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

SBG, Hindhede 10Feb18

From KH

Con, Danny and I started off at SBG. The Band-bellied Crake is less skittish now.

The other star birds here were the White-rumped Munias and a Chestnut-winged Cuckoo.

The star fish here are the huge exotic African Walking Catfish (Clarias gariepinus).

SBG

1. 3 Mute Swan
2. 2 Red Junglefowl (Domestic type)
3. 1 Striated Heron
4. 1 Changeable Hawk-Eagle - Heard
5. 1 Red-legged Crake
6. 4 White-breasted Waterhen
7. 1 Band-bellied Crake
8. 6 Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon)
9. 3 Spotted Dove
10. 10 Pink-necked Pigeon
11. 1 Chestnut-winged Cuckoo
12. 1 Asian Koel - Heard
13. 1 Banded Bay Cuckoo
14. 1 Oriental Pied-Hornbill
15. 1 Common Kingfisher
16. 1 White-throated Kingfisher
17. 2 Collared Kingfisher
18. 1 Lineated Barbet
19. 1 Banded Woodpecker
20. 1 Common Flameback
21. 9 Rainbow Lorikeet (Coconut)
22. 4 Blue-crowned Hanging-Parrot
23. 2 Common Iora
24. 4 Black-naped Oriole
25. 2 Pacific Swallow
26. 5 Yellow-vented Bulbul
27. 1 Dark-necked Tailorbird - Heard
28. 1 White-crested Laughingthrush
29. 1 Orange-headed Thrush
30. 15 Asian Glossy Starling
31. 1 Common Hill Myna
32. 15 Javan Myna
33. 1 Orange-bellied Flowerpecker - Male
34. 3 Scarlet-backed Flowerpecker
35. 2 Plain-throated Sunbird
36. 5 Olive-backed Sunbird
37. 1 Eurasian Tree Sparrow
38. 5 White-rumped Munia

In the afternoon, we went to Hindhede Nature Park. Only 1 Brown Boobook was seen today, but lower.

A dark morph Changeable Hawk-eagle was much higher.

Hindhede

1. 1 Red Junglefowl (Domestic type)
2. 1 Changeable Hawk-Eagle - Dark morph
3. 1 Brown Boobook
4. 30 dark swiftlet sp.
5. 2 Lineated Barbet
6. 1 Blue-winged Pitta - Heard
7. 1 Black-naped Oriole
8. 1 Greater Racket-tailed Drongo
9. 1 Yellow-vented Bulbul - Heard
10. 1 Rufous-tailed Tailorbird - Heard
11. 3 Pin-striped Tit-Babbler
12. 10 Asian Glossy Starling
13. 1 Common Hill Myna
14. 2 Javan Myna
15. 1 Orange-bellied Flowerpecker
16. 2 Olive-backed Sunbird

SBG 27Jan18

From KH

Con, Danny and I went to SBG Bamboo Forest for the White-rumped Munias that were reported here a few days ago.

This one was showing the feature that gave it the name. ©Con Foley

This one was hanging from its food plant. ©Tan KH

A pale morph Changeable Hawk-eagle was high in the trees near the Bamboo Forest. ©Tan KH

The Band-bellied Crake was still around, slightly less skittish. ©Tan KH

A male Brown-throated Sunbird came close for photography when we were waiting for the crake to show. ©Tan KH

Mating Javanese Grasshoppers (Valanga nigricornis), the largest grasshopper species in Singapore. ©Tan KH

Poor Brahminy Blind Snake attacked by ants! ©Tan KH

1. 14 Red Junglefowl (Domestic type)
2. 1 Yellow Bittern
3. 1 Striated Heron
4. 1 Oriental Honey-buzzard
5. 1 Changeable Hawk-Eagle
6. 1 White-bellied Sea-Eagle
7. 2 Red-legged Crake
8. 2 White-breasted Waterhen
9. 1 Band-bellied Crake
10. 20 Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon)
11. 4 Spotted Dove
12. 1 Pink-necked Pigeon
13. 1 Chestnut-winged Cuckoo
14. 1 Asian Koel
15. 20 dark swiftlet sp.
16. 1 Asian Palm-Swift
17. 2 Oriental Pied-Hornbill
18. 2 Collared Kingfisher
19. 1 Blue-tailed Bee-eater
20. 2 Lineated Barbet
21. 1 Banded Woodpecker
22. 1 Common Flameback
23. 10 Psittacula sp.
24. 4 Blue-crowned Hanging-Parrot
25. 2 Common Iora
26. 3 Black-naped Oriole
27. 1 Malaysian Pied-Fantail
28. 1 Red-whiskered Bulbul
29. 5 Yellow-vented Bulbul
30. 1 Ashy Tailorbird
31. 2 Oriental Magpie-Robin
32. 10 Asian Glossy Starling
33. 2 Common Hill Myna
34. 10 Javan Myna
35. 2 Scarlet-backed Flowerpecker
36. 1 Plain-throated Sunbird
37. 2 Olive-backed Sunbird
38. 3 White-rumped Munia

Singapore Botanic Gardens 20Jan18

From KH

Con, Danny, JS, BJ and I went to SBG for the Band-bellied Crake that was first sighted yesterday at the Heliconia Walk. Sure enough, the bird was still here, but very skittish.

The family of Red-legged Crakes was more cooperative.

While waiting for the crakes, this male Olive-backed Sunbird came to entertain.

As did this juvenile Oriental Honey-buzzard.

The supporting cast including these Common Pigeons, Spotted Doves and Javan Mynas filled the remaining time.

A walk around Symphony Lake revealed a hungry Water Monitor digging into a huge exotic African Walking Catfish (Clarias gariepinus).

1. 16 Red Junglefowl
2. 1 Striated Heron
3. 1 Oriental Honey-buzzard
4. 1 Changeable Hawk-Eagle
5. 5 Red-legged Crake - Adults with chicks
6. 4 White-breasted Waterhen
7. 1 Band-bellied Crake
8. 25 Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon)
9. 4 Spotted Dove
10. 16 Pink-necked Pigeon
11. 1 Asian Koel
12. 1 dark swiftlet sp.
13. 1 Oriental Pied-Hornbill
14. 1 Common Kingfisher
15. 1 Collared Kingfisher
16. 4 Blue-tailed Bee-eater
17. 1 Coppersmith Barbet
18. 1 Lineated Barbet
19. 2 Banded Woodpecker
20. 10 Long-tailed Parakeet
21. 5 Rainbow Lorikeet (Coconut)
22. 4 Blue-crowned Hanging-Parrot
23. 1 Common Iora
24. 2 Black-naped Oriole
25. 1 Greater Racket-tailed Drongo
26. 1 Large-billed Crow
27. 2 Pacific Swallow
28. 4 Yellow-vented Bulbul
29. 2 Common Tailorbird
30. 1 Asian Brown Flycatcher
31. 2 Oriental Magpie-Robin
32. 30 Asian Glossy Starling
33. 2 Common Hill Myna
34. 1 Common Myna
35. 15 Javan Myna
36. 1 Plain-throated Sunbird
37. 8 Olive-backed Sunbird
38. 5 Eurasian Tree Sparrow

MacRitchie, Chinese Garden, Halus 01Mar14

From KH

After getting news of Barred Eagle Owl at MacRitchie, Con, Danny and I headed there. Unfortunately, except for a faraway Brown Boobook call, there were no other owls heard or seen.

When day break, we were off to Halus. Just when we were a few km from Halus, Con suddenly turned off Jln Kayu and informed us of the "mega rare" Band-bellied Crake at Chinese Gardens. So we took Con's car and headed straight there. We spent the rest of the morning at the pond where the crake was sighted yesterday, but only got Blue-winged Pitta, Black-browed Reed Warbler and "swintail" snipes.

After lunch, we were off to pick up our cars. Con decided it was too hot for afternoon birding and so Danny and I continued at Halus. As is routine now, around noon, our first stop is Halus Bridge for raptor watch. Seeing nothing special, we moved on to Sunshine Bridge and confirmed an Asian Palmswift mixed with the swiftlets.

Soon after, Con got wind that the crake has been spotted! So off we went to Chinese Gardens again... Sure enough the bird was foraging in a manicured drain with the statues are. And boy where there many birders and photographers.

I really have to hit myself on the head for not bringing my camera. So here is a crappy shot from my smartphone...

Fortunately, Danny was there with his scope: