Hindhede 09Aug25

From KH

Danny and I went to Hindhede Nature Park today. A visit that will not be complete without seeing any Sunda Colugo, and we saw 4!

Immature Greater Racket-tailed Drongo put on quite a show for us.

Sleepy Brown Boobook enjoying the smell outside the toilet.

Petai Trail, Lor Halus 27Nov21

From KH

News of rarities came fast and furious: Amur Falcon at Lorong Halus and Pale-legged Leaf Warbler at Petai Trail. Which to go for? Headed to Petai Trail in the morning to try for the Singapore-first warbler of course!

Sadly no Pale-legged Leaf Warbler, but got a Sakhalin Leaf Warbler (5 kHz call vs the former's 6 kHz).

And an Arctic Warbler.

Here's a Saturn.

Here's a caterpillar.

What are these plants?

Next stop, Halus for the Amur Falcon. Can you believe it, it's favourite hiding place is the scaffold on the flat under construction!

After lunch, it's back to Petai for another try for the Pale-legged Leaf Warbler. Bingo, got a recording but no sight.

Here's a shy Arctic Warbler.

And a not-so-shy Greater Racket-tailed Drongo.

Epiphytic algae on tree.

Pulau Ubin 05Jun19

From KH

Danny, JS and I went for the Buff-rumped Woodpecker again, and got it this time!

Greater Racket-tailed Drongo enjoying the morning sun.

Van Hasselt's Sunbird nest

1. Red Junglefowl 2 - heard
2. Asian Emerald Dove 1
3. Pink-necked Pigeon 5
4. Oriental Pied-Hornbill 2
5. Blue-eared Kingfisher 1
6. Collared Kingfisher 2
7. Blue-throated Bee-eater 1
8. Dollarbird 1
9. Buff-rumped Woodpecker 1 - male
10. Laced Woodpecker 1
11. Common Flameback 1 - heard
12. Black-naped Oriole 2
13. Greater Racket-tailed Drongo 2
14. Straw-headed Bulbul 1 - heard
15. Yellow-vented Bulbul 1
16. Olive-winged Bulbul 2
17. Pacific Swallow 2
18. Oriental White-eye 2
19. Dark-necked Tailorbird 1 - heard
20. Yellow-bellied Prinia 1 - heard
21. Abbott's Babbler 1 - heard
22. White-rumped Shama 2
23. Asian Glossy Starling 10
24. Plain-throated Sunbird 3
25. Van Hasselt's Sunbird 3
26. Crimson Sunbird 3

Henderson Waves 10Nov18

From KH

By the time I reached the bridge it was about 9:45am. Con also just reached. Seetoh, Adrian, Jerold, Zacc and others were already there.

By 2pm others have all left; I was the last man standing. From 2-3pm, more raptors came.

Oriental Honey-buzzards

Black Bazas

Japanese Sparrowhawks

But the biggest surprise was a single Greater Spotted-eagle.

Near the toilet, a flock of White-crested Laughingthrushes was foraging with a pair of Greater Racket-tailed Drongos looking on.

1. 1 Red Junglefowl (Domestic type) - Heard
2. 1 Spotted Dove
3. 2 Pink-necked Pigeon
4. 1 Asian Koel - Heard
5. 1 Indian Cuckoo
6. 10 dark swiftlet sp.
7. 2 House Swift
8. 1 Osprey
9. 121 Oriental Honey-buzzard
10. 134 Black Baza
11. 2 Changeable Hawk-Eagle
12. 1 Greater Spotted Eagle
13. 3 Chinese Sparrowhawk
14. 16 Japanese Sparrowhawk
15. 12 Accipiter sp.
16. 2 Brahminy Kite
17. 1 White-bellied Sea-Eagle
18. 1 Gray-headed Fish-Eagle
19. 1 White-throated Kingfisher
20. 1 Collared Kingfisher - Heard
21. 4 Blue-throated Bee-eater
22. 1 Dollarbird
23. 1 Lineated Barbet - Heard
24. 1 Tanimbar Corella
25. 2 Blue-crowned Hanging-Parrot
26. 56 Ashy Minivet
27. 2 Black-naped Oriole
28. 2 Greater Racket-tailed Drongo
29. 30 Barn Swallow
30. 3 Red-rumped Swallow
31. 2 Yellow-vented Bulbul
32. 1 Dark-necked Tailorbird - Heard
33. 4 Oriental White-eye
34. 2 Pin-striped Tit-Babbler
35. 6 White-crested Laughingthrush
36. 1 Asian Brown Flycatcher - Heard
37. 2 Asian Glossy Starling
38. 2 Common Hill Myna
39. 4 Javan Myna
40. 1 Orange-bellied Flowerpecker - Juvenile
41. 2 Scarlet-backed Flowerpecker - Heard
42. 2 Olive-backed Sunbird
43. 1 Crimson Sunbird

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.

Mandai, BBNP, SBWR 04Sep10

From KH

We started off at Mandai Road. There were Asian Glossy Starlings and Pink-necked Green-pigeons on a fruiting tree. The first interesting bird was an Abbott's Babbler which was very vocal. We heard a Crested Serpent-eagle and later a Changeable Hawk-eagle.

Although a common bird, we decide to pay more attention to the juvenile Greater Racket-tailed Drongo because it has a nice tail pattern. ©Danny Lau

A Stork-billed Kingfisher flew in and perch above us. It looked very wet, probably just had a bath in the nearby stream. ©Tan KH

We saw Violet Cuckoos calling the familiar tee-wit in flight. There were also many woodpeckers here: Common Flamebacks, Rufous Woodpeckers, Laced Woodpeckers and Banded Woodpeckers.

Next stop was Bukit Batok Nature Park. A close scrutiny at the staircase reveal nothing. Fortunately, some 20 m into the path we spotted some movement close to the undergrowth - a pair of Sunda Scops-owls. The time was about 10+ am. We stayed with the owls for at least half an hour, but they never gave us any clear view. ©Danny Lau

After the owls, everything was rather quiet, except for a juvenile pale morph CHE which was gliding across the quarry and calling its familiar whi-whi-whi-whiii.

When we arrived at SBWR, we found that the frond holding the Olive-backed Sunbird nest has fallen off. Fortunately, according to the staff, the chicks have fledged a few days before the frond fell. The Ashy Tailorbird, on the other hand, was still incubating. We checked out the hides and only common waders were present: Common Redshanks, Common Greenshanks, Whimbrels, PGPs and LSPs.

Fortunately, Copper-throated Sunbirds were there to keep us company. ©Tan KH

So were the supporting cast of Common Ioras. ©Tan KH

Although the uncommon waders were nowhere to be found, we decide to try out luck at the Main Hide again. Bingo, a Ruddy Turnstone was there to console us.

Finally, an Oriental Whip Snake was our last wildlife encounter for today. ©Danny Lau

Earth Trail, Singapore Quarry, BBNP 12Jul08

From KH

Danny and I started the morning at the Lock Road carpark on Earth Trail. Danny saw an Asian Paradise Flycatcher last Sun (6Jul) along Earth Trail. However, today we only got the usual birds, like Bulbuls (OW & YV), SB Flowerpeckers, Sunbirds (OB, Plain-throated, Crimson), Blue-throated Bee-eaters, GRT Drongos, Tanimbar Corellas.

Bridge along the Earth Trail

Fungi of different shape, size and colour are common on the dead logs

The King and Queen of fruits (durian and mangosteen) can be found here!

Male Orthetrum glaucum, one of the many dragonflies that can be found here

Greater Racket-tailed Drongo silhoutte

Having failed to locate the APFC, we moved on to Singapore Quarry, hoping to see the 3 Little Grebes that were recently reported there. However, once again we failed to locate the target birds. The water looked too shallow for the grebes' liking. Birds of note were: 2 Straw-headed Bulbuls, 2 Lineated Barbets and a lot of Asian Glossy Starlings feeding on a fruiting tree. There were also many butterflies and dragonflies flying around. Among the reptiles are a Clouded Monitor in the drain, a Sun Skink and Changeable Lizard basking in the sun.

Sun Skink basking in the sun

Javan Myna having a meal

Final location of the day was Bukit Batok Nature Park heavy vehicle carpark. Nothing unusual here except of poachers and a guy holding on to an antenna. As we were about to leave, a CHE was calling at a distance.

Scaly-breasted Munia posing for the D80