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2013: The Year in Review…

on 31st December 2013

The Bird Ecology Study Group has been posting various aspects of bird behaviour for the last 8.5 years. This has made birdwatchers and photographers aware that there are more to birds than their colourful plumages LINK. Since we started, we have made more than three thousands postings on bird behaviour – for the year under review we have managed to maintain our record of a posting a day. This is testimony to the general awareness of bird behaviour among birdwatchers and photographers, thus the continuous supply of observations.

As birdwatching and bird photographing become more and more popular, we were appalled that many in the field, including veteran leaders of groups are ignorant of the nature around them. They may be experts at identifying birds but are totally ignorant of their habitats that consist of the plants and the many groups of fauna that together make the ecosystem – see HERE.

We thus decided to expand our focus to include the habitat, especially the other groups of animals, and not be too focused on birds .

Nature is not just about getting familiar with the individual organisms. We need to understand the relationships that living organisms have with each other and with the natural environment they exist in. Although we did post various aspects of non-birds like the cicada rain LINK and termite hatch LINK, since May 2013 we have intensified postings of other organisms like butterflies, dragonflies, etc.

Since we broke away from the Nature Society (Singapore) and got affiliated to the Raffles Museum of Biodiversity (RMBR) at the National University of Singapore in 2012 LINK, we are making excellent progress in working with RMBR. In fact we are looking into ways of ensuring BESG continuity by way of setting up an endowment fund… but more of this later.

Our success has been due mainly to our contributors – the more than 400 as listed at the end of 2011 LINK and those from 2012 and 2013 as listed below:

Adeline aka Merlion Wayfarer – AM – Bouranasompop Kittipon – Cbua Partick – Ch’ng Geam Liang – Chiew Frank – Conservation India – De Ruijter Levina – Dinesh Andy – Erwin Siegfried – Foo Jit Leang – Hartnett Tammy – Hesketh Lynn – Jewell Chris – K – Khng Eu Meng – Koh (Mrs) – Koh Steffi – Kua Dawn – Kumar Humant – Leow Samantha – Lim Janet – Lim Jasper – Lim Patrick – Lim Sheau Torng – Lim Ting Han – Loei Jeremiah – Mehta Anjana – Mei Ailian – Mitchell Colin – Mohan Naveena – Nair Manoj G – Nicholas – Perera Jude – Poon Raymond – Quek Anthony – Seck Wing Chee – See Michael – Sim Kian Peng – Strange Mark Wen – Subaraj Saker – Swan Eddy – Tan David – Tan Jian Xiong David – Tan Mendis – Tan Vince – Teagle Peter – Teo Siyang – Tham Tony – Tuen Jack – van der Meulen Simon – Wilson Kathleen – Wong Foong Lin Angela – Wood Chris. [Apologies if there are omissions. Please inform and we will rectify.]

Finally, we thank all our contributors, as without them this website would not be as successful as what it is today.

For the record, the total number of visitors at midnight of 31st December 2013 was 4,011,218 or 793,044 for the year.

YC Wee
Singapore
31st December 2013

Image credits, left to right… First row: Lime Butterfly (KC Tsang), Dwarf Honeybee comb (YC Wee), Rajah Brook’s Birdwing (KC Tsang); Second row: Mating damselflies (Anthony Quek), Figs (YC Wee), Damselfly (Anthony Quek); Third row: Pangolin (KC Tsang), Spider with bee as prey (Leong Tzi Ming), Twin-barred Tree Snake (Leong Tzi Ming).

If you like this post please tap on the Like button at the left bottom of page. Any views and opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the authors/contributors, and are not endorsed by the Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum (LKCNHM, NUS) or its affiliated institutions. Readers are encouraged to use their discretion before making any decisions or judgements based on the information presented.

YC Wee

Dr Wee played a significant role as a green advocate in Singapore through his extensive involvement in various organizations and committees: as Secretary and Chairman for the Malayan Nature Society (Singapore Branch), and with the Nature Society (Singapore) as founding President (1978-1995). He has also served in the Nature Reserve Board (1987-1989), Nature Reserves Committee (1990-1996), National Council on the Environment/Singapore Environment Council (1992-1996), Work-Group on Nature Conservation (1992) and Inter-Varsity Council on the Environment (1995-1997). He is Patron of the Singapore Gardening Society and was appointed Honorary Museum Associate of the Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum (LKCNHM) in 2012. In 2005, Dr Wee started the Bird Ecology Study Group. With more than 6,000 entries, the website has become a valuable resource consulted by students, birdwatchers and researchers locally and internationally. The views and opinions expressed in this article are his own, and do not represent those of LKCNHM, the National University of Singapore or its affiliated institutions.

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