Panti 08Apr17

Con and Danny went Panti today.

From Con

Brown Wood Owl.

Panti 06Apr17

From Con

A Malaysian Eared-nightjar perching high before dawn. This behavior is completely undocumented. But now have photos.

Bidadari 02, 04Apr17

From Con

2 Apr

At Bidadari today, the Indian Cuckoo (left) and the Hodgson's Hawk-cuckoo (right).

4 Apr

At Bidadari this morning, there were two Large Hawk-cuckoos, one in more adult plumage and the other in more juvenile plumage (perhaps the same one seen over the weekend). There was also a male Indian Cuckoo and a Hodgson's Hawk-cuckoo (but with more juvenile plumage than the one seen over the weekend). So the cuckoos really seem to passing through Singapore with Bidadari as a pit stop.

Large Hawk-cuckoos (left adult, right immature)

Panti 01Apr17

From JS

After more than a year, it is nice to be back birding at what used to be our weekend haunt. Panti has definitely changed since we last went birding together. There is a new super-wide road cutting through the forest. There are a lot of truck traffic. There are less bird activities.

Due to a jam at the checkpoint, we reached Panti after dawn. The first stop as a brief tour of the entrance to Elephant trail. We wanted to count the number of birds crossing the super-wide road. There was none. Easy.

Next, we drove to the small swamp with a couple of tiup-tiup trees. No rare flowerpeckers. But the male Blyth's paradise flycatcher was singing readily with its probable mate hanging around in the vicinity. There is a high chance that nesting is taking place at that spot. The only question is where is the nest. For the record, the Silver-rumped Needletails and Grey-rumped Treeswifts were seen at this spot.

At a spot 5m beyond the 5km stream, we found a pair of Spectacled Bulbuls and a feeding Spectacled Spiderhunter. The spiderhunter was an interesting fellow because it could have the whole tree of red flowers to itself but it still wanted to advertise the buffet.

With few birds showing, we decided to check out the trails and the Woodpecker trail came to mind. Upon entering, we flushed a flock of feeding Pink-necked Green Pigeon. True to the name of the trail, we saw woodpeckers. A pair of Olive-backed Woodpeckers kept us entertained until the swarm of leeches became unbearable.

Moving on, we went to check out the deciduous straggling fig near the second stream. Unfortunately, it was not figging. We did see one Black and Oriental Pied Hornbills. Today was beginning to feel like a day out for the Ruby-cheeked Sunbird. There was a male hanging around the last few leaves of the deciduous straggling fig. The best bird so far was the booming call of the Short-toed Coucal, heard in the vicinity.

On our return journey, we stopped at Temple trail. The temple had expanded and so did the population of the bats. The trail was really quiet. Only when we were about to leave did we see a pair of Buff-rumped Woodpecker.

With a bit of time left before noon, we decided to take a look at the Dip Trail. Less than fifty meters into the trail, we had a mini-birdwave consisting of one Spectacled Bulbul, one Chestnut-winged Babbler, one Sooty-capped Babbler, one Buff-rumped Woodpecker and one Arctic Warbler. Apart from a pair of Fluffy-backed Tit-babblers and a small party of Pin-Striped Tit-Babblers, the babblers were not showing and not calling until now. Back at the entrance of the trail, we found our rarest bird of the trip in another mini-birdwave, a blue morph Rufous-winged Philentoma. It was together with a family of Chestnut-winged Babblers, another philentoma with the typical plumage, a Crimson-breasted Flowerpecker, an immature Yellow-breasted Flowerpecker (spotting a small orange crown patch with little yellow on the breast) and Hairy-backed Bulbuls. What a farewell!

Blue morph Rufous-winged Philentoma ©Con Foley

Although we have been birding for more than a decade at Panti over hundreds of trips, we were still able to find something new... Amazing!

1. Crested Serpent-Eagle 1
2. Changeable Hawk-Eagle 2
3. Asian Emerald Dove 2
4. Little Green-Pigeon 3
5. Pink-necked Pigeon 5
6. Short-toed Coucal (H) 1 Heard
7. Chestnut-bellied Malkoha 3
8. Violet Cuckoo (H)
9. Plaintive Cuckoo (H)
10. Fork-tailed/Square-tailed Drongo-Cuckoo (H)
11. Malaysian Hawk-Cuckoo (H)
12. Indian Cuckoo (H)
13. Silver-rumped Needletail 2
14. Brown-backed Needletail 1
15. Germain's Swiftlet 20
16. House Swift 1
17. Gray-rumped Treeswift 2
18. Whiskered Treeswift 2
19. Red-naped Trogon (H)
20. Diard's Trogon (H)
21. Black Hornbill 1
22. Oriental Pied-Hornbill 1
23. Rufous-backed Dwarf-Kingfisher (H)
24. Banded Kingfisher (H)
25. Red-bearded Bee-eater (H)
26. Blue-throated Bee-eater 1
27. Blue-eared Barbet (H)
28. White-bellied Woodpecker (H)
29. Banded Woodpecker (H)
30. Crimson-winged Woodpecker (H)
31. Olive-backed Woodpecker 2
32. Buff-rumped Woodpecker 3
33. Buff-necked Woodpecker 1
34. Gray-and-buff Woodpecker 1
35. Blue-crowned Hanging-Parrot 1
36. Banded Broadbill (H)
37. Black-and-yellow Broadbill (H)
38. Golden-bellied Gerygone (H)
39. Large Woodshrike (H)
40. Black-winged Flycatcher-shrike 1
41. Rufous-winged Philentoma 4
42. Green Iora 3
43. Lesser Cuckooshrike (H)
44. White-bellied Erpornis 7
45. Dark-throated Oriole (H)
46. Greater Racket-tailed Drongo 1
47. Amur Paradise-Flycatcher 2
48. Blyth's Paradise-Flycatcher 2
49. Malaysian Rail-babbler (H)
50. Gray-bellied Bulbul 3
51. Olive-winged Bulbul 1
52. Cream-vented Bulbul 1
53. Spectacled Bulbul 3
54. Hairy-backed Bulbul 16
55. Yellow-bellied Bulbul 2
56. Buff-vented Bulbul 2
57. Arctic/Kamchatka Leaf/Japanese Leaf Warbler 1
58. Common Tailorbird (H)
59. Rufous-tailed Tailorbird 1
60. Yellow-bellied Prinia (H)
61. Pin-striped Tit-Babbler 2
62. Fluffy-backed Tit-Babbler 2
63. Chestnut-winged Babbler 3
64. Moustached Babbler (H)
65. Sooty-capped Babbler 1
66. Black-capped Babbler (H)
67. White-chested Babbler (H)
68. Dark-sided Flycatcher 1
69. White-rumped Shama (H)
70. Pale Blue-Flycatcher (H)
71. White-crowned Forktail (H)
72. Lesser Green Leafbird 1
73. Blue-winged Leafbird 7
74. Yellow-breasted Flowerpecker 1
75. Crimson-breasted Flowerpecker 1
76. Orange-bellied Flowerpecker (H)
77. Ruby-cheeked Sunbird 5
78. Spectacled Spiderhunter 1
79. spiderhunter sp. 2

Singapore Botanic Gardens 29, 31Mar17

From Con

Both Hooded and Blue-winged Pittas were still at SBG.

Jelutong Tower 28Mar17

From Con

Got male Greater Green Leafbird at Jelutong.

Doi Lang 16-21Mar17

From Con

The bird of the trip for me was certainly the Green Cochoa (male).

Himalayan Cutia (male)

Hodgson's Frogmouth (male) brooding the young chick

Maroon Oriole (female).

Pulau Punggol 18Mar17

From KH

After Seletar East, we went for lunch before going to our favourite place, Pulau Punggol. Apparently, the Black-winged Kite chicks had fledged and the adults started mating again!

The only migrant raptor was a Black Baza.

Other migrants:

Asian Brown Flycatcher

Arctic Warbler

Common Greenshanks

The Baya Weavers were busy building nests and so were the African Golden Weavers.

And the common resident Asian Glossy Starlings.

Seletar East 18Mar17

From KH

Danny and I went to Seletar East grassland and there were only 6 Pintail Snipes left, not more than 100 as reported last week by Martin K, plus a Common Snipe.

Common Snipe

Other birds in the grassland included this Lesser Coucal and Pacific Swallows.

Lesser Coucal preening as Pacific Swallow flew above

At the wooded area, many resident birds were nesting - Coppersmith Barbet, Laced Woodpecker, Common Iora, Olive-backed Sunbird, Eurasian Tree Sparrow, Scaly-breasted Munia.

Female Common Iora collecting nesting material. Coppersmith Barbet working at nest hole

Laced Woodpecker. Sunda Woodpecker

Scaly-breasted Munia prospecting for nesting material

Male Olive-backed Sunbird

While some were already feeding juveniles, such as Asian Glossy Starling.

Other residents include a few Oriental White-eyes.

Oriental White-eye

This is the best time of the year where both Blue-tailed and Blue-throated Bee-eaters can be found at the same time.

Blue-tailed Bee-eater

Other migrants present were 2 Yellow Bitterns, 2 Arctic Warblers, 1 male Yellow-rumped Flycatcher and a few Asian Brown Flycatchers.

Yellow Bittern

Asian Brown Flycatcher

After lunch, we went to out favourite place, Pulau Punggol, and got nothing much. Apparently, the Black-winged Kite chicks had fledged and the adults started mating again!

The only migrant raptor was a Black Baza.

Black Baza

The Baya Weavers were busy building nests and so were the African Golden Weavers.

Seletar East 15Mar17

From Con

Finally after several years of trying. I went to that place that Jia Sheng doesn't want to go and on my first try I got a Lanceolated Warbler. Wasn't lucky to get a rare open shot but still something recognizable. Plenty of LW out there but this was the only one to give a brief look.

Kranji Marsh 11Mar17

Con, Danny and JS went to Kranji Marsh today. Martin was also there. Here's their ebird list.

1. 20 Lesser Whistling-Duck
2. 2 Red Junglefowl
3. 3 Yellow Bittern
4. 2 Purple Heron
5. 1 Intermediate Egret
6. 2 Little Egret
7. 1 Osprey
8. 1 Black-shouldered Kite
9. 12 Black Baza
10. 1 Changeable Hawk-Eagle
11. 1 Japanese Sparrowhawk
12. 8 Brahminy Kite
13. 3 White-bellied Sea-Eagle
14. 2 Slaty-breasted Rail
15. 4 White-breasted Waterhen
16. 1 Watercock
17. 12 Red-wattled Lapwing
18. 1 snipe sp.
19. 1 Common Sandpiper
20. 2 Red Collared-Dove
21. 6 Spotted Dove
22. 4 Zebra Dove
23. 12 Pink-necked Pigeon
24. 3 Lesser Coucal
25. 2 Asian Koel
26. 2 Banded Bay Cuckoo
27. 1 Plaintive Cuckoo
28. 1 Common Kingfisher
29. 1 Stork-billed Kingfisher
30. 2 White-throated Kingfisher
31. 1 Black-capped Kingfisher
32. 24 Blue-throated Bee-eater
33. 8 Blue-tailed Bee-eater
34. 2 Dollarbird
35. 2 Coppersmith Barbet
36. 1 Lineated Barbet
37. 1 Sunda Woodpecker
38. 3 Common Flameback
39. 20 Red-breasted Parakeet
40. 10 Long-tailed Parakeet
41. 1 Blue-crowned Hanging-Parrot
42. 6 Common Iora
43. 2 Brown Shrike
44. 2 Long-tailed Shrike
45. 12 Black-naped Oriole
46. 1 Malaysian Pied-Fantail
47. 2 Large-billed Crow
48. 8 Barn Swallow
49. 6 Pacific Swallow
50. 4 Red-rumped Swallow
51. 3 Red-whiskered Bulbul
52. 20 Yellow-vented Bulbul
53. 1 Black-browed Reed Warbler
54. 1 Oriental Reed Warbler
55. 1 Pallas's Grasshopper-Warbler
56. 2 Zitting Cisticola
57. 2 Common Tailorbird
58. 2 Ashy Tailorbird
59. 2 Yellow-bellied Prinia
60. 5 Oriental White-eye
61. 1 Pin-striped Tit-Babbler
62. 4 White-crested Laughingthrush
63. 3 Asian Brown Flycatcher
64. 2 Oriental Magpie-Robin
65. 20 Asian Glossy Starling
66. 2 Daurian Starling
67. 30 Javan Myna
68. 1 Scarlet-backed Flowerpecker
69. 2 Plain-throated Sunbird
70. 6 Olive-backed Sunbird
71. 2 Paddyfield Pipit
72. 8 Baya Weaver
73. 6 Scaly-breasted Munia
74. 5 Chestnut Munia
75. 100 swiftlet spp.
76. 5 Ashy Minivet
77. 1 Asian House-Martin
78. 1 Lanceolated Warbler

Panti 10Mar17

From Con

Frilled tree frog (Kurixalus appendiculatus)

NTL2 04-05Mar17

From Con

4 Mar

77 is the species count for NTL2 today in very overcast weather. Hope for more tomorrow.

http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist/S34948174

5 Mar

1	Red Junglefowl	3
2	Sunda Pygmy Woodpecker	1
3	Banded Woodpecker	2
4	Laced Woodpecker	2
5	Common Goldenback	5
6	Lineated Barbet	2
7	Coppersmith Barbet	1
8	Oriental Dollarbird	4
9	Stork-Billed Kingfisher	1
10	White-Throated Kingfisher	4
11	Black-Capped Kingfisher	1
12	Collared Kingfisher	1
13	Blue-Throated Bee-Eater	20
14	Blue-Tailed Bee-Eater	12
15	Banded Bay Cuckoo	1
16	Plaintive Cuckoo	2
17	Asian Koel	3
18	Lesser Coucal	8
19	Red-Breasted Parakeet	22
20	Long-Tailed Parakeet	20
21	Swiftlet Spp	80
22	Spotted Dove	20
23	Red Turtle Dove	1
24	Zebra Dove	3
25	Pink-Necked Green Pigeon	60
26	Slaty-Breasted Rail	8
27	White-Breasted Waterhen	8
28	White-Browed Crake	1
29	Watercock	1
30	Purple Swamphen	1
31	Red-Wattled Lapwing	6
32	Osprey	3
33	Black Baza	7
34	Crested Honey-Buzzard	2
35	Black-Winged Kite	3
36	Brahminy Kite	22
37	White-Bellied Sea Eagle	4
38	Changeable Hawk-Eagle	1
39	accipter spp	1
40	Milky Stork	1
41	Little Egret	5
42	Purple Heron	4
43	Yellow-Billed Egret	2
44	Yellow Bittern	1
45	Brown Shrike	2
46	House Crow	25
47	Large-Billed Crow	3
48	Black-Naped Oriole	20
49	Pied Triller	10
50	Pied Fantail	1
51	Common Iora	6
52	Asian Brown Flycatcher	2
53	Oriental Magpie-Robin	2
54	Asian Glossy Starling	60
55	Common Myna	2
56	White-Vented Myna	60
57	Barn Swallow	12
58	Pacific Swallow	8
59	Red-Whiskered Bulbul	3
60	Yellow-Vented Bulbul	30
61	Zitting Cisticola	2
62	Yellow-Bellied Prinia	4
63	Oriental White-Eye	5
64	Black-Browed Reed-Warbler	2
65	Oriental Reed-Warbler	1
66	Common Tailorbird	3
67	Ashy Tailorbird	2
68	White-Crested Laughingthrush	6
69	Striped Tit-Babbler	1
70	Scarlet-Backed Flowerpecker	4
71	Brown-Throated Sunbird	4
72	Olive-Backed Sunbird	6
73	Baya Weaver	8
74	Scaly-Breasted Munia	9
75	Black-Headed Munia	1
	Total No.	664

(after 10:30 am)
76	Blue-crowned Hanging Parrot	1
77	Long-tailed Shrike	2
78	Grey-headed Fish Eagle	1
79	Lesser Adjutant	1
80	Red-rumped Swallow	1
81	Yellow Wagtail	1
82	Common Sandpiper	1
83	Cinnamon Bittern	1
84	Common Kingfisher	1
85	Japanese Sparrowhawk	1

http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist/S34970957

Poyan 05Mar17

From Danny

1	Red Junglefowl	2
2	Banded Woodpecker	2
3	Laced Woodpecker	1
4	Common Goldenback	2
5	Lineated Barbet	3
6	Oriental Dollarbird	4
7	White-Throated Kingfisher	3
8	Collared Kingfisher	2
9	Blue-Throated Bee-Eater	2
10	Blue-Tailed Bee-Eater	8
11	Plaintive Cuckoo	1
12	Little Bronze-Cuckoo	1
13	Violet Cuckoo	1
14	Greater Coucal	1
15	Lesser Coucal	2
16	Red-Breasted Parakeet	6
17	Long-Tailed Parakeet	10
18	Swiftlet Spp	26
19	Grey-Rumped Treeswift	1
20	Spotted Dove	12
21	Common Emerald Dove	1
22	Zebra Dove	6
23	Pink-Necked Green Pigeon	23
24	Slaty-Breasted Rail	1
25	Red-Wattled Lapwing	2
26	Brahminy Kite	3
27	White-Bellied Sea Eagle	2
28	Changeable Hawk-Eagle	2
29	Yellow-Billed Egret	4
30	Blue-Winged Pitta	2
31	Golden-Bellied Gerygone	2
32	Long-Tailed Shrike	1
33	Large-Billed Crow	1
34	Black-Naped Oriole	9
35	Pied Triller	2
36	Greater Racket-Tailed Drongo	2
37	Common Iora	8
38	Asian Glossy Starling	41
39	Daurian Starling	4
40	Common Myna	1
41	White-Vented Myna	33
42	Barn Swallow	1
43	Pacific Swallow	2
44	Straw-Headed Bulbul	4
45	Yellow-Vented Bulbul	11
46	Olive-Winged Bulbul	3
47	Yellow-Bellied Prinia	2
48	Common Tailorbird	2
49	White-Crested Laughingthrush	3
50	Striped Tit-Babbler	2
51	Scarlet-Backed Flowerpecker	2
52	Brown-Throated Sunbird	2
53	Olive-Backed Sunbird	14
54	Crimson Sunbird	1
55	Paddyfield Pipit	1
56	White-Headed Munia	3
	Total No.	293

Serangoon 05Mar17

From KH

The usual birds here for the Annual Bird Race. Interesting sighting is a pair of nesting escapees Red-backed Mannikin (Lonchura nigriceps).

1	Sunda Pygmy Woodpecker	1
2	Rufous Woodpecker	1
3	Laced Woodpecker	1
4	Common Goldenback	1
5	Oriental Dollarbird	1
6	Common Kingfisher	2
7	White-Throated Kingfisher	3
8	Collared Kingfisher	5
9	Blue-Tailed Bee-Eater	6
10	Plaintive Cuckoo	1
11	Rusty-Breasted Cuckoo	1
12	Little Bronze-Cuckoo	1
13	Asian Koel	4
14	Rose-Ringed Parakeet	8
15	Red-Breasted Parakeet	3
16	Swiftlet Spp	30
17	Common Pigeon	8
18	Spotted Dove	13
19	Zebra Dove	4
20	Pink-Necked Green Pigeon	1
21	White-Breasted Waterhen	1
22	Common Greenshank	1
23	Common Sandpiper	4
24	Black Baza	2
25	Brahminy Kite	1
26	Grey-Headed Fish Eagle	1
27	Little Egret	4
28	Grey Heron	1
29	Striated Heron	19
30	House Crow	2
31	Black-Naped Oriole	8
32	Pied Fantail	10
33	Common Iora	9
34	Asian Brown Flycatcher	2
35	Oriental Magpie-Robin	1
36	Asian Glossy Starling	2
37	Javan Myna	33
38	Barn Swallow	2
39	Yellow-Vented Bulbul	10
40	Yellow-Bellied Prinia	3
41	Common Tailorbird	3
42	Ashy Tailorbird	9
43	Scarlet-Backed Flowerpecker	3
44	Brown-Throated Sunbird	3
45	Olive-Backed Sunbird	10
46	Eurasian Tree Sparrow	2
47	Red-Backed Mannikin	2
	Total No.	243

Fraser's Hill 24-27Feb17

Con, Danny and GC were at the 30th Fraser's Hill Bird Race.

From Con

Collared Owlet

From GC

1. Long-tailed shrike - Shahzan Inn - 1304
2. Oriental magpie robin
3. Sultan tit - Telecom Loop - 1318
4. Black-browed barbet
5. Chestnut-capped laughingthrush
6. Mountain fulvetta
7. White-throated fantail
8. Golden babbler
9. Mountain tailorbird
10. Streaked spiderhunter
11. Malayan cuckooshrike
12. Black-throated sunbird
13. Little pied flycatcher
14. Glossy swiftlet
15. Buff-bellied flowerpecker
16. Long-tailed broadbill
17. Mountain bulbul
18. Lesser racket-tiled drongo
19. Black-eared shrike babbler
20. Fire-tufted barbet
21. Siberian thrush
22. Orange-headed thrush
23. Mugimaki flycatcher
24. Rufous-browed flycatcher - Jln Valley - 1538
25. Brown shrike
26. Orange-bellied leafbird - Jln Lady Maxwell - 1554
27. Silver-eared mesia - Jln Ampang - 1610
28. Green magpie
29. Pacific swallow
30. Mountain leaf warbler
31. Lesser yellownape
32. Black-crested bulbul - New Road - 1804
33. Dark-necked tailorbird
34. Grey wagtail
35. Silver-breasted broadbill
36. Dark hawk cuckoo
37. Large niltava - Jln Lady Guillemard - 0727
38. Asian brown flyctcher - Jelai resort - 0740
39. Blue-winged minla
40. Stripe-throated bulbulb
41. Slaty-backed forktail - New Road
42. Ochraceous bulbul
43. Yellow-bellied warbler
44. Arctic warbler
45. Pygmy wren babbler
46. Blue-winged leafbird
47. Grey-headed canary flycatcher
48. Common tailorbird
49. Wreathed hornbill
50. Grey-chinned minivet
51. Greater racket-tailed drongo
52. Sooty barbet
53. Black-thighed falconet
54. Asian fairy bluebird
55. Blue-crowned hanging parrot
56. Rufescent prinia
57. Pin-striped tit babbler - Old Road - 0924
58. Crimson-winged woodpecker
59. Bronzed drongo
60. Yellow-crowned barbet
61. Red-billed malkoha
62. Crested honey buzzard
63. Blue nuthatch
64. Black-and-crimson oriole
65. Eastern crowned warbler
66. Chestnut-breasted malkoha
67. Large woodshrike
68. Red-headed trogon - Telecom Loop - 1116