Punggol, SBWR, NTL2; MacRitchie; Bt Brown, SBG; Fort Canning 26-27Nov05

I had to give this weekend a miss, but Con, Danny and JS were birding on Sat at Punggol, Sungei Buloh and NTL2. Con was back at the Punggol drain on Sun to pick up the White Wagtails. Peck Chan gave it a miss too, but she was having a night walk at MacRitchie. Robert was also in action on Sun at Botanic Gardens. Yamane was helping us monitor the White-bellied Sea Eagle nesting situation at Fort Canning.

From JS (Sat)

Today, my father, Con and I went to Punggol and Sungei Buloh. At 12 noon, Con left while my father and I continued the day at Neo Tiew lane 2.

Unlike the previous trip at Punggol, we did not see the Rufous Woodpecker. Instead, we saw an abundance of Long-tailed Shrike, about seven of them, and a flock of White-shouldered Starlings. There was no vegetation in the drain, so the snipes were not there to feed. As I have a guided walk to guide in Sungei Buloh at 9 am, we left Punggol at 8:30 am.

At Sungei Buloh, there was nothing special. No cuckoos, knots, Broad-billed Sandpiper, Grey Plover, except a small flock which had a mixture of greenshanks, redshanks, Marsh Sandpipers, Whimbrels, Bar-tailed Godwits and three Curlew Sandpipers. Not a very fruitful trip. :( My father and Con saw a Green Iguana which was an escapee. Other than the iguana, there was nothing much at SBWR.

At 12 noon, Con left. My father and I planned to explore the Mandai Mudflat and the canal's mudflat but had to call off the plan as it started to rain. Rather than waiting for the rain to stop, my father went to explore the drain that connects to Sungei Mandai and discovered a heron and egret paradise. I am not sure about the species of egret and herons seen but he spent 15 mins in the heavy rain, this shows that the place had many birds.

After a trip to Bukit Timah to refuel the car's petrol tank, the rain stopped and we went home to get the cameras for usage during the second half of today's birding trip. Due to high tide, nothing much could be see at the canal's mudflat, so we went to Neo Tiew Lane 2. We caught a glimpse of the Black Baza, thinking that it was the Black Magpie, and a Crested Goshawk attacking a Collared Kingfisher not once but three times. Sadly, the bird of prey was not very successful, so are we. The scope was good but some how the camera was not able to capture the raptors with great quality. :(

Photos from Con:

Long-tailed Shrike. White-shouldered Starling

Curlew Sandpipers and a Pacific Golden-plover

Punggol Drain/Grassland
1) Common Sandpiper
2) White-shouldered Starling
3) Long-tailed Shrike
4) Large-billed Crow
5) House Crow
6) Common Myna
7) Javan Myna
8) Pacific Swallow
9) Barn Swallow
10) Yellow-vented Bulbul
11) Pink-necked Green-pigeon
12) Grey Heron
13) Collared Kingfisher
14) Spotted Dove
15) Zitting Cisticola
16) Baya Weaver
17) Scaly-breasted Munia
18) Asian Koel
19) Black-winged Kite

SBWR
20) Curlew Sandpiper
21) Marsh Sandpiper
22) Bar-tailed Godwit
23) Little Egret
24) Intermediate Egret
25) Common Redshank
26) Common Greenshank
27) Pacific Golden-plover
28) Ashy Tailorbird (heard)
29) Copper-throated Sunbird
30) Pied Fantail
31) Brahminy Kite
32) Stork-billed Kingfisher

Neo Tiew Lane 2
33) Black Baza
34) Brown Shrike
35) White-throated Kingfisher
36) Crested Goshawk
37) Blue-tailed Bee-eater
38) White-winged/Little Tern
39) Yellow Bittern
40) Ruddy-breasted/Red-legged Crake
41) Cattle Egret
42) Black-naped Oriole

From Con

The 'catch of the day' certainly has to be the large Iguana that Danny spotted at Sungei Buloh. I heard that this fellow has been spotted in several locations in Singapore, not sure if it's the same individual.

Con was at the Punggol drain again on Sun and coincidentally, Kim Seng and gang was there too. Kim Seng heard the call of the wagtails and pointed them out. Con managed to get both Mr and Mrs White Wagtail.

White Wagtail - left female, right male

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Peck Chan's MacRitchie night walk

We (only 2 of us) were at MacRitchie Prunus Trail tonight. Saw 3 species of spiders, Field Frog (camouflaged in the mud), a pair of Wood Scorpions in a dead wood. Highlight was a 3 m long, diameter 10 cm Python swimming in the reservoir. It retreated when we shone the torchlight on it.

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Robert's Bt Brown & SBG sightings

I ventured out by bike this morning to Bukit Brown and the Ecolake at Botanic Gardens. I sighted:

Bukit Brown
Long-tailed Parakeet
Asian Glossy Starling
White-throated Kingfisher
Banded Woodpecker
Straw-headed Bulbul (audio only)

Ecolake
Magpie Robin
White Wagtail
Yellow Bittern
White-breasted Waterhen
Ashy Tailorbird

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Yamane's White-bellied Sea-eagle at Fort Canning