Telok Blangah, Dover Forest 25Oct21

From KH

I started the day's birding with raptor watch at Telok Blangah Hill. Before any migrant raptor shows, what do you do? Look an Arctic Warbler on a Rain Tree.

Or a Crested Serpent-Eagle that perched on a bare tree.

Soon news of a "skylark" broke at the western edge of Dover Forest, and birders were flocking to the site. It then became clear that it was a Tree Pipit, another SG-first! When I reached, people were already zooming in on it, so it was an easy tick. While called a Tree Pipit, this bird was mostly on the Whitehead Spikesedge grass patch finding food. At some point in time, it did perch on a bare tree, redeeming it's namesake.

Was it trying to catch Spathosternum prasiniferum grasshoppers or Chestnut Bob butterflies?

Some nice plants at Dover Forest: Dragon Scale Fern on Yellow Flame.

NTU, Henderson Waves 24Oct21

From KH

I started the day at NTU as an Ashy Drongo nigrescen subsp. was reported here. When I reached a few folks were already shooting, so it was easy to locate. I didn't stay long and only took a few shots. Can you believe this very poor shot is the bird?

Throw in some African Tulips to brightening things up.

Moving on to Henderson Waves for another roosting session, and got a first-of-session Greater Spotted Eagle.

Followed by a handful of Japanese Sparrowhawks.

And some Oriental Honey-Buzzards.

Henderson Waves 23Oct21

From KH

Raptor Watch at Henderson Waves again. Got a first-of-season Gray-faced Buzzard. Others have photos, but I didn't shoot. I shot the following though. Mostly silhouette, but enough to ID.

Crested Goshawk


Chinese Sparrowhawk


Oriental Honey-Buzzard

Seletar Dam 21Oct21

From KH

Evening birding at Seletar Dam. 40 Daurian Starlings were still around.

And of course the ever present Javan Mynas.

Henderson Waves 21Oct21

From KH

Raptor watch at Henderson Waves. Got this Crested Serpent Eagle that came close.

These Japanese Sparrowhawks were a bit higher up.

And this Peregrine Falcon ernesti subspecies.

Seletar Dam 18Oct21

From KH

I went to Seletar Dam and saw a couple of hundreds of Daurian Starlings. Somebody find me a cheeky starling, please.

Here are the accompanying Asian Glossy Starlings and Javan Mynas.

Wader-wise, just some Common Greenshanks and Common Sandpipers.

And other waterbirds, like Striated Herons and Little Egrets.

Dawson 17Oct21

From KH

Danny, JS and I continued with raptor watch at Dawson Skyville today. Migrant raptors wise, only 3 OHB and 5 JSH.

Kent Ridge Park, Dawson 16Oct21

From KH

News of a Spotted Flycatcher (first spotted on 15 Oct 2021) broke and the birding fraternity was all on site at Kent Ridge Park on 16 Oct 2021 for this Singapore-first. The bird went on to stay for a couple of weeks.

After having enough of the flycatcher, we made a move and got a thermaling Oriental Honey-Buzzard.

Over to Dawson Skyville for raptor watch, and Grey-rumped Treeswifts (male left, female right) were at the carpark to welcome us.

We got the usual OHB and accipiters. Here's one of the OHBs.

Bedok Reservoir Park 15Oct21

From KH

When the birds are just too far away for any positive ID, what do you do? Leave them as tern sp.

Fortunately, female Ornate Sunbird came close for positive ID.

Macrotermes carbonarius termite mounds abound here.

Thomson Nature Park 03Oct21

From KH

I went to Thomson Nature Park today. Bird-wise, there's nothing too interesting.

Here's a Dollarbird and half a dozen Red-breasted Parakeets.

There were tons of insects though.

Grasshoppers: Nisitrus malaya and Rufous-legged Grasshopper nymph.

Butterflies: Dingy Bushbrown and Dark-brand Bushbrown, and Chocolate Pansy.

While this Fluffy Tit preferred to hang out with Asian Honey Bee sucking Red Leea nectar.

Here's a wasp and an sugar ant.

Here's a fly, a forest cockroach and a leaf beetle.

Pond skater in the same pond as guppies.

Lastly, a Common Sun Skink.