25-11-2016 INLE LAKE, MYANMAR - STRIATED SWALLOW (Cecropis striolata)

The striated swallow (Cecropis striolata ) is a species of swallow found in open, often hilly, areas with clearings and cultivation across Southeast Asia to northeastern India and Taiwan.

The striated swallow was formerly sometimes considered a subspecies of the red-rumped swallow.

The striated swallow is 19 cm long with a deeply forked tail. It has blue upperparts other than a reddish collar (sometimes absent) and streaked chestnut rump. The face and underparts are white with heavy dark streaking. The wings are brown. The sexes are alike but juveniles are duller and browner, with a paler rump and shorter outer tail feathers.

There are four races:

C. s. striolata breeds in Taiwan, the Philippines and Indonesia.

C. s. mayri breeds from northeastern India to northwestern Myanmar and northeastern Bangladesh. It has broader streaks than nominate striolata.

C. s. stanfordi breeds from northeastern Myanmar to northern Thailand. It has broad streaks.

C. s. vernayi breeds locally in western Thailand. It is more rufous below than the nominate race, and is only faintly streaked on the rump.

This species, particularly subspecies mayri, is very similar to the red-rumped swallow of the race japonicus, but is larger, more heavily streaked, and has a less distinct neck collar.

The striated swallow feeds low over the ground or at cliff faces on flying insects. It has a slow buoyant flight compared to the barn swallow. It will feed with other swallow species.

The striated swallow breeds from April to July alone or semi-colonially with scattered nests. The nest is a retort or bottle-shaped structure, made from mud pellets and lined with dried grasses and feathers. The clutch is usually four, sometimes five, white eggs. Both sexes build the nest, and share incubation and the care of the young.

Nests are constructed in natural caves, but very often in artificial sites on bridges, in culverts and on buildings.

24-11-2016 INLE LAKE, MYANMAR - SCARLET SKIMMER DRAGONFLY (FEMALE) (Crocothemis servilia)

The scarlet skimmer or ruddy marsh skimmer, Crocothemis servilia, is a species of dragonfly of the family Libellulidae, native to east and southeast Asia and introduced to Jamaica, Florida, and Hawaii.

There are two known subspecies; Crocothemis servilia servilia (Drury, 1773) and Crocothemis servilia mariannae Kiauta, 1983. C. s. mariannae lacks the mid-dorsal black stripe.

It is a medium sized blood-red dragonfly with a thin black line along the mid-dorsal abdomen. Its eyes are blood-red above, purple laterally. Thorax is bright ferruginous, often blood-red on dorsum. Abdomen is blood-red, with a narrow black mid-dorsal carina. Anal appendages are blood-red. Female is similar to the male; but with olivaceous-brown thorax and abdomen. The black mid-dorsal carina is rather broad.

It breeds in ponds, ditches, marshes, open swamps and rice fields.

24-11-2016 INLE LAKE, MYANMAR - COMMON MYNA (Acridotheres tristis)

The Common myna (Acridotheres tristis) is a tropical bird with a strong territorial instinct, which has adapted extremely well to urban environments. The range of the Common myna is increasing at such a rapid rate that in 2000 the IUCN Species Survival Commission declared it one of the world's most invasive species and one of only three birds listed among "100 of the World's Worst Invasive Species" that pose a threat to biodiversity, agriculture, and human interests.

Common mynas can be recognized by their brown body, black hooded head, and the bare yellow patch behind the eye. Their bill and legs are bright yellow. There is a white patch on the outer primaries and the wing lining on the underside is white. The male and female look similar and are usually seen in pairs.

Common mynas are native to Asia with their home range spanning from Iran, Pakistan, India, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka; as well as Afghanistan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Myanmar, to Malaysia, Singapore, peninsular Thailand, Indo-China, Japan (both mainland Japan and the Ryukyu Islands) and China. These birds are typically found in a wide range of habitats with access to water; they inhabit open woodland, mangroves, grasslands, farmlands, orchards, and urban areas.

25-11-2016 INLE LAKE, MYANMAR - PHEASANT TAILED JACANA (Hydrophasianus chirurgus)

This jacana breeds on floating vegetation during the rainy season. In southern India, it breeds in the monsoon season, June–September. It is polyandrous; one female may lay up to ten clutches in a single season that are raised by different males. Female court males with flight displays around the males and with calling. The female builds a nest on floating vegetation made of leaves and stalks of plants with a depression in the centre. A single clutch consists of four glossy black-marked dark-olive-brown eggs (occasionally an egg in a clutch may be an odd pale sea-green in colour which are laid in the mornings at 24 hour intervals. 

When an egg is removed at the one- or two-egg stage, the nest is torn down and a new one built, whereas a removal at the three-egg stage does not result in replacement. Once the clutch of four is laid, the male begins incubation and the female leaves to court a different male.

In a study in Thailand it was found that it took a female 17 to 21 days to lay the next clutch. A study in China found females taking 9–12 days and laying nearly 7 to 10 clutches in a season.[18] Males may move or drag eggs around by holding them between the bill and breast or between the wings and body. They may also push and float the eggs over water and onto nearby vegetation platforms when disturbed. Nests may be moved to distances of about 15 metres.  Males near the nest may perform broken-wing and rodent-run displays to distract predators. The eggs are incubated for 26 to 28 days. During the first few days of incubation, the female defends the nest, chasing other waterbirds that may approach too close by flying at them.

In close territorial combat they lock bills and strike simultaneously with both wings. Males actively forage in the morning and afternoon and tend to sit at the nest during the hottest part of the day. The downy nidifugous chicks freeze when threatened or when the male indicates alarm and may lie partly submerged with just the bill out of water.

In close territorial combat they lock bills and strike simultaneously with both wings. Males actively forage in the morning and afternoon and tend to sit at the nest during the hottest part of the day. The downy nidifugous chicks freeze when threatened or when the male indicates alarm and may lie partly submerged with just the bill out of water.

Eggs may be preyed on by pond herons, while chicks may bet taken by birds of prey such as black-winged kites. The trematode parasite Renicola philippinensis was described from the kidney of a pheasant-tailed jacana in the New York Zoological Garden while Cycloceolum brasilianum was recorded in India. The bird louse species Rallicola sulcatus has been described from this species; it looks very similar to Rallicola indicus from the bronze-winged jacana. Another bird louse known from the species is Pseudomenopon pilosum.

24-11-2016 INLE LAKE, MYANMAR - SIAMESE BLUE CRESTED LIZARD (Calotes goetzi)

Calotes goetzi is a species of agamid lizard. It is found in China, Laos, Myanmar, and Thailand as well as introduced in Singapore.

The Cambodian blue crested agama (alternatively known as the Siamese blue crested lizard) is one of three new species in the genus Calotes described in the process of resolving the lineage of Calotes mystaceus. Previously considered to be the same species, a new study identifed four physically and genetically distinct species - C. goetzi, C geissleri, C mystaceus and C vindumbarbatus - which span Cambodia, China, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand and India, with the original species now thought to exist only in the Irrawaddy delta region of southern coastal Myanmar.

The holotype for the Cambodian blue crested agama was found near the Angkor era archaeological site Kbal Spean, within the Phnom Kulen National Park in Siem Reap province of Cambodia. The dominant males of the species are bright blue, and both males and females have three to fve prominent dark brown spots along their back. This species is named after Dr Stephan Goetz in recognition of his contribution to species conservation in Cambodia.

The genus Calotes has 25 species native to Asia but some also have been introduced to Africa and the Americas. Given 25 species, four new species descriptions are very signifcant for the region. Found in dipterocarp lowland and secondary forests, C. goetzi is a strong climber and can easily climb to 10 metres high on a tree. It can also be found in agricultural landscapes, including coconut, banana and durian plantations, and feeds primarily on insects. Something unique for this particular species is that older individuals will change colour as a defence mechanism – particularly males, which are territorial and aggressive, especially when they are guarding a clutch of eggs.

“We came across the new species at our conservation centre in Cambodia, the Angkor Centre for Conservation of Biodiversity, when we recognized that the colouration was diferent to other similar lizards,” said Dr Philipp Wagner, lead author on the discovery. “We checked images from other countries and realized that what we had been considering a species was in fact a species complex, including this one new individual from Cambodia. It was a great feeling to discover this beautifully coloured new species in a place where we are actively doing conservation; now I love seeing ‘my own’ species running around when I visit the centre.”

24-11-2016 INLE LAKE, MYANMAR - TAWNY COSTER BUTTERFLY (Acraea terpsicore)

Acraea terpsicore, the tawny coster, is a small, 53–64 millimetres (2.1–2.5 in), leathery-winged butterfly common in grassland and scrub habitats. It belongs to the Nymphalidae or brush-footed butterfly family. It has a weak fluttery flight. It is avoided by most insect predators. This species and the yellow coster (Acraea issoria) are the only two Indian representatives of the predominantly African tribe Acraeini. It is found in India, Sri Lanka, Maldives to Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, Bangladesh, Singapore, and recently Australia.

This species does not fly high, but seems to keep within 3 m of the ground and tends to rest on vegetation in the regions of a meter off the ground. Acraea terpsicore can be seen in abundance wherever its larval food plant (Passiflora species) is found. The adult tends to avoid dense undergrowth and shady areas, instead keeping to open spaces in all types of vegetation.

The adult flies slowly with weak seemingly unsteady wing beats. It is one of the boldest butterflies, protected as it is from predators by a nauseous chemical. When attacked it plays dead and exudes a noxious yellowish fluid from glands in the joints of the legs. Like all butterflies protected in this manner, Acraea terpsicore has a tough exoskeleton which enables the adult to survive a few pecks of a bird or even the bites of a lizard. Once left alone the adult immediately takes off and resumes its uncaring flight.

When feeding on flowers, this butterfly is unhurried, often spending a long time sitting on the same flower. When sitting it either spreads its wings or closes them over its back the hindwings covering the forewings to a large extent. Sometimes the butterfly will not sit, but rest gently on the flower while feeding, while doing this, to maintain balance, it beats only its forewings while keeping the hindwings completely steady.

24-11-2016 INLE LAKE, MYANMAR - WHITE WAGTAIL (Motacilla alba)

The White wagtail is a slender bird with the characteristic long, constantly wagging tail of its genus. There are a number of other subspecies, some of which may have arisen because of partial geographical isolation, such as the resident British and Irish form, the pied wagtail M. a. yarrellii, which now also breeds in adjacent areas of the neighbouring European mainland. The Pied wagtail exchanges the grey colour of the nominate form with black (or very dark grey in females), but is otherwise identical in its behaviour. Other subspecies, the validity of some of which is questionable, differ in the colour of the wings, back, and head, or other features. Some races show sexual dimorphism during the breeding season. As many as six subspecies may be present in the wintering ground in India or Southeast Asia and here they can be difficult to distinguish.

White wagtails breed throughout Eurasia, only being absent in the Arctic. They also breed in the mountains of Morocco and western Alaska. These birds are residents in the milder parts of their range such as western Europe and the Mediterranean, but migratory in much of the rest of their range. Northern European breeders winter around the Mediterranean and in tropical and subtropical Africa, and Asiatic birds move to the Middle East, India, and Southeast Asia. Birds from the North American population also winter in tropical Asia. White wagtails occupy a wide range of habitats but are absent from deserts. They inhabit grasslands, seashores, rocky shorelines, sand beaches, tidepools, rivers, lakeshores, farmland, gardens, and parks. They are also often found in towns and villages.

24-11-2016 INLE LAKE, MYANMAR - SCARLET SKIMMER DRAGONFLY (MALE) (Crocothemis servilia)

The scarlet skimmer or ruddy marsh skimmer, Crocothemis servilia, is a species of dragonfly of the family Libellulidae, native to east and southeast Asia and introduced to Jamaica, Florida, and Hawaii.

There are two known subspecies; Crocothemis servilia servilia (Drury, 1773) and Crocothemis servilia mariannae Kiauta, 1983. C. s. mariannae lacks the mid-dorsal black stripe.

It is a medium sized blood-red dragonfly with a thin black line along the mid-dorsal abdomen. Its eyes are blood-red above, purple laterally. Thorax is bright ferruginous, often blood-red on dorsum. Abdomen is blood-red, with a narrow black mid-dorsal carina. Anal appendages are blood-red. Female is similar to the male; but with olivaceous-brown thorax and abdomen. The black mid-dorsal carina is rather broad.

It breeds in ponds, ditches, marshes, open swamps and rice fields.

23-11-2016 INLE LAKE, MYANMAR - HAIRY WATER LILY (Nymphaea pubescens)

Nymphaea pubescens, the hairy water lily or pink water-lily, is a species of water lily.

White and pink Nymphaea pubescens blooming in a pond.

This plant is common in shallow lakes and ponds throughout temperate and tropical Asia: Bangladesh, India, Sri Lanka, Yunnan, Taiwan, Philippines, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia and Malaysia.[citation needed] It is the national flower of Bangladesh.

It is also found in northeastern Australia and Papua New Guinea.

The hairy water lily is found both as a cultivated plant as well as in the wild. 

The hairy water lily is also commercialized as an aquarium plant. The underwater leaves of this species have a handsome appearance that is appreciated by aquarists who often remove the floating leaves to keep it as a fully subaquatic plant.

The flowers are quite large, about 15 cm in diameter when fully open. They tend to close during the daytime and open wide at night. Their color varies from white to pink, mauve or purple depending from the variety or hybrid.

23-11-2016 INLE LAKE, MYANMAR - BLACK DRONGO (Dicrurus macrocercus)

Black drongos become active very early at dawn and roost later than many other birds. They feed mainly on insects such as grasshoppers, cicadas, termites, wasps, bees, ants, moths, beetles and dragonflies. They sometimes fly close to tree branches, attempting to disturb any insects that may be present. They congregate in fields being ploughed, picking up exposed caterpillars and beetle grubs. As many as 35 birds have been seen at such congregations. They are also attracted to fires in scrub and grasslands habitats where insects are disturbed. They appear to avoid flies. They associate with common mynas, cattle egrets and other birds that share a similar diet and habitat. Drongos benefit from this association and are more successful in their foraging. There is only partial overlap in the insect prey sought by mynas and drongos although in rare instances the drongos may rob prey from mynas. It is said that they imitate the call of the shikra so as to put mynas to flight and then to steal prey. Similar behaviour, using false alarm calls, has been noted in the fork-tailed drongo. There are some cases of the black drongo preying on small birds, reptiles, or maybe even bats. It has been suggested that they may feed on birds more intensively on migration. An individual on a migratory stop-over island in Korea caught several birds one after the other, killing them by striking at the back of the head and neck and feeding selectively on parts, especially the brain. They have also been on occasion seen feeding on fish. Flowers of trees such as Erythrina and Bombax may be visited for water and nectar] and they are sometimes known to feed on grains. They are only rarely known to take larger arthropods such as scorpions and centipedes. They feed on milkweed butterflies that are often avoided by other predators and are known to feed late in the evening or night, often on insects attracted to artificial lights.

23-11-2016 INLE LAKE, MYANMAR - ASIAN OPENBILL STORK (Anastomus oscitans)

The Asian openbill or Asian openbill stork (Anastomus oscitans) is a large wading bird in the stork family Ciconiidae. This distinctive stork is found mainly in the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia. It is greyish or white with glossy black wings and tail and the adults have a gap between the arched upper mandible and recurved lower mandible. Young birds are born without this gap which is thought to be an adaptation that aids in the handling of snails, their main prey. Although resident within their range, they make long distance movements in response to weather and food availability.

25-11-2016 INLE LAKE, MYANMAR - LITTLE CORMORANT (Microcarbo niger)

The little cormorant (Microcarbo niger ) is a member of the cormorant family of seabirds. Slightly smaller than the Indian cormorant it lacks a peaked head and has a shorter beak. It is widely distributed across the Indian Subcontinent and extends east to Java, where it is sometimes called the Javanese cormorant. It forages singly or sometimes in loose groups in lowland freshwater bodies, including small ponds, large lakes, streams and sometimes coastal estuaries. Like other cormorants, it is often found perched on a waterside rock with its wings spread out after coming out of the water. The entire body is black in the breeding season but the plumage is brownish, and the throat has a small whitish patch in the non-breeding season. These birds breed gregariously in trees, often joining other waterbirds at heronries.

12-2-2018 MONTE CORONA, VALENCIA - SPANISH LONGHORN BEETLE (Vesperus fuentei)

Vesperus fuentei Pic, 1905  is a species endemic to the Iberian Peninsula whose distribution covers a wide area from the Mediterranean to the center, reaching the provinces of Zamora and Cáceres to the west and the province of Cádiz to the south; it extends along the Iberian System as well as the Ebro Valley to La Rioja (GONZÁLEZ PEÑA et al., 2007). In Aragon, it was previously known only from the province of Teruel (GONZÁLEZ PEÑA, 2002), and from the towns of Teruel, Albarracín, and Rubielos de Mora. Its biology is similar to that of the other species in the genus. Its larvae are root-forming and have been recorded in the roots of Salsola vermiculata L. (LÓPEZ-COLÓN, 1993) and in grass roots (VIVES, 1984), both authors acknowledging the species' polyphagy.

Males fly after sunset in search of females, who lack functional wings and can only move on the ground. They remain at the base of the plants near which they will lay their eggs. They are less visible and therefore rarer to observe (VIVES, 2000).

Its phenology ranges from May to August (VIVES, 2000). In our experience, it exhibits summer behavior, with most captures and observations concentrated during the month of August.

27-10-2016 BEIJING, CHINA - MANDARIN DUCK (MALE) (Aix galericulata)

The mandarin, widely regarded as the world's most beautiful duck, is a native of China and Japan.

The drake mandarin's stunning plumage has long made it an artist's favourite, and it is widely depicted in oriental art.

The first mandarins were imported to Britain in the mid-18th century, but it wasn't until the 1930s that escapes from wildfowl collections started breeding here.

The first birds to escape did so from Alfred Ezra's collection at Foxwarren Park, near Cobham in Surrey, and this area remains one of the strongholds of mandarins in England.

Mandarins favour small wooded ponds and avoid lakes or large bodies of open water.

They are extremely manoeuvrable fliers, able to fly through trees with remarkable agility.

They frequently perch in trees, while the female invariably chooses a hole or cavity in a tree trunk in which to lay her eggs.

Lack of natural nest sites and competition from jackdaws and squirrels limits population expansion, but they will readily adopt suitable nest boxes.

After hatching, the ducklings jump to the ground: their fluffy down and lightweight ensures that injuries are unusual.

Once the mother has gathered her brood, she leads them straight to water.

It was long believed that the British population - now close to 8,000 birds - was of international importance, but previously undiscovered populations have been discovered in China, so this duck is far more numerous than was once thought.

In their native China mandarins have long been regarded as symbols of fidelity and pairs were given to brides on their wedding day.

In fact mandarins, like most ducks, only pair for the season, and new pairs will form again in the autumn.

The drake mandarin's display is highly ritualised, and includes raising the crest and the orange sails, and ritualised drinking and preening behind the sail.

The so-called sail is an elongated tertial feather.

In eclipse (summer) plumage the drake moults and looks almost identical to the duck, only his bright red beak indicating his sex.

China historically exported hundreds of thousands of mandarins, but the export trade was banned in 1975.

The mandarin is a member of the genus, which has only one other member, the closely related North American wood duck. Though the drakes are very different, the plumage of the females is very similar.

Despite the closeness of the relationship with the wood duck, no hybrids have ever been recorded. This is because the mandarin has a chromosome aberrance that makes it impossible for it to produce hybrids with other ducks.

The mandarin is one of the few introduced species in Britain that has not created any environmental problems, mainly because it uses a habitat not favoured by our native wildfowl.

Female mandarins don't quack, but they do make a series of clucking calls that are invariably uttered when they see danger, such as a hunting fox.

7-11-2016 BANGKOK, THAILAND - ZEBRA DOVE (Geopelia striata)

The zebra dove (Geopelia striata ), also known as the barred ground dove, or barred dove, is a species of bird of the dove family, Columbidae, native to Southeast Asia. They are small birds with a long tail, predominantly brownish-grey in colour with black-and-white barring. The species is known for its pleasant, soft, staccato cooing calls.

The birds are small and slender with a long, narrow tail. The upperparts are brownish-grey with black-and-white barring. The underparts are pinkish with black bars on the sides of the neck, breast and belly. The face is blue-grey with bare blue skin around the eyes. There are white tips to the tail feathers. Juveniles are duller and paler than the adults. They can also have brown feathers. Zebra doves are 20–23 centimetres in length with a wingspan of 24–26 cm.

Their call is a series of soft, staccato cooing notes. In Thailand and Indonesia, the birds are popular as pets because of their calls and cooing competitions are held to find the bird with the best voice. In Indonesia this bird is called perkutut. In the Philippines they are known as batobatong katigbe ("pebbled katigbe") and kurokutok ; in Malaysia this bird is called merbuk, onomatopoeic to their calls. They are also known as tukmo in Filipino, a name also given to the spotted dove (Spilopelia chinensis ) and other wild doves.

12-2-2018 MONTE CORONA, VALENCIA - EUROPEAN ROBIN (Erithacus rubecula)

The European robin (Erithacus rubecula), known simply as the robin or robin redbreast in Great Britain and Ireland, is a small insectivorous passerine bird that belongs to the chat subfamily of the Old World flycatcher family. It is found across Europe, east to Western Siberia and south to North Africa; it is sedentary in most of its range except the far north.

It is about 12.5–14.0 cm (4.9–5.5 in) in length; the male and female are similar in colouration, with an orange breast and face lined with grey, brown upper-parts and a whitish belly.

The robin occurs in Eurasia east to Western Siberia, south to Algeria and on the Atlantic islands as far west as the Central Group of the Azores and Madeira. It is a vagrant in Iceland. In the southeast, it reaches Iran the Caucasus range. Irish and British robins are largely resident but a small minority, usually female, migrate to southern Europe during winter, a few as far as Spain. Scandinavian and Russian robins migrate to Britain and western Europe to escape the harsher winters. These migrants can be recognised by the greyer tone of the upper parts of their bodies and duller orange breast. The continental European robins that migrate during winter prefer spruce woods in northern Europe, contrasting with its preference for parks and gardens in Great Britain.

7-2-2018 ALBUFERA, VALENCIA - GREY HERON (Ardea cinerea) COURTESY OF MRS VALERIE FISHER

The Grey Heron (Ardea cinerea) is a statuesque wading bird belonging to the family Ardeidae. It is a familiar sight in both rural and urban settings, often seen standing stoically along the water's edge. An adult Grey Heron is a large bird, reaching up to 100 cm in height, with a wingspan between 155 to 195 cm. It weighs between 1 to 2 kg. The plumage is predominantly ashy-grey above, with a greyish-white underbelly and some black on the flanks. A striking feature is the white head and neck adorned with a broad black stripe that extends from the eye to the black crest. The beak is pinkish-yellow, long, and sharply pointed, while the legs are a brown hue.

When identifying the Grey Heron, look for the white head with the black supercilium and crest, the long grey neck, and the ashy-grey wings and back. The underparts are lighter, and the legs are long and brown. Juveniles can be distinguished by their duller grey neck and smaller crest. The beak is a useful indicator of age, being brighter in breeding adults.

Grey Herons are highly adaptable and can be found in a variety of watery habitats including lakes, rivers, ponds, marshes, and coastal environments. They require shallow waters for foraging or areas with shelving margins where they can wade.

Native to temperate Europe and Asia, as well as parts of Africa, the Grey Heron has a broad range. Northern populations may migrate southwards in autumn, while others remain resident year-round. Vagrant sightings have occurred in the Caribbean, Bermuda, and parts of North America.

15-11-2016 BAGAN, MYANMAR - HOUSE SPARROW (FEMALE) (Passer domesticus)

The House sparrow (Passer domesticus) is a small passerine bird found in most parts of the world. The extent of its range makes it the most widely distributed wild bird on the planet. Because of its numbers, ubiquity, and association with human settlements, the House sparrow is culturally prominent. It is extensively, and usually unsuccessfully, persecuted as an agricultural pest. It has also often been kept as a pet and was a food item. Though it is widespread and abundant, its numbers have declined in some areas.

Population size

896-1.3 Mln

Life Span

2-23 years

Top speed

40

km/hmph

km/h mph 

Weight

24-40

goz

g oz 

Length

14-18

cminch

cm inch 

Wingspan

19-25

cminch

cm inch 

15-11-2016 BAGAN, MYAMAR - AYEYARWADDY BULBUL (Pycnonotus blanfordi)

The Ayeyarwady bulbul (Pycnonotus blanfordi) is a member of the bulbul family of passerine birds. It is endemic to Myanmar. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests. Until 2016, the Ayeyarwady bulbul was considered to be conspecific with the streak-eared bulbul (now Pycnonotus conradi).

Dull brown bulbul with streaky patch over the ears. Very similar in appearance to Streak-eared Bulbul but browner and with dull red (not pale gray) eyes. Common in lowland and foothill open forest, forest edge, and open scrub, and near human habitation. Unmusical vocalizations include chatters and chirps.

The Ayeyarwady bulbul is a member of the bulbul family of passerine birds. It is endemic to Myanmar. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests. Until 2016, the Ayeyarwady bulbul was considered to be conspecific with the streak-eared bulbul. 

15-11-2016 BAGAN, MYANMAR - SCARLET CREEPER (Ipomoea hederifolia)

Ipomoea hederifolia is a species of herbaceous annual vine native to the Americas. It was first described by Linnaeus in 1759.

It is commonly known as scarlet morning glory, scarlet creeper, star ipomoea, trompillo or ivy-leaved morning glory (which otherwise refers to I. hederacea).

25-10-2016 SINGAPORE CITY - JAVAN MYNA (Acridotheres javanicus)

The Javan myna (Acridotheres javanicus ), also known as the white-vented myna, is a species of myna. It is a member of the starling family. It is native to Bali and Java. It has been introduced to other Asian countries, and as far away as Puerto Rico.

The Javan myna is mainly black. The wings are brownish-black, and the primaries have white bases. The undertail-coverts are white. There is a short crest on the forehead.Its beak, legs and feet are yellow. The eyes are lemon-yellow. The immature is browner. Its length is 21–23 cm (8.3–9.1 in). Its weight is about 100 g (3.5 oz).

The Javan myna is native to Bali and Java, and has been introduced to southeastern Thailand, southern Malaysia, Singapore, Sumatra, the Lesser Sundas, Taiwan, Puerto Rico, Japan and Nepal. It is found in cities and cultivated areas.

The Javan myna is omnivorous and eats seeds, fruit, nectar, insects and human waste. It is often found in large groups. Its voice is similar to that of the common myna. It builds its nest in holes. The eggs are bluish-glaucous. Javan mynas are bold and not very afraid of humans. Javan mynas are kept in cages in Malaysia and Indonesia. The birds scavenge in groups, minimum two but usually three or more, with all except one feeding and one usually at a vantage point keeping a look out. If the bird that is keeping watch sees anything that might pose a threat, it alarms the group members with a high pitch tweet and they all flee the area swiftly.

29-11-2016 GARDENS OF THE BAY, SINGAPORE - TREE CRINUM (Crinum asiaticum)

Crinum asiaticum, commonly known as poison bulb, giant crinum lily, grand crinum lily, or spider lily, is a plant species widely planted in many warmer regions as an ornamental. It is a bulb-forming perennial producing an umbel of large, showy flowers that are prized by gardeners. However, all parts of the plant are poisonous if ingested. Some reports indicate exposure to the sap may cause skin irritation.

Crinum asiaticum is native to East Asia, tropical Asia, Australia and islands of the Pacific and western Indian oceans. It is naturalized in Mexico, the West Indies, the US (Florida and Louisiana), numerous Pacific islands, Madagascar and the Chagos Archipelago.

Crinum asiaticum is a perennial herb that typically grows up to 1.2 m (3.9 ft) tall. It has a leaf base. Its pseudobulb is spherical. The upper part of the bulb is cylindrical. The base is laterally branched, with a diameter of about 6–15 cm. Its leaves are lanceolate, margin undulate, apically acuminate. They feature 1 sharp point and are dark green, growing up to 1 m long. Their width is 7–12 cm or wider and they number 20-30. The inflorescence is an umbel with 10-24 flowers, six petaloid tepals, and aromatic. The flower stem is erect, as long as the leaf, and solid. The spathe is lanceolate, membranous, and 6–10 cm. The bractlet liner is 3–7 cm. Its perianth tube is slender and straight, green white, 7–10 cm, diameter 1.5–2 mm. The corolla is spider-like shaped, white, linear, revolute, attenuate, 4.5–9 cm long, and 6–9 mm wide. The corolla is 6-lobed. The pedicel is ca 0.5-2.5 cm long. It has 6 reddish stamens. The filaments are 4–5 cm long. The anthers are liner, attenuate, ca. 1.5 cm long or more. The ovary is fusiform, and up to 2 cm long. The fruit is an oblate capsule, green, and 3–5 cm in diameter. The seeds are large, and the exotesta is spongy.

The entire plant is toxic, especially the bulb. It contains a variety of alkaloids such as lycorine and tazettine. When eaten, it can cause vomiting, abdominal pain, severe diarrhea, constipation, irregular breathing, rapid pulse, fever, etc.; sufficient misuse can cause nervous system paralysis and death.

28-11-2016 JURONG, SINGAPORE - SCARLET IBIS (Eudocimus ruber)

The Scarlet ibis (Eudocimus ruber) is a species of ibis found in tropical South America and part of the Caribbean. In form, it resembles most of the other twenty-seven extant species of ibis, but its remarkably brilliant scarlet coloration makes it unmistakable. It is one of the two national birds of Trinidad and Tobago, and its Tupi–Guarani name, guará, is part of the name of several municipalities along the coast of Brazil. This medium-sized wader is a hardy, numerous, and prolific bird, and it has protected status around the world.