Visitors

Mr B is in Singapore this week and I have just had a three day visit by a friend from NZ as well.

Yesterday I dragged Mr B off to the wetland reserve at Sungei Buloh and got the full wildlife experience (like the big 5 on safari).

Crocodile

Never smile at a crocodile.

Mr B was just commenting the the croc didn't have a handbag when I decided to grin at the croc anyway. I did start just at little when the croc chose that instant to whip round roaring, open-mouthed....

This monster croc had some weirdness going on with its tail. It was a stump about 2-3 feet long and fat fat fat - blown up like a balloon or flotation device on his rear end. When he roared it was at a young croc that had invaded his space.  He cruised out into the water then did that casual sinking below the surface thing that crocs do, only to be given away by his floating rear extension. 

A generally fat all over croc....he even had rolls of flesh where his neck should be. It makes him look like he has beagle ears. (He wasn't ticking by the way.)

Hornbill

There were a pair of hornbills. This one was excavating a rotting tree. I've no idea whether in search of food or to create a nest hole, but the body language was priceless when a huge rotted lump fell off the bottom and crashed to the jungle floor.

Now look what you've done Grandad.

Kingfishers flashing past were too quick for this camera operator. Eagles too distant for phone lenses but captured by the brigade of mega-lensed wildlife photographers on the bridge. Monitor lizards aplenty (I have shared those with you before), some even showing off their swimming skills.

Mudskipper fish conducted territorial battles ahead of the incoming tide, mini invasions of their carefully excavated water holes in the mud. Further upstream conical sea snails ploughed looping patterns of furrows across the gloop.

Geckos, skinks, a bright green lizard thing about 6 inches long with about 3 feet of tail! Someone pointed out a small python curled up in the rafters of one of the traditional Malay buildings and as we were admiring its patterns Mr B pointed out the bats hanging from the underside of the roof. Ahhh....snake food. It must be a game of Russian roulette for the bats far enough from horizontal roof beams to remain out of reach of Hissing Sid (the snake). Some of the bats were even flitting in and out during day time disrupting nap time for their neighbours.

Fish; myriad sizes and colours, including white carp and archer fish.

'Oh look monkeys' said a voice behind us, but we missed them.

Plantain squirrels had Mr B fooled he seen rats. The tails are a giveaway - bushy - the wee bodies might be mistaken for rats as they scurry about mangrove roots - until you get a decent look as the fast moving wee blighters. Definitely squirrels.

No otters today and not really a genuine 'tick that off the list' for the macaques but there will be other places to see both.

The hornbill was the highlight of my day.