Jurong Bird Park Trip

On Vesak Day holiday, I brought the kids to Jurong Bird Park.  It's a kind of reward for Lincoln.  I had promised him that for each subject in which he scores at least 80%, I'd take him to an attraction of his choice.  Well.... He managed to get 90% for his math, but 72% for English & 69% for Mandarin.  Although he still has a lot of work to do for both English and Mandarin, he did fulfill his end of the bargain for math, so he chose to go to Jurong Bird Park, all the way in the West.

It was a beautiful day, just after a dawn rain, so the weather was not so hot although it was still very humid.  Both Lincoln & Lindsay couldn't contain their excitement from the moment we stepped out of the car and walked towards the entrance which was beautifully styled as a garden.

Vegetation arches at the entrance - A7R2 + Batis 2/25

As soon as we cleared the ticket gates, the first attraction was Penguin Coast.  I didn't know they have Penguins in Africa that can live in tropical climate, that was a moment of enlightenment for me.....  There were also the typical cold climate penguins in an enclosed area shaped like a ship.

Some prefer to swim while others just "stone"... - A7R2 + Batis 2/25

After we cleared the Penguin Coast we started walking up towards the Wetlands to see  colourful birds such as scarlet ibis and pelicans.  Along the way to the wetlands I snapped a photo of this Heliconia flower.

Close up of a Heliconia - A7R2 + Batis 2/25

And over at the wetlands we were treated to this wonderful sight.

The Wetlands - A7R2 + Batis 2/25

From the wetlands we crossed over to the Hornbill and Toucan enclosures.  It was so amazing to see such large birds capable of flight up close (almost....). 

One of the better Hornbill photos I got - - A7R2 + FE 55mm 1.8 ZA

After seeing those hornbills we walked further up to see the birds of prey which are mainly vultures.  I didn't get to snap good photos of the vultures, most of my shots were focused on the cage grills instead of the bird, that's the problem with mirrorless AF....  or perhaps, I need a longer lens.

Once we were done with the vultures, we crossed over to the Lory Loft.  The Lory Loft will be the first major attraction in the Park.  This is where you can get very close to the birds by feeding them.  These birds are very colourful and very friendly too.  To get the nectars which the lories feed on, you have to purchase them at S$3 a cup near the entrance.  We were fortunate that a lady who was about to leave the area gave us her nectar cups so we didn't have to pay for our lory feed.  😊

A lorikeet drinking nectar, these birds are honeyeaters - A7R2 + Batis 2/25

This lorikeet actually jumped onto my hand and I brought it closer to the kids for a good look - A7R2 + Batis 2/25

After the birds had their fill of the nectars, we walked around the area and crossed two suspension bridges for some quick thrills, I mean it was quite something when the bridge rocked around gently as we walked across.

A very cool suspension bridge in the Lory Loft - A7R2 + Batis 2/25

And another bridge leading back to the main entrance - A7R2 + Batis 2/25

I guess I had as much fun in Lory Loft as Lincoln & Lindsay.  😄😄😄😄😄

After we were done exploring the Lory Loft, we had a quick drink at the Cafe to stay hydrated and moved on to the next section called the Jungle Jewels.  In the Jungle Jewels you will find many small colourful birds flying around.  Again, this is a section where you are almost in close contact with the birds, so long they are not afraid of you. 

Got this nice shot of these 2 birds hanging up there - A7R2 + Batis 2/25

One of the more picturesque section in Jungle Jewel - A7R2 + Batis 2/25

From the Jungle Jewels we went over to the Bird Discovery Centre to get a quick relief from the humidity and just cool down.  Inside the Bird Discovery Centre you will learn some quick and interesting facts on birds.

A giant bird's skeleton like the one from the movie Up - A7R2 + Batis 2/25

That's a plastic model of a hatching chick - A7R2 + Batis 2/25

Once we cooled down enough, we went over to the Dinosaur Descendants, Swan Lake and Pelican Cove.  From Pelican Cove we got separated, the kids were too impatient and went on to the Parrot Paradise with the wifey while I stayed in Pelican Cove to get more photos.

Entrance to Pelican Cove - A7R2 + Batis 2/25

Pelican Cove Lake - A7R2 + Batis 2/25

Near the Pelican Cove is the Swan Lake, but it was the monitor lizards running around that were more interesting than the swans; I mean, they are huge lizards!

That is a big lizard....  - A7R2 + Batis 2/25

As soon as I was done, I caught up with my wife & the kids over at the Parrot Paradise.

Entrance to Parrot Paradise - A7R2 + Batis 2/25

I suppose the Parrot Paradise must be another main attraction in the Bird Park.  Here you can find the rare blue macaws and see many kinds of cockatoos, which I prefer to call "kakaktua", a name I'm more familiar with.  Parrot Paradise is indeed very interesting attraction in the bird park with many varieties of colourful macaws and cockatoos.   

One of the blue macaw displays in Parrot Paradise - A7R2 + Batis 2/25

As we had taken a shortcut, that means we had missed going to the Waterfall Aviary.  So we back tracked to Waterfall Aviary to make sure we didn't miss anything.

While the birds in Waterfall Aviary came across as somewhat common, it was the artificial waterfall that proved to be the main attraction as many people stopped by for a quick photo there.  It may not be a real waterfall, but it sure look very real to me and everyone else inside the aviary.

The man-made waterfall - A7R2 + Batis 2/25 

After we cleared Waterfall Aviary we made our way to Birdz of Play through the Flamingo Lake for a scenic walk. 

Taken at the exit from Flamingo Lake - A7R2 + Batis 2/25

And over at Birdz of Play, the kids really had their fun time with the water play facility in that area.  Birdz of Play was practically occupied by children, childish teenagers and adults who refused to grow up.

Everybody just want to have fun in Birdz of Play - A7R2 + Batis 2/25

Everybody got so excited waiting for the giant water bucket to pour - A7R2 + FE 55mm 1.8 ZA

And just as the kids finished bathing, it rained cats and dogs.  We were just less than a hundred metres away from the exit.   We took shelter in the Breeding & Research Centre waiting for the rain to subside.

Inside the Breeding & Research Centre - A7R2 + Batis 2/25

Once the rain abated, we made a run to the ticket entrance to make our way home.

In all we covered the park in almost four hours and we didn't even catch the shows in the amphitheaters as well as the feeding shows.  Including those, we could possibly spend another hour or so.  It was an enjoyable visit with the kids.

Here's a closing shot for this birdy entry:

Lincoln & Lindsay at the entrance - A7R2 + Batis 2/25

~ Photos taken with Sony A7R Mk 2 + FE 55mm 1.8 ZA & Batis 2/25 ~