Upper Peirce 18Jun06

Kim Chuah led this NSS birding trip. We met at the Casuarina carpark. Within our group, Con, Robert, Yamane and Peck Chan were present. While gathering at the Casuarina carpark, Kim Chuah pointed out the Oriental white-eyes in the trees to us. At 7.30 am sharp, our group headed for Upper Peirce Reservoir carpark, which is the actual NSS gathering point.

We walked along the Upper Peirce Reservoir and spotted some good birds here. There were 3 species of woodpeckers (rufous, banded, common flameback) and 3 species of kingfishers (stork-billed, white-throated, collared). There was also a white-bellied sea-eagle, some dark-necked tailorbirds and striped tit-babblers. Soon it started to drizzle, but it was a light one, so we carried on. Before we hit the barricaded road which goes along the reservoir, we were greeted by a chestnut-bellied malkoha by the side of the road. Then Kim Keang spotted a flying lemur with a baby!

Dark-necked Tailorbirds

Chestnut-bellied Malkoha

Along the barricaded road, there were bulbuls (cream-vented, olive-winged, yellow-vented), more good views of the chestnut-bellied malkoha, a juvenile brahminy kite flying overhead, long-tailed parakeets and sunbirds (crimson, plain-throated, purple-throated). The most interesting bird for this trip is a lifer for me - a short-tailed babbler. We owe it to Bingwen for calling it out.

There were also many house swifts flying very low. The reason why they were flying so low is that they were pushed down by the rain clouds and also the insects flew lower when it is going to rain. Sure enough, it began pouring soon (right after Ben Lee caught up with us in a cab). Only Kim Keang saw the greater green leafbird flying across, while the rest of us were busy standing under the tree for shelter or hurdling under our umbrellas. We rounded up with a butterfly - a Malay viscount.

Malay Viscount

1. House crow
2. Javan myna
3. Pacific swallow
4. Yellow-vented bulbul
5. Olive-winged bulbul
6. Plain-throated sunbird
7. Crimson sunbird
8. Purple-throated sunbird
9. Common flameback 1
10. Banded woodpecker 2
11. Rufous woodpecker 1
12. Asian koel
13. Striped tit-babbler
14. Short-tailed babbler 1
15. Dark-necked tailorbird
16. White-bellied sea eagle 1
17. Brahminy kite juvenile 1
18. White-throated kingfisher
19. Collared kingfisher
20. Stork-billed kingfisher 1
21. Long-tailed parakeet
22. Asian glossy starling
23. House swift
24. Swiftlet spp.
25. Black-naped oriole
26. Chestnut-bellied malkoha
27. Greater green leafbird
28. Common iora
29. Cream-vented bulbul
30. Oriental white-eye
31. Orange-bellied flowerpecker
32. Common tailorbird (heard)
33. Greater racquet-tailed drongo (heard)
34. Red-crowned barbet (heard)