Date: 14/11/2009, Saturday
Start time: 7.00 am
End time: 8.40 am
Location: NUS (Kent Ridge), site 1
Surveyors: HW & NWQ
Weather: Rained during the night, ground still wet; misty. Cloudy later on
Comments: Only Yellow-vented Bulbuls seen feeding
After spending the better part of the semester hunting for a project focus and a few false starts, my attempt at research seemed to finally be getting on track.
Though it was the start of reading week (means EXAMS were REALLY NEAR), I was desperate to collect data for my project and roped in an ever helpful NWQ (really appreciate it a lot).
Some days back, we’d taken the GPS device out and marked potential spots to do observations on campus itself. Didn’t upload it to Map Source and then to Google Earth though, but a marked area would look something like this:
Track with marked locations at Bukit Batok Nature Park (previous observation site).
We had the first trial run at the new site where I have accumulated plenty of weird looks which turned out to be pretty interesting. A lot easier since it’s on campus also.
We first tied numbered tags near ripened fruits and counted the seeds, leaving out any white ones. At 7.15 am, the feeding ‘frenzy’ started, with Yellow-vented Bulbuls (Pycnonotus goiavier), in small groups, flying from a tree opposite and into the Dillenia patch. It was like watching small, brown missiles rapidly hitting the wall of shrubs. Around 20 minutes later, the activity declined.
With most of the 88 seeds in a total of 6 ripened fruits cleared, we decided to call it a day at 8.40 am. From 7.40 to 8.30 am, the remaining seeds were not touched. All in all, the trial run was quite good!
Didn’t take any pictures, but shall do so the subsequent times.
Questions:
1. Can the assumption that all birds are as equally likely to feed on any given patch of Dillenia be made?
Comment: No, because the location of the patch matters. For instance, it may be beside a busy road and birds would avoid the ripened fruits there. Hmm..maybe if the patches of Dillenia in question are those in quieter areas?
2. Observe if birds avoid the day old ripened fruits (if any). If so, how do they differentiate what is fresh or not?
Comment: After a several rounds of observation at site 1, I don’t think there are any left over fruits from the day before with viable seeds. Have seen some fruits looking rather stale when starting observations in the morning though. Hmm.
