Date and Day: 05/02/10, Friday
Start Time: 7.05 am
End Time: 10.00 am
Location: NUS (Kent Ridge), site 1
Surveyors: HW, SHY & MAL
Weather: Fine; hot.
Comments: Low quality of seeds (expected); activity surprisingly high today, almost continuous, interspersed with brief lull spells.
7.05 am - 05+04+02
YVBs calling very loudly, in patch and in trees across from it. Last tagged fruit partially split open.
7.25 am - A YVB foraged on ground and then flew to perch to join its mate (?).
7.30 am - Could be the same pair of YVBs or another pair of mates (?). One perched on shrub right in front of far left of patch while the other dived into the patch. The one perching was there for several minutes before flying off, across the road, without its partner.
A picture of the shrub in front of the patch.
Seems like YVBs are coming out more into the open today. Their activity is certainly high, with several pairs seen calling and flying about. Other birds were also out and about, seemingly more so than usual.
Large-billed Crow (Corvus macrorhynchos) flew past.
7.50 am - Male and female Scarlet-backed Flowerpeckers (Dicaeum cruentatum) dived in and out of the patch. Never observed this before!
7.52 am - Saw the female flowerpecker wipe herself on the Simpoh Air leaves – bathing! <3 the way it’s done, with the bird wiping itself on one side and then switching to the other. Witnessed more of such activity later on, with the male in action too.
8.00 am - 05+04+01
Brahminy Kite (Haliastur indus) and Yellow-crested Cockatoo (Cacatua sulphurea) mirrored each other in flight, flying very close together and over some distance, the latter flying below the kite. The pair soon flew out of sight. Intriguing behaviour, methinks!
8.08 am - 3 YVBs dived into the patch; 1 at the far right and 2 some distance away.
Tagged fruit number 1.
Tagged fruit number 2.
Tagged fruit number 3.
8.25 am - Pair of YVBs picked on Albizia tree branch (HY).
According to Tan (2001) [1], they also examine the bark for a quick snack. So that’s probably what they were doing – looking to snack on invertebrates!
Unknown lizard sunning itself.
8.55 am - YVB took Dillenia seeds; its mate (?) was on the ground just below it, probably foraging (HY).
9.00 am - YVB ate a fruit from the Jamaican Cherry tree (AL).
9.08 am – 05+04+01
9.?? am - Striped Tit Babbler (Macronous gularis) in patch, diving in and out of leaves. Could not tell if it was feeding or bathing. Spotted by SHY earlier on too. My first time seeing them!
9.55 am – 05+04+01
And here comes the exciting bit: setting up a concealed video camera trained on tagged fruit number 2. To find out how it went, read following post 
Further observations/questions:
Need to check the weather records for the months of December and January. Match the day to day pollination of a flower to when it ripens as a fruit. Perhaps that would reveal some answers as to why the yield and quality of ripened fruits are so low…
References
1. Tan, R. (2001). Yellow-vented Bulbul. Retrieved 13 February, 2010, from http://www.naturia.per.sg/buloh/birds/Pycnonotus_goiavier.htm
