Tuas 16Nov13

From JS

Having had a great raptor-watching session at Tuas last Saturday, we decided to back to Tuas and without afternoon commitment, Kok Hui could wait out any migrating Short-Toed Snake Eagle. The morning was blue sky and we started off at the usual timing. 7.15am is not the best timing for raptors, so we had breakfast before doing a bit of birding at the grasslands. Alas, no Lanceolated warbler. Instead, we were entertained by a juvenile female Besra harassing the swallows and swiftlets

and another accipiter who decided to begin its migration early.

Back to the field, we had the company of 7 other birders/photographers (including the mayor of Tuas, Low Choon How, and his wife) and other niceties such as the female Common Kestrel, an immature Peregrine Falcon and a Barn Owl! Becoming more of a norm, I tried to turn the Barn Owl into an Eastern Grass Owl, unsuccessfully. Nevertheless, seeing an owl in the day is always a bonus.

While we did see some different raptors from last week, we failed to see the Short-Toed Snake Eagle or the Greater Spotted Eagle. Actually, the morning was very much slower than last Saturday and the only reason that I could think of is that the birds are too busy counting the number of people on the ground, so when the number decreased to 4 (us and See Toh), the flocks came in.

Here's the count after Choon How had left:

1.10pm - 78 Oriental Honey Buzzards and 9 Japanese Sparrowhawks
1.15pm - A flock of 11 Japanese Sparrowhawks
1.35pm - 1 Japanese Sparrowhawk and 2 Oriental Honey Buzzards
2.30pm - 11 Oriental Honey Buzzards seen thermaling beside the food court at Tuas