Scotland, Dec 04

Visiting the Sundermanns in Edinburgh ... Sandy and Jörg



Kai and Tian ... converting their Singlish into Scottish



"Ach av missed ma mooth and splootered aw doon ma shirt! Gies a slug ay yer skoosh, ya stingy aul bugger, ye!" —Old man of the glen, Tian



Somewhere near Edinburgh Castle ...



Don's family seat, Urquhart Castle, and home of Nessie



Snow!

Birds spotted from the kitchen window in Singapore

Basic checklist of birds spotted outside the flat:

Family Accipitrida
White-bellied Sea Eagle
Brahminy Kite
Black-shouldered Kite
Crested Serpent Eagle
Black Baza
Japanese Sparrowhawk

Family Alcidinidae
White-throated Kingfisher
Collared Kingfisher
Common Kinkfisher

Family Apodidae
House Swift

Family Ardeidae
Plumed Egret
Cattle Egret
Purple Heron
Grey Heron

Family Bucerotidae
Great Hornbill (escapee)

Family Campephagidae
Pied Triller

Family Caprimulgidae
Large-tailed Nightjar

Family Chloropseidae
Common Iora

Family Columbidae
Spotted Dove
Pink-necked Pigeon

Family Coraciidae
Dollarbird

Family Corvidae
Large-billed Crow

Family Cuculidae
Lesser Coucal
Common Asian Koel

Family Dicaeidae
Crimson-backed Flowerpecker

Family Dicruridae
Greater Racquet-tailed Drongo

Family Estrildidae
Scaly-breasted Munia

Family Hirundinidae
Pacific Swallow

Family Meropidae
Blue-throated Bee-eater
Blue-winged Bee-eater

Family Nectariniidae
Olive-backed Sunbird
Purple-throated Sunbird

Family Oriolidae
Black-naped Oriole

Family Picidae
Rufous Woodpecker
Common Goldenback Woodpecker
Banded Woodpecker

Family Psittacidae
Blue-rumped Parrot
Blue-crowned hanging Parrot
Long-tailed Parakeet
Lesser Sulphur-crested Cockatoo
Tanimbar Corella

Family Pycnonotidae
Yellow-vented Bulbul
Red-wiskered Bulbul (escapee)

Family Rallidae
White-breasted Waterhen

Family Strigidae
Collared Scops Owl

Family Sturnidae
White-vented Myna
Common Myna
Hill Myna
Philippine Glossy Starling

Family Timaliidae
White-crested Laughing Thrush

Family Turdidae
Magpie Robin