do not take place i n S i n g a p o r e , b u t w h i c h involve Singapore directly or indirectly? For example, we live in the tropics, one of the richest and most biodiverse areas in the world. But in my own adult lifetime, indeed in my 20 years living in Singapore, the forests of neighbouring Sumatra and Borneo have shrunk massively. Their habitat loss, especially to create oil pa lm plantat ions , has been d i sas trous . And the worst th ing i s that much o f th i s deforestation is directly or indirectly l inked to certain companies operating out of S i n g ap o re . N S S m e m b e r s s h o u l d b e a w a r e t h a t Singapore’s economic interests cont inue to contr ibute to habitat loss in these Indonesian islands. We need to raise such issues with guilty companies w h o s e h e a d q u a r t e r s a r e located on our very shores. Singaporeans should become r e s p o n s i b l e c o n s u m e r s and investors, especia l ly in supporting NGOs in Indonesia and Malaysia.

Acknowledgements & Thanks Major Sponsors:CDL, Far East Organization, Ricoh Asia, Hour Glass and IKEA.Public Sector:PUB – Mr Ng Yew Teck and Ms Linda DeMello; NEA; EDB – Ms Seah Yuen Chin; MND – Mr Mah Bow Tan; NCCS – Mr Alvin Goh; NParks – Mr Ng Lang, Mr Simon Longman, Mr J Seah, Mr YK Chua, Mr James Gan; SBWR – Ms Sharon Chan; STB; Sentosa Development Corporation – Mr Tan Kok Yeang, Mr Chan Mun Wei; NLB – Ms Adeline Neo; URA; MEWR – Dr Yaacob Ibrahim, Mr Tan Yong Soon, Mr Derek Ho.

NGOs:WWF – Ms Amy Ho; JGIS – Ms Tan Beng Chiak; SPCA – Ms Deirdre Moss; WCS – Mr Colin Poole, Ms Madha Rao; CI – Mr Landy Eng; SEC – Mr Howard Shaw, Ms Uma Sachidanandham.NSS Members:Immediate Past President – Dr Geh Min; Patron – Prof Tommy Koh; Exco and Council members; Outgoing Treasurer – Mr CK Soo; NSS staff and members; and the late Mr Stephen Lau.

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AGM Special Interest Group & Committee Reports

Bird Group By Alan Owyong, Chairperson & Willie Foo, Secretary

The Bird Group (BG) had another

eventful year with at least four activities h a p p e n i n g e a c h month. Birdwatching tr ips to the usual hotspots in Singapore and Malaysia were c o n d u c t e d . We also held intensive f ie ld sess ions and workshops. During t he ye a r, t h e BG col laborated with these organisations:

1) PUB – Kranji MarshesNSS has adopted the Kranji Marshes under PUB’s Active, Beautiful, Clean (ABC) Waters Programme. This is the first time that a nature area is under the management of the Society. This is largely thanks to the relentless efforts of Dr Ho Hua Chew. We have been conducting walks to these marshes on a monthly basis, open to members as well as the Public.

2) PUB – Lorong Halus WetlandPUB opened the Halus Wetland in March this year. The BG was asked to monitor its birdlife, conduct walks, and recommend ways to attract more birds to the wetlands. Prior to its launch, Alan Owyong, Lim Kim Keang and Willie Foo gave a birdwatching crash course to about 30 students from Punggol Secondary School. The school has adopted the wetland.

3) Asian Raptor Research and Conservation Network Alan Owyong,Yong Ding Li and Goh Yue Yun attended the 6th International Raptor Symposium in Ulan Bator, Mongolia, held in late June 2010. Ding Li and Alan presented papers on the status of migrating raptors in Singapore. Countries like Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia have been documenting raptor migration for many years now. Our own three-year study was important as it helped close the gap on

how raptors migrate in autumn and spring, from Thailand to Indonesia.

4) Sentosa Development CoporationEarly this year, BG members went for a recce

of the Southern Islands, in preparation for the second phase of surveys for SDC. As i de f rom mon i to r i n g St John’s is land, we a lso sur veyed the b i rd l i fe a t Lazarus, Sisters, Hantu and Kusu islands.

5) IUCN World Parrot CountIn January this year, we joined in the World Parrot Count organised by IUCN. This is our first parrot count. It attracted the attention of the press. Counters staked out

known roosting sites at dusk, to record parrot numbers as they returned to roost. A total of 389 parrots from 8 species were tallied. When the results were published, we were surprised that Singapore was the only country with counts of the Long-tailed Parakeet and Blue-crowned Hanging Parrot.

6) NParks Ecolink SurveyThe BG started bird surveys for NParks in February 2011. This was done along three transects during the pre-construction phase of the Ecolink. This survey is expected to take four years to complete.

The WildBird Club of the Philippines hosted the 1st Asian Bird Festival (ABF) in Davao in September 2010. The whole city was covered in banners proclaiming the event, which had the support of the Mayor. The BG sent a large delegation l e d b y Willie Foo. T h e 2 n d A B F w i l l b e h e l d i n Ta iwan t h i s ye a r. S ingapore w i l l h o s t t h e 5 t h A B F i n

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2014.

Various bird census were carried out throughout the year, with help from members, BG committee members and other volunteers. These included the Asian Waterbird Census (AWC), Annual Bird Census, Mid-Year Bird Census and Fall Migration Bird Census. This year’s AWC created a stir with the appearance of a rare Caspian Tern at the Mandai Mudflats, our second record after 35 years. The bird was first spotted by Kim Keang and David Li. We will be having our 4th Raptor Watch later in November.

Tan Kok Hui is undertaking a year-long study of the Changeable Hawk-Eagle in Singapore. This is done with the help of a Small Research Grant from the BG. He intends to map the eagle’s local distribution, habitats and breeding activities. This is our first research grant given out. The grant is meant to encourage more study and research into our endangered bird species. It is open to both members and the Public.

We have been documenting the birdlife along the soon-to-be-defunct KTM railway line. We have surveyed the stretch from Kranji to Portsdown Road, as well as from Clementi to Pandan. Survey results went into the Society’s proposal for The Green Corridor. We hope to establish this Corridor after the return of the Malaysian-owned railway land to Singapore.

The Bird Records Committee has been very active. It has accepted six new species to the Singapore Checklist. NParks has agreed to refer all rare and new bird sightings to the Bird Records Committee, for acceptance into the Singapore Checklist as well as listing in NParks’ National Biodiversity Database. Our recognition as the national committee for rare and new birds will be further strengthened with the formation of an expanded committee. This will include members from outside the Society and from NParks.

We would like to thank the editorial team of the Singapore Avifauna for regularly updating its bulletin. Since it went online, its overall presentation has been greatly enhanced. It now features many coloured photographs of important birds recorded.

Together with NParks, the BG embarked on a Seabirds Survey early this year, along the Straits of Singapore. We just completed our 3rd Pelagic Survey in May 2011, which documented the autumn migration. We will continue our surveys in

September 2011, to monitor the spring migration. During our April 2011 trip, we spotted the rare vagrant Red-necked Phalarope off Changi coast. This is our second record after 17 years. The last one was in November 1994 in Tuas. In May 2011, we recorded two Short-tailed Shearwaters off north Batam, a new bird for the Singapore Checklist.

Kenneth Kee of Aardwolf Pestkare donated 400 copies of its 2011 calendar to the BG for its fund raising drive. This is the second series of calendars featuring photographs from Jimmy Chew. The theme was “Wildlife at your Doorsteps”.

Last year, Yong Ding Li successfully conducted a Raptors Workshop, while Kenneth Kee ran a Waders Workshop for Beginners. We will organise our second Advanced Waders Workshop in October 2011, as requested by members.

The grand event for our calendar year was none other than Bird Race 2010. This was held on 24 October 2010 at Pulau Ubin, as part of our Green Bird Race series. This is the first time we completed the event in a day, instead of over two days. We recorded a total of 108 species. Two of these were new to the Ubin checklist, namely, the Grey-headed Fish Eagle and the Thick-billed Green Pigeon. We would like to thank Swarovski Optik for once again sponsoring our Bird Races, a sponsorship that goes back more than 15 years. We presented Ms Koh Chiew Eng of Precision Optics with a painting of a pair of Straw-headed Bulbuls done by Andrew Chow.

Our most exciting project this year is the development of an Electronic Bird Guide App for iPhones. This application will feature photographs of the Birds of Singapore, including description, calls, habitats, status and abundance. Built-in search engines will allow users to find birds from thumbnails, compare similar species, create life lists and survey records.

The BG Committee would like to thank all trip leaders, event organisers, helpers and volunteers for their hard work and support in our various activities. Response from NSS members and the Public has been inspiring. We would continue to strive towards providing activities and events that are both enjoyable and educational.

Butterfly Interest Group By Gan Cheong Weei, Chairperson

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The past 12 months have been busy and exciting, with the Butterfly Interest Group

(BIG) participating and leading in many significant and engaging initiatives. On top of conducting butterfly-related events and walks for NSS members, BIG also made significant progress in the Butterfly Trail @ Orchard project, and completed several butterfly surveys including the Sentosa biodiversity survey, the Green Corridor survey, as well as the Kranji Reservoir survey. At present, BIG is leading the NSS Website and Forum upgrade. We are also working on a Butterfly and Bird Field Guide and Survey application for iPhone.

Butterfly Trail @ Orchard (BTO)

The BTO project started in 2009. In the last 12 months, much progress has been made in terms of securing sponsorships, planting of butterfly attracting plants, and increasing butterfly diversity along the Trail. I would like to acknowledge BTO officer Anuj Jain, and the NSS Secretariat, in playing pivotal roles to drive this challenging project closer to completion. Significant events that have received media coverage included:

Jun 2010 Pilot launch of the Butterfly Trail @ Orchard, held at Nassim Green and attended by Prof Tommy Koh, Dr Geh Min and 95 guests. NIE volunteers and NSS members planted some 900 butterfly attracting plants at this site.

Oct 2010 Planting of 2,600 plants of 30 varieties at the Penang Road Open Space, sponsored by Far East Organization. Four benches sponsored by Ricoh Asia

Pacific were installed.

Nov 2010 Planting of 2,900 plants of 32 species at Istana Park, sponsored by Ricoh Asia Pacific. More than 250 Ricoh staff participated. Two butterfly trail signages were installed. Planting at Dhoby Ghaut Green by NParks Streetscape team and Community In Bloom (CIB) team.

Jan 2011 B T O Butterfly Trail Map: A free self-guided walking map of the BTO was produced. Copies were circulated to BTO partners, sponsors and organisations interested in the Trail. Some

of these included Fort Canning Park, Botanic Gardens, Singapore Visitors Centre and Tourism Court.

The BTO was highlighted in a speech by Prof Tommy Koh at the 2010 UN Biodiversity Summit. Prof Koh said, “NSS, NParks and the private sector decided to do something which has never been done elsewhere in the world. Singapore's main shopping street, Orchard Road, is like the Champs-Elysees in Paris. In a four kilometre stretch linking the Singapore Botanic Gardens on one end, and Fort Canning on the other, volunteers have planted trees a n d s h r u b s along Orchard Road wh ich a r e e i t h e r host plants for butterflies or plants which provide them with nectar. Soon , when t h e p l a n t s ma tu re a nd the butterflies a r r i v e , shoppers and pedes t r i an s along Orchard Road will have t h e u n i q u e e x p e r i e n c e o f b e i n g

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accompanied by butterflies. I hope that shoppers on Orchard Road be so insp i red by the experience that they will develop a love of nature and a sense of stewardship towards biodiversity and the ecosystems which sustain them.”

The project also received mention when Mr Ng Lang, former NParks CEO, gave a presentation at the World Cities Summit 2010. This summit took place on 30 June 2010 and was hosted by Singapore with the theme “Liveable and Sustainable Cities for the Future”. The Singapore Tourism Board highlighted the BTO in their 2010 Christmas Guide.

A baseline survey at the BTO in 2009 recorded 28 butterfly species. As of May 2011, the BTO checklist has risen 67% to 47 species, with butterflies such as the Common Rose, Chocolate Albatross, Black-veined Tiger, Green Baron and Blue Nawab. BIG has conducted two butterfly walks and a photography class at the Trail. At present, the project is about 40% complete. Five sites are ready: Stamford Green, SMU, Dhoby Ghaut Green, Istana Park and Penang Road Open Space. We aim to complete plantings at all remaining sites between Q4 2011 and Q1 2012.

Butterfly Surveys Steven Chong led the six-month long Sentosa survey from January to June 2010. It involved nine trips and 12 volunteers. Of the known 280 odd species found in Singapore, 77 species (28%) were recorded. I would like to thank Steven Chong, Simon Chan, Amy Tsang, Tsang Kwok Choong, Lena Chow, Richard Ong, Tan Wang Peck, Rachel Teo Shi Hui, Norbert Lehming, Tang Peck Chan and Moira Khaw for their participation in the Sentosa survey. In addition, BIG conducted seven surveys along The Green Corridor railway track, recording 40 species between November 2010 and April 2011.

NSS Nature Forum

The NSS Nature Forum, an initiative led by BIG, was announced in the March/April 2010 issue of Nature News. The Forum has since received 4,500 posts. The greatest number of posts has occurred in the butterfly sub-forum. When the new NSS website upgrade is completed, the Forum will be fully integrated with our website. All members will automatically have an account on the Forum. Visitors to our website will be able to see the latest Forum postings and photos on our homepage.

Activities & Events

The following activities and events were organised in the year under review: 1. May 2010 - Butterfly walk at Mount Faber; 2. June 2010 - Butterfly walk at BTO; 3. February 2011 - Butterfly walk at BTO; 4. March 2011 - Screening of the Blue Butterfly Movie; 5. April 2011 - Butterfly walk at Dairy Farm Nature Park; and 6. May 2011 - Butterfly photography workshop.

In the coming year, BIG will be working on these projects and initiatives: 1. Continue planting and leading butterfly walks at the BTO; 2. Upgrading of the NSS Website and Forum; 3. Survey of the Southern Islands; 4. Development of a Butterfly Field Guide and Survey application on iPhone. In closing, BIG would like to thank all our volunteers for their passion, dedication and time, without which the above initiatives would not have been made possible.

Conservation CommitteeBy Dr Ho Hua Chew, Vice ChairpersonThe Green (Railway) CorridorA proposal for the conservation of the Green (Railway) Corridor was sent out to relevant ministers and government bodies on 10 Oct 2010. This proposal was also delivered to all Members of Parliament and Permanent Secretaries in April 2 0 1 1 . We believe that the Green C o r r i d o r s hou l d b e conser ved f o r i t s biodiversity, recreational, cultural, and h i s t o r i c a l v a l u e . Biodiversity surveys have been carried out at the C o r r i d o r and adjacent woodlands. T h e s e ongoing surveys are along the railway’s North-South line as well as the defunct Jurong line.

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A series of walks and talks have been conducted. A Facebook group ‘We Support the Green Corridor’ as well as a website ‘The Green Corridor’ have also been set up. A public forum was held at the National Library on 14 May 2011. These initiatives have all aroused a great deal of interest and support from the Public.

Lorong Halus Wetland Adoption

Our adoption of PUB’s Lorong Halus Wetland took effect on 25 March 2011. This adoption does not cover the wetland at the Grebe Pond, which comes under the National Environment Agency (NEA). The adoption programme is as follows:

a) NSS is to conduct a quarterly birdwatching walk for our members and the public. The first birdwatching event was held on 2 April 2011, with 30 participants including several PUB officers.

b) The Bird Group has conducted a birdwatching training session for 30 students from Punggol Secondary School. They will in turn become bird guides, conducting birdwatching trips for other students at Halus.

c) NSS is to monitor Halus’ birdlife every quarter. The first monitoring session was carried out on 3 April 2011.

A proposal for the adoption of the Halus Grebe Pond and surrounding area was submitted on 4 April 2011 to NEA through PUB. We had a meeting with NEA and PUB on 8 April 2011 to discuss NSS’ rationale for this adoption, which is a natural extension of the adjoining Halus Wetland adoption.

Kranji Reservoir (Marsh) Adoption Programme

The adoption was renewed for another 2 years from January 2011 to December 2012. We are conducting the following activities on a continuous basis:

a) Marsh Pond Maintenance: Four half day sessions, comprising a total of 66 volunteers from Bloomberg, NEC Asia Pacific, Victoria Junior College and NSS, have taken place.

b) Nature Walks: Eighteen nature walks for members, the public and corporate bodies have been conducted, with a total of 380 participants. Corporate bodies involved included PUB and Keppel Club.

c) Monitoring of Birdlife: A total of 24 wetland

bird species have been recorded at the Marsh Pond to date. The Red-wattled Lapwing and Common Moorhen have made a come-back after an absence of several years. The Lesser Whistling Duck has yet to return. Six species of wetland birds, not previously recorded before the pond-restoration took place (September-October 2009), have made an appearance. These include the Stock-billed Kingfisher, Yellow-billed (Intermediate) Egret, Slaty-breasted Rail, Von Schrenck’s Bittern, Cotton Pygmy Goose and Chinese Pond Heron. The Cotton Pygmy Goose is a critically endangered species. Lim Kim Seng saw two female geese on 29 January 2010, but this species has not been seen since. The Purple Swamphen and the Common Moorhen now have breeding records in the Pond area.

A meeting was held with the authorities on 6 April 2011, followed by a joint recce to the Marsh. URA presented its plan to make the Marsh more accessible to the public. In turn, NSS presented its Kranji Reservoir (Marsh) Adoption Programme, together with an explication of the birdlife found here. We also stated our conservation stand on the Marsh and the Bund. We were informed that there will be further dialogue and consultation with us before their plan is finalised.

Kranji Bund Birdlife Survey

A report on the birdlife of Kranji Bund, based on surveys conducted in 2010, was submitted to URA, NParks and PUB. Only birds seen at the edge of the marsh and along the Bund itself were taken into account. In all, we counted 212 birds

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from 43 species. Of these, 23 species (108 birds) were in the wetland/grassland habitat category. Six of these were listed in the “Singapore Red Data Book (2008)”. These included the Grey Heron (17 birds), Purple Heron (8 birds), Black-crowned Night Heron (20 birds) and Red-wattled Lapwing (1 bird).

Based on the results of our birdlife survey, our report advocated that the Bund should not be made into a park connector. We also recommended that free and easy public access should not be allowed. Too many birds, some of which are found in the “Red Data Book”, will experience disruption to their feeding and/or resting activities if the Bund becomes a public area. Controlled access, limited to organised nature walks, was proposed instead.

Conservation Committee Acknowledgements

The Conservation Committee would like to thank the following individuals for their support and assistance in the above projects and activities: Alan Owyong, Alfred Chia, Azmi Mohamed, Yong Ding Li, Gerard Francis, Goh Ter Yang, Dr Ho Hua Chew, Joe Lim, Ian and Freda Rickword, Jimmy Chew, Kenneth Kee, Lee Ee Ling, Leong Kwok Peng, Lesley Fung, Lim Kim Chuah, Lim Kim Seng, Lim Kim Keang, Michelle Sim, Tan Hang Chong, Willie Foo, Wing Cheong and Wong Chung Cheong. We are also grateful to the Bird Group, Butterfly Interest Group, Plant Group and Nick Baker for conducting surveys in support of the Green Corridor proposal.

Horseshoe Crabs Research & Rescue (HSC R&R) Project

By Dr Lesley Cartwright-Taylor, Project Leader

1. Rescue of Horseshoe Crabs at KranjiSite visits found fewer nets this year. We rescued a total of 78 males and 51 females trapped in abandoned nets in March 2011. We will continue our rescue efforts this year, as well as monitor the problem’s extent. Of the crabs rescued, 60% to 75% were males. In one net at Kranji, a T gigas (Coastal Horseshoe Crab) was found. This may indicate that T gigas co-habits the Straits of Johor with C rotundicauda (Mangrove Horseshoe Crab), a significant finding indeed.

2. Population Structure Data CollectionData collection at the Kranji site continues on, in order to confirm the population structure

seen in the past. Findings in the last four years show a high proportion of tiny juveniles seen each January, with a correspondingly low proportion of adults. This population structure changes as the year progresses. Juveniles become larger by March, and more adults are seen. By June/July, juveniles occupy a very small proportion, with the majority being full adults and some sub-adults. After mid year, the adult population drops. More juveniles appear until January, when they predominate again. The data is particularly consistent every January.

Over the years, the sex ratio shows an increase in males, from approximately 1:1 to a peak of 2:1 in June and July. These may be the months when most spawning occurs. We still do not know where or when spawning occurs, as this has never been seen in Singapore. These findings will be presented at the June 2011 horseshoe crab conference in Hong Kong. A paper for publication will follow.

A paper on the density studies of 2008/2009 as well as the 2009 islandwide survey and fishermen’s questionnaire findings, has been accepted for publication in Aquatic Biology. It is time for density studies to be done again. These were last conducted in June 2009. Then, we used random belt transects from high to low tide zones, with at least two teams searching along the transects for buried and surface crabs.

3. Tracking Studies

Tracking studies of HSCs in the Straits of Johor is underway, conducted by J Vanitha, Ng Harn Hua, Felicia Wee and Goh Ter Yang. Three submersible receivers (SURs) were purchased by NSS and another three were loaned from Sonotronics. These SURs were attached to floating fish farms in the Straits of Johor. Thirteen electronic acoustic transmitters were likewise attached to male and female Mangrove HSC and one to a T gigas found in the same area. Four crabs were released 6 km from the site of capture to monitor for any homing instinct. Another four were caught and released at Kranji, while six HSCs were caught and released at Lim Chu Kang.

Data indicate that the crabs show no homing instincts. This information is useful as it means that HSCs can be relocated to populate suitable sites without any risk of them trying to

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return “home”. Findings suggest that released HSCs remain along the Straits of Johor. They were detected near the site of release for some weeks. After that, they could be detected intermittently along the Straits. So far, there is no evidence that HSCs make their way out to sea. These findings will be presented at the Hong Kong conference.

The transmitter batteries for the first cohort of HSCs are dying out. It would be interesting to tag another cohor t o f 12 crabs , to determine if their movement pattern changes later in the year.Future studies should include tagging both the male and female of mating HSC pairs to determine how long they stay together. This may indicate when spawning takes place if they stay apart after spawning. Since NSS owns the receivers, other tracking studies can be undertaken on different marine animals. It would also be interesting to track the movements of T gigas.

4. HSC R&R Site VisitorsWe had a good turn out of volunteers for HSC R&R site visits throughout the year. Repeat volunteers came from Henderson School and Xingnan Primary School. Our loyal volunteers from Bukit View Secondary School continue to attend most sessions. Volunteers from Bloomberg also helped out in November 2010. This is an excellent opportunity to expose volunteers to accessible wildlife in Singapore.

5. Change in Project LeaderDr Lesley Cartwright-Taylor will be leaving Singapore at the end of June 2011 to return to England. As such, the project needs another leader to continue her work. Dr Hsu Chia Chi, as the Exco member overseeing HSC R&R, expressed his heartfelt gratitude to Lesley for her dedication and capable leadership. Lesley has contributed tremendously to the research of C rotundicauda, by enhancing da ta co l l ec t ion , i n t roduc ing bo ld initiatives in tracking, and succeeding in getting two papers published by Aquatic Biology.

ICCS 2010 at Mandai Mudflats By Dr Hsu Chia Chi, Project Leader

NSS’ annua l pa r t i c i pa t ion i n the is landwide Internat ional Coastal

Cleanup Singapore (ICCS) took place at the Mandai Mudflats on 25 September 2010 from 4 pm to 7 pm. Volunteers from NSS, Bloomberg, Commonwealth Secondary School , Kranj i Secondary School and the public were involved in this cleanup. We also held an exhibition of hazards posed by manmade litter, as well as of entrapped Horseshoe Crabs in nets. The Plant Group conducted a Nature Hunt to highlight the types of mangrove trees found in these mudflats. We cleared away 80 trash bags of litter as well as assorted large building materials and car parts from a 150 meter stretch of mangroves. Total litter collected weighed in at 648.5 kg. The event concluded with an eco-friendly makan kechil cum sing along session. Our sincere thanks to Tan Hang Chong, Cheryl Lao, Dr Lesley Cartwright-Taylor, Goh Si Guim, Lim Poh Bee, Marian Tay, Phua Lee Meng, Leong Kwok Peng, Allan Teo, Anuj Jain, Goh Ter Yang, Angie Ng, Yap Von Bing as well as all other volunteers for participating in this meaningful endeavour.

Education GroupBy Gloria Seow, Chairperson Fun with Nature Sessions for NSS Kids & the Public

To keep fresh and relevant, the Education Group introduces a different aspect of

nature in each of our outings, offering a wildlife cocktail of sorts. Our Fun with Nature sessions are tailored for kids between 4 to 12 years old, but the whole family (parents and caregivers) is invited along for the show. Apart from excursions

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to fascinating places, in the past year, we also held two new skills workshops, teaching kids basic techniques in nature photography and nature sketching. We have a small collection of Opticron binoculars that we regularly loan out without charge to participants, enabling them to get the most out of their nature trip. Kids always go ‘wow’ whenever they peer down the barrel of our wildlife scope, as it magnifies the distant ‘black dot’ by up to 60 times.

For the year under review, we did the following: 1. Fun at ACRES Wildlife Rescue Centre with Amy Corrigan and Charlene Tan on 5 June 2010; 2. Fun at Green Circle Eco-Farm with Evelyn Eng-Lim on 29 August 2010; 3. Skills Workshop: Fun with Nature Sketching and Origami at Bukit Batok Nature Park with Yong Ding Li, Goh Yue Yun and Cicada-Tree Eco Place on 3 October 2010; 4. Skills Workshop: Fun with Nature Photography at MacRitchie Reservoir with Gloria Seow, Timothy Pwee, Tan Hang Chong, Lena Chow and Mabel Seow on 18 December 2010; 5. Fun in the Forest at MacRitchie Reservoir with Goh Si Guim on 19 February 2011; 6. Fun with Marine Life at Chek Jawa with Tan Hang Chong, Boon Peiya and Edzra Iskandar on 10 April 2011. Our heartfelt thanks to all guides named above, as well as to our regular helpers: Timothy Pwee, Lena Chow, Tan Hang Chong, Mabel Seow and Benjamin Ho.

Fun with Nature Blog

Every teeny weeny event that took place in our Fun with Nature sessions is blogged about, accompanied by lots of photos. This gives our readers a good idea of the plentiful natural offerings that can be had in the remote places of Singapore. At present, practically all postings are penned by Gloria Seow, even though kids are encouraged to write in about their experiences. The blog is at http://funwithnature.blogspot.com/. All blog entries are automatically picked up via RSS feed to reappear as teaser links in the popular wildsingapore blog and newsletter. This greatly increases public awareness. In fact, when you google ‘fun with nature’, our blog appears on page one. A spin-off of this publicity is that about half of our participants are non-members, who are charged $10 per child, instead of $5 per child for members. We even had one session where our activity appeared in The Straits Times as a school holiday event, resulting in a deluge of emails. Naturally, some of those who joined in our activities as non-members have since become

members.

Code of Ethics for Nature Appreciation & Photography

A comprehensive draft Code of Ethics has been put together by Vinayagan Dharmarajah and edited by Gloria Seow. It has been available on the NSS website since May 2011. Its length is due to consultations with a wide range of people, and the inclusion of all points made. A shortened one page version of the Code was done by Timothy Pwee and Gloria Seow. This appeared in the May/Jun 2011 issue of Nature News. The Code covers all aspects of ethical nature watching and photography, including birds, butterflies, plants, marine life, mammals, insects etc.

We hope that this Code will help nature lovers and photographers understand what constitutes ethical behaviour in the field, and apply it to their own areas of interest. We also wish to see a greater level of community vigilance by enlightened nature lovers and photographers as they roam our nature areas. This means that if you see any unethical behaviour, you should tactfully approach the guilty parties (without obvious danger to yourself) to share with them what they could be doing or not doing instead.

We do not wish to appear overly moralistic. However, we should understand that each time we step outdoors, we inevitably leave a detrimental environmental footprint. For example, we unwittingly step on tiny plants, brush pass ‘invisible’ insects that could die as a result of such contact, or even contribute to the tragic deaths of baby birds by a group’s continual presence at a nesting site. This happens when the parents become stressed out by the constant stream of observers and photographers and abandon their young.

We aim to collect feedback from the larger nature community to improve this draft Code. We will meet up with leaders from various nature appreciation and photography groups in Singapore to refine the Code and get their buy-in. They had previously indicated support for such a Code. NSS members and the Public can also provide feedback via the NSS Secretariat or by email to [email protected]. We hope to push out a finalised Code to all local green groups by October 2011.

The Nature RamblersBy Benjamin Ho, Chairperson

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The Nature Ramblers had an eventful past year, especially in exploring several new

routes. Our highlights included the various Railway Rambles, Mandai Night Ramble and the Last Kampong Ramble. We experienced a record turnout of 90 participants for the Jurong Line Ramble in January 2011. Another big highlight was our annual get-together at founding Chairman Sutari Supari’s kampong house in Batu Pahat, Malaysia.

These are the walks and events we held in the year under review: 1. 1 August 2010 - Railway Ramble from Ulu Pandan to Bukit Timah, 10 pax; 2. 18 September 2010 - Night Ramble from Mandai Lake Road to Dairy Farm, 30 pax; 3. 18 to 19 December 2010 - Annual Rambler’s Get-together in Johor, 25 pax; 4. 22 January 2011 - Ramble along the Old Jurong Line, 90 pax; 5. 13 March 2011 - Last Kampong Ramble; 25 pax; 6. 8 May 2011 - Jurong Line Extension Ramble; 25 pax.

Benjamin Ho took over as committee chairperson at the start of the year under review. This is the current committee line-up: 1. Chairperson - Benjamin Ho; 2. Honorary Secretary - Rehan Yusuf; 3. Member - Ali Jafaar; 4. Member - Ho Wah Loong; 5. Member - Sutari Supari; 6. Member - Allan Teo; 7. Member - P Pandian; 8. Advisor - Dr Ho Hua Chew.

Plant GroupBy Angie Ng, Chairperson1. 20 June 2010 - Mangrove walk at Pasir Ris

Park led by Gerard Francis who contrasted the species mix with an earlier Sungei Buloh mangrove walk.

2. 15 to 21 July 2010 - Singapore Garden Festival at Suntec City where Plant Group members sold NSS merchandise and potted plants donated by friends.

3. 31 July 2010 - Plant walk at Kranji Marsh led by Gerard Francis, in support of the adoption of the Marsh by NSS.

4. 28 & 29 August 2010 - Two-day trip to Gunung Arung in Johore led by Dr Shawn Lum, to observe the infrequent masting of Dipterocarps. An earlier trip was held in April 2010 to witness the flowering of Dipterocarps.

5. 4 September 2010 - Plant walk at Lower Pierce led by Dr Yap Von Bing, to observe secondary forest trees and invasive species.

6. 22 Oc tober 2010 - P l an t wa l k a t MacRitchie’s Petai Trail led by Dr Shawn Lum, to observe regenerating primary forest trees and remnant patches of primary forest.

7. 10 & 21 November 2010 - Slide talk on the Dipterocarps of Singapore by Dr Shawn Lum, followed by a field trip to MacRitchie Reservoir. The Lornie and Prunus Trails yielded a good representation of these trees.

8. 11 December 2010 - Plant walk along MacRitchie’s Lornie Trail led by Dr Yap Von Bing. He identified Jiring, Chemperai and other less common native trees.

9. 18 & 20 January 2011 - Two-day course on Botanical Nomenclature based on the ICBN-Vienna Code of 1994, conducted by Dr Benito

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Tan. We discussed the validity and legitimacy of plant names, how to cite authority, and how to publish plant names.

10. 6 March 2011 - Plant walk at Singapore Botanic Gardens led by Janice Oh, to locate medicinal plants and trees.

11. 5, 7, 9 & 16 April 2011 - Four-day course on the Identification of Pteridophytes in Singapore, conducted by Dr Benito Tan. The course discussed the biology, ecology and evolution of ferns, and included field trips that addressed fern habitat requirements and conservation.

12. 24 April 2011 - Tampines Eco Green Soft Launch where we collaborated with NParks to interact with park visitors and school children.

13. 14 May 2011 - Plant walks on St John’s & Lazarus Islands, during a 2D/1N camp, led by Dr Yap Von Bing for members of NSS and Singapore Adventure Club.

14. 21 May 2011 - Plant Walk at Bukit Brown Cemetery led by Dr Shawn Lum, Dr Yap Von Bing and myself.

Research and Conservation:

The Plant Group participated in the Sentosa biodiversity survey which ran from January to June 2010. Our findings were reported in August 2010. In all, 120 plant species were recorded from Sentosa, out of which 46 species were on the threatened list.

The Southern I s l ands recce was carr ied out in November 2010, in preparation for a comprehensive study to be commissioned by Sentosa Development Council. We found that the small Sisters Island and Kusu Island had tiny patches of remnant forests. Lazarus and St John’s Island were more impressive, with mature stands of rare Figs, Pink-throated Pong Pong, Tristaniopsis and patches of rare mangroves.

We also held several plant surveys along The Green Corridor railway track. We covered parts of the Corridor, from Bukit Timah Railway station to Alexandra Rd, along part of Jurong Link, and along Bukit Timah and Bukit Gombak.

Plans for the Coming Year

Our upcoming plans include participating in the Southern Island survey, conducting a series of plants walks, holding more workshops and courses on topics such as plant identification, palms and ferns, as well as conducting talks and

slide shows.

Acknowledgement

Our grateful thanks to all volunteers: Shawn, Von Bing, Gerard, Anne, Anuj, Bian, Benito, Evelyn, Foong Heng, Juat Beh, Cheryl, Moira, Joey, Sui Ching, Catherine, Janice, Jacob, Seetha, Mabel, Kim Tee, Yoon Li, Wai Peng, Barbara, Gan and Steven. We also thank all members who have encouraged us by attending our walks, talks, courses and trips.

The following Special Interest Group Reports were submitted after the AGM

Bird Ecology Study GroupBy Subaraj Rajathurai, Dr Wee Yeow Chin & Richard E Hale

The Bird Ecology Study Group, through its website at http://besgroup.com/, continues to

encourage birdwatchers to study birds. For the year under review, we had 390 new posts. This increases the total number of articles to over 2,000. Since the inauguration of the website in 2005, we have received more than two million hits from all over the world.

Our contributors were mainly locals , not organised birdwatchers but independent birders. Serious birdwatching requires patience in the field, to stalk and observe species, regardless of whether they are common or rare. Cameras and videocams have helped record behaviour for later interpretation by more experienced birders and/or biologists.

We have also seen a substantial increase in contributions from Malaysian birders. Of particular mention is Dato’ Dr Amar-Singh HHS from Ipoh, Perak. Since our last report, Amar has posted more than a hundred articles, with many more waiting on the sidelines. This has led prominent ornithologist Dr D R Wells to comment that Amar is one rare birdwatcher who returns from almost every trip with interesting accounts of behaviour. Many of these observations have never been reported before. Amar even has photos, sound recordings and video footages to back his observations.

The general profile of our contributors has seen a significant change. Photographers were at the forefront initially. Then came independent birders who document behaviour with digital cameras. The latest contributors include videographers. Such a shift is understandable. With only a few

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hundred bird species around, the behaviour of common ones soon become well documented. Video clips with sound recordings then provide novel posts that cannot be matched by still images. Obviously, there is a need to work harder to document newer behaviour or behaviour of rare species. This is why we must upgrade our birdwatching activities to maintain the interest of members.

Of late, members of the public are writing in to contribute. Without doubt, they have been enthused by our website to take an interest in birds. This is a development we have been waiting for, where the public comes forward as citizen scientists to share their experience.

We would like to thank Jacqueline Lau, who continues to generously host our website, even upgrading it to its present attractive format with its own dedicated domain. We are using the latest version of WordPress, with a new theme to make it more compatible with newer browser versions and mobile platforms.

In line with our efforts to improve activities, we have added a sister site “The Birds of Singapore” at http://www.besgroup.org/2010/09/17/the-birds-of-singapore-an-online-book/. This is the initiative of Malaysian ornithologist Slim Sreedharan, who is hosting the site. This ambitious project aims to list, for a start, 100 of the commoner species. This is essentially an online book, which includes checklists, species descriptions, information on behaviour, large images, updated references, audio recordings of vocalisations and eventually, video clips. It aims to be very much more than what conventional guidebooks can offer. The site is still growing. Viewers will find it useful to visit occasionally, to look up the checklists and growing number of bird species with updated information added. We thank Slim for his tremendous efforts.

BESG has linked up with a host of internet activities. Our involvement with the fortnightly bird carnival “I and the Bird” has been ongoing for some years now. In June 2010, we hosted the carnival at http://besgroup.talfrynature.com/2010/06/24/the-many-faces-of-birding-i-and-the-bird-128/, which provided us further international exposure. In October 2010, we participated in “Blog Action Day” with a post on the Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve at http://www.besgroup.org/2010/10/15/blog-action-day-%E2%80%93-the-sungei-buloh-wetland-reserve-2/#more. In May 2011, we had a post to show

solidarity with World Sparrow Day at http://www.besgroup.org/2011/03/20/attracting-eurasian-tree-sparrows-to-my-garden/.

Our invo lvement w i th the in ternat iona l b logg ing communi ty has seen us l ink up with GreenAnswers http:/ /www.besgroup.org/2010/10/10/bird-ecology-study-group-links-up-with-greenanswers/#more, a site that promotes environmental education through open debates and discussions. With our wide experience in bird ecology and behaviour, we are answering questions posed by readers on this topic. Our participation as guest writer saw articles such as “Bird Ecology Study Group Brings Scientific Approach to Birdwatching in Singapore” at http://greenanswers.com/blog/197392/bird-ecology-study-group-brings-scientific-approach-birdwatching-singapore and “From Watching Birdwatchers to Watching Birds” at http://lampinfoo.com/?s=wee+yeow+chin.

In our modest way, we continued to contribute to ornithology with two scientific publications:

1. Choy, W M & Wee, Y C (2010). Observations at a Mangrove Pitta (Pitta megarhyncha) nest in Peninsular Malaysia. BirdingAsia 14: 30-33.

2. Wee, Y C (2011). Citizen science and the monitoring of hornbills in Singapore. The Raffles Bulletin of Zoology 24: 23-25.

Finally, BESG will continue to remain dynamic and not stagnate, in both the layout aesthetics of our website and in the quality of our content. Only by doing so will we meet the challenges of the new decade. BESG wishes to thank all contributors who have generously allowed us to make use of their images and observations, as well as those who submitted articles for posting.

Marine Conservation GroupBy Edzra Iskandar, Chairperson

Edzra I s kandar ha s re turned f rom h i s studies in Australia and will be resuming

the chairmanship of the Marine Conservation Group (MCG). Kua Kay Yaw has been covering as chairperson for 2010. The MCG would like to thank Kay Yaw for his service. He will continue to serve in the MCG committee.

In March 2011, MCG attended a briefing on the reclamation progress of the new Pasir Panjang Container Terminal at Labrador Park. According to PSA, progress is on track, with minimal effects on

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the surrounding marine life. MCG members were in agreement with the findings. We accepted the fact that the area’s recent coral bleaching episode was a global phenomenon due to elevated sea water temperatures.

In April 2011, MCG members went on a kayaking expedition at the Sungei Simpang mangroves. During this trip, plans were made to conduct kayaking at the Semakau Mangroves too. MCG has since met up with NParks and Pulau Semakau representatives to discuss the feasibility of having mangrove kayaking sessions on a regular basis. Discussions are still ongoing.

MCG has agreed to mentor students from several junior colleges on their marine environment group projects.

We are exploring other venues for members to experience the marine environment other than via diving or snorkelling. We are also looking at newer and more interesting marine habitats to take our members to. Our hope is not only to attract divers but also non divers to become active in this special interest group.

Vertebrate Study GroupBy Tony O’Dempsey, Chairperson

In early 2010, VSG members completed the Central Nature Reserves fauna survey for

NParks, in the capacity of NParks volunteers.

In the final quarter of 2010, VSG was directly engaged by NParks. We are assisting with fauna surveys associated with the proposed Ecolink. This is a structure that is being constructed over

the BKE (Bukit Timah Expressway). It aims to promote fauna interaction on both sides of the BKE, between the Bukit Timah and the Central Catchment Nature Reserves.

The Ecolink survey will be done in three phases: pre-construct ion, construct ion and post-construction. It is targeted for completion in 2014. Currently, we are in the pre-construction phase. These surveys aim to monitor the effectiveness of the Ecolink in promoting the exchange of fauna between the two reserves. We have the capacity

to include adventurous NSS members on these surveys. Those interested can contac t Tony O’Dempsey a t [email protected].

Some VSG members are assisting a NUS post graduate student in his field survey. This is done in their own personal capac i t i e s . VSG has accumula ted significant funds resulting from the sale of the book “Wild Animals of Singapore”. We have plans to use these funds, in the current financial year, to purchase more survey equipment.

Bats survey using a harp trap. Photo by Kelvin Lim

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26th Annual Bird Census By Lim Kim Seng, Coordinator

The Bird Group conducted its 26th Annual Bird Census (ABC) on 20 March 2011 in excellent

weather. A record 76 observers at 30 sites were involved, a tremendous improvement from 60 people at 26 sites at the last census (Lim 2010). In all, we counted 9,073 birds from 156 species, compared to 8,665 birds from 161 species in 2010. Of the 30 sites counted, Neo Tiew Lane 2 was the most diverse with 59 species, followed by Serangoon (54 species), and Bukit Batok West (48 species). The least diverse sites were Eng Neo Avenue (21 species), followed by Sembawang (22 species) and Telok Blangah Hill Park (25 species). While Tuas Grassland was skipped this year, we had an almost full complement of the usual census sites and also added a new one at Eng Neo Avenue. The top three most bird populous sites were the same as last year. The pole position went to Sungei Mandai with 1,393 birds, up slightly from 1,335 birds in 2010. In second place was Neo Tiew Lane 2 with 585 birds, a drop from last year’s 696 birds. Sungei Buloh Route 1 came in third with 521 birds, down from 648 birds in 2010. The least populous sites were Eng Neo (106 birds), Sime Road (118 birds) and Lower Peirce (120 birds). Singapore’s most numerous bird was no surprise. The White-vented Myna proved its dominance once again with 1,243 birds, up from 1,001 birds in 2010. Next was the Asian Glossy Starling with 1,004 birds, up from 884 birds recorded last year. In third position was the Pink-necked Green Pigeon with 556 birds, a massive increase from last year’s 386 birds. Fourth place went to the Yellow-vented Bulbul at 489 birds versus 385 birds last year. In fifth place was our best performing migrant, the Pacific Golden Plover at 387 birds, a drastic decline from 711 birds in 2010. The other top ten birds were the Whimbrel (373 birds), Lesser Sand Plover (331), Black-naped Oriole (277), Spotted Dove (172) and Collared Kingfisher (164). There were no major surprises in the 11th to 20th positions, although both Striped Tit-babbler and Olive-backed Sunbird returned at the expense of the Long-tailed Parakeet and Barn Swallow. It was interesting to note that two introduced species, the Common Pigeon and House Crow, have persisted and made it to the top 20 list despite active persecution.

This year’s top twenty positions were occupied by 14 residents and 6 migrants. The top ten species in 2011 accounted for 55% of the total count. The top 20 species in 2011 comprised 70% of the total. In contrast, 19 species were represented by single counts. Forty migrant species were recorded, making up 25% of the total of 156 species. The remaining 115 species were resident birds, while one was a non-breeding visitor.

Table 1: Top 20 Most Numerous Birds Counted in 2011 No. SPECIES ABC 2011 ABC 2010 1 WHITE-VENTED MYNA 1243 1001 (1) 2 ASIAN GLOSSY STARLING 1004 884 (2) 3 P I N K - N E C K E D G R E E N

PIGEON 556 386 (5)

4 YELLOW-VENTED BULBUL 489 385 (6) 5 PACIFIC GOLDEN PLOVER* 387 711 (3) 6 WHIMBREL* 373 387 (4) 7 LESSER SAND PLOVER* 331 258 (7) 8 BLACK-NAPED ORIOLE 277 199 (10) 9 SPOTTED DOVE 172 191 (11) 10 COLLARED KINGFISHER 164 146 (14) 11 PACIFIC SWALLOW 159 141 (15) 12 COMMON PIGEON 158 179 (12) 13 COMMON IORA 151 159 (13) 14 LITTLE EGRET* 149 211 (9) 15 COMMON GREENSHANK* 148 117 (20) 16 GREY HERON 133 132 (16) 17 OLIVE-BACKED SUNBIRD 131 117 (21) 18 COMMON REDSHANK* 129 124 (19) 19 HOUSE CROW 114 130 (18) 20 STRIPED TIT-BABBLER 102 91 (22)

Note: Asterix marks indicate migrants. Number in brackets indicates year’s ranking. Of the 56 nationally threatened species, 25 species or 45% were recorded. The most abundant nationally threatened species was the Grey Heron, at 133 birds and 16th position. The only globally threatened species counted was the Straw-headed Bulbul at 69 birds, up from 48 birds in 2010, putting it in 29th position. It was also the second most numerous nationally threatened species recorded this year. Our third most numerous nationally threatened species was the Oriental Magpie Robin, at 38 birds and 48th position. Tied at fourth position were the Red Junglefowl and Lesser Whistling Duck, both with 37 birds, although some were probably escapees, ornamentals or hybrids. Thirteen species of raptors were recorded. This included the nationally threatened Grey-headed Fish Eagle (4 birds), Crested Serpent-eagle (1 bird), Crested Goshawk (1 bird) and Changeable Hawk Eagle (6 birds). The top three most numerous raptors were the White-bellied Sea Eagle (22 birds), Brahminy Kite (21 birds), and Black Baza (21). There were some unexpected results. The Common Myna was placed at 53rd position, with just 30 birds counted nationwide, compared to over a thousand birds counted for its Javan relative. Another erstwhile common species, the House Swift, came in at 73rd overall with a paltry 14 birds. The introduced Lineated Barbet scored 23 birds at 61st place, but it did better than the other two barbet species. Also on the ascent

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was the White-crested Laughingthrush, at 49 birds and 38th position. As so often happens during a nationwide census, some gripping rarities were also seen. These included two Blue-eared Kingfishers at Lower Peirce Reservoir, Hogdson’s Hawk Cuckoo at Poyan, Javan Pond Heron at Buloh 2, Malayan Night Heron at Nee Soon, a female White-throated Rock-thrush at Bukit Timah and Siberian Blue Robin at Nee Soon. Our thanks to the following folks who led or assisted in ABC 2011: Ali Jaafar, Doreen Ang, Samantha Ang, Azmi Mohamed, Justine Burley, MY Chan, Angela Cheng, Alfred Chia, Anthony Chia, Avian Chia, Brandon Chia, Chiam Chye Hock, Alan Colman, Andrew Chow, Geoffrey Davison, Fang Sher Chyet, Estella Flotow, Horst Flotow, Willie Foo, Foong Hin Cheong, Gerard Francis, Goh Pei Hao, Margie Hall, James Heng, Jane Heppell, Terry

Heppell, Ho Hua Chew, Kenneth Kee, Nessie Khoo, Susan Knight, Danny Lau, Lee Ee Ling, Jimmy Lee, David Li, Lim Hai Bi, Lim Kim Keang, Lim Kim Seng, Tony Lim, Low Wai Hoe, Joan Low, Ng Chay Tuan, Ng Jie Qi, Nga Min En, Randall Ong, Alan Owyong, Peck Chan, Peng Ah Huay, Phang Seng Khai, Poh Lee Eng, Mick Price, Rehan Yusoff, Freda Rickword, Ian Rickword, Jane Rogers, Gloria Seow, John Spencer, Tai Ping Ling, Tan Bee Lan, Tan Hang Chong, Tan Jee Loo, Tan Ju Ling, Klyth SH Tan, Tan Kok Hui, Tan Soon Im, Tan Thuan Boon, KP Teh, Yuko Tokita, Wee Sau Cheng, Wing Chong, Wong Chung Cheong, Wong Kum Seng, Robert Yan, Yang Pah Liang, John Yeo, Yong Ding Li and Yong Yik Shih. References Lim, K.C. & Lim, K.S. (2009). State of Singapore’s Wild Birds and Bird Habitats: Results of the Annual Bird Census: 1996-2005. Nature Society (Singapore) Bird Group, Singapore. Lim, K.S. (2010). Report on the 25th Annual Bird census. Singapore Avifauna 24:3, 17-20

There was a major stampede to see the splendid marine

life of Chek Jawa on Pulau Ubin when it was f irst ‘discovered’ , which ironically killed off a good portion of the ‘discovery’. In order to protect this fragile inter-tidal treasure from further damage , NParks implemented restricted access. It built an elevated coastal and mangrove boardwalk as compensation. The Education Group visited the area during the spring low tide of 10 April 2011, guided by Tan Hang Chong, Edzra Iskandar, Boon Peiya, Timothy Pwee and myself.

As chief guide, Uncle Hang Chong was superb with the kids. He peppered our walk with lots of stimulating edutainment. Kids learnt that the giant Orb Web Spider that we usually see is actually the female. The males are the tiny ‘babies’ that hang around the periphery of the web, essentially leeching off the female’s catches. They have to be careful not to get chomped on by their ‘wife’ after mating, which unfortunately happens sometimes. Auntie Gloria then spotted a Water Monitor Lizard climbing up a coconut tree, an arresting sight to say the least.

At the start of the coastal boardwalk, we came across the inedible Sea Nutmeg and Sea Mangosteen. We then spied several Carpet Anemones with tentacles swaying in the incoming tide. Purple Climber Crabs scrambled on sea boulders, which themselves were plastered with

huge Rock Oysters. A stately Great-billed Heron, Singapore’s largest bird, was seen striding the distant mudflats, accompanied by a Little Heron and Whimbrel. Fiddler Crabs went about their daily business eating the coating of detritus on sand grains. Males cheerily waved their enlarged bright orange pincers in the hope

of attracting the ladies.

Kids found out that mangrove trees can thrive in low oxygen mudflats because they have air breathing as well as buried roots. Depending on the species, the air breathing roots can be pencil shaped or prop like. We were introduced to the Nipah Palm, source of the Ice Kachang must-have ‘attap chee’. Uncle Hang Chong even brought along a stash of these sugared treats, which were eagerly gobbled up. We rounded off the tour with a stop at the NSS Green Hub @ Ubin. Everybody was wowed by the surprisingly bright l ight ing system that uses diffused daylight. A big tube punched through the roof channels sunlight through a diffuser which also functions to remove the sun’s heat.

NSS Kids’ Fun at Chek JawaBy Gloria Seow, Education Group Chairperson

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AnnouncementsNSS Welcomes Tax-Exempt DonationsIf you believe in the importance of nature appreciation and conservation in Singapore, help us keep our work going with a donation to NSS. All donations are tax-exempt. Please make out your cheques to “Nature Society (Singapore)”. For individual donors, do write your full name, contact number and NRIC/FIN number at the back of your cheque. Giving us your NRIC/FIN means that tax deduction claims are automatically reflected in your tax assessment. We look forward to your financial support!NSS Nature ForumThe NSS Nature Forum is at http://www.nss.org.sg/forum/. This virtual gathering place serves to facilitate discussions on a whole range of nature-related topics. You can share photos and ideas, ask questions and forge friendships with fellow nature lovers. The forum is open to both members and non-members. Register now for a free account! Paperless Nature News If you wish to opt-out from receiving hard copies of Nature News to save trees, please inform Joe at [email protected]. Please state if you prefer: A) get your copy of Nature News via an emailed PDF file (less than 5MB), or B) download the same PDF file from the NSS website.New Members: Join Us in Our Subgroup ActivitiesAll new and old members are welcome to participate in any of our listed activities. Most events do not require prior registration. Simply turn up at the appointed time and place, and you will be off to discover Singapore’s natural offerings. Do not be nervous about your lack of nature knowledge. Just let your trip leader(s) know that you are new and he/they will gladly guide you. Some subgroups have their own e-forums, websites or blogs, where sharing of up-to-date sightings and postings take place. For a collation of these subgroup links, check out the NSS website. Contributions for Nature NewsPlease send in your contributions for the Sep/Oct 2011 issue by 1 August 2011. Email them to [email protected]. All original photos should be in JPEG format with a minimum size of 1 MB. The Editorial Committee reserves the right to select and edit appropriate contributions for use.

NSS DIRECTORY

PatronPROF TOMMY KOH

PresidentDR SHAWN LUM – Office: 6790-3835

Vice PresidentMR LEONG KWOK PENG – Mobile: 9766-7047

Honorary Treasurer MR ELDWIN WONG

Honorary Assistant TreasurerMR ONG ENG HIN Honorary Secretary

MS MARGIE HALL – Mobile: 9730-5562Honorary Assistant Secretary

MR TAN HANG CHONGExecutive Committee Members

MR GOH SI GUIM, DR HO HUA CHEW, DR HSU CHIA CHIFinance Advisory Group Members

DR ROBERT CASTEELS, DR LEE LAY TIN, MR S RAJAMANICKAMImmediate Past President

DR GEH MINCo-opted Council Member

PROF PN AVADHANIAdvisory Council Members

MR IAIN EWING, MR WARREN KHOO, PROF KOH KHENG LIAN, MR KWEK LENG JOO, MR LIM JIM KHOON, MR LIU THAI

KER, PROF NG SOON CHYE, MR SIM WONG HOO, MR MASON TAN, MR RICHARD HALE

Birdlife International Coordinator MR LIM KIM SENG

Environmental Law & Policy Coordinator MR VINAYAGAN DHARMARAJAH

COMMITTEE CHAIRPERSONSConservation Committee

Acting Chairperson MR LEONG KWOK PENG Vice Chairperson DR HO HUA CHEW

Education GroupChairperson MS GLORIA SEOW

SPECIAL INTEREST GROUP CHAIRPERSONS

Bird Ecology Study GroupChairperson MR SUBARAJ RAJATHURAI

Bird GroupChairperson MR ALAN OWYONG

Secretary MR WILLIE FOO

Butterfly Interest GroupChairperson MR GAN CHEONG WEEIVice Chairperson MR SIMON CHAN

Marine Conservation GroupChairperson MR EDZRA ISKANDAR

Plant GroupChairperson MS CHUA LENG SIM (ANGIE NG)

The Nature RamblersChairperson MR BENJAMIN HO

Vertebrate Study GroupChairperson MR TONY O’DEMPSEY – [email protected]

Secretary MS CELINE LOW

Nature News Editorial CommitteeMS GLORIA SEOW – [email protected]

MR TIMOTHY PWEE – Mobile: 9791-8300MR GOH SI GUIM – Mobile: 9758-9125

SecretariatMR JUSTIN WONG, Executive Officer

MR JOSEPH LIM, Accounts & Membership Officer MR ANUJ JAIN, Butterfly Trail Project Officer

MR GOH TER YANG, Outreach Officer

Secretariat Contact Details510 Geylang Road, #02-05 The Sunflower, Singapore 389466Tel: 6741-2036 Fax: 6741-0871 Email: [email protected]

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Documents

Jul-Aug 2011 - Nature Society news Jul-Aug 2011... · have made their home in Lorong Halus, an old rubbish dump site. Grassland birds such as Yellow-bellied Prinias, Munias, Baya