Pulau Ubin 13Apr19

From Con

We found the female Barred Eagle-owl. We couldn’t find the juvenile. Should be close but couldn’t find.

Not many shore birds though.

Pulau Ubin 07Apr19

From Con

During the Ubin survey on Sunday, a juvenile Barred Eagle-owl was found.

BTNR 12Jan16

From GC

BEO @ BTNR, 12/1/2016. Back view taken at 7.16pm, 1 minute after official sunset time. 1/40s, f/5.6, ISO 6400, handheld with VR.

From Danny

Thru the scope of Martin K.

BTNR 08Dec15

From KH

This Barred Eagle-owl at Bukit Timah Nature Reserve carpark was first seen by Kennie Pan today. With modern communication tools, news of such a rarity quickly spread and I managed to tick it off at about 6:30 pm.

Barred Eagle-owl ©Con Foley

Pulai, Palm Resort, Kukup, Pontian 3Dec11

From KH

Con, Danny and I went on a recce trip to Pulai and Kukup. After breakfast south of Gunung Pulai Recreational Forest (GPRF), we went round the western side to the northern entrance. Initially, we took a wrong turn and ended up at a camp, but just in time to catch a Changeable Hawk-eagle gliding past.

When we reached the entrance, there were already many cars. Apparently, residents have been visiting GPRF for some time, climbing the 700-m hill (4.7-km track) in slightly more than an hour.

Although the weather was cool, and the stream and waterfall were nice, the birds were not. The only notable birds were 2 unid needletails high up and a female Mugimaki Flycatcher. Other birds include a Striated Heron flushed from the stream, the calls of Short-tailed and Striped Tit-babblers, and friendly Orange-bellied Flowerpeckers and Dark-necked Tailorbirds. Mammal-wise, we saw a White-handed Gibbon, a male Pig-tailed Macaque, a bunch of Long-tailed Macaques and some squirrels.

Finally, at the 2nd steel bridge at the 2.76-km mark, we made our descent to continue our recce round GPRF.

Passing through our lifer town of Kulai, we soon reached Palm Resort at Senai. Failing to locate the Barred Eagle Owl, we went round the golf course, until back at the hotel block, the Indian workers pointed out the owl to us.

Left: Male. Right: Female sitting on nest in flower bed ©Con Foley

After lunch, we explored the eastern side of GPRF. We found the pond and reservoir, but no duck, only a Brown Shrike. Next up, Kukup.

Other than a bunch of Great Egrets flying to Pulau Kukup, there were not many birds there, although I did see a White-bellied Sea-eagle circling in the direction of Pulau Pisang. The most amazing thing here, to me, is how the mudskippers are able to thrive in the over-polluted mudflat. There was also a snake/eel in the water. Our aim here, however, is check out the rates of the boat - RM500 for 2-3 hours with 3-4 passengers.

Over at Pontian, the red earth area is pretty much the same as a few years ago. There was a Great Egret, a Grey Heron and a couple of Common Sandpipers. The rate here is RM800!

Palm Resort 04Sep11

From Yamane

I’m happy to see you last Saturday in SBWR with some seashore birds. As you know, Con and I went to Palm Resort with Jean-Rene last Sunday. I attached 2 photos. One is some bird’s nest. Another is “2 photographers with their bazookas, chasing Owls, in the golf course”.

Of course, our target is Barred Eagle Owl. We seek them in the resort, but we could not find them. Con suggested to check the trees in the golf course. Also I agreed with him, in spite of worrying that our bazookas was hit by golf balls Con and Jean-Rene found a Owl. But he (or she) was cautious toward us. We could not take good photos. We could see the below birds there.

1. Collared Kingfisher
2. Olive-backed Sunbird

Palm Resort 08, 10Jul11

From Con

8 Jul

I went with Loong Tat today to the Le Grandeur Palm Resort which is right next to Senai Airport. Take 2nd Link. Here is the map location.

The owls are definitely there, there are two, an adult (probably the female) and the juvenile (several months old).

I just asked the concierge (name plate SAM) and he told me where the owls are. We got some pictures but they aren’t very good because the owls were obstructed in the trees, but you can easily see the features.

10 Jul

Loong Tat and I went up to Palm Resort again today; and again we weren’t very lucky. The owls were not in their roosts near the resort, these trees are lower and offer better photo ops. But we did find the owls up on the hill, the trees are high and not very photogenic.

Barred Eagle-owl

A Barred Eagle-owl was sighted at Nee Soon Swamp by Dingli on 18 Jan 08, here's what GC has to say about this species:

Scientific name Bubo sumatranus Raffles 1822, "discovered" (by record-keeping people anyway, hehe) in Sumatra and named by Raffles in 1822.

This pic nailed where else but in Sumatra!!