Halus, Coney Island, Pasir Ris Farmway, Tampines 02Jan11

From KH

Today's my first 2011 birding and managed to get my 1^st lifer: White-shouldered Starling at Lor Halus. The other highlight is a male Oriental Cuckoo on Coney Island. Here are the details:

Took the festive opportunity to sneak into Lor Halus. Saw a Little Grebe in the Grebe Pond, but no one was in the Moorhen Pond. Other notables were:

1) Black Baza 1
2) Unid accipiter 1
3) Black-capped Kingfisher 1
4) Rose-ringed Parakeet 3
5) Large-billed Crow 1
6) Sooty-headed Bulbul 5

When I was about to leave, 3 Yellow-fronted Canaries landed on a tree.

Then, another bird landed on the same tree and flushed the canaries. It turned out to be a White-shouldered Starling (left) - an uncommon bird that has eluded me until now! Purple-backed Starling (right) also present for comparison.

Next, I decided to try my luck with Coney Island and managed to scale the barrier. :) The habitat is like Pulau Punggol. There is a main track that runs through the middle of the island.

First, I flushed a female Chinese Sparrowhawk and then later another female was seen perched on a tree.

Then, a perched "raptor" caught my attention. After I put my bins on it, I realised it's a large cuckoo. It flushed and landed on another perch, now facing me. The pale grey hood goes all the way down to the breast and there are black bars on the white belly - a male Oriental Cuckoo! Too bad, it decided to fly further into the forest before I could take a snap...

Here's the complete list of the hour-long survey:

1) Grey Heron >10
2) WBSE 1 adult
3) Brahminy Kite 1 adult
4) CHE 1 juv pale
5) Black Baza 1
6) Chinese Sparrowhawk 2 adult females
7) Blue-tailed Bee-eater
8) Dollarbird
9) Spotted Dove
10) Zebra Dove
11) Pink-necked Green Pigeon 1 male
12) Swiftlet sp.
13) Oriental Cuckoo 1 male
14) Golden-bellied Gerygone 1 heard
15) Black-naped Oriole
16) Oriental Magpie Robin >5
17) Javan Myna
18) Pacific Swallow
19) Barn Swallow
20) Red-rumped Swallow >5
21) Yellow-vented Bulbul
22) Common Tailorbird
23) Orange-bellied Flowerpecker
24) Paddyfield Pipit
25) Black-headed Munia

Spent the rest of the afternoon dropping by Pasir Ris Farmway, Tampines Biking Trail and Tampines Quarry.

Pasir Ris Farmway 1

1) CHE 1 dark morph
2) Ashy Minivet >5 on same tree as CHE

This friendly dark morph Changeable Hawk Eagle stayed with me for 1/2 hr and was still there when I left. It even pooed right in front of me!

Tampines Biking Trail

1) BWK 2
2) Little Ringed Plover 1

A single Little Ringed Plover panting under the hot sun.

So was the Blue-tailed Bee-eater.

Tampines Quarry

1) WBSE 1 immature
2) Brahminy Kite 1 adult

For the record, yesterday, an evening walk along Punggol East revealed Savanna & Large-tailed Nightjars (both heard only).