SBG, Bishan, SBWR 14Apr18

From KH

Con, Danny and I went to the Botanic Gardens. The Band-bellied Crake is still around, showing off its bands!

Asian Palm-swifts were circling the Learning Forest ponds.

Their cousins, the unidentifiable Aerodramus swiftlets were accompanying them.

The Brown-throated Sunbirds (female left, male right) were easier to identify, although people do confuse them with the next species.

The Olive-backed Sunbirds are smaller than the former. They also have a longer, more decurved bill. The male (right) has a different colour combination from the former, while the female (left) has a clear demarcation between the olive upper and the yellow under.

A Clouded Monitor was sunning itself and showing off the nostril that is midway between the eye and the mouth tip, a key distinguishing feature from the Common Water Monitor.

1. 10 Red Junglefowl (Domestic type)
2. 1 Red-legged Crake - Adult
3. 1 White-breasted Waterhen
4. 1 Band-bellied Crake
5. 4 Spotted Dove
6. 10 Pink-necked Pigeon
7. 5 dark swiftlet sp.
8. 5 Asian Palm-Swift - Circling
9. 2 Lineated Barbet
10. 1 Banded Woodpecker
11. 1 Common Flameback
12. 4 Long-tailed Parakeet
13. 4 Blue-crowned Hanging-Parrot
14. 4 Black-naped Oriole
15. 2 Greater Racket-tailed Drongo
16. 4 Yellow-vented Bulbul
17. 1 Olive-winged Bulbul - Heard
18. 2 Common Tailorbird
19. 2 Pin-striped Tit-Babbler - Heard
20. 1 Oriental Magpie-Robin
21. 30 Asian Glossy Starling
22. 1 Common Hill Myna - Heard
23. 1 Common Myna
24. 10 Javan Myna
25. 1 Scarlet-backed Flowerpecker
26. 2 Plain-throated Sunbird
27. 4 Olive-backed Sunbird
28. 2 Eurasian Tree Sparrow

Next, we went to Bishan Park. The Chinese Pond-herons were in breeding colours.

Somebody released a bunch of African Sharptooth Walking Catfish into the river. The cichlids swimming around them are also non-native...

1. 2 Red Junglefowl (Domestic type)
2. 2 Yellow Bittern
3. 1 Purple Heron
4. 2 Chinese Pond-Heron
5. 1 White-breasted Waterhen
6. 2 Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon)
7. 1 Spotted Dove
8. 2 Zebra Dove
9. 1 Asian Koel
10. 2 Sunda Woodpecker
11. 3 Common Iora
12. 2 Pied Triller
13. 1 Brown Shrike
14. 2 Black-naped Oriole
15. 1 Malaysian Pied-Fantail
16. 2 House Crow
17. 2 Pacific Swallow
18. 5 Yellow-vented Bulbul
19. 1 Common Tailorbird
20. 1 Oriental Magpie-Robin
21. 5 Javan Myna
22. 1 Olive-backed Sunbird
23. 1 Eurasian Tree Sparrow
24. 5 Scaly-breasted Munia

Bishan Park 12Apr18

From Con

Taken this morning with new Nikon 300mm f/4E PF lens.

Bishan Park, AMK TGW 17Mar18

From KH

After Kranji Marsh, Con, Danny and I went to Bishan Park.

The star birds here are the Asian Palm-swifts. They roost under the palm leaves.

This immature Rusty-breasted Cuckoo perched nicely above us.

While this Sunda Woodpecker was feeding on a juicy grub.

Bishan Park

1. 1 Red Junglefowl (Domestic type)
2. 1 pond-heron sp. - Non breeding
3. 5 Spotted Dove
4. 2 Zebra Dove
5. 1 Asian Koel
6. 1 Brush Cuckoo
7. 10 dark swiftlet sp.
8. 3 Asian Palm-Swift
9. 1 Collared Kingfisher
10. 1 Sunda Woodpecker
11. 1 Blue-crowned Hanging-Parrot
12. 2 Common Iora
13. 2 Black-naped Oriole
14. 2 Yellow-vented Bulbul
15. 1 Common Tailorbird
16. 1 Asian Brown Flycatcher
17. 2 Common Myna
18. 1 Plain-throated Sunbird
19. 4 Olive-backed Sunbird
20. 2 Eurasian Tree Sparrow

Next, Danny and I went to nearby Ang Mo Kio Town Garden West.

This male Crimson Sunbird was singing away under the hot sun.

While this female Olive-backed Sunbird was busy foraging.

Ang Mo Kio Town Garden West

1. 2 Pink-necked Pigeon
2. 10 dark swiftlet sp.
3. 2 White-throated Kingfisher
4. 1 Collared Kingfisher
5. 4 Black-naped Oriole
6. 1 Greater Racket-tailed Drongo
7. 6 Yellow-vented Bulbul
8. 1 Common Tailorbird - Heard
9. 2 Oriental Magpie-Robin - A pair
10. 5 Asian Glossy Starling
11. 2 Javan Myna
12. 3 Scarlet-backed Flowerpecker
13. 4 Plain-throated Sunbird
14. 6 Olive-backed Sunbird
15. 1 Crimson Sunbird - Male

Halus, Chinese Garden 15Mar14

From KH

Con is in the Philippines, so Danny, JS and I continued our Swinhoe's quest (as Con put it). The first site today is Halus. We started the day with two Jerdon's Baza, one of which was having breakfast. Many birders/photographers were around and there was to be an NSS outing. So we decided to go up the hill to hide from the crowd. An odd swift got us excited, but it turned out to be a tailless swiftlet, instead of a spinetail... Interestingly, this has happened about 2 years ago at the nearby tidal gates.

Also flying around was an Asian Palm-swift. Look out for the slimmer of the swifts with a forked tail and no pale rump.

Asian Palm-swift ©Tan KH

A snipe did flush from a drain connected to the grebe pond, but it was gone before we could observe it. Continuing on to the river connected to the reservoir, two accipiters caught our attention. Initially, hopes were high that one of them could be an Eurasian Sparrowhawk, but they turned out to be female Japanese Sparrowhawks. Other raptors present were 2 pale CHE, 1 Chinese Sparrowhawk, some Black Bazas and a WBSE.

After lunch at our usual Punggol coffeeshop, it was decision time again. Where else to snipe? Chinese Garden came to mind. A pair of snipes have been roosting at one of the ponds there for weeks now. Soon after reaching, one of the snipes started moving over to the drain to take a bath. We observed its acitivities and took many photos. We think it was a Swinhoe's Snipe, but our photos do not show the fully fanned tail...

Snipe ©Lau JS

Since the bird was now back to its resting spot, we went to check out the spots of the other highlights here: bb crake, grey nightjar and boobook, but they were all nowhere to be found.

From JS

Lor Halus
1) Changeable Hawk-eagle (3)
2) White-bellied Sea-eagle (1)
3) Black Baza (>6)
4) Jerdon's Baza (>2)
5) Japanese Sparrowhawk (>3)
6) Chinese Sparrowhawk (1)
7) Oriental Honey-buzzard (1)

Chinese Garden
1) Brahminy Kite (1)
2) White-Bellied Sea-eagle (1)

Dairy Farm Loop, Halus 8Mar14

From KH

The four of us started the day at Dairy Farm for the confirmed Sakhalin Leaf Warbler. Previously, in Jan, we thought it was a Pale-legged Leaf Warbler, as Sakhalin was out of range and never came to mind. Now in Mar, the bird was singing and ID can now be confirmed by the song.

Initially, the bird was nowhere to be seen or heard. Then some time after 9 am, we started to hear it and soon everyone of us (including 5 other birders) got good views of the bird. There seem to be two birds around.

Also present was a male Siberian Thrush and a Dark-sided Flycatcher.

Next, we went to Halus for the Asian Palm-swift that Con missed previously and also the Jerdon's Baza. Sure enough two of each were present.

First adult Jerdon's Baza ©Tan KH

Second adult Jerdon's Baza ©Tan KH

NTL2, CCK Cemeteries 15Feb14

From KH

Con, Danny, JS and I went to NTL2 because we heard it is a good place for sniping. At the entrance, we were surprised to see a Blue-throated Bee-eater. Apparently, this migrant breeder have been found year round in Singapore, although the majority do migrate after breeding months.

Near the entrance, we also added two singing cuckoos to Con's Big Year list - Little Bronze and Plaintive.

The marsh was really dry, but Purple Swamphens, Common Moorhens and a non-breeding pond-heron were still making the best of what was there. Two Watercocks were spontaneously flushed from the reeds. Black-browed Reed-warblers, Yellow Bitterns and Ruddy-breasted Crakes were also around.

Then someone shouted "harrier!" It turned out to be a juvenile Eastern Marsh-harrier. By now, it was late morning and getting hot, but still no snipe.

Juvenile Eastern Marsh-harrier ©Lau JS

On the way out, in the drain, we saw a pair of Blue-eared Kingfishers, a Slaty-breasted Rail and two snipes! They appear to be a Swinhoe's/Pintail. Oh well...

Next stop, Bollywood drain. First, we unknowingly flushed a few snipes from the drain. Then, another singing cuckoo caught our attention. This time a Banded Bay.

After lunch at NTU, we headed to CCK Cemeteries. Our mission once again was to look for snipes. Sure enough, 4 individuals were spotted in a grass patch. We spent 2 hours observing them, hoping they would fan their distinctive tail. They turned out to be Pintail Snipes. This was a dry grass patch, so it seems Pintail Snipes do like dryer ground.

Pintail Snipe ©Con Foley

Also present were Slaty-breasted Rail, Cinnamon Bittern and Asian Palm-swift.

Asian Palm-swift ©Lau JS