Clementi, SBWR, MacRitchie 02Feb09

From Danny

Morning birding at Clementi was relatively uneventful. After 2 hours of Con waiting by the log, no signs of either pitta (Hooded and BW spotted on Sun by Rey). Interesting birds observed were a pair of Red-breasted Parakeets preparing for nesting, Sulphur-crested Cockatoo, 2 Black Baza, snipe, Common kf....

Went to MacRitchie late morning but no signs of our target kf. After lunch headed for Lower Peirce but again no signs of owl or kf. Took break and returned to MacRitchie after 5 pm.

Excitement started after 5.35 pm. There were two Siberian Blue Robins (adult male and female), Short-tailed Babblers kept us fully occupied. Both Con and Marcus took pics of the brilliant male Robin taking bath on a small puddle of water by the boardwalk. All this while two Abbott's Babblers were having a duet but we had no time for them.

After 6.30 pm, the BBKF started fishing at the edge of the reservoir and as per Marcus descriptions last evening the water level was lower hence this evening the kf was fishing further in the canopy. Only my scope could make out the location of the kf and both photographers were firing into the darkness but nevertheless all 3 got our bbkf.

At Sungei Buloh:

Spotted a Dog-faced Water Snake in SBWR on 2nd Feb during high tide at boardwalk.

Please help to id, thought the "orange tape" was sea worm! I estimated the tapeworm between 1 to 2 ft in length, difficult to gauge as it swam with flat body in zig-zag manner.