Coney Island, Punggol Waterway 29Apr18

From KH

On Coney Island, a male Oriental Magpie-robin was singing away, while an Olive-winged Bulbul was seen with a spider in mouth before it disappeared into its well hidden nest.

1. 1 Changeable Hawk-Eagle - Heard
2. 2 White-breasted Waterhen
3. 4 Spotted Dove
4. 4 Zebra Dove
5. 1 Little Bronze-Cuckoo
6. 1 Plaintive Cuckoo - Heard
7. 3 Collared Kingfisher
8. 2 Rose-ringed Parakeet
9. 8 Red-breasted Parakeet
10. 1 Golden-bellied Gerygone - Heard
11. 2 Common Iora
12. 4 Black-naped Oriole
13. 2 House Crow
14. 1 Large-billed Crow - Heard
15. 6 Yellow-vented Bulbul
16. 2 Olive-winged Bulbul
17. 4 Common Tailorbird
18. 2 Ashy Tailorbird
19. 3 Yellow-bellied Prinia
20. 1 Pin-striped Tit-Babbler - Heard
21. 4 Oriental Magpie-Robin
22. 8 Javan Myna
23. 4 Olive-backed Sunbird
24. 5 Golden-backed Weaver

Outside Coney Island at the Serangoon Tidal Gate, there were a whole host of other activities.

The Golden-bellied Gerygones were feeding their own young, and not getting cuckolded.

The introduced Golden-backed Weavers were doing way too well here. I counted about 20 nests. There could be more hidden from view. This one appeared to be in immature male plumage.

The Scaly-breasted Munias should be nesting too as I found a nest earlier this month.

This Yellow-bellied Prinia was still bringing back nesting materials.

Beware of Asian Honey Bees!

1. 1 Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon)
2. 10 Spotted Dove
3. 5 Zebra Dove
4. 1 Pink-necked Pigeon
5. 1 Asian Koel - Heard
6. 1 Little Bronze-Cuckoo - Heard
7. 5 dark swiftlet sp.
8. 2 Collared Kingfisher
9. 1 Dollarbird
10. 1 Sunda Woodpecker
11. 2 Golden-bellied Gerygone
12. 2 Common Iora - Heard
13. 1 Pied Triller
14. 1 shrike sp. - Heard
15. 2 Black-naped Oriole
16. 2 House Crow
17. 1 Pacific Swallow
18. 2 Yellow-vented Bulbul
19. 1 Common Tailorbird
20. 2 Yellow-bellied Prinia
21. 10 Javan Myna
22. 2 Olive-backed Sunbird
23. 1 Scaly-breasted Munia
24. 30 Golden-backed Weaver - About 20 nests
25. 2 Baya Weaver

A quick look at Pasir Ris Farmway 3 revealed that some egrets (1 Intermediate and 3 Cattle) were still around.

What a big Green Tree Ant (aka Weaver Ant) at Sengkang!

Final birding destination for today was a quick one at Punggol Waterway Park.

There was a pair of Asian Glossy Starlings feeding 3 chicks!

This Common Bluetail (Ischnura senegalensis) was at rest, not distressed at all.

Tuas, Halus 02Aug14

Danny and I were at Tuas in the morning and Halus in the afternoon.

We walked around the only patch in Tuas with some tall trees. Sure enough a pair of bronze-cuckoos were found, but they were Little Bronze-cuckoos, not Horsfield's...

Also present were their potential hosts - Golden-bellied Gerygones.

There were a pair of roosting Brahminy Kites and a Black-winged Kite.

Moving on to Tuas, Little Terns were nesting in the field, and a Black-winged Kite was chased away by the terns!

Also present were many Zitting Cisticolas, probably also nesting.

In the grassland was also a juvenile Plaintive Cuckoo.

After lunch at the usual Punggol foodcourt, we were off to Halus. Again, no Horsfield's...

There were many Golden-backed Weavers nesting over the Grebe Pond at the Tidal Gates side.

When we were about to leave, we saw a gathering of photographers at the buttonquail place, and sure enough a female Barred Buttonquail was present.

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.