Labrador Nature Reserve 12Apr25

From KH

Danny, JS and I went to Berlayer Creek this morning and the the forested area after that. Got a Dark-sided Flycatcher in the forest.

Male Spalding Peafowl at the carpark.

Telok Blangah 21Oct24

From KH

When news of Singapore's second Brown-breasted Flycatcher broke, everyone rushed to Telok Blangah Green to tick this rarity, that was first seen yesterday afternoon. Those who went early got the bird and could pack up for work, but I could only arrive on site after lunch appointment.

First, I was fooled by a low-perching Brown-chested Jungle-Flycatcher.

Then, a high-up Dark-sided Flycatcher came.

Even a Blyth's Paradise-Flycatcher, which is not even an Old World flycatcher, came.

When there were no birds, we looked at other animals, like this Orange Awlet. Didn't realize there was a snail behind it until I reviewed the photos.

Many cicida molts on the tree trunks. Didn't realize there was a spider behind it until I reviewed the photos.

Finally, at about 4:30pm, the Brown-breasted Flycatcher reappeared at a low perch. Time to pack up.

Petai Trail 18Mar23

From KH

Danny and I went to Petai Trail today. Got a Dark-sided Flycatcher.

Also got an immature White-throated Kingfisher.

Other animals include this Scarlet Grenadier.

Rifle Range, BTNR, Hindhede 03Feb18

From KH

Danny, JS and I started at Rifle Range today.

Dark-sided Flycatcher

Male Greater Green Leafbird

Red-crowned Barbet singing away

Male Thick-billed Pigeon with Asian Glossy Starling

Rifle Range
1. 7 Pink-necked Pigeon
2. 1 Thick-billed Pigeon
3. 1 Chestnut-bellied Malkoha
4. 1 Square-tailed Drongo-Cuckoo
5. 15 dark swiftlet sp.
6. 1 Gray-rumped Treeswift
7. 2 Blue-throated Bee-eater
8. 1 Dollarbird
9. 1 Red-crowned Barbet
10. 1 Banded Woodpecker
11. 7 Blue-rumped Parrot
12. 1 Blue-crowned Hanging-Parrot
13. 3 Long-tailed Parakeet
14. 3 Greater Racket-tailed Drongo
15. 1 Amur/Blyth's Paradise-Flycatcher
16. 1 Yellow-vented Bulbul
17. 3 Olive-winged Bulbul
18. 1 Red-eyed Bulbul
19. 1 Eastern Crowned Warbler
20. 1 Dark-necked Tailorbird
21. 1 Rufous-tailed Tailorbird
22. 6 Pin-striped Tit-Babbler
23. 1 Chestnut-winged Babbler - Heard
24. 1 Dark-sided Flycatcher
25. 2 Asian Brown Flycatcher
26. 1 Siberian Blue Robin - Female
27. 25 Asian Glossy Starling
28. 2 Common Hill Myna
29. 10 Javan Myna
30. 2 Greater Green Leafbird - A pair
31. 3 Orange-bellied Flowerpecker
32. 3 Van Hasselt's Sunbird
33. 2 Crimson Sunbird
34. 1 sunbird sp. - A female gathering nesting material

Next, we moved on to Bukit Timah Cave Trail and found a Spiny Terrapin feeding on jackfruit-like fruit, as well as a stingless bee Tetrigona apicalis Hive.

Bukit Timah Cave Trail
1. 1 Red Junglefowl - Heard
2. 1 Blue-tailed Bee-eater - Heard
3. 1 Lineated Barbet - Heard
4. 1 Banded Woodpecker - Heard
5. 2 Greater Racket-tailed Drongo - Heard
6. 1 Straw-headed Bulbul - Heard
7. 1 Arctic Warbler - Heard
8. 1 Dark-necked Tailorbird - Heard
9. 2 Rufous-tailed Tailorbird
10. 2 Pin-striped Tit-Babbler - Heard
11. 2 Asian Glossy Starling
12. 1 Common Hill Myna - Heard

Con joined us for lunch and we then adjourn to Hindhede Nature Park.

Sleepy pair of Brown Boobook

Straw-headed Bulbuls taking a bath in broad daylight

"Kiss me, mummy!" said the Red-eared Slider

Hindhede Nature Park
1. 1 Red Junglefowl - Heard
2. 1 Changeable Hawk-Eagle - Heard
3. 1 Red-legged Crake
4. 2 Brown Boobook - A pair
5. 20 dark swiftlet sp.
6. 2 Blue-tailed Bee-eater - Heard
7. 1 Dollarbird
8. 2 Lineated Barbet - Heard
9. 1 Common Iora - Heard
10. 1 Black-naped Oriole - Heard
11. 1 Greater Racket-tailed Drongo - Heard
12. 4 Straw-headed BulbulSensitive
13. 1 Pin-striped Tit-Babbler
14. 5 Asian Glossy Starling
15. 1 Scarlet-backed Flowerpecker - Heard

Singapore Botanic Gardens 16-17Feb17

From Con

Male Lady Amherst's Pheasant on 16 Feb.

The Dark-sided Flycatcher is singing! (17 Feb)

Mousedeer Trail, Lower Peirce 21Apr07

Today, we started with Mousedeer Trail. Con wanted to get the chestnut-winged babbler. However, we never saw the bird today. Instead, we saw a dark-sided flycatcher which got our head scratching. We had hoped that it was a grey-streaked fc... Alas the experts corrected us and these are the reason why:
1) The bill is too short and no prominent pale base
2) The tail is too short
3) The streaks are not distinct enough, i.e. there are some smudges on the underparts.

Dark-sided Flycatcher ©Danny Lau

Dark-sided Flycatcher ©Con Foley

Besides this bird, there were the bulbuls (olive-winged, cream-vented, red-eyed, yellow-vented), a pair of banded woodpeckers, a changeable hawk-eagle and the usual inhabitants. Usually we would turn back once we reach almost the end of the right side of Mousedeer Trail. However, today, Danny and I decided to bash through to the abandoned rifle range. Nothing much here.

Next, we proceeded to Lower Peirce for the juvenile buffy fish owl. Sure enough Alan & KC were there looking at the owl. Its talons were caught in abandoned fishing net earlier on, but fortunately the guys were there to help it out. The owl was pretty tamed or maybe it was just too tired. Meanwhile a grey-headed fish-eagle was calling at a distance, across the reservoir. When it finally took flight, I could only see a little dot through my bino. With Danny's scope, we managed to get better view of it. But it was still too far away for any decent digiscope photo.

Juvenile Buffy Fish-owl ©Tan KH

Singapore Bird Race 21-22Oct06

Danny and JS represented our NSSG for the 21 Oct Sat bird race. Although 102 bird names were submitted, those 3 in bold were removed by the arbitrators due to inadequate description.

S/N	Species	Time	Locality
1	Malaysian Eared-nightjar	0612	Rifle Range
2	Brown Hawk-owl	0617	Rifle Range
3	Greater Racket-tailed Drongo	0622	Rifle Range
4	White-rumped Shama	0645	Rifle Range
5	Abbott's Babbler	0650	Sime Track
6	Emerald Dove	0656	Sime Track
7	Short-tailed Babbler	0700	Sime Track
8	Blue-and-white Flycatcher	0710	Sime Track
9	Scarlet-backed Flowerpecker	0727	Sime Track
10	Olive-backed Sunbird	0735	Route to Jelutong Tower
11	Arctic Warbler	0736	Route to Jelutong Tower
12	Tiger Shrike	0751	Route to Jelutong Tower
13	Long-tailed Parakeet	0752	Route to Jelutong Tower
14	Yellow-rumped Flycatcher	0753	Route to Jelutong Tower
15	Asian Brown Flycatcher	0754	Route to Jelutong Tower
16	Brown-streaked Flycatcher	0756	Route to Jelutong Tower
17	Asian Palmswift	0801	Jelutong Tower
18	Glossy Swiftlet	0802/1825	Sime Track/BBNP
19	Fork-tailed Swift	0804	Jelutong Tower
20	Olive-winged Bulbul	0809	Jelutong Tower
21	Blue-tailed Bee-eater	0810	Jelutong Tower
22	Yellow-vented Bulbul	0811	Jelutong Tower
23	Crimson Sunbird	0813	Jelutong Tower
24	Hill Myna	0814	Jelutong Tower
25	Thick-billed Green-pigeon	0815	Jelutong Tower
26	Orange-bellied Flowerpecker	0816	Jelutong Tower
27	Red-eyed Bulbul	0817	Jelutong Tower
28	Asian Glossy Starling	0820	Jelutong Tower
29	Blue-crowned Hanging Parrot	0825	Jelutong Tower
30	Asian Paradise-flycatcher	0830	Jelutong Tower
31	Rufous-tailed Tailorbird	0838	Boardwalk
32	Striped Tit-babbler	0839	Boardwalk
33	Asian Fairy-bluebird	0915	Bald tree at the bend parallel to stream
34	Large-billed Crow	0925	Rifle Range
35	Javan Myna	0939	Rifle Range
36	Dollarbird	1002	BKE, Mandai Rd Exit 7
37	White-throated Kingfisher	1004	Off Turf Club
38	Spotted Dove	1007	SLE Exit 9
39	Grey Heron	1016	Sungei Punggol
40	Little Egret	1017	TPE
41	House Crow	1018	TPE
42	Cattle Egret	1022	TPE
43	Common Kingfisher	1028	Halus
44	Great Egret	1029	Halus
45	Purple Heron	1029	Halus
46	Zebra Dove	1031	Halus
47	White-breasted Waterhen	1032	Halus
48	White-bellied Fish-eagle	1035	Halus
49	Lesser Coucal	1038	Halus
50	Marsh Sandpiper	1039	Halus, 1st pond
51	Common Sandpiper	1040	Halus, 1st pond
52	Pacific Swallow	1041	Halus, 1st pond
53	Wood Sandpiper	1042	Halus, 1st pond
54	Little Grebe	1046	Halus, 2nd pond
55	Striated Heron	1049	Halus, 2nd pond
56	Black-naped Oriole	1052	Halus, near 2nd pond
57	Pink-necked Green-pigeon	1053	Halus, near 2nd pond
58	Black-winged Kite	1055	Halus, near 2nd pond
59	Yellow-bellied Prinia	1101	Halus, near 2nd pond
61	Barn Swallow	1123	Halus, near 2nd pond
62	House Swift	1124	Halus
63	Brahminy Kite	1131	Halus
64	Paddyfield Pipit	1159	Rd to Punggol drain
65	Common Kestrel	1201	Rd to Punggol drain
66	Grey Wagtail	1203	Rd to Punggol drain
67	Long-tailed Shrike	1212	Punggol Grassland
68	Chinese Goshawk	1220	Punggol Grassland
69	Scaly-breasted Munia	1236	Punggol Grassland
70	Eurasian Tree Sparrow	1310	Kopitiam at Punggol
71	Collared Kingfisher	1416	Kranji Canal
72	Plain-throated Sunbird	1425	SBWR
73	Common Greenshank	1435	SBWR
74	Common Redshank	1436	SBWR
75	Whimbrel	1437	SBWR
76	Pacific Golden-plover	1438	SBWR
77	Ruddy Turnstone	1439	SBWR
78	Curlew Sandpiper	1442	SBWR
79	Mongolian Plover	1443	SBWR
80	Ashy Tailorbird	1500	SBWR
81	Broad-billed Sandpiper	1520	SBWR
82	Stork-billed Kingfisher	1535	SBWR
83	Oriental Magpie-robin	1550	SBWR
84	Baya Weaver	1555	Outside SBWR
85	Common Iora	1558	Neo Tiew Crescent
86	Black-headed Munia	1559	Neo Tiew Crescent
87	Pied Fantail	1600	Neo Tiew Crescent
88	Oriental Honey-buzzard	1601	Neo Tiew Crescent
89	Common Myna	1607	Turut Track
90	Blue-throated Bee-eater	1612	Turut Track
91	Red Collared-dove	1630	NTL2
92	Common Flameback	1636	NTL2
93	White-winged Tern	1705	Kranji Reservoir
94	Little Tern	1714	Mandai Mudflat
95	Great Crested-tern	1720	Mandai Mudflat
96	Caspian Tern	1725	Mandai Mudflat
97	Intermediate Egret	1735	Mandai Mudflat
98	Purple-backed Starling	1742	Mandai Mudflat
99	Asian Koel	1753	Mandai Mudflat
100	Rock Pigeon	1800	Kranji Industrial Estate
101	Lineated Barbet	1835	BBNP
102	Changeable Hawk-eagle	1837	BBNP
103	Dark-sided Flycatcher	1850	BBNP

Dark-sided Flycatcher at Bukit Batok Nature Park

Juvenile pale Changeable Hawk-eagle at Lorong Halus