Clementi Woods 20Mar21

From Con

Female Black-naped Monarch at Clementi Woods. Others have got better photos of the bluish colour of the head of the bird, and I got some incredible looks also, but missed those photos. However, I was an early arrival, only Frank was there when I arrived, and I got photos that others didn't. I also heard the bird sing a few times. According to Wells, the immatures look like females except adult female has a brown iris, immature has a grey iris. Try to see this difference in the field! ©Con Foley

From KH

I had to work in the morning, but glad that I made it in time to see this one day wonder at Clementi Woods. By this time, after noon time, she was higher up and hiding.

This male Brown-throated Sunbird was a distraction while we searched for the monarch.

Danny and JS were on Kusu Island. They only saw distant terns.

SBG 24Oct19

From Danny

Black-naped Monarch was around, seen twice, skittish, no photo... It was calling before 9am after short drizzle, then renovation works started and it was all quiet.

SBG, Tuas 19Oct19

From KH

A Black-naped Monarch was reported at the Singapore Botanic Gardens near Symphony Lake. Con, CH and I went for the bird and was not disappointed. JS has seen this species on Pulau Tekong, while Danny and GC were at Taiwan Bird Fair.

Singapore Botanic Gardens

1. Red Junglefowl (Domestic type) 2
2. Pink-necked Green-Pigeon 1
3. dark swiftlet sp. 20
4. Gray-headed Fish-Eagle 1
5. Tanimbar Corella 4
6. Black-naped Oriole 1
7. Black-naped Monarch 1
8. Common Tailorbird 2
9. Barn Swallow 5
10. Pin-striped Tit-Babbler 2
11. Javan Myna 5
12. Crimson Sunbird 1

CH and I met JS and wife at Tuas for raptor watch, but there wasn't much migration going on.

Tuas

1. Pacific Swift 2
2. Oriental Honey-buzzard (Northern) 1
3. Changeable Hawk-Eagle 2
4. Chinese Sparrowhawk 7
5. Japanese Sparrowhawk 13
6. Brahminy Kite 2
7. White-bellied Sea-Eagle 1
8. hawk sp. 11
9. Blue-tailed Bee-eater 17
10. Pied Triller 1
11. House Crow 2
12. Barn Swallow 15
13. Red-rumped Swallow 4
14. Paddyfield Pipit 2

Kinabatangan 10Jun18 late afternoon

From KH

First, a Flat-tailed Gecko.

Then, Pygmy Elephants.

Adult

Junior

Herd

This male Black-naped Monarch was taking a dive.

White-crowned Hornbills - male left, female right.

2 crested raptors: Crested Serpent-eagle (left) and Crested Goshawk.

Brahminy Kites.

Adult

Juvenile at nest

Finally, the Bearded Pigs were back at the restaurant for free handouts.

1. 1 Oriental Darter
2. 5 Purple Heron
3. 5 Great Egret
4. 1 Crested Serpent-Eagle
5. 1 Crested Goshawk
6. 2 Brahminy Kite
7. 5 Green Imperial-Pigeon
8. 2 Greater Coucal - Heard
9. 1 Square-tailed Drongo-Cuckoo - Heard
10. 5 Plume-toed Swiftlet
11. 30 dark swiftlet sp.
12. 1 Scarlet-rumped Trogon - Heard
13. 2 White-crowned Hornbill - A pair
14. 4 Black Hornbill
15. 4 Oriental Pied-Hornbill
16. 4 Blue-eared Kingfisher
17. 2 Stork-billed Kingfisher
18. 2 Blue-throated Bee-eater
19. 2 Dollarbird
20. 1 Blue-eared Barbet - Heard
21. 1 Great Slaty Woodpecker - Heard
22. 2 Blue-crowned Hanging-Parrot
23. 2 Black-and-red Broadbill
24. 1 Black-and-yellow Broadbill - Heard
25. 1 Hooded Pitta - Heard
26. 2 Malaysian Pied-Fantail
27. 2 Black-naped Monarch - A pair
28. 5 Slender-billed Crow
29. 5 Pacific Swallow
30. 3 Ashy Tailorbird
31. 1 Yellow-bellied Prinia - Heard
32. 2 Bold-striped Tit-Babbler - Heard
33. 1 White-chested Babbler - Heard
34. 1 White-rumped Shama (White-crowned) - Heard
35. 2 Common Hill Myna

Fraser's Hill, Merapoh 27Apr-3May12

From Con

At Merapoh, there is a nice Black-naped Monarch nest to add to the mix of pittas and philentomas.

Pulau Tekong 31May - 03Jun10

From JS

After a gruelling period of 4 days in Tekong, I am back to modern civilisation, back to the company of mynas and more mynas. At Tekong, it was the White-rumped Shama that were everywhere - on the road and one even came up to my instructors for food!

Thrash birds aside, I was fortunate to hear my first Mangrove Blue-flycatcher and see my first Black-naped Monarch on Tekong. I was expecting to see the monarch in the dense forest of Tekong but saw it at the shrubby trees by the track.

Other noteworthy sightings were more Green Imperial-pigeons and plenty of the brilliantly coloured Purple-throated Sunbird.

Raptor Sighting on 1/6: Osprey (1)

Pulau Punggol, Pulau Tekong 13Feb10

From JS

Pulau Punggol

Last Saturday, my father and I went to Pulau Punggol in the morning. Below is the summary of the raptors seen:

1) Peregrine Falcon (1)
2) Black-Shouldered Kite (2)
3) Brahminy Kite (>5)
4) Black Baza (2)
5) Chinese Sparrowhawk (1 female adult)
6) Booted Eagle (2 dark-morph booted eagle were seen circling in the sky. 1 of them was flushed from its roost in the upper storey.)
7) Changeable Hawk Eagle (1)
8) WBSE (>2)
9) Osprey (1)

A blur photo of the two Booted Eagles.

From Danny: Refer to accipiter pic, for a while we were thought it could be Shikra or Besra. Nevertheless, the distinct feature of orangey cere, pink wash (extend down to belly) with fine barring at belly, absence of uppertail barring & black primary tips (shown in JS pic), mesial streak, led to conclusion of adult female Chinese Sparrowhawk.

We did a short walk over to the left side of Highway, near the small cove. The interesting birds seen was an immature Hodgson's Hawk Cuckoo and JS flushed a Barred Buttonquail.

This looks like a female Rhino Beetle. It is about the size of a thumb.

Male Changeable Lizard in breeding colours.

Pulau Tekong

Additionally, at Tekong, I saw 1 adult WBSE and heard 1 CHE. Of greater concern would be a sighting of a Yellow-eared Spiderhunter and a Great-billed Heron. I didn't hear any Mangrove Blue Flycatcher but heard the Black-naped Monarch calling.

The Yellow-eared Spiderhunter gave a "chrit" call and was about the size of a starling. Also, using my naked eyes, I saw its hooked bill, greenish throat and yellowish underparts. (Naked eyes is possible to see features given that it was big and flying at less than 10m above ground.) By call and size, I am sure that it is not a little spiderhunter or a thick-billed spiderhunter or spectacled spiderhunter, so that leaves it with the yellow-eared spiderhunter.