Ruddy Kigfisher! Sounds harsh, but its not

Thursday was the day Mum moved into Barradine. That all went well apparently and she sounded very happy, although tired, when I called her in the late afternoon before work. She was surprised to find a welcome card awaiting her which Heather had posted for me in Australia when she was there the week before. (Adrian was in Melbourne and he went out with Bec to visit her on Saturday). We spent the day at home waiting for our Ireland photobook delivery to arrive, but it never did. 

On Friday we each separately walked through Bidadari so someone was home to sign for the overdue delivery. The small patch of forest was crawling with birdwatchers and photographers who had spotted the very rare Ruddy Kingfisher, with rufous plumage and a red beak it is quite easy to identify. It is noted as an uncommon winter visitor and passage migrant in Singapore. A beautiful bird, it sat patiently and unperturbed as the shutters clicked. I also saw, for the first time, the dark sided flycatcher. The Asian Paradise Flycatcher and Black Bazzas were also back for winter. Unfortunately when Eric went, after me, and armed with his camera, they were all being shy. He did see the Lineated Barbet though. Eventually our long-awaited delivery did arrive and it was worth the wait (but not sure about the weight of it). We will spend as much again shipping it home as it is twice the size we were expecting.

Work is easing back in the countdown to the end of the year. Most interviews were already completed last week, so we were just catching up with a few parents during classes. Some senior classes are without any students and the younger ones are often a few short as well, now that school assessments are over. The last day for most schools is Fri 20th, we finish on Thurs 3rd Dec. We have done a big clear-out of staffroom resources and identified classroom furniture that needs attention before the start of next year's classes. Parents have been informed of what classes are being held when and staffed by which teacher. Always a tricky time. 

On Monday we walked through Clementi Woods Park and on into West Coast Park. Both of these are lovely areas with well established trees and gardens. The long dry spell followed by rain has proven to be a boon for the trees around Singapore. Many have burst into bloom and the flowers of the Tabebuia rosea or Trumpet Tree (gets its name from the distinctive, trumpet-shaped flowers) are glorious both on the trees or covering the grounds. 

It is a hardy tree that grows up to  25m tall. Like the Sycamore, the fruits split to disperse winged seeds that are carried away by the wind. As we made our way along the coast it became quite blustery and rain clouds were gathering and heading our way. Arriving at Haw Par Villa at the same time as the rain, we decided to skip it and just go or lunch since everyone in this select group has already been there at least once. We ate at the hawker centre at Junction 8 back in Bishan.

On Monday evening we met Peter at the Spice Garden in Syed Alwi Rd, just beside Mustafa's, for a drink, and then together we tried out the new Godhuli Sanjh (translates to evening twilight) just a few doors down. This Nepalese restaurant has just been opened by Martin who used to run New Everest in Little India, which we frequented regularly in earlier days. He invited us to his new place as he would like to use some of Eric's pictures on his walls and also in a slide show he will have rolling on screens. We took along our photobooks and he will make his selections and then we are happy to let him have the images as his food is great and we want to support the new business. 

On Tuesday morning Heather and I went back to Bidadari to see if I could be so lucky as to find that Ruddy Kingfisher again, and we did. In the very same area. The officionadoes with their super lenses suspect it is a different individual but I couldn't tell. I did have Eric's camera with me though. That is my effort on the left and in case you are wondering, no I did not take the one on the right, it was taken in Bidadari with a super lens. Nice looking bird isn't it? What a big beak though for such a small creature.

In the evening we went to the Melt Restaurant at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel for our combined branch dinner. Everyone from both Kovan and Punggol enjoyed a sumptuous buffet all paid for by our raffle contributions over the year. We concluded the night with a Kris Kringle gift giving which involved stealing and was a lot of fun. 



Eric went back to Bidadari to track down the Ruddy Kingfisher on Wednesday morning and was thrilled to find it then swore at me (silently of course, so as not to frighten the bird off) when he discovered I had not replaced the memory card in his camera. Oops! Luckily he had another on hand and the bird obliged by staying put in the sunlight.