Halus, SBWR 20Sep08

From Danny

Not a particular good day for birding. First, was denied entry to CC via KT gate by guard stationed in the centre guard post - could be due to the belated time of 7.30 am. Decided to head for Halus. 1st stop at big drain, spotted 2 Long-tailed Shrikes, Common Sandpipers, egrets, swallows, PGP and an early Chinese Pond Heron. At the Grebe Pond, the heart sank when barricades were up along the side next to Sungei Punggol. There were more hard hats than birds. Not surprisingly not a single grebe in sight. At the valley where waders were common, there were bulldozers and the hillsides were bare earth. Keep those pics of Little Grebes - maybe they are historical.

Went for early lunch before heading for SBWR. No sign of the Knot but larger flocks of Whimbrels and Curlew Sandpipers (at least 30 compared with last week 7) with the usual red, greenshanks and Marsh Sandpipers. No sign of any Broad-billed Sandpiper.

At Hide 1C, found large flocks of Whimbrel and Lesser Sand-plovers (about 30-40). Search every sand plover but no sign of Greater. Found 2 slimmer Curlew Sandpipers among the sand plovers. Tried David Copperfield's will power magic to straighten the bills to turn them to Dunlins. Other than the 2 turnstones, there was a large flock of Little Egrets, numbering close to a hundred as what LKS reported on Census day.

Almost fooled by this squating wader taken last Saturday at SBWR as Great Knot.
The differences as follows:
1) thinner and sharper bill
2) the coverts and scapular fringes buff unlike the knot which are white
3) the uppertail covert barred
The wader was a Common Redshank.

Hopefully the Grebe will return at the end of the construction. It looked  like the Pond will be left as it is.