Date and Day: 02/02/10, Tuesday
Start Time: 7.00 am
End Time: 11.00 am
Location: NUS (Kent Ridge), site 1
Surveyors: HW & LN
Weather: Clear, with a tinge of chill in the air; very sunny later
Comments: Low yield; tagged fruit number 2 remained partially opened throughout, while number 1 opened fully.
7.00 am - 12+05
Tagged fruit number 1.
Tagged fruit number 2.
Air was filled with bird calls.
7.30 am -
A White-breasted Waterhen emerged from patch at far right. It used its long bill to probe the ground for food (insects, worms?). As it walked, its tail would move up and down.
7.50 am - 2 YVBs flew into patch.
8.05 am - 13+05
8.50 am - First time seeing a Pink-necked Green Pigeon (male) at the site. It perched on a branch of an Angsana tree for around 5 minutes.
Male Pink-necked Green Pigeon (Treron vernans).
9.05 am - Thought that the YVBs were finally coming to feed as 3 were spotted flying into patch at the far right. One entered first, and two followed.
9.30 am - 13+05
9.50 am -13+05
A Campus Security car drove past.
10.55 am - 13+05
4.25 pm - 00+02
Both fruits appear to be very dried out probably due to the very hot weather.
Tagged fruit number 1.
Tagged fruit number 2.
Further observations/questions:
Thought there would be more fruits opening today based on the recce yesterday. Did not expect the yield to be so low. In fact, this is the lowest I’ve ever got. Nevertheless, Louise and I persevered and watched the patch for signs of feeding. Unfortunately, there were none, not even at 11.00 am when I finally left, after observing for 4 hours. I think the lack of activity can be attributed to the low fruit yield with other factors playing a small part, if any. The site has disturbances periodically due to pick-ups driving back and forth that make a stopover at the native plant nursery. At other times, pick-ups drive further in to the sheds where it seems like paint is stored. There are also passers-by. But generally, the site is quiet and ideal for bird-watching, save for the lack of shade when close to afternoon. These same factors were present when the first few observations were carried out in November. Thus, I think something must have changed.
From November to now, the weather has grown warmer and rains have lessened. Could it be said that Simpoh Air is experiencing ‘drought’ conditions? If so, could it be a possibility that the plant is cutting back on energetically expensive processes to save resources? Seed production expends a lot of energy and this could lead the plant to allow only a few viable seeds to form, maybe with one fruit containing all viable seeds, per inflorescence; the rest having a mix (‘white’ seeds – aborted seeds?).
Found this insect crawling on a Simpoh Air leaf when I returned in the afternoon to collect the number tags.
