NTL2 28Nov09

From SY

Soo Yen and friends were at Neo Tiew Lane 2 again. From top to bottom: Barn Swallow, Juvenile White-bellied Sea-eagle, Black-backed Swamphen and Red-wattled Lapwing.

NTL2 18May08 

From Danny

Despite busy schedule, managed to bird last Sat 18th May at Neo Tiew Lane 2. Managed to spot two trademark Black-backed Swamphens.

Another interesting bird was a White-winged Tern moulting to bleeding plumages in flight feeding off the water just off the holed fence (already patched up). Good spot for photo but not digiscope. Air pump running and the turbulence attracted a flock of Little Terns including this WW Tern to feed.

1) yellow bellied prinia - many
2) asian glossy starling
3) LTNJ - in flight in broad daylight
4) purple herons
5) grey herons
6) baya weavers - nesting
7) pf pipit
8) wb waterhens
9) spotted doves
10) zebra doves
11) collared kf
12) white throated kf
13) scaly breasted munias
14) rusty breasted cuckoo - heard
15) common flameback
16) sunda wp
17) laced wp
18) olive backed sunbirds
19) plain throated sunbirds
20) wbse
21) brahminy kite
22) black winged kite
23) pale morph CHE
24) javan myna
25) et sparrows
26) Black-backed Swamphen
27) bn oriole
28) png pigeon
29) little terns
30) white winged tern
31) dollarbird
32) koel
33) long tailed shrike
34) common iora
35) house crow
36) yv bulbul
37) white crowned laughing thrush
38) magpie robins
39) lesser coucal
40) common tailorbird
41) ashy tailorbird
42) scarlet backed fp
43) orange bellied fp

NTL2 11Nov06

Attendees: Danny, Con, Peck Chan, Chee Wai, Kok Hui

Today's trip is dedicated to Neo Tiew Lane 2. Right at the beginning of the trail at the barrier were Pied Trillers, a pair of Dollarbirds, mynas, orioles, doves on a single bare tree. Further down on another bare tree were a pair of Black Bazas, crows, starlings, a Chinese Pond Heron, bee-eaters. Long-tailed Parakeets flew by chattering away. A Black-winged Kite was harassed by a bunch of House Crows. Suddenly, a raptor flew by carrying a rat in its talons, too high and too fast to ID. Con was our advance party moving on way ahead of us. Chee Wai covered the end as he had to backtrack to grab his extra battery.

Immature Crow-billed Drongo ©Con Foley

Con alerted us to birds that he sighted while we took our time to slowly pick out each and every movement and bird call. Hence, he was the only one to see the Rufous Woodpeckers, while we were held back by a Sunda Woodpecker, ioras, tailorbirds, an Asian Brown Flycatcher, a Black-capped Kingfisher. After looking at the red bill of the black-capped KF, Danny came up with the Quiz of the day for PC: What is the bill colour of a collared kingfisher? She will find the answer when we reach the marsh. Suddenly, all the Cattle Egret took flight. Soon we realized a Brahminy Kite was in the vicinity.

We were surprised to see a pair of Blue-throated Bee-eaters with a pair of Blue-tailed Bee-eaters on the same tree in full comparison! Obviously, the Blue-throated Bee-eaters are over-stayers, as they are supposed to be here from Feb-Sep only. Soon we reached the marsh and Con was already there looking at coucals, a cuckoo and terns.

Female hepatic Plaintive Cuckoo ©Danny Lau

Female hepatic Plaintive Cuckoo ©Con Foley

We flushed a Yellow Bittern as we approached the water hyacinth pond. It has been a year since I was here and this place has indeed changed. Now there is a filtration pond right beside the hyacinth pond and there were some workers around too. No whistling ducks today. Catching up with Con, we hoped to wait for the swamphen, moorhen and white-browed crake to show themselves (like they previously did on April Fools' Day this year). However, there were none of these to be had this time. Two Collared Kingfishers showed up and right there was the answer to the quiz of the day - they have a mostly black bill.

Con told me there were only Yellow Bitterns and no swamphen, crake or moorhen along the bund. However, still hoping for the best, I walked on it anyway. On the bund were Paddyfield Pipits and Common Sandpipers. As I walked along, true enough, Yellow Bitterns were flushed. Also common were waterhen, terns, egrets and herons. An adult White-bellied Sea Eagle flew high. As it was a long walk to the end of the bund, I decided to u-turn without hitting the end, so as not keep the rest waiting and also because there were no unusual birds to expect.

Great Egret ©Tan KH

On the way back, a flock of 6 Black Bazas were circling right over my head. I only managed to capture 5 of them in the photo below.

Black Bazas ©Tan KH

By now Con was on his way back to the barrier and Chee Wai had left. However, good fortune awaits those who are patient! ;) A few minutes after I met up with Danny and PC at the marsh, a Purple Swamphen appeared in the water hyacinth pond. It would pop its head up once in a while. There was once, it popped up with a yummy morsel of snail in its beaks. Seeing that we were not going to get any photos from this bird we decided it was time to leave. While treading careful by the marsh, I saw 2 swamphen walking away from us! Fortunately, they remained in the open, offering clear views and a great photo opportunity.

Black-backed Swamphen ©Danny Lau

Black-backed Swamphen ©Tan KH

NTL2, Mandai Mudflat 01Apr06

From Danny (photos from Con unless otherwise stated)

It was meant to be another routine Sat birding event but it turned out to be a memorable weekend. Peck Chan did lead us to spot two Black-backed Swamphens which she counted during the last ABC (credit to her & her CNY cashew nuts).

One of the high-lite of the day was the display of the hunting skills of a "immature" WBSE (an understatement in relation to its fishing skill) right in front of us. It circled gradually down just off the Bund, about the last round, you could see it tilted its body like the F1 motorcyclist went round the bend, with both talons stretched, scooped out a big fish just below the turbid water surface. Just like what you see on N. Geographic channel (Sree did you manage to snap any precious moments?).

We thought it was a watercock (at least I thought so) but it turned out to be a White-browed Crake, lifer for most of us.

Yes it was a juvenile Common Moorhen, as I was able to track it on the scope with the typical cone shape upright tail and white fringes on both sides (back view) & the white markings on the flanks, other than its pale bill (after the event comments based on the video I had of the Common Moorhen I took at Marina South).

The sighting of the Rusty-breasted Cuckoo was sheer teamwork as we tracked it from tree to tree - it was nice to have someone who kept a perspective view on the bird movement while we try to view it thru' the cameras, binos/scope.

After the cuckoo on the way out, a WBSE was spotted hovering and suddenly a relatively smaller bird flew past with a distinct "kee" note call. The flying adult male Japanese Sparrowhawk picture Con took was wonderful (digiscope could never do it).

Further down the road where there was a side track, we came across a flock of about 25 to 30 mysterious long-tailed birds flying in big loop around a cluster of tall trees. The calls were like tri.tri...sisi... (sorry unable to reporduce in text) but definitely not parakeets or starlings.

Back to where we parked our cars, the faithful BSK was there on the same tree to wish us farewell and come back soon.

As Con left us to run some late errands for Marisol (welcome back, your breads were timely as most of us had little or no breakfast), we adjourned to the usual hawker centre at Kranji Loop for Pork ribs, Pork knuckers and Pig tails - Kok Hui not meant to make you homesick.

After lunch, both Sree and myself were to take a quick look at the Mandai mudflat track next to the Railway line (Yamane remember the canal bridge where the railway tracks cross over S. Mandai). While Sree waited along Kranji Loop as I send both Benjamin & Pat to Kranji MRT, he spotted a Large-tailed Nightjar perched on the roadside. We had wonderful time snapping pictures of the bird.

Lesser Whistling-ducks

Scaly-breasted Munia

Yellow-bellied Prinia

Large-tailed Nightjar from Danny