4788. PHOTOGRAPHY Magpie Goose

 Magpie Geese and chick

 

 

 

 

4787. PHOTOGRAPHY 75 - 300 mm. Electus parrots. The correct moments came.

A green male eclectus parrot and a crimson female eclectus parrot.

 

 

Sometimes the correct moments never arrive. In this case, I was present at the Bird Paradise after an employee had placed food on the feeder.

The crimson female electus parrot and the green male electus parrot were present together for breakfast at the same time for a brief moment.

Canon R5, lens 75 - 300mm
95mm, 1/500 sec, f/5, iso 1600
13 Jan 2026, 10.03am 

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Canon R5, lens 75 - 300mm
75mm, 1/500 sec, f/4,5, iso 1000
13 Jan 2026, 9.58am

male green Electus parrot (L) 

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Heinsohn began studying these shy parrots in the remote northern rainforests of the Cape York Peninsular, Australia. This took some serious climbing skills as the parrots only nest in tree hollows 20-30m up.

Females do all the brooding and rarely leave the hollow, even after the chicks have fledged. This is highly unusual, but a good hollow is hard to find. The right species of nest tree is rare – just one per square kilometre – and cavities prone to flooding, which can drown the chicks.

So females in possession of lofty, dry hollows will guard their prime real estate with their life. Contests are frequent and can be fatal. Females are forced to stay put and defend their coveted hollows for 11 months of the year.

 The only way a female avoids starvation is by being fed by males hoping to mate with her. Females might have up to five males in attendance, feeding chicks that aren’t even theirs. So, males spread their bets by servicing several females, giving the eclectus a curious polygynandrous mating system very different to most monogamous parrots.

 

4786. PHOTOGRAPHY 75 - 300mm Eurasian Tree Sparrow

 SINGAPORE - 11 JAN 2026: 3.31pm. Yishun Pond Park.
Canon R5 300mm 1/2000 sec, f/5.6, ISO 8000


The Eurasian tree sparrow (Passer montanus) has a rich chestnut crown and a black patch on each pure white cheek. It prefers woodland and farmland areas rather than dense cities. 

 

 

4785. PHOTOGRAPHY 75 - 300 mm lens

 LENS 75 - 300mm

The feeder tray was filled with fruit pieces.
Three big birds feed on the tray at one time. I quickly snapped a photo as the two on the right flew away soon.

Male Electus parrot (Electus rotarus) which is primarily bright emerald green with some red and blue markings. The female has vivid ruby red and purple/blue.

male Red-tailed Black Cockatoo has bright red panels on the tail.

Major Mitchell's Cockatoo has pink and white plumage with a prominent red and yellow crest. Medium-sized bird from Australia. Primarily granivorous (grass seeds mainly), wattle seeds, fruits and nuts.

 

13 Jan 2026. 9.58am
Canon R5, 75mm, 1/500 sec, f/4.5, ISO 1000

 

 

 

 

 

4784. PHOTOGRAPHY 75 - 300 mm lens.

 

 11 Jan 2026. 3.07pm. A zebra dove (Geopelia striata) is spotted at Yishun Pond Park. It looks very healthy, bright eyed and in good bodily condition as if she had excellent nutrition. Has it got any stress from predator birds?

11 Jan 2026. 3.07pm.  Canon R5 260mm, 1/2000 sec, f/5.6, ISO 3200. tv mode.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 TO BUY PHOTO:
www.shutterstock.com/g/toapayohvets

4782. PHOTOGRAPHY USING 75 - 300 mm lens. Pink-necked green pigeon - adult male

SINGAPORE - 12 JAN 2026: This healthy adult male pink-necked green pigeon (Treron vernans) is spotted in the small Botanic Garden of Khoo Teck Puat Hospital. He has the distinctive powder-pink neck, grey-blue head and a vibrant orange patch on his neck. The female is primarily green above and yellowish-grey below with NO vibrant neck and breast coloration. 

This image is taken by Canon R5 220 mm, 1 over 2000 sec, f over 5.6, iso 2500 in tv mode.

 

 

 

 

 

 

SINGAPORE - 12 JAN 2026: 3.49pm. The back view of the male Pink-necked Green Pigeon perched on a branch in the small Botanic Garden of Khoo Teck Puat Hospital.

Canon R5 300mm, 1/2000 sec, f/5.6, iso 5000

 

 

 

4783. PHOTOGRAPHY USING 75-300 mm lens - The Striated Heron Singapore - Butorides striata

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14 January 2026. Yishun Pond Park morning. Cataract review at 9am, KTPH
13 January 2026. Yishun Pond Park afternoon. Discharged Judy, 4pm from KTPH

 

 

 

13 Jan 2026. 4.44pm
Canon R5 300 mm
1/1600 sec, f/5.6, iso 3200
Yishun Pond Park water cul-de-sac area 

 

 The Striated Heron (Butorides striata) is common in Singapore. Known as Mangrove Heron, Little Heron, green-backed Heron. It is a small stocky water bird with short legs and a black crown. Often found foraging alone in dense vegetation along bodies of water.

Diet consists of crabs, other crustaceans, mollusks and small fish. 

Video of a predator focused on the prey such as small fish. Very few. 

 

 

14 Jan 2026. 10.21am
Canon R5, 300 mm, 1/1600 sec, f/5.6, ISO 6400

Yishun Pond Park's cul-de-sac water area  

 

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The Striated Heron (Butorides striata) is found in both freshwater and saltwater marshes from eastern Panama south to northern Argentina, This small, often compact-looking heron is encountered foraging alone in the dense vegetation along bodies of water. 

It employs a great variety of foraging techniques to catch prey items such as fish, amphibians, insects and crustaceans. It is very similar in appearance to, and also very closely related to, the Green Heron (Butorides virescens) of North and Central America and the Caribbean, the Lava Heron (Butorides sundevalli) of the Galapagos, and the Little Heron (Butorides atricapilla) of Africa, Asia, and Oceania. Together, these have previously been considered a single species, but the Striated Heron is somewhat more poorly known than its congeners.

 

 

4781. Photography of pink snakeweed

30 Dec 2025. 9.02am  Banyan Villas park

 Pink snakeweed (Stachytrapheta mutabilis) isnative to South America, the Caribbean and Mexico

Canon R5 300mm, 1/2000 sec, f/6.3, iso 320

 

4780. Do honey bees nap?

 Yes, honey bees do "nap" or sleep, typically resting for 5-8 hours, often at night in the hive but also taking shorter "micro-naps" or power naps during the day in flowers or on blades of grass to recharge, stopping movement, and lowering antennae. Different bee roles, like nurse bees or foragers, have different sleep patterns, but rest is crucial for their function, with some even catching up on sleep if they miss out.

How Bees "Sleep"

• No Eyelids: Bees don't close their eyes, but you can tell they're sleeping when their antennae stop moving and they become still, sometimes tipping sideways.
• Location: Most sleep in the hive at night, but foragers often nap in flowers or on plants during the day.
• Duration: They can have long nightly rests (5-8 hours) or short naps (30 seconds to a few minutes).
• Catching Up: Like humans, if they miss sleep, they'll sleep longer the next night. 

Why They Nap

• Energy Recharge: Naps help them regain energy for their busy activities like foraging.
• Opportunistic Rest: They might nap after drinking nectar or when tired during their foraging routes.
• Different Roles: Nurse bees (younger) and food storers sleep differently than foragers (older), showing varying sleep needs for different jobs, notes a study on NIH. 

4379. VET CASE. Facial abscess in a hamster

A facial abscess in a hamster is a painful pocket of pus from a bacterial infection, often seen as a lump on the cheek or face, caused by bites, scratches, or sharp cage debris getting into wounds or pouches. Symptoms include swelling, redness, pawing at the face, reduced appetite, or discharge, requiring prompt vet care for drainage, flushing, and antibiotics to prevent serious complications like spread of infection or vision loss, with prevention focused on solo housing and safe bedding.

 

 Causes

• Bites/Wounds: Fights with other hamsters (even in dwarf species) or trauma from other pets.
• Cage Hazards: Sharp wood shavings, wire cage parts, or rough toys scratching skin or pouches.
• Cheek Pouch Issues: Abrasive food or debris getting stuck and causing infection.
• Dental Problems: Can lead to facial swelling and abscesses. 

• 
  

Signs to Watch For

• A visible lump or swelling on the face, head, or neck.
• Redness, warmth, or tenderness in the area.
• Pawing at the face or general discomfort.
• Reduced eating or drinking.
• Discharge (pus) oozing from the lump.
• Difficulty closing an eye if the abscess is near it. 

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Treatment (Veterinary Care is Essential) 

• Diagnosis: A vet confirms it's an abscess and identifies the bacteria.
• Lancing & Flushing: The abscess is drained, cleaned with antiseptic, and packed.
• Antibiotics: Oral or topical antibiotics are prescribed to fight the infection.
• Supportive Care: Soft food, pain relief, and keeping the hamster warm and hydrated. 

• 
  

Prevention

• House Alone: Keep Syrian hamsters solitary, and monitor dwarfs closely for fighting.
• Safe Bedding: Use soft paper bedding, avoid wood shavings like pine or cedar.

• Inspect Cage: Regularly check toys, wheels, and cage bars for sharp edges
•  

 

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No surgery.

If an abscess isn't treated, the infection can spread from its pocket of pus to its bloodstream or vital organs.

This leads to severe complications like sepsis (life-threatening blood infection), brain or heart inflammation or even death.

 Why should an abscess be treated?
While small skin abscesses may resolve, internal or dental abscesses require professional intervention to prevent serious systemic infection, increased pain, tissue destruction.

 What is an abscess?
A facial abscess in a hamster is a painful pocket of pus from a bacterial infection, often seen as a lump on the cheek or face.It is caused by bites, scratches, or sharp cage debris getting into wounds or cheek pouches.

 What causes a skin abscess in the face of the hamster?
A facial abscess in a hamster is a painful pocket of pus from a bacterial infection, often seen as a lump on the cheek or face.It is caused by bites, scratches, or sharp cage debris getting into wounds or cheek pouches.