up close to a baya weaver's nest

the other two times when i came across baya weaver's nests at jalan gemala and brickland road, i had to view them from a distance. today, while i was at neo tiew lane 2, i managed to go right under the tree to study the nest. there was no small bird in the nest; it could have taken flight when it saw me approaching the nest.

the nests always fascinate me. today on the same tree i saw two nests; normally, i would see more nests because of the gregarious nature of the baya weavers; they tend to stay close to one another. each male bird may construct more than one nest to attract its mates. they are so well-woven that they last beyond the three months mating period.

neo tiew lane 2 is where 20 farm villas have been built. the villas all have a balcony that overlooks a fruit plantation. the place will have a restaurant and a beer garden. the agri-tainment farm is scheduled to open in september this year.

to get to where the nests are found, you have to circumvent a barrier - meant to keep out vehicles because at the road end is a protected area. this quiet stretch of road which leads to the kranji pumping station is an ideal place for bird watching.