Chek Jawa 24Apr22

From KH

It's back to Chek Jawa for rarity galore. Alas, Scarlet-breasted Flowerpecker was a no-show today. Black-winged Flycatcher-shrike was still around though.

Male Lesser Green Leafbird was first seen here on 15 Apr 2022, but it wasn't seen everyday. E.g., no-show yesterday, but luckily put up a good show today.

On the mudflat, Great-billed Heron and Grey Heron lined up for comparison.

These Black-naped Terns preferred man-made metal platform to rocks?

The lone Smooth Otter was still here. "I just want to zzz!"

Singapore Strait 08Apr18

From KH

Seetoh organised this trip where we took one boat out. Today, there were only terns, like these Black-naped Terns on the red buoy and this Bridled Tern in flight.

On Pulau Jong, we had a pair of Great-billed Herons and White-bellied Sea-eagles.

1. 3 Gray Heron
2. 2 Great-billed Heron - A pair on P. Jong
3. 1 Changeable Hawk-Eagle
4. 1 Brahminy Kite
5. 2 White-bellied Sea-Eagle - A pair on P. Jong
6. 2 Bridled Tern
7. 3 Aleutian Tern
8. 1 White-winged Tern
9. 22 Black-naped Tern
10. 3 Pied Imperial-Pigeon
11. 20 dark swiftlet sp.
12. 1 House Swift - Off Sisters' Island
13. 2 Barn Swallow

When we landed on Pulau Hantu, we saw some fisherman with these pretty fish. For dinner?

Anchor Tuskfish (Choerodon anchorago)


Spanish Flag Snapper (Lutjanus carponotatus)

It was great to know the Mangrove Whistler was back on Pulau Hantu singing away!

1. 1 Great-billed Heron
2. 2 Brahminy Kite
3. 1 Asian Koel - Male
4. 2 Collared Kingfisher
5. 1 Golden-bellied Gerygone - Heard
6. 1 Mangrove Whistler - Singing
7. 1 Tiger Shrike
8. 1 Malaysian Pied-Fantail
9. 2 Large-billed Crow
10. 2 Yellow-vented Bulbul
11. 1 Ashy Tailorbird
12. 1 Oriental Magpie-Robin - Male
13. 2 Plain-throated Sunbird - A pair

Singapore Strait 03Mar18

From KH

20 of us went out in 2 boats and got 2 adult Arctic Skuas - 1 pale, 1 dark!

Here's a Black-naped Tern.

And a bunch of Great and Lesser Crested Terns, the former being larger and yellow-billed, compared to its smaller orange-billed cousin.

There were 2 Large-billed Crows flying from the Indonesian side to Singapore.

1. 5 Gray Heron - P. Bukom
2. 1 Purple Heron - flying from SG to Indon
3. 3 Brahminy Kite
4. 2 White-bellied Sea-Eagle
5. 2 Parasitic Jaeger - adults
6. 2 Black-naped Tern
7. 1 Great Crested Tern
8. 40 Lesser Crested Tern
9. 20 dark swiftlet sp. - flying from Indon to SG
10. 2 Large-billed Crow - flying from Indon to SG
11. 3 Barn Swallow

Then, we landed on Pulau Hantu for the Mangrove Whistler, but it was not home.

1. 1 Brahminy Kite
2. 1 Spotted Dove
3. 3 dark swiftlet sp.
4. 2 Collared Kingfisher
5. 1 Blue-tailed Bee-eater
6. 1 Sunda Woodpecker
7. 1 Golden-bellied Gerygone - heard
8. 1 Black-naped Oriole
9. 1 Malaysian Pied-Fantail
10. 1 Pacific Swallow
11. 1 Yellow-vented Bulbul
12. 2 Asian Brown Flycatcher
13. 1 Oriental Magpie-Robin
14. 1 Common Myna
15. 4 Plain-throated Sunbird

Singapore Strait 12Apr15

From KH

Went on the pelagic trip organised by Bird Group with Danny. It was a hot and sleepy trip.

Little Terns - both in breeding plumage

Lesser Crested Terns - bottom bird in breeding plumage

Black-naped Terns - the top right with a flying fish

Great Crested Tern (12)
Lesser Crested Tern (34)
Little Tern (14)
Black-naped Tern (10)
Bridled Tern (1)
Swiftlet spp. (22)
Grey Heron (2)
Barn Swallow (1)
White-bellied Sea-eagle (1)
Brahminy Kite (1)

Labrador Park, KNT 8May11

From Danny

Location: Labrador coastal point
Time: 9.15 am to 11.15 am
Tide: Low

1) Black-naped Tern - 5 (Refer to pic., pair seen removing rust scraps from buoy ? 4 birds foraging at shutdown fishing jetty)
2) Magpie Robin - 1
3) Collared Kingfisher - 2
4) Little Terns - 2 (Refer to pic., poo stains indicated around for some time)

Black-naped Terns


Little Terns

Location: Kranji Nature Trail
Time 5.15 pm to 6.35 pm
Tide : Receding

1) Osprey - 1
2) Little Egret - 1
3) Grey Heron - 8
4) AG Starling - 5
5) Sunda pygmy woodpecker - 1
6) WBSE - 2 (adults )
7) Collared Kingfisher - 2
8) Great Egret - 4
9) Little Tern - 3
10) Striated Heron - 1
11) Copper throated Sunbird - 3, Female feeding 2 chicks on nest (Thx to John Kinman for direction)

Singapore Strait 6Mar11

From KH

The bird group organised a pelagic trip from West Coast to Changi and back. We did clear customs, but did not venture too far out from the coast. There were Great-billed Herons and Pacific Reef Egrets at the Southern Islands. There were also Black-naped, Little and Crested Terns out in the sea. However, no skuas or petrels were sighted.

On one of the Indonesian buoys, were 2 Black-naped Terns and a flock of Little Terns. Some of the Little Terns are in breeding colours.

Pulau Ubin, Changi 28Apr07

As Danny put it, "It was a marvellous weekend of local birding." As a change of style, I'll do a photographic write-up instead. Photos from Danny unless otherwise stated.

The cuckoo was little bronze, juvenile. The bronze-green coloration on the wings gave it away. We were hoping for a Horsfield's, but fat hope.

The junglefowls are probably feral birds, not true wild birds, because they continued to forage despite seeing us at a distance.

As for the buttonquails, initially we thought they were chicks as they were tagging along behind the chickens. Upon closer examination, the pair of 'chicks' turned out to be a pair of buttonquails! The female has a black throat.

I think the best time to catch the elusive mangrove pitta is probably early morning (earlier than 9am). After that, the chance diminished exponentially ;).

lucionensis should have grey cap, right? So this is probably the typical brown shrike we see so often (i.e. cristatus or confusus). Dunno what's the diff between the latters though.
cristatus: E Siberia to nw Mongolia; winters to India and Malay Pen.
confusus: Manchuria and Amurland; winters to Malay Pen. and Sumatra
superciliosus: S Sakhalin and Japan; winters to Sumatra and Lesser Sundas
lucionensis: Korea and e China; winters to Philippines, Borneo, Sulawesi

After these exciting birds at Ubin, Danny and I went to Turnhouse Road (at Changi) and saw OP hornbill, Tanimbar corellas, red-breasted parakeet, all nesting on the 2 tall trees. Thanks to the many tip-offs from Con! I took a shot of the male hornbill and the pair of corellas.

Danny:"How did the Parakeet brought a piece of rock/brick into the nest? If you get too close, it may drop onto you!!"

Also, we went to the black-naped terns' nesting rocks. With Danny's scope we could see the terns and chicks (and eggs!) from the Changi boardwalk. There were also 4 little terns (3 in breeding plumage) on one of the rocks offering clear comparison of size and plumage with the BN terns. There were also many AG starlings nesting in the pole-tips at the boardwalk. The nesting season is really fantastic isn't it?! :)