Singapore Strait, Changi 18Dec10

From JS

Con, my father and I did "some" morning seabirding at the Singapore Strait on the "shittiest-looking" yacht in Sentosa Cove. To prevent Kok Hui from missing much, we saw only the Crested Terns and daily migrating swifts (>70).

Of special interest to me, the migrating swifts came in waves at different timing, notably 7.30am, 9.00am and 9.30am. Subsequently, the waves were smaller and less frequent, observed to be hours apart. In between, we had a lone "Himalayan" Swift and 6 Pacific Swallows.

Back to the shores at about 1pm, my father and I headed eastward to Changi Cove. (we entered the cove barely 20m and a worker told us to come again tomorrow or the following Saturday but in the morning or earlier.) Since we couldn't explore the cove thoroughly, we spent the evening seeking out the raptors inside LP149.

Raptors seen

1) White-bellied Sea-eagle (1 juvenile)
2) Brahminy Kite (2)
3) Black-winged Kite (4)
4) Black Baza (6)
5) Chinese Goshawk (3, including seeing 1 "old" female juvenile and observing 2 female adults in a cat-fight with claw-clenching and calling.)
6) Common Buzzard (2)

No Jerdon's Baza though but we found the Large Hawk-cuckoo again, together with its confusing indian companion.

Enjoy spotting the differences between the 2 adult female Chinese Sparrowhawks!

Juvenile female Chinese Sparrowhawk.

Common Buzzard