Sunda Scops Owl Nest Feeding Time - 6 May 2024

**The Sunda Scops Owl juveniles have since fledged on 9 May 2024****
The Sunda Scops Owl (SSO) is one of the smallest owls in Singapore. It is normally difficult to find as it hides in vegetation most of the time. Nests are practically impossible to find. And add the Uniqely Singapore obsession with cute and fluffy animals.
So when news spread of a SSO nest and cute fluffy owl juveniles in ideal viewing position right smack in a HDB estate bus stop, next to a road, a whole crowd of birders effectively set up a 24/7 watch around the nest to film and photo the celebrity owl juveniles. You can refer to the following articles for pictures of the crowd:
mothership.sg/2024/05/telok-b...
www.straitstimes.com/singapor...
This has been of mixed benefits - and a source of much debate. On one hand, the crowd can be a potential disturbance to the owl juveniles, especially with people who made too much noise or shone torchlights at the owls, which can potentially damage their eyesight. Fortunately, in most cases other people would shout at these people to stop their behaviour. The Singapore NParks authorities eventually cordoned off a small zone around the tree to prevent people from getting too close.
At the same time, the crowd can potentially help with human related dangers. Some people helped to place the juveniles back in the nest when one fell off the nest at May 8 at 2am in the morning. Later, on the night of May 9, when one of the newly-fledged owl juveniles landed on the road, people also helped to block road traffic and pick it up, averting a potential roadkill incident.
What do you think?
Telok Blangah, Singapore 6 May 2024

[@coachgaryang]

Omg the amount of camera snap sounds are already enough to scare the parent away!

[@SeekingWings]

Yes, the amount of sound generated by the shutters & by people talking can be quite loud. I was standing at the back of the crowd of 50+ people. You can imagine how much louder the camera mechanical shutter (snap) sounds are at the middle or the front of the crowd.
The long term solution is to shift to electronic shutter cameras, to eliminate the shutter noise. I have already shifted myself and I do hope that our more people local birder community shifts to electronic shutter cameras ASAP.

[@psycho8939]

hi can i ask some questions

[@SeekingWings]

Yeah, just ask here directly. Hopefully we can help answer.