Halus, Chinese Garden 15Mar14

From KH

Con is in the Philippines, so Danny, JS and I continued our Swinhoe's quest (as Con put it). The first site today is Halus. We started the day with two Jerdon's Baza, one of which was having breakfast. Many birders/photographers were around and there was to be an NSS outing. So we decided to go up the hill to hide from the crowd. An odd swift got us excited, but it turned out to be a tailless swiftlet, instead of a spinetail... Interestingly, this has happened about 2 years ago at the nearby tidal gates.

Also flying around was an Asian Palm-swift. Look out for the slimmer of the swifts with a forked tail and no pale rump.

Asian Palm-swift ©Tan KH

A snipe did flush from a drain connected to the grebe pond, but it was gone before we could observe it. Continuing on to the river connected to the reservoir, two accipiters caught our attention. Initially, hopes were high that one of them could be an Eurasian Sparrowhawk, but they turned out to be female Japanese Sparrowhawks. Other raptors present were 2 pale CHE, 1 Chinese Sparrowhawk, some Black Bazas and a WBSE.

After lunch at our usual Punggol coffeeshop, it was decision time again. Where else to snipe? Chinese Garden came to mind. A pair of snipes have been roosting at one of the ponds there for weeks now. Soon after reaching, one of the snipes started moving over to the drain to take a bath. We observed its acitivities and took many photos. We think it was a Swinhoe's Snipe, but our photos do not show the fully fanned tail...

Snipe ©Lau JS

Since the bird was now back to its resting spot, we went to check out the spots of the other highlights here: bb crake, grey nightjar and boobook, but they were all nowhere to be found.

From JS

Lor Halus
1) Changeable Hawk-eagle (3)
2) White-bellied Sea-eagle (1)
3) Black Baza (>6)
4) Jerdon's Baza (>2)
5) Japanese Sparrowhawk (>3)
6) Chinese Sparrowhawk (1)
7) Oriental Honey-buzzard (1)

Chinese Garden
1) Brahminy Kite (1)
2) White-Bellied Sea-eagle (1)

CCK Park 11-12Mar14

From Danny

11Mar

On Tuesday evening around 7.20 pm at CCK Car Park, saw a pair of screaming Savanna Nightjars flew in from the army camp. The dry condition must have driven them out from Warren to the army camp next to CCK Car Park.

12Mar

As for Hawk Eagle, finally solve the mystery of the open nest at CCK Car Park. In December last year, I had located the new nest of the the WBSE over at the corner formed by the army camp, KJE slip road and CCK car park though there was another smaller open nest on an albizia tree along the slip road leading to Mi Casa condo. On a few occasions, without benefits of bins, I have seen raptors behaving suspiciously around the nest but often it remained empty without any activities.

On Wednesday evening, I drove over to the back gate of Mi Casa and the army camp. The moment I left my driver seat I spotted another nest sitting high on a stout tree on the remaining wild wooded forest and next to the perimeter fences of the army camp. Thru' my bins, I could see the small head of a unknown bird. On further observation, it was clear a young chick with downy plumage was on the nest, possibly two weeks old, as it could stood on side of the nest. Before long a pale morph CHE flew in to feed the week old baby. After feeding, the pale morph CHE flew off to a higher branch to finish off whatever leftover of an unknown prey. I checked out the open nest and it was empty, soon the familiar call of the CHE brought me back to the real nest and there was a dark morph adult Hawky on the nest. The nest building and incubation started in December and hatch sometime in late Feb.

Dairy Farm Loop, Halus 8Mar14

From KH

The four of us started the day at Dairy Farm for the confirmed Sakhalin Leaf Warbler. Previously, in Jan, we thought it was a Pale-legged Leaf Warbler, as Sakhalin was out of range and never came to mind. Now in Mar, the bird was singing and ID can now be confirmed by the song.

Initially, the bird was nowhere to be seen or heard. Then some time after 9 am, we started to hear it and soon everyone of us (including 5 other birders) got good views of the bird. There seem to be two birds around.

Also present was a male Siberian Thrush and a Dark-sided Flycatcher.

Next, we went to Halus for the Asian Palm-swift that Con missed previously and also the Jerdon's Baza. Sure enough two of each were present.

First adult Jerdon's Baza ©Tan KH

Second adult Jerdon's Baza ©Tan KH

Marina Bay, Chinese Garden 01-02Mar14

From JS

Date: 1/3/14
Location: Marina Bay Sands
1) Oriental Honey-buzzard (1)

Date: 2/3/14
Location: Chinese Garden
1) Oriental Honey-buzzard (2, 1 dark morph male and 1 pale morph)
2) Brahminy Kite (2)

Brown Boobook at Chinese Garden ©Danny Lau

MacRitchie, Chinese Garden, Halus 01Mar14

From KH

After getting news of Barred Eagle Owl at MacRitchie, Con, Danny and I headed there. Unfortunately, except for a faraway Brown Boobook call, there were no other owls heard or seen.

When day break, we were off to Halus. Just when we were a few km from Halus, Con suddenly turned off Jln Kayu and informed us of the "mega rare" Band-bellied Crake at Chinese Gardens. So we took Con's car and headed straight there. We spent the rest of the morning at the pond where the crake was sighted yesterday, but only got Blue-winged Pitta, Black-browed Reed Warbler and "swintail" snipes.

After lunch, we were off to pick up our cars. Con decided it was too hot for afternoon birding and so Danny and I continued at Halus. As is routine now, around noon, our first stop is Halus Bridge for raptor watch. Seeing nothing special, we moved on to Sunshine Bridge and confirmed an Asian Palmswift mixed with the swiftlets.

Soon after, Con got wind that the crake has been spotted! So off we went to Chinese Gardens again... Sure enough the bird was foraging in a manicured drain with the statues are. And boy where there many birders and photographers.

I really have to hit myself on the head for not bringing my camera. So here is a crappy shot from my smartphone...

Fortunately, Danny was there with his scope:

Pulau Punggol 23Feb14

From JS

Raptors:
1) Black-Winged Kite (1)
2) Brahminy Kite (>4)
3) White-Bellied Sea-Eagle (>4)
4) Osprey (2)
5) Booted Eagle (1)
6) Accipiter sp. (1)

Waders:
1) Long-toed Stint (1)
2) Wood Sandpiper (2)
3) Oriental Pratincole (13)

Imbiah, Tuas 22Feb14

From KH

Danny went to River Safari for "pandamonium"! So only Con and I birded today. First, we went to Imbiah at Sentosa for the Hwamei and sure enough a pair were in a bush right at the road side!

Next destination: Tuas for raptor migration. However, as Con put it, the migrant raptors were really rare because there were none. So having wasted our time, we broke early for lunch at The American Club, Con's treat! :)