NSS' Alternative Proposal for Bidadari Park Pg 4
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NATURE NEWS NOV-DEC 2013 Nov-Dec 2013 MCI (P) 027/08/2013 ISSN: 2010-4308 Birdwatching at Kranji Marshes Nov 24 NSS Activities 2 Kids’ NSS Kids’ Fun with Forest Wildlife at Venus Drive Guide Dec 1 NSS’ Alternative Proposal 4 Kranji Night Ramble Dec 7 for Bidadari Park Birdwatching at Rifle Range Dec 8 Twilight Ramble from 6 Birdwatching at Singapore Botanic Gardens Dec 14 Mandai to Dairy Farm NSS Kids’ Fun with Nature Birdwatching at Kranji Marshes Dec 15 7 at The Rail Corridor Horseshoe Crab Rescue & Research Dec 15 3rd Annual Parrot Count 8 Birdwatching at Bidadari Dec 21 2013 Birdwatching at Semakau Landfill Dec 22 Inaugural Butterfly & 10 Dragonfly Walk Announcements 10 NSS’ Alternative NSS Directory 11 Proposal for All Purpose Form 12 Bidadari Park Pg 4 3rd Annual Parrot Count 2013 Pg 8 1 NATURE NEWS NOV-DEC 2013 Activities NOVEMBER SundaySunday 24 24 Bund. The marsh is designated by URA as a Nature Park and is currently adopted by NSS under Birdwatching at Kranji Marshes PUB’s ABC Waters Programme. Birding highlights Meet Albert Low (halmaherastandardwing@gmail. here include the Red-wattled Lapwing, Purple com) at 7.30 am at Kranji Dam Carpark B near Swamphen, Rusty-breasted Cuckoo, White-browed the tidal gates of Kranji Reservoir, off Kranji Way. Crake, Changeable Hawk Eagle, Grey-headed Fish Reachable by Bus 925 from Kranji MRT Station. Eagle and more. Please register by 14 November From the meeting point, a hired bus will ferry us 2013 on our website. A registration form will then to our destination. We begin with a pleasant stroll be emailed to you. Max: 20 pax. Open to the public along a countryside road to the Kranji Marshes but children below age 12 are not allowed for where we will continue our walk along the PUB safety reasons. Activities DECEMBER SundaySunday 1 1 NSS along packed food and drinks. Meet at 6 Kids’ Guide pm at the junction of Lim Chu Kang and NSS Kids’ Fun with Neo Tiew Roads. TIBS 975 and SBS 405 Forest Wildlife at Venus Drive LTA’s proposed Cross Island MRT ply this route from Choa Chu Kang and line will destroy a swathe of forest Boon Lay bus interchange respectively. harbouring a rich variety of wildlife Car owners can park at Neo Tiew Lane and result in forest fragmentation. 2 near De’ Kranji Chalets. Transport Join Uncle Si Guim to understand the will be arranged to ferry participants to issues concerned, and get to see for Kranji MRT station from Neo Tiew Lane yourself the many species of plants, 2 at the end of the ramble. This 8 km/5 birds, vertebrates and insects residing hour ramble is not suitable for children here. The walk will start and end at below 12 years old. Members only. Venus Drive. Time: 8 am to 10 am. Please SundaySunday 8 8 register your children (4 to 12 years old) with Gloria Seow at gloria_seow@yahoo. Birdwatching at Rifle Range com, stating their names and ages, if they Meet Tan Ju Lin at 7.30 am at the are NSS members or not, if you need us junction of Rifle Range Road and to loan you a pair of binoculars or not, Dunearn Road. We will carpool to the and let us have your mobile number. A starting point of the walk. This is a good fee of $5 per child (member) or $10 per time to look for wintering birds like the child (non-member) will be collected Forest Wagtail, Arctic Warbler and maybe, on the spot. Parents and caregivers the elusive Ferruginous Flycatcher! We are encouraged to join in at no charge. will also be looking out for resident Details will be emailed to those who sign birds like the Asian Fairy Bluebird, Blue- up. Open to the public. winged Leafbird and Short-tailed Babbler. Members only. SaturdaySaturday 7 7 SaturdaySaturday 14 14 Kranji Night Ramble Led by P Pandian and Sutari Supari, we Birdwatching at Singapore Botanic will take you through an interesting Gardens route to experience an enchanting Meet Wong Chung Cheong at the Visitor sunset, look at fireflies and watch Jupiter, Centre of the Singapore Botanic Gardens Saturn and Mars at their best and learn at 7:30 am. We will take an early morning about star directional uses. We might stroll through one of the best botanical spot some nocturnal birds and mammals gardens in the region. Many species of along the way. Bring along a good torch birds make this park their home and we light. Please have an early dinner or bring may have a chance of spotting colourful 2 NATURE NEWS NOV-DEC 2013 species like the Long-tailed Parakeet, rescue and a camera. Washing facilities Crimson Sunbird, Banded Woodpecker, available. More details will be emailed Common Iora, Pink-necked Green Pigeon upon registration. Open to the Public. and Stork-billed Kingfisher. We may also SaturdaySaturday 21 21 get to see some migrants. Members only. Birdwatching at Bidadari SundaySunday 15 15 The former Bidadari Muslim Cemetery, Birdwatching at Kranji Marshes bounded by Bartley Road on one side Meet Lee Ee Ling ([email protected]. and Upper Serangoon Road on another, sg) 7.30 am at Kranji Dam Carpark B has proven to be an interesting site near the tidal gates of Kranji Reservoir, for migrants and visitors in recent off Kranji Way. Reachable by Bus 925 years. Notable recent sightings include from Kranji MRT Station. From the the Blue-winged Pitta, Black-backed meeting point, a hired bus will ferry Kingfisher, Crow-billed Drongo, as well us to our destination. We begin with a as various cuckoos and flycatchers. pleasant stroll along a countryside road Development work at Bidadari may start to the Kranji Marshes where we will soon so join Yong Ding Li in exploring continue our walk along the PUB Bund. this spot while it is still a peaceful haven The marsh is designated by URA as a for birds. Meet at 7.30 am by Woodleigh Nature Park and is currently adopted MRT Station Entrance C, at the junction by NSS under PUB’s ABC Waters of Upper Serangoon Road and Upper Programme. Birding highlights here Aljunied Road. Members only. include the Red-wattled Lapwing, Purple SundaySunday 22 22 Swamphen, Rusty-breasted Cuckoo, White-browed Crake, Changeable Hawk Birdwatching at Semakau Landfill Eagle, Grey-headed Fish Eagle and more. December is a good time to visit Please register by 5 December 2013 Semakau for its varied birdlife. In on our website. A registration form addition to resident attractions like the will then be emailed to you. Max: 20 Great-billed Heron, Pacific Reef Egret pax. Open to the public but children and Malaysian Plover, it is possible to see below age 12 are not allowed for safety rare migrants such as the Chinese Egret reasons. and Ashy Drongo. Meet Lee Ee Ling (HP: 96935870 / [email protected]) at SundaySunday 15 15 7.30 am at the West Coast Pier near the Horseshoe Crab Rescue & Research Republic of Singapore Yacht Club. Parking Please register with Kerry Pereira is available in front of West Coast Pier ([email protected]) or at the NSS or at nearby West Coast Park. Return website stating your name, if you a NSS to the mainland by 2 pm. Register at the member or not, affiliations (eg. school or NSS website. A non-refundable fee of company), experience if any, and contact $30 per pax for boat and administration details for this mission to rescue and is required. Please make payment online study the Mangrove Horseshoe Crabs via PayPal (an additional $2 is required (HSC) at the Mandai mudflats. Time: 2.30 for bank charges for online payment) or pm to 5.30 pm. Meet at the extension send your cheque together with the All of Kranji Road near the junction with Purpose Form by 12 December 2013. Kranji Loop. Take Bus 925 from Kranji Number of persons per trip: 11 or 22 or MRT station and alight at the first bus 33. Identify card (for Singaporeans/PRs) stop as the bus turns from Kranji Road or passport is mandatory for boarding. into Kranji Loop. Cross the road and Children under age 12 are not allowed look for the nameless track that starts by NEA regulation. Please note that beside Leong Soon Pte Ltd (251 Kranji your registration is not confirmed until Road). Bring along a cap, shoes/booties, you hear from your trip leader after the sunblock, repellent, cutter for HSC closing date. Members only. 3 NATURE NEWS NOV-DEC 2013 NSS’ Alternative Proposal for BidadariBy Dr Ho Hua Chew, Park Conservation Committee Vice Chairperson Introduction unmistakable indication that the sense of being he Nature Society is not against development cluttered and hemmed in by high density concrete Tin the Bidadari zone, but would like to blocks is getting onto the nerves of Singaporeans. propose to HDB to tweak its plans so as More and more Singaporeans are looking for to accommodate a larger variety of needs natural areas to live near to, to fulfill their and purposes that will in turn better serve recreational, leisure and even spiritual needs. These Singaporeans. To our disappointment, the HDB’s days, people no longer gravitate towards neat planned park in the future Bidadari estate sits in an and manicured parks, as evidenced by increasing area that is sparsely wooded and not as interesting numbers of public protests and objections to the or rich in birdlife compared to NSS’ proposed clearance of forested areas for development.