Jurong Bird Park

On 30 Mar, Lin, KC and I revisited the Jurong Bird Park. We were there from noon to 4.30pm, on a sunless, drizzly day. True birdwatchers who observe the birds in the wild may sniff at this but there are advantages the Bird Park offers which are elusive in the wild. For one, you can get really close to the birds. Take the white-rumped shama (bottom photo). It was as close as 1.5m and it treated me with 3 different songs. In Kent Ridge Park, it scooted off as soon as I approach within 15m of it. I had only read that it sings beautifully, and is often kept as a song bird. But to finally hear it for myself... Then there were the exotic species. I took close to 800 photos, and still wish to visit the place again.

At home, I'm going through David Attenborough's "Life of Birds" on DVDs now, and have borrowed a stack of books on birds from the school library. Lin asked when this madness will end. Unfortunately, it'll have to end when school reopens in a week or so.

Chup