Bay East Garden
Last Updated on 23 December 2022
Gardens by the Bay is not just about the domes and the supertrees! It took us a while to realise that Gardens by the Bay was actually made up of not just one but three separate gardens – Bay South, Bay East and Bay Central Gardens.
Bay South Garden is the main Garden that houses the glamorous Supertrees and the prominent glass-domed Conservatories called the Cloud Forest and Flower Dome.
The lesser known Bay East Garden – a mere sliver on the Gardens map – is the second largest of the three Gardens.
It overlooks the iconic Conservatories and Supertrees, and probably has the best views of the Singapore skyline.
Because it is not as well-known, Bay East Garden is usually less crowded and more peaceful compared to the more popular Bay South Garden.
The track that runs along the spine of Bay East Garden offers spectacular views all the way. How could we not fall in love with this place?
Some enjoy indulging in a range of water activities such as canoeing, kayaking, or dragon-boating…
…while others prefer going for a skinny dip in the warm clear waters of the Marina Reservoir…
…having a picnic in the sun..
…or simply lolling around.
Marina Barrage – known to many as a venue for recreational activities such as kite-flying – is actually a strategic dam built across the 350-metre wide Marina Channel to keep out seawater and create the Marina Reservoir that supplements our nation’s water supply.
Along the breakwaters lining the Bay East Gardens, we are quite likely to spot some friendly water birds, such as the Striated Heron (Butorides striata)…
…the Pacific Reef Heron (Egretta sacra)…
…the Malaysian Plover (Charadrius peronii)…
…the Lesser Sand Plover (Charadrius mongolus)…
…the Kentish Plover (Charadrius alexandrinus)…
…or the Common Sandpiper (Actitis hypoleucos), always energetically foraging around the rocks for insects, crustaceans, molluscs, worms, and whatever other juicy bites he can get ahold of.
The walking path is lined with dense flowering shrubs on one side…
…and dense towering trees on the other…
…which makes for a perfect habitat for a wide variety of birds to live and thrive in. Some of the common birds that we can be sure to spot here include the Olive-backed Sunbird (Cinnyris jugularis)…
…the Common Tailorbird (Orthotomus sutorius)…
…the Swinhoe’s White-eye (Zosterops simplex)…
…the Common Iora (Aegithina tiphia)…
…the Asian Koel (Eudynamys scolopaceus)…
…the Pied Triller (Lalage nigra)…
…the Yellow-fronted Canary (Serinus mozambicus)…
…the Brown Shrike (Lanius cristatus)…
…and the Chestnut Munias (Lonchura atricapilla).
Several aquatic ponds run through the Garden.
Besides adding to the aesthetics of the area, these ponds are designed to retain rainwater, which are used for watering the extensive greenery that we see all around us.
Aquatic plants such as cattail, water lily, and water lotus not only absorb excess nutrients in the water and help maintain good water quality…
…but also function as playground for the water birds, such as the Yellow Bittern (Ixobrychus sinensis)…
…the Javan Pond Heron (Ardeola speciosa)…
…the Black-crowned Night Heron (Nycticorax nycticorax)…
…the White-breasted Waterhen (Amaurornis phoenicurus)…
…and his cute and fluffy black chick.
At the heart of the Garden lies an expansive grassy field overrun with wildflowers…
…that has become a wonderland for the Masked Lapwings (Vanellus miles).
A family of Masked Lapwings can usually be seen running around the field, foraging on the grass…
…or simply loafing under the soft morning sun.
When the season is right, the Masked Lapwings might decide to have themselves some babies. If we’re lucky, we might get to see their poofy chicks playing in the mud…
…or follow them on their family outing.
After having explored the Bay East Garden, our next mission is to run around the whole Gardens and do a complete circuit covering 8 km.