BTNR, Ridley Park, SBG 05May18

From KH

Con and I went looking for the female Great Slaty Woodpecker that was first seen on 2 May 2018 near the Bukit Timah summit. Danny and JS could not join us as it was JS's bird day. Today, she was still there! This species was extirpated in Singapore and now it is back. Good news for Singapore.

This immature male Greater Green Leafbird was feeding on the figging tree at the summit.

This male Crimson Sunbird was fighting his reflection in the car window!

When I initially saw this, I thought it was a slug. On closer examination, it turned out to be a marching contingent of Dark-winged Fungus Gnats (Family Sciaridae) maggots! You got to watch the video to believe it!

1. 2 Thick-billed Pigeon
2. 1 Jambu Fruit-Dove - Female, immature
3. 1 Plaintive Cuckoo - Heard
4. 1 Square-tailed Drongo-Cuckoo - Heard
5. 20 dark swiftlet sp.
6. 1 Lineated Barbet - Heard
7. 1 Banded Woodpecker
8. 1 Common Flameback - Heard
9. 1 Great Slaty Woodpecker
10. 1 Long-tailed Parakeet
11. 1 Blue-crowned Hanging-Parrot - Heard
12. 1 Black-naped Oriole
13. 1 Greater Racket-tailed Drongo
14. 1 Straw-headed Bulbul - Heard
15. 2 Olive-winged Bulbul
16. 1 Red-eyed Bulbul
17. 1 Dark-necked Tailorbird
18. 1 Rufous-tailed Tailorbird - Heard
19. 3 Pin-striped Tit-Babbler
20. 15 Asian Glossy Starling
21. 1 Common Hill Myna - Heard
22. 3 Javan Myna
23. 2 Greater Green Leafbird - In fig tree
24. 2 Orange-bellied Flowerpecker

We continued out Big Day at Ridley Park for the elusive White-bellied Woodpecker that was reportedly seen here recently, but remained elusive.

Dark morph Changeable Hawk-eagle

1. 1 Changeable Hawk-Eagle
2. 1 Brahminy Kite
3. 1 Large-tailed Nightjar
4. 1 dark swiftlet sp.
5. 1 Collared Kingfisher
6. 1 Lineated Barbet
7. 2 Rose-ringed Parakeet
8. 1 Blue-crowned Hanging-Parrot
9. 2 Common Iora
10. 3 Black-naped Oriole
11. 3 Yellow-vented Bulbul
12. 2 Pin-striped Tit-Babbler
13. 3 Asian Glossy Starling
14. 10 Javan Myna
15. 2 Scarlet-backed Flowerpecker
16. 1 Olive-backed Sunbird

Last stop for birding today was Singapore Botanic Gardens.

Male Oriental Magpie-robin

1. 6 Red Junglefowl (Domestic type)
2. 1 Changeable Hawk-Eagle - Heard
3. 10 Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon)
4. 3 Spotted Dove
5. 1 Collared Kingfisher
6. 1 Coppersmith Barbet - Heard
7. 1 Lineated Barbet - Heard
8. 1 Blue-crowned Hanging-Parrot - Heard
9. 2 Common Iora
10. 4 Black-naped Oriole
11. 1 Yellow-vented Bulbul
12. 1 Olive-winged Bulbul
13. 2 Pin-striped Tit-Babbler
14. 3 Oriental Magpie-Robin
15. 10 Asian Glossy Starling
16. 5 Javan Myna
17. 4 Olive-backed Sunbird

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

Jelutong Tower 28Mar17

From Con

Got male Greater Green Leafbird at Jelutong.

Rifle Range, Punggol 06Jan17

From KH

Danny, JS and I went Jelutong Tower today.

1. Oriental honey-buzzard 1
2. Black baza 3
3. Brahminy kite 2
4. White-bellied sea-eagle 2
5. Pink-necked green-pigeon 10
6. Greater coucal 1 heard only
7. Chestnut-bellied malkoha 1 pair
8. Violet cuckoo 1
9. Banded bay cuckoo 1 heard only
10. Swiftlet spp.
11. Blue-throated bee-eater 1
12. Blue-tailed bee-eater 5
13. Dollarbird 1
14. Banded woodpecker 1 heard only
15. Blue-crowned hanging-parrot 2
16. Greater racket-tailed drongo 2
17. Barn swallow
18. Red-rumped swallow 2
19. Eastern crowned warbler 1
20. Dark-necked tailorbird 2
21. Asian brown flycatcher 1
22. Common hill myna 2 heard only
23. Olive-winged bulbul 2
24. Black-headed bulbul 5
25. Pin-striped tit-babbler 2
26. Asian fairy-bluebird 1 male
27. Greater green leafbird 1 male
28. Blue-winged leafbird 1
29. Orange-bellied flowerpecker 2
30. Van Hasselt's sunbird 2
31. Crimson sunbird 2

Male Greater Green Leafbird ©Lau JS

After lunch, I went to Punggol West to recce. There were 2 Changeable Hawk-eagles and some Blue-tailed Bee-eaters.

Rifle Range, Tuas 22Nov14

From KH

Following Francis's report of a Yellow-eared Spiderhunter at Dillenia Hut on 20 Nov, Con, Danny, Jia Sheng and I went over today and was rewarded, not just with the spiderhunter, but also a Thick-billed Flowerpecker! The latter came back thrice to the bare tree above the hut and did its tail-wagging dance each time. See Toh and Kim Keang were also there to witness these rarities. Francis was too late and missed the flowerpecker.

Yellow-eared Spiderhunter ©Con Foley

Thick-billed Flowerpecker ©Con Foley

With the help of Danny's scope I was the only one who saw a Yellow-vented Flowerpecker, and Danny was the only one who got to see a male Lesser Green Leafbird.

Greater Green Leafbirds were more common - male, female and juvenile seen.

Male Greater Green Leafbird ©Con Foley

Other uncommon birds present at the tall fruiting tree: Cinereous Bulbul, Streaked Bulbul, 1 CB Malkoha, 1 SB Kingfisher.

Today's raptors over Dillenia Hut: 3 OHBs, 1 immature GHFE, 1 pale CHE, 2 WBSEs.
After lunch at NP, it was to Tuas again. Unfortunately, it started to drizzle, so I bailed out.

BTNR 05, 08May07

From GC

5 May

Was there yesterday (Saturday) from 3pm-4.20pm.

Birds seen:
1. Greater Green Leafbird - 1 male
2. Thick-billed Green-pigeon - 1 pair
3. Rufous Woodpecker - 3
4. Red-eyed Bulbul - 3
5. Asian Fairy-bluebird - 1 male
6. GRT Drongo - 2
7. Asian Glossy Starling - many many, including juveniles begging to be fed.

Just look at all those figs.

This is a good chance to see this elusive pigeon.

8 May

Went up this afternoon again, still have quite a lot of figs.

This afternoon's birds included:
1) Black-crested Bulbul x2
2) Asian Fairy-bluebird x3
3) Thick-billed Pigeons - 3 Males, a few females and 1 juvenile.
4) Red-eyed Bulbuls -x4
5) Orange-bellied Flowerpeckers - males, females and 1 juvenile.
6) Scarlet-backed Flowerpeckers
7) Pink-necked Pigeons
8) The usual Asian Glossy Starlings with adults feeding juveniles.
9) Drongo Cuckoo - heard
10) Changeable Hawk-eagle - heard
11) White-bellied Sea-eagle - heard

At the "lower peak" - Great and Rhinoceros Hornbills in flight, chased by Greater Racket-tailed Drongos. Then they settled near the Telecom tower (6.40pm)

Subadult Scarlet-backed flowerpecker

Male Orange-bellied flowerpecker

Juvenile Orange-bellied flowerpecker