BTNR 30Sep06

Summary

Today, there were 6 of us, Danny, JS, Kong, PC, Robert and I. The destination was Bukit Timah Nature Reserve and we were on the look out for fruiting trees and migrants, as well as uncommon residents. We took Sanapang Trail, left into Lasia Track, left into Catchment Path which led us to the summit. The highlights were a dark morph changeable hawk-eagle, which remained perched till we got sick of it, and the grand finale at the summit with bulbuls, fairy-bluebirds, leafbirds, warblers, flowerpeckers, paradise-flycatchers all feeding on the same tree. The bird of the day got to be the stunning white morph Asian paradise flycatcher at the summit.

Details

I met Danny and JS while they were having breakfast far out of the carpark. Asian glossy starlings were chattering in the trees, barn swallows catching insects and a crimson sunbird landed on a branch right in front of us. Then we spotted a rare green-shirted birder, and he was none other than LKS. After Danny unloaded the camera and scope, we headed towards the cycling trail. Kong has got a good spot in the carpark and PC was with him, while Robert was still searching for a nice spot to park far out. So we headed into the trail. It was quite an uneventful start. Nonetheless, the laughingthrushes did entertain us with their noisy squabbling. A swarm of flies was noted by Robert and a rat of some sort was running around on the forest floor. Soon we reach the Sanapang-Lasia junction. This is quite a good spot. We could see a dark morph changeable hawk-eagle perched in a tree at a distance in the opening. Danny got many shots of it as it went about its morning preen and call. Noisy racket-tailed drongos were calling away too. There was also a pair of laced woodpeckers pecking away on the tree. Suddenly, a drongo mobbed the hawk-eagle, but the raptor was not too concerned. It remained in the same tree making its territorial call. The took-took call of the red-crowned barbets kept us busy for a while, but despite lots of effort we could not see them...

Proceeding on Lasia Track, we lost JS as he lagged behind looking for warblers. Besides a female yellow-rumped flycatcher and some tailorbirds, there were not many birds around. Stopping by the stream, we could only hear a spiderhunter chatting but could not see it. By this time, Robert had to leave for some errands. The rest of us carried on to the open Belukar Track. Besides a large-billed crow high up on a tall tree, it was pretty quiet again. Taking the Catchment Path without knowing where it leads, we found ourselves making a tough ascent. We reached the junction to Cave Path perspiring and panting. Now the tough decision. Do we carry on climbing up to the summit given that the fruiting tree up there might have been depleted, or do we descend the Cave Path? Danny, who has been carrying his scope all by himself said "ascent!" JS seconded it. The rest of us who did not have such a heavy burden of course could not say no! :) It was a great decision. On the way up, we met a female birder and she has advised us to look out for a white morph Asian paradise flycatcher.

We were delighted to find that the tree was still full of fruits. Immediately, with binos raised, we picked out warblers (Arctic, eastern crowned), bulbuls (olive-winged, cream-vented, black-crested), flowerpeckers (orange-bellied, scarlet-backed), Asian fairy-bluebirds, blue-winged leafbirds, many typical morph Asian paradise-flycatchers. No sign of the white morph yet.

Black-crested Bulbul ©Danny Lau

After more than 1 hour of scrutiny and various positions we tried to make ourselves comfortable peering at the canopy, we thought we were done. Then JS shouted, "white morph!" Despite much effort, Danny and I could only see it zooming pass once. Soon it started raining... As we thought that was it for us, the heavy rain turned into a slight drizzle and the bird came out briefly into the open. It really was almost all white with a black head. Satisfied, we headed downhill for a much desired lunch at the Bt Timah Hawker Centre. By the time we reached the summit, it was 11 am and probably due to the gloomy sky, the bird activities started late. Hence, we were lucky to catch the feeding frenzy at its peak.

1 Common flameback (2)
2 Laced woodpecker (2)
3 Banded woodpecker (5h)
4 Red-crowned barbet (2h)
5 Emerald dove (1)
6 Pink-necked green-pigeon (>20)
7 Changeable hawk-eagle (1 dark morph)
8 Asian fairy-bluebird (4)
9 Blue-winged leafbird (2 male)
10 Large-billed crow (1)
11 Black-naped oriole (2)
12 Greater racket-tailed drongo (10)
13 Asian paradise-flycatcher (10 brown morph, 1 white morph)
14 Yellow-rumped flycatcher (1 female)
15 Common iora (1)
16 Asian glossy starling (>30)
17 Common myna (2)
18 Javan myna (10)
19 Barn swallow (10)
20 Straw-headed bulbul (1h)
21 Black-crested bulbul (1)
22 Yellow-vented bulbul (2)
23 Olive-winged bulbul (2)
24 Cream-vented bulbul (2)
25 Red-whiskered bulbul (1)
26 Common tailorbird (5)
27 Dark-necked tailorbird (5)
28 Arctic warbler (>10)
29 Eastern crowned warbler (5)
30 White-crested laughingthrush (8)
31 Striped tit-babbler (3-5)
32 Orange-bellied flowerpecker (2)
33 Scarlet-backed flowerpecker (1)
34 Olive-backed sunbird (1)
35 Crimson sunbird (1)
36 Little spiderhunter (1h)

Dark morph Changeable Hawk-eagle ©Danny Lau