Lesser Whistling Duck

 Based on Singapore Birds project website, Lesser Whistling ducks are uncommon breeding resident.

Lesser Whistling Duck.
2022 Oct 16 @ Garden By the Bay, Meadow Garden.
Got news on 15th Oct about this family and I know I need to head down immediately the next day before they grow up.

Lesser Whistling Duck.
2022 Oct 16 @ Garden By the Bay, Meadow Garden.
My thought was that I need to see them before they grow up.

Lesser Whistling Duck.
2022 Oct 16 @ Garden By the Bay, Meadow Garden.
It was 4.30pm. A crowd was there waiting for them.

Lesser Whistling Duck.
2022 Oct 16 @ Garden By the Bay, Meadow Garden.
The parade started and all the ducklings line up straight. There were seven of them.
Learnt from birders there that there were actually 9 the day before. 2 disappeared in one night.

Lesser Whistling Duck.
2022 Oct 17 @ Garden By the Bay, next to Marina Blvd.
I went next day at 4.30pm to check them out. Only saw 1 left with them and the family was no longer at the same spot. It has moved to downstream next to Marina Blvd. One birder told me that only 4 was sighted in the morning. 
But why is it that I saw only 1 left?

Lesser Whistling Duck.
2022 Oct 17 @ Garden By the Bay, next to Marina Blvd.
While they move up and down the stream, parent were heard calling out quite frequently. Another birder said he spotted 2 chicks earlier nearer to Meadow gardens. I wonder if the parents were calling out for the other chicks.

Lesser Whistling Duck.
2022 Oct 17 @ Garden By the Bay, next to Marina Blvd.
A few days later (Oct 19), a birder showed me a picture on one chick being eaten up by a smooth coated otter. This happened on Oct 18 around noon time. He said the otter was smart, it went underneath the water to grab the chick. The parents has not enough time to react. For this birder, he too has not enough time to react to record a video of its attack. 

Anyway, there are other predators in the park.

The Black-wing Kite family nesting has 3 young ones to feed, just steps away from the ducklings. There were plenty of monitor lizards around too. Perhaps all has benefited from this food cycle. Just that it is so sad for the duckling family.

Whatever it is, we were advised not to intervene with the nature. 

This was my first sighting of so many duckling in one family and never expect their life in this world can be so short.

RIP ducklings.

Here is a video that I uploaded in Youtube in memory of the ducklings.

Lesser Whistling Duck.
Lorong Halus @ 30 Apr 2022.
The Singapore Birds.com website listed it as an uncommon breeding resident.
And this is my first time spotting it too.

Lesser Whistling Duck.
Lorong Halus @ 30 Apr 2022.
The best part is, they can keep so still that for a moment, we thought they are wooden display.