Fun or nuisance? Crowds flock to Telok Blangah to snap photos of owl family, inconveniencing road users

They're watching the birds, but who's watching them?

In the last few days, folks from birdwatchers to shutterbugs to curious onlookers have been flocking to Telok Blangah to take pictures of a family of owls — a mother and two babies — nestled in the hollow of a tree next to a bus stop. 

The Sunda Scops owls, a common resident in Singapore, can usually be found at Bukit Batok Nature Park, Central Catchment Forest, Pasir Ris Park and many more locations, according to the Bird Society of Singapore.

But the crowds have reportedly also caused some inconvenience to road users.

A TikTok video uploaded on Tuesday (May 7) shows a large group of people — many with telephoto cameras and tripods set up — packed onto the grass patch next to the tree and road.

Although there is a guard rail, some people have spilled out onto the side of the road.

In the same video, which was shot on Tuesday evening, people with camera equipment are standing on the short dividers on the road.

"All these inconsiderate people causing a nuisance to road users just to take photos of baby owls," a TikTok user said.

A Facebook user who was there that evening said it was mainly passers-by and schoolchildren who are causing a nuisance.

"[They] were constantly going on the roads to take pictures despite us repeatedly telling them not to as the bus lane was there," the netizen said. "They would say the photographers were blocking them but actually, they wanted to get as close as possible to the birds."

NParks has cordoned off an area next to the tree. A video posted on SgfollowsAll Instagram page shows that police cruisers were also present. 

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When AsiaOne visited the site at around 9.50am on Thursday, there were around 10 people, most of whom were birdwatchers. 

There were some early birds, who were there as early as 7am to take pictures of the owls.

Zhang Jianwang, a 68-year-old retiree who arrived at 9am, said: "My friend told me about the birds, so I came over," he said, adding that he's been birdwatching for over 20 years.

'Some people don't obey the rules'

Residents at the nearby blocks who spoke to AsiaOne said they are not too bothered by the sudden surge in people in the vicinity.

A resident surnamed Soon said he had gone to look at the birds in his spare time and noticed some birdwatchers occasionally stepping on the road while trying to get shots of the owls.

"So when the bus tries to stop [at the bus stop], it has to [go around the people], so I'm a bit concerned about their safety," the 68-year-old said.

"Some people don't obey the rules, they try to squeeze in to get a good spot, and sometimes end up spilling onto the road as well."

A 58-year-old birdwatcher surnamed Leong told AsiaOne: "I think you have to be responsible for your own safety, so you should definitely not be stepping onto the road. No matter how beautiful the birds are, we should still stay in a safe place and not go too close to the birds."

Soon said the crowds haven't really affected the residents in the area. "It's quite a fun activity for children who have never seen owls before. And it's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for some," he added.

Don't crowd around or use bright lights: Acres

Apart from people's unsafe behaviour, the crowds and camera flashes could also be stressing out the birds.

At 2am on Wednesday, one of the owlets reportedly fell from the nest. It was picked up by a photographer who was there and returned to the nest.

"The owlet probably fell out from the stress of all the birder activity and being disoriented by the lights [of] night photography," a Facebook user said.

Responding to queries by AsiaOne, Animal Concerns Research and Education Society (Acres) co-chief executive Kalai Vanan said many people have called to voice their concerns.

"We have seen not only videos of large crowds surrounding the owl, but also photographers using what looks like spotlights to illuminate the area for a chance of a better photograph," he said.

He explained that Scops owls are common in Singapore, well-adapted to urban residential estates, and prey on small animals like lizards and insects at night. 

They are, however, "shy animals" that are "very susceptible to stress", and crowding them with "hundreds of camera lenses" and having "eyes fixated" on them "will certainly stress them out". 

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Vanan added: "When the owlets fledge and start to learn to fly, the presence of people will have an impact on the parents' ability to guide and teach, which will affect the young.

"We urge the public to not crowd around the nesting site and photographers to practice basic ethics. Do not crowd, be noisy or use lights like spotlights or other external sources including flash."

"Your need for a good photo does not need to come at the expense of the animal's welfare."

Should any fledgling birds be seen on the ground, Vanan urged people to call the Acres hotline at 97837782, and not to touch or handle the animals.

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khooyihang@asiaone.com