Chek Jawa, Changi Bay Point 08May22

From KH

Last try with Danny for Black-and-white Bulbul at Chek Jawa, but no-show (last seen 6 May 2022). Black-winged Flycatcher-shrike was again present.

After lunch, I decided to drop by Changi Bay Point as I've not been there. It was escapee galore. The Light-vented Bulbul was still there. Then, there were the waxbills:

Common Waxbills feeding on grass seeds.

Crimson-rumped Waxbills feeding on another type of grass seeds.

Round it up with a local resident male Brown-throated Sunbird doing acrobatics.

Coney Island 07Mar20

From KH

While Con and Danny did their Panti survey, and JS did his Kranji Marsh guiding, I spent the morning on Coney Island and was rewarded with these raptors:

Adult Grey-headed Fish-eagle

Black Baza

This male Oriental Magpie-robin was singing his lungs out.

While this Swinhoe's White-eye was doing some gymnastics.

These adult Scaly-breasted Munias were enjoying a buffet of grasses, like Guinea Grass (Megathyrsus maximus) and Fountain Grass (Pennisetum setaceum).

This juvenile Scaly-breasted Munia was munching on Fountain Grass.

These escaped/released African birds - Crimson-rumped Waxbill and Orange-cheeked Waxbill - were hanging out with the munias and feasting on the grass buffet too.

A Common Tiger to round up the day's birding.

1. Spotted Dove 3
2. Zebra Dove 3
3. Pink-necked Green-Pigeon 3
4. Asian Koel 1 - heard
5. Little Bronze-Cuckoo 1 - heard
6. Plaintive Cuckoo 1 - heard
7. Brush Cuckoo 1 - heard
8. dark swiftlet sp. 20
9. white egret sp. 1
10. Black Baza 1
11. Brahminy Kite 1
12. Gray-headed Fish-Eagle 1
13. White-throated Kingfisher 2
14. Collared Kingfisher 4
15. Blue-tailed Bee-eater 10
16. Dollarbird 2
17. Sunda Woodpecker 1 - heard
18. Common Flameback 1 - heard
19. Red-breasted Parakeet 10
20. Golden-bellied Gerygone 1 - heard
21. Black-naped Oriole 4
22. Common Iora 2
23. Malaysian Pied-Fantail 2
24. Brown Shrike 1 - heard
25. House Crow 1
26. Common Tailorbird 2 - heard
27. Yellow-bellied Prinia 2
28. Pacific Swallow 5
29. Yellow-vented Bulbul 8
30. Javan Myna 10
31. Oriental Magpie-Robin 1
32. Olive-backed Sunbird 8
33. Golden-backed Weaver 4
34. Baya Weaver 4
35. Orange-cheeked Waxbill 2
36. Crimson-rumped Waxbill 5 - 2+3
37. Scaly-breasted Munia 20
38. Chestnut Munia 4
39. White-headed Munia 1

Coney Island 15Mar18

From KH

The stars here today are a flock of about 8 Jerdon's Bazas that flew towards Punggol.

Another star bird here today is a skittish adult Large Hawk-cuckoo.

And then there is the supporting cast of Tiger Shrike.

There was also a small flock of introduced Crimson-rumped Waxbills.

Some Red-breasted Parakeets.

There was a male Red Collared-dove mixed in with a flock of Spotted Doves at Serangoon Tidal Gate.

Coney Island

1. 2 Gray Heron
2. 2 Striated Heron
3. 8 Jerdon's Baza
4. 1 Changeable Hawk-Eagle - Pale morph harassed by LB crows
5. 1 White-bellied Sea-Eagle - Adult
6. 3 White-breasted Waterhen
7. 1 Common Sandpiper
8. 20 Spotted Dove
9. 15 Zebra Dove
10. 1 Pink-necked Pigeon
11. 4 Lesser Coucal
12. 3 Asian Koel - Heard
13. 2 Little Bronze-Cuckoo - A pair
14. 1 Plaintive Cuckoo
15. 1 Large Hawk-Cuckoo
16. 20 dark swiftlet sp.
17. 2 White-throated Kingfisher
18. 3 Collared Kingfisher
19. 3 Blue-tailed Bee-eater
20. 2 Dollarbird
21. 2 Sunda Woodpecker - Heard
22. 2 Common Flameback - Heard
23. 1 Rufous Woodpecker - Heard
24. 6 Red-breasted Parakeet
25. 4 Common Iora
26. 1 Pied Triller - Male
27. 1 Tiger Shrike
28. 8 Black-naped Oriole
29. 2 Malaysian Pied-Fantail - Heard
30. 1 House Crow
31. 2 Large-billed Crow
32. 5 Barn Swallow
33. 2 Pacific Swallow
34. 10 Yellow-vented Bulbul
35. 8 Common Tailorbird
36. 3 Ashy Tailorbird
37. 10 Yellow-bellied Prinia
38. 2 Pin-striped Tit-Babbler - Heard
39. 2 Asian Brown Flycatcher - Heard
40. 6 Oriental Magpie-Robin
41. 25 Javan Myna
42. 1 Scarlet-backed Flowerpecker
43. 5 Olive-backed Sunbird
44. 1 Paddyfield Pipit
45. 10 Baya Weaver
46. 5 Crimson-rumped Waxbill

Serangoon Tidal Gate

1. 3 White-breasted Waterhen
2. 5 Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon)
3. 1 Red Collared-Dove
4. 30 Spotted Dove
5. 5 Zebra Dove
6. 1 Asian Koel
7. 1 dark swiftlet sp.
8. 1 Psittacula sp.
9. 1 Common Iora
10. 1 Black-naped Oriole
11. 1 Yellow-vented Bulbul
12. 1 Common Tailorbird
13. 2 Common Myna
14. 5 Javan Myna
15. 1 Olive-backed Sunbird

PRP, Halus, Pulau Punggol 10Dec16

From KH

Today, Con, Danny, JS and I started off at Pasir Ris Park. The owls nowhere to be seen, nor was the torquatus around, but we had a noisy Crow-billed Drongo at the carpark.

Crow-billed Drongo silhouette

Next, we went to Lorong Halus. The Little Grebes were still breeding in the old pond.

Juvenile Little Grebe

Finally, we went to Pulau Punggol for late morning birding. The dark morph Booted Eagle was still around. The other notable migrant is an immature Indian Cuckoo. We also flushed a few Pintail/Swinhoe's Snipes.

Immature Indian Cuckoo

There were also many local munias and introduced waxbills around.

Chestnut Munias

Scaly-breasted Munia, Crimson-rumped Waxbill and Common Waxbill, all on a single stalk.

Venus Loop, Sime Forest, Halus 18May13

From KH

Con, Danny and I headed to Venus Loop for the pair of Blue-rumped Parrots which have been found feeding on star fruits. We had a very vocal Abbott's Babbler. A Greater Coucal was heard calling. However, since no parrots showed up, Danny and I decided to take a long walk, through HSBC treetop walk to Jelutong Tower.

At Jelutong Tower, the usual forest birds were still around. On the way back to Venus Drive, a White-rumped Shama was singing its heart out, but not showing.

Juvenile Greater Racket-tailed Drongo with dark eyes and without rackets on the left; adult on the right showing red eyes, very worn tail end and one racket lost.

From Danny

Next drove to Pulau Punggol, on the bridge next to Seletar Airport, could spot the dusts churned up in the direction of the pond, sure enough on arrival, apparently, contractors hard at work, driving along could see many trees being cut down on right side of road towards Punggol Marina, not much trees left for next migratory season, sigh!

We ended up at Halus, surprisingly a lot of birds activities, from waxbills, tailorbirds, sunbirds, buttonquails, little terns (breeding plumage) and ten smooth otters fishing and feasting on plentiful supply of fish. The otters as a group had clever way of fishing, by crowding and forcing the fish to surface for easy catch, the entrapped fish practically jumped out and hit the otters guarding the surface, amazing!

Photos from KH

Smooth Otter family having a good time fishing.

Little Tern pair - the male (top) feeding the female.

Barred Buttonquail pair - female on the left.

Golden-bellied Gerygone - the smallest bird in Singapore. Crimson-rumped Waxbill - one of several African waxbills released.