Bidadari, Telok Blangah, Henderson Waves 23Nov19

From KH

Danny and I started the day's birding at Bidadari.

The highlight was a Japanese Paradise-flycatcher showing of the clear inverted V demarcation on the underparts.

A Tiger Shrike also showed well.

Blue-throated Bee-eaters were still around despite their breeding season already over.

A pair of Long-tailed Parakeets were inspecting a tree hole, possibly starting their breeding season soon.

This being raptor season, a Black Baza (left) and an OHB came to join in the fun.

This is one of two JSHs that caught us by surprise - disappearing as soon as they showed up.

Bidadari

1. Spotted Dove 5
2. Pink-necked Green-Pigeon 30 - feeding on fruit tree
3. Lesser Coucal 1 - heard
4. Asian Koel 1 - heard
5. dark swiftlet sp. 50
6. Oriental Honey-buzzard 1
7. Black Baza 1
8. Japanese Sparrowhawk 2
9. Oriental Pied-Hornbill 1 - heard
10. White-throated Kingfisher 1
11. Collared Kingfisher 1
12. Blue-throated Bee-eater 10
13. Dollarbird 1
14. Lineated Barbet 1 - heard
15. Rose-ringed Parakeet 1
16. Red-breasted Parakeet 3
17. Long-tailed Parakeet 2
18. Blue-crowned Hanging-Parrot 1
19. Pied Triller 2
20. Black-naped Oriole 2
21. Japanese Paradise-Flycatcher 1
22. Tiger Shrike 1
23. Brown Shrike 1
24. House Crow 1
25. Common Tailorbird 1 - heard
26. Yellow-vented Bulbul 4
27. Arctic Warbler 1
28. Asian Glossy Starling 5
29. Javan Myna 10
30. Asian Brown Flycatcher 1
31. Scarlet-backed Flowerpecker 2
32. Olive-backed Sunbird 5

Someone reported a possible Taiga Flycatcher at Telok Blangah Hill, so we went there. However, it turned out to be a female Yellow-rumped Flycatcher instead. JS joined us in time to expose the imposter.

Yellow-rumped Flycatcher

Telok Blangah Hill Park

1. Arctic Warbler 1
2. Swinhoe's White-eye 5
3. Asian Glossy Starling 30
4. Yellow-rumped Flycatcher 1 - female
5. Mugimaki Flycatcher 1 - male
6. Scarlet-backed Flowerpecker 1

Next up, raptor watch at Henderson Waves. There were waves of OHBs and JSHs, plus an Osprey thrown in for good measure. The OHBs came mostly in waves of teens, with the largest kettle numbering 42. While the JSHs came in single digits, with the largest flocks numbering 8.

Juvenile Japanese Sparrowhawk

Henderson Waves

1. Osprey 1
2. Oriental Honey-buzzard 149
3. Japanese Sparrowhawk 47
4. Accipiter sp.
5. White-bellied Sea-Eagle 1
6. Blue-tailed Bee-eater 5
7. Black-naped Oriole 2
8. Brown-throated Sunbird 1

Other raptor photos from JS at Henderson:

The smaller looking raptor that flew away from the ohb flock. Head seems rounded like a harrier

Versus an OHB in similar pose

Pretty thick dark undertail band... But still a Japanese Sparrowhawk

Turuk Track, Tuas 21Nov15

From KH

Turuk Track 7:15 - 8:45 am

• 3 Black Bazas
• 1 Black Bittern
• 3 Yellow Bitterns
• 2 Oriental Reed-warblers
• 3 Black-browed Reed-warblers

With Con, Danny, Jia Sheng.

Tuas 10 am - 1 pm

• 215 OHB
• 21 Japanese Sparrowhawk (juv.)
• 3 unid accipiters
• 70 PGP
• 10 Oriental Pratincole (1 flock of 6 + 1 flock of 4)

With Con, Danny, Jia Sheng, Choon How, Francis, See Toh.

Female Japanese Paradise-flycatcher ©Con Foley

Female Japanese Paradise-flycatcher ©Danny Lau

Japan 09Jun13

From Yamane

I report you about my birding at my favourite place on 9 Jun. Japanese Paradise-flycatchers started brooding!

9. Jun 2013 Hayama/Morito River Upperstream 5:30-14:00

1. Chinese Bamboo Partridge
2. Oriental Turtle Dove
3. Lessor Cockoo
4. Black Kite
5. Common Kingfisher
6. Japanese Pygmy Woodpecker
7. Japanese Green Woodpecker
8. Japanese Paradise-flycatcher

Male

Female

* This nest is near the top of the tree, very high place. The photographers have to point their bazooka to the top.
* This pair was taking turns brooding every about 20~40 minutes.
* At least 2 pairs of Japanese Paradise-flycatchers are making their nests, except this pair.

9. Varied Tit
10. Japanese Tit
11. Barn swallow
12. Brown-eared Bulbul
13. Japanese Bush Warbler
14. Asian Stubtail
15. Eastern Crowned Warbler
16. Japanese White-eye
17. Blue-and-white Flycatcher (Male/Female)

This is the broken nest, the place of Red circle, of Blue-and-white Flycatcher by kidnapper who seemed to take chicks away last Friday. Everybody was looking forward to seeing the chicks' flying the nest... * Some pairs of Blue-and white Flycatchers seem to start breeding or brooding.

18. Eurasian Tree Sparoow
19. Meadow Bunting
20. Jungle Crow
21. Carrion Crow

Japan 19-21May13

From Yamane

19 May

I report you about my birding at my favourite place on 19 May. At last, Japanese Paradise-flycatchers came!

19. May 2013 Hayama/Morito River Upperstream 10:00-15:00

1. Chinese Bamboo Partridge
2. Oriental Turtle Dove
3. Lessor Cockoo
4. Black Kite
5. Japanese Pygmy Woodpecker
6. Japanese Green Woodpecker
7. Japanese Paradise-flycatcher (male)

8. Jungle Crow
9. Varied Tit
10. Japanese Tit
11. Barn swallow
12. Brown-eared Bulbul
13. Japanese Bush Warbler
14. Long-tailed Tit
15. Eastern Crowned Warbler
16. Japanese White-eye
17. Blue-and-white Flycatcher (male)

18. Eurasian Tree Sparrow
19. Japanese Pied Wagtail
20. Meadow Bunting

* Japanese Paradise Flycatches reached here. I could see 1 pair of them. But they didn’t start meking their nest.
* Some Blue-and white Flycatchers seemed to start breeding. But not all. The male in this picture seemed not to find his partner.

20-21 May

I report you of White-bellied Green-pigeon, drinking sea warter. They started drinking around May to Oct. every year.

Left male, right female

Male has yellow breast and dark-red wings. Female is almost light-green breast & olive wings. As they are named, their bellies’ color is whity or cream. Generally they are residents in mountains. They come here for only drinking sea water. Some pigeons stay at the forest near the seashore in the previous night. Others come directly from the mountains, named Tanzawa mountains.

They come some times for drinking in a day, mainly in the morning. Between the drinking times they rest in the near forest.

After their breeding, also their young birds come here with the parents around Jul. It’s dangerous for the pigeons to drink sea water. Also on 21 May, we saw a pigeon that was washed away by waves unfortunately. We don’t understand why they drink sea water. Some persons are researching these behaviors. We know the Pigeons drink sea water at only some places.

Terugasaki, Oiso, Kanagawa
9. May 2013 9:30-12:00
20. May 2013 9:30-11:00
21. May 2013 8:30-11:00

1. White-bellied Green Pigeon
2. Streaked Shearwater

3. Japanese Cormorant

4. Whimbrel

5. Grey-tailed Tattler
6. Common Sandpiper
7. Black-tailed Gull
8. Black Kite (harassed by crow)

9. Jungle Crow
10. Barn swallow (In the building of Oiso train station.)

11. Common House Martin (We can see the many nests of Common House Martins near place.)

12. Brown-eared Bulbul
13. Eurasian Tree Sparrow
14. Japanese Pied Wagtail

Bidadari, Rifle Range 13Nov12

From KH

Went to Bidadari for a final try of the Japanese Paradise-flycatcher and managed to nailed it around 10:30 am, just 1/2 hour before I had to leave! Con and Danny were also there, and got this lifer as well.

There was a Ferruginous Flycatcher at a low perch and about 10 Black Bazas roosting in the trees at Bidadari. Earlier, on the way to Bida, I saw an Oriental Honey-buzzard at Hougang. And Danny was at Rifle Range and found these Cave Nectar Bats.

Japan 05Jun11

From Yamane

It’s fine today, in spite of being in rainy season. I’m waiting for today. It’s a good condition for watching JPF. I visited my favourite place where we could see JPF every year. It’s same as the place I reported about Blue-and white FC last month. Also in this time, I try to use only train & bus, Green Birding. :-) I found a nest of Barn Swallow in the station. :-) 2 chicks there.

JPF (female) in the nest. Mainly I took movies of them (You can see 2 short-tailed JPF in this video).

The nest & JPF’s tail (Female). Now on construction. :-) But I could find only this nest today. There was few JPF this year. :-( I worry about this decrease. I don’t know the reason.

This morning, I could find the birds below. Black Kite Chinese Bamboo Partridge White Wagtail Barn Swallow Lesser Cuckoo Japanese Green Woodpecker Japanese Pygmy Woodpecker Brown-eared Bulbul Japanese Bush Warbler Eastern Crowned Willow Warbler Blue-and-white Flycatcher Japanese Paradise Flycatcher Long-tailed Tit Great Tit Varied Tit Japanese White-eye Meadow Bunting Oriental Greenfinch Tree Sparrow Jungle Crow

Japan 28Jun09

From Yamane

This morning, I visited my favourite place. I could take some pictures & movie of Japanese Paradise-flycatcher. Now a couple of JPF is breeding there (male on left, female on right).

And I could see the below birds.

Japanese Quail
Japanese Green Woodpecker
Japanese Pygmy Woodpecker
Little Cuckoo
Brown-eared Bulbul
Japanese Bush Warbler
Asian Stubtail
Blue-and-white Flycatcher
Great Tit
Japanese white-eye

Blue-and-white Flycatcher singing

Japan 06Jul08

From Yamane

I visited my favourite birding place also today. I could see the Japanese Paradise-flycatchers' babies! There are 3! I'm happy to have seen them. I report to you about the birds that I found today.

Japanese Quail
Common Kingfisher
Japanese Green Woodpecker
Japanese Pygmy Woodpecker
Little Cuckoo
Barn Swallow
Grey Wagtail
Brown-eared Bulbul
Japanese Bush Warbler
Asian Stubtail
Eastern Crowned Warbler
Blue-and-white Flycatcher
Japanese Paradise-flycatcher
Varied Tiy
Great Tit
Japanese White-eye
Meadow Bunting
Carrion Crow
Large-billed Crow

But only female is still taking care of their babies. :-( The male never do it. Also today I could see the male only 1 times. The male is wandering near the nest. This lazy male seems to be staying nearby? A general male helps his wife, but he never do it. Umm... I could never take photos of the male also in this time. :-( I gave up...