Our birding trips: Asian Pied Starling

NTL2, Pulau Punggol 05Nov10

From KH

Con, Danny and I started off at NTL2 this morning. It was nice to see a Black-capped Kingfisher and a Common Moorhen at the marsh, but skulking Lanceolated Warblers refused to show... Also present were common migrants like Common Kingfisher, Ashy Minivet, Arctic Warbler, Brown Shrike, Barn Swallow, pond-heron and Blue-tailed Bee-eater. Raptor-wise, we had: 2 CHE (1 pale young and another heard), 1 BWK, 2 adult WBSE and 1 juv Japanese Sparrowhawk (it missed while chasing a bird!).

Juvenile Japanese Sparrowhawk ©Con Foley

The highlight at NTL2, however, was a brilliantly coloured adult Asian Pied Starling at d'Kranji Resort. Then at the NSRCC entrance, Danny spotted another Asian Pied Starling, a juvenile this time. Wonder if they are migrants or just escapees. Who would keep a dull-looking juv for pet? Or is there a breeding feral population here unknown to us?

Adult Asian Pied Starling ©Tan KH

As SBWR was having some event, we made an early detour to Pulau Punggol. By 10.40 am, we were at the site and immediately a dark Booted Eagle was seen circling above its favourite haunt! This time the landing lights and distinctive upperparts pattern stood out clearly. Too bad, no photos, but glad to have it back. Also present was 1 Osprey, 1 adult male Chinese Sparrowhawk (feeding on a bird), 1 WBSE, 2 Brahminy Kite (1 adult, 1 juv), 1 hovering BWK and 1 CHE (heard).

Male Chinese Sparrowhawk ©Con Foley

Con also saw our first Black Baza of the season at the Seletar West exit. 9 raptor species today. Not as good as Pencil Hill, but not too bad for Singapore! :)

Sungei Balang, Batu Gajah, Parit Jawa 01Dec07

From JS

Introduction

On 1^st December 2007, Con, SC, Mike, Vincent, my father and I went to Sungei Balang and the nearby padi fields. Comparing S. Balang to Changi Cove, honestly, the diversity is less as S. Balang does not include any coastal mudflats and, most importantly, S. Balang is along Malacca Straits while Changi Cove is at the end where the Malacca Straits meets the South China Sea. Given this important location advantage, it is no wonder more birds would flock to Changi Cove as most migratory routes intersect there. Nevertheless, considering that Singapore’s freshwater marshes are deteriorating at a fast pace, S. Balang would be a good place to see the freshwater waders. Hopefully, the Teminick’s stint would show a VIP appearance.

Summaries of the birds seen at each location visited

Sungei Balang

Having a mix of large open woodlands and flooded padi fields, it is easy to see why it attracts so many raptors. Raptors sighted include two Greater Spotted Eagles, dozens of Black Kites and the resident raptors. Although the species list doesn’t sound so attractive, seeing dozens of them circling in BLUE sky is a spectacular but as it is a spectacular, I was too busy admiring it instead of photographing the spectacular scene.

Black Kite

Black-winged Kite

Batu Gajah I don’t think I am the right guy to do a write-up on this place as I have only spent 1h there and saw only hundreds of waders and thousands of egrets. Noteworthy sightings would be a pair of ashy drongo of race nigrescens, a juvenile moorhen and dozens of long-toed stints.	Ashy Drongo nigrescens

Comments: My day trip range ends at Panti. Any place located further is for family outings. It is more educational to come here to see agriculture than to see birds. Most importantly, if you are lost while driving to this place, don’t ever ask anybody from the Petronas petrol kiosk. They are more likely to guide you back to Singapore than to your destination.

Parit Jawa A short description of Parit Jawa: it is a small seaside town with endangered ugly birds. When I was there the tide was high, so I was only able to egrets, herons, adjutants and more egrets, more herons... From a birder’s point of view, 5 min is all one needs to see and id all the birds.	Lesser Adjutant

White-winged Terns

Comments: When you go there, order sweet potato leaves and all the different dishes of chicken wings, use the money saved from the seafood to spend on other things. If you are just passing Parit Jawa, on your way to Muar, have your lunch at Muar then.

List of birds seen in the trip

1) Greater Spotted Eagle (2)
2) Black Kite
3) Brahminy Kite
4) Black-Winged Kite
5) Osprey
6) Lesser Adjutant
7) Grey Heron
8) Purple Heron
9) Yellow Bittern
10) Cinnamon Bittern (1)
11) Little Heron
12) Great Egret
13) Cattle Egret
14) Little Egret
15) Common Moorhen (1)
16) Scaly-breasted Munia
17) Red-wattled Lapwing
18) Common Greenshank
19) Common Redshank
20) Marsh Sandpiper
21) Common Sandpiper
22) Wood Sandpiper
23) Long-toed Stint
24) Asian Pied Starling
25) Asian Glossy Starling
26) House Crow
27) Large-billed Crow
28) Common Myna
29) Javan Myna
30) Black Drongo
31) Ashy Drongo (2)
32) Blue-tailed Bee-eater
33) Yellow-vented Bulbul
34) Spotted Dove
35) Zebra Dove
36) Eurasian Tree Sparrow
37) White-winged Tern

More photos from Jia Sheng: