Tuas 05Oct19

From KH

Danny, CH and me went recceing at Tuas today, while JS went Henderson Waves and saw a pair of Peregrine Falcon ernesti race.

Eurasian Kestrel - star bird for today

Oriental Honey-buzzard - accompanying cast

Brown Shrike

House Crow

From CH

1. Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon) 10
2. Spotted Dove 5
3. Zebra Dove 5
4. Asian Koel 1 - heard
5. dark swiftlet sp. 20
6. Red-wattled Lapwing 12
7. Common Sandpiper 2
8. tern sp. 1
9. Black-winged Kite 4
10. Oriental Honey-buzzard 5
11. Changeable Hawk-Eagle 2
12. Chinese Sparrowhawk 3
13. Japanese Sparrowhawk 3
14. Brahminy Kite 2
15. White-throated Kingfisher 2
16. Sunda Woodpecker 1 - heard
17. Eurasian Kestrel 1
18. Black-naped Oriole 2
19. Common Iora 4
20. Brown Shrike 2
21. House Crow 5
22. Common Tailorbird 1 - heard
23. Zitting Cisticola 1 - heard
24. Barn Swallow 10
25. Yellow-vented Bulbul 5
26. Eastern Crowned Warbler 1
27. Arctic Warbler 1
28. Javan Myna 5
29. Yellow-rumped Flycatcher 2
30. Olive-backed Sunbird 2
31. Scaly-breasted Munia 10
32. Eurasian Tree Sparrow 5
33. Paddyfield Pipit 5

Tuas 01Nov14

From KH

Counters: KH (1000-1700), Low CH/David Awcock (1430-1700), Woo Jiawei (1600-1700), Low CH/Lawrence Cher/Ron Chew/Chong Boon Leong/Ee Ling (0940-1200)

Ground Wind NW. Cloudy/overcast in morning. Light haze

0940-1700 Total 58 OHB, 10 JSH, 2 CSH, 2 Black Baza, 1 Common Kestrel, 1 P. falcon, 4 unID accipiter, 1 unID raptor, 1 Northern Boobook

0940-1000 1 Common Kestrel
1000-1100 43 OHB, 2 CSH, 1 BB, 3 unID accipiter
1100-1200 4 JSH
1200-1300 no migrant raptor
1300-1400 1 JSH
1400-1500 7 OHB, 1 unid accipiter
1500-1600 3 OHB, 1 JSH, 1 BB, 1 Northern Boobook
1600-1700 5 OHB, 4 JSH, 1 P. falcon, 1 unid raptor

Northern Boobook - 1st record for Singapore

Common Kestrel

Juvenile OHBs

Juvenile Japanese Sparrowhawk

Tuas, Kent Ridge 6Nov13

From GC

Saw the female Common Kestrel at end of Tuas South Ave 5 on 061113 morning 1100 hrs. unfortunately, couldn't stay to get more shots due to some testing of military equipment there.

And a Japanese Sparrowhawk at Kent Ridge Park at 1400 hrs.

Springleaf, SBWR 28Feb09

From Danny

I was at Springleaf with Con and met up with Margaret Yeo (our gracious resident birder). Spotted a pair of GHFE, subsequently one flew down to a shallow sidestream of the canal, remained there beyond 20 min ( even after we left) while the other Eagle was perched on tree just above it. Now and then it dipped its head into water but no fish or prey was observed. Strange behaviour, hopefully they get along and get to see juvenile in due time.

Later in the afternoon we were at SBWR looking for Chinese Egret to no avail but met up with Mendis, Jonathan, Gim Cheong and Martti (Finnish birder residing locally). Spotted a Common Kestrel with typical black bars on rufous upper parts, pointed wings and long rufous tail flew quietly from left to right into wooded patch opposite Main Hide. Unfortunately our photographers were caught short and didn't manage any pic, perhaps we were tired searching for that odd Egret, likely left with David Li.

Springleaf
1) Grey Headed FE - 2
2) OHB - 1
3) Brahminy Kite - 1

SBWR
1) WBSE - 1
2) Brahminy Kite - 1
3) Changeable Hawk Eagle - 1 Heard
4) Common Kestrel - 1 Female/Juv.
5) Osprey - 1 (courtesy of Matti's flight shot, resident birder from Finland, where Osprey breeds).

Changi 08Nov07

From Con

Went to CC after the rains stopped at 10:30am, staying until 2pm. Light was rather poor for photography.

On the way in, before crossing the bridge over the sandy canal, we saw a stunning male Pied Harrier, it was my first time seeing the male. We saw Osprey perching on a pole at the sand bar, he was there all the time. There were also 50 or so large waders on the sand bar even though the tide was rather high, in hindsight I think many were Grey Plovers, but no scope. We saw probably at least 2 female Pied Harriers at multiple times throughout the journey. There were Grey Plovers very close on the drive out to the Eastern most point of Singapore, they were easy to ID and photo. Also at the Eastern most point area, we flushed a Kestrel, dunno which species, most likely Common. On the way back on the new earth area where the trucks are dumping fresh soil, we saw about 4 Oriental Pratincoles.

Didn't see the Lapwings today and no birds were using the fresh water pools. There were lots of pools and everything was rather soggy due to all the rain.

Usual birds WBSE, Brahminy, Grey Wagtail, Pipit, Zitting, three dove species, crow, myna, BSK, Purple Heron, Malaysian Plover.

There were more fisherman than normal, holiday. Few trucks in the morning, but plenty of trucks after Noon. One dirt biker, he got stuck in the mud. If it keeps raining it will not be possible to go there. Car was also very dirty on return.

Common Kestrel

Male Pied Harrier

Hindhede, Tuas, Kranji, Punggol 30Dec06

From KH

Continuing last weekend's thrush saga at Hindhede, I decided to arrive earlier then our meeting time. At 7 am, the large-tailed nightjar and brown hawk owl were still calling. The great and rhinoceros hornbill pair were also calling and flying from the Hindhede side to the Sanapang side. Waiting at the right sandpit, a red-legged crake was seen crossing the trail. Soon Danny, JS and Robert arrived. Straw-headed bulbuls were singing away. A white-rumped shama was very vocal and offered us a long full view, while the emerald dove paid no attention to the shama or us as it foraged in the undergrowth. Soon Sree was on the scene too. The orange-headed thrushes were still present, but the hooded pitta and the other thrushes were nowhere to be seen. Although the blue-and-white FC was long gone, the Mugimaki FCs were still around.

Orange-headed Thrush ©Lau JS

Next, at Tuas grassland, we saw pintail snipes, a lone common greenshank, wood sandpipers, PGPs, a Chinese pond heron, red-wattled lapwings, paddyfield pipits, yellow bitterns, a subadult male Schrenck's bittern, a male watercock. JS flushed a savanna nightjar. Siberian stonechats and Pallas's grasshopper warblers were calling. I flushed an Oriental reed warbler, while JS saw 2 black-browed reed warblers. Scaly-breasted and black-headed munias were present. Before we left, a male cinnamon bittern was flushed. We proceeded to Raffles Marina for lunch hoping to see some gulls or terns. However, a lone collared kingfisher was the only bird seen.

Male Watercock in non-breeding plumage ©Danny Lau

Next up was Kranji reservoir, where we added a common kingfisher to our list. More yellow bitterns were seen. Just when we thought we were done here, JS spotted a raptor on the transmission towers side. One led to the other and we saw osprey, peregrine falcon, common kestrel and white-bellied sea eagles in all.

Peregrine Falcon ©Lau JS

Final destination at Punggol reedbed for the reed warblers and stonechats, left us with bad news that this whole place was to be cleared for more HDB flats. In fact, work was ongoing now. We left here with red-rumped swallows and white-shouldered starlings added to the list. All in all, 75 species seen and heard today.