Third time’s the charm: Lizards, Colugos and Birds galore @ Lower Peirce

It was back to Lower Peirce Reservoir for our third walk and the weather could not have been any more perfect. After a brief history lesson on the reservoir, which was officially opened in 1912, our participants jumped straight into looking for herps.

Before we saw any reptiles, we encountered a Colugo and its baby! As we moved on, we encountered numerous Many-Lined Sun Skinks (Eutrophis multifasciata). The clear skies and afternoon sun were skink heaven as we encountered an astonishing number of 16 skinks basking in the sunspots during the span of the walk.  Besides skinks, a Clouded Monitor Lizard (Varanus nebulosus) was spotted foraging amongst the leaf litter and successfully acquired a few tasty pieces of grub. The first group was also lucky enough to see a Green Crested Lizard (Bronchocela cristatella) and two Black-bearded Gliding Lizards (Draco melanopogon). Although there were no snakes that day, the lizards were everywhere! The Four-ridged Toads (Ingerophrynus quadriporcatus), were also out in full force, as we heard their distinctive croaks.

 As winter is approaching in the Southern Hemisphere, the annual migration of birds down the East Australasian Flyway is taking place in which Singapore is an important stopover for many of these migratory birds. The Forest Wagtail (Dendronanthus indicus) is one such visitor and we were lucky to have spotted it on our walk. This migratory passerine bird is commonly found in East Asia and Siberia^[1]. Unlike other wagtails, this particular species of wagtail wags its tail sideways instead of the usual up and down movement.

Video taken by Kam-Yung Soh

At the end of the walk, participants shared how they felt about our nature reserve and it was heartwarming to see that participants highly valued our green spaces and our biodiversity.

 REFERENCES
[1] – Forest wagtail photos and facts. (n.d.). Retrieved November 17, 2015, from http://www.arkive.org/forest-wagtail/dendronanthus-indicus/