Chek Jawa 14May23

From KH

Last try for Stripe-throated Bulbul with Danny at Chek Jawa. No happiness, but nice to welcome Chinese Egret with Korean flag K090 back.

Great-billed Heron couple.

Grey Heron. Medium Egret.

Black-winged Flycatcher-shrike taking up permanent residence.

Pacific Swallow: now that we're on the beach, you are dozing off??

As it was low tide, there were a myriad of mudflat acitivities going on, such as these Gold-spotted Mudskippers skipping around.

Alpheus snapping shrimp busy digging its burrow, while its goby buddy stood guard.

Their busybody crab neighbour came to see what the commotion was about.

A closer look at the kay-poh crab.

Another goby was lamenting: hey buddy, time to come out to work!

Lots of Asian Blue Swimming Crabs were out and about.

Some in the company of small fish.

Here's a bigger crab with blue pincers.

What a cute little horseshoe crab.

Singapore Glassy Perchlets also came out to play.

Different types of seagrasses.

Chek Jawa 05Apr22

From KH

The second Singapore record of Large Woodshrike was first reported on 3 Apr 2022 at Chek Jawa. Danny and I went on 5 Apr and luckily the bird was still around. In fact, it lasted until 8 Apr 2022.

The trees by the boardwalk attacted other birds as well, such as these kingfishers: Collared and Stork-billed.

And this adult White-bellied Sea-Eagle on a palm tree.

The famous Chinese Egret with red Korean flag K090.

Great-billed Heron kept it company.

This Eurasian Whimbrel with green on white flag H3 was tagged in Singapore and if you look carefully, you can see an antenna coming out of its back, which is really cool. That's how researchers track the migration of such birds.

Common Sandpiper on the rock.

Squaretail Mullet, the odd one out among other fish.

Eventually, we were escorted out by this Knight. What a nice name for a butterfly.

Bidadari, SBWR 03Nov12

From KH

Con, Danny and I started at Bidadari, still hoping to get the JPFC, but we failed in our mission, yet again. In terms of raptors, we recorded 3 Black Bazas and 1 OHB. The rest are the usual birds, like Asian Drongo Cuckoo, Hodgson's Hawk Cuckoo, Arctic Warbler, Asian Paradise Flycatcher, Oriental Pied Hornbill, Tanimbar Corella, etc.

Next, we went SBWR for the Chinese Egret and sure enough it was at the breakwater. There were also the usual waders. After lunch, Con left. Danny and I continued to search for waders, but instead got the Chinese Egret much closer at Hide 1C. Here are some write-up and photos from Danny:

From Danny

Together with Kok Hui were at Sungei Buloh following the report of Chinese Egret. We were fortunate to spot the Chinese Egret early afternoon at Hide 1C, instead of the typical aloof behaviour, the bird did for brief period stay close with the Little Egrets offering opportunities for relative comparison.

Refer to photo below, three id features are apparent, namely the bi-colour bill of the Chinese (yellowish two third basal end of lower mandible), the loral skin/patch in term of colour/width and the leg colours.

As Kok Hui put it aptly the loral skin/patch for the Chinese is narrower especially near the eye as in photo below, the loral skin of the Chinese from base of upper mandible curved and narrowed towards the eye. There are subtle differences in the bill shape and length between the two Egrets, however, it is difficult to apply (at least for me) in the field.

Another interesting Egret was seen at Hide 1C and we both agree it was a Little Egret of subspecies nigripes (synonymous with immaculata) with yellow loral skin and blackish feet with shades of greenish yellow probably due to moulting to non breeding, traces of breast breeding plumes are visible in photo below.

While reviewing the movies I took of the Chinese Egret, realised the bird have two type of preys namely small fishes and the rods like sea slug/worms.