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It was a pleasant cool morning as we walked towards the Boardwalk. On the Coral Tree, we spotted the fabulous male Brown-Throated Sunbird (Anthreptes malacensis). His common name doesn't really do justice to the beautiful metallic colours of his mantle. These birds tend to "steal" the nectar from large flowers by piercing the base, thus avoiding the "payment" of pollinating the plant. But insects make up a large proportion of their diet. The tide was completely out at the Mangrove Boardwalk. On the mudflats below, we were treated to a colourful parade of crabs. The Tree-Climbing Crabs (Episesarma spp.) were busily scurrying around on the ground. Squabbling with each other, or nibbling on titbits. The most delightful crabs were the tiny but amazingly colourful Fiddler Crabs (Uca spp.). The ones with the flourescent orange large claws and irridescent blue backs were busy annoying each other. The camera flash, however, made them scuttle quickly into their burrows. Only the males have the single large claw, thus reducing them to feeding with their remaining normal sized claw. The females are more sensibly armed.  On the
Boardwalk, we admired the bright red blooms of a Tumu
tree (Bruguiera gymnorhiza).A Rhizophora apiculata had sprouting seedlings all over its branches. Off the Boardwalk, as we walked along to the Main Bridge, we spotted a Common Flying Dragon (Draco volans sumatranus). It froze on the tree trunk, allowing several of us to come close for photographs before suddenly scrambling away. For more about this fascinating reptile. We stopped by to visit the faithful Crytophora mum near the Main Hide. She was still guarding her egg cases, which now appear rather bedraggled. I first reported her in April! |
 Brown-throated Sunbird male  Cyrtophora sp. female guarding egg sac  Rhizophora apiculata seedlings  Common Flying Dragon |
 by ria tan, 2001 |
