Punggol, Tuas, Pulau Punggol 30May15

From KH

Danny and I went on a hunt for Horsfield's Bronze Cuckoo, which has been seen at Punggol End and Tuas. We started at Punggol End. There were no Horsfield's but there was a pair of nesting Blue-throated Bee-eaters. The adult was observed bringing food back to the nest, which is underground.

Moving on to Tuas, we started along Tuas South Ave 1, but no target cuckoo. The only surprise was an over-staying second year Oriental Honey-buzzard.

Then we met up with Choon How at Ave 3 and moved on to another forest patch. However, we dipped at the cuckoo here too.

After Indian rice lunch, Danny and I parted ways with Choon How and we headed to Lorong Halus. Upon reaching, we got news that the target cuckoo has been sighted at Pulau Punggol! Upon reaching, Francis told us that the bird had flown off... After about half an hour, he spotted a second cuckoo and soon we realised there were more than 10 of them - male, female, immature, all were represented. This is a nearly 100% cropped Horsfield's Bronze-cuckoo.

Sweden 05-21May15

From Con

I am off to my ancestral homeland so I won’t be birding locally.

19 May

Today an experienced (40 yrs experience) took me around for a morning of birding. There is a known spot where there is a rather crazy bird. He will come out of the forest and bite your legs and hit you with his wings. You have to use a long stick to keep him away!! To get back into the car had to blow the horn. Then he chases the car down the road!!

Capercaillie

We also got black grouse, crested tit, black-throated loon and some other forest birds. But it was really rainy.

Then went to coast and got a flock of about fourty dunlins. Turns out the person who told me they had already gone North was simply wrong. Also broad-billed sandpiper, sanderling and some more.

http://www.pbase.com/con_foley/europe

Singapore Strait 26Apr15

From Con

Lesser Frigatebird, juvenile 1
Arctic Skua 1
Swinhoe’s Storm Petrel 2
Aleutian Tern 3
Bridled Tern 2
Lesser Crested Tern 35
Great Crested Tern 1
White-winged Tern 36
Little Tern 2

Juvenile Lesser Frigatebird

Bidadari, Pasir Ris Farmway 18Apr15

From KH

Following report of an Indian Pond-heron in breeding plumage at Bidadari yesterday, Danny and I went to Bidadari for the bird. When we reached, LKK and See Toh were already on site searching for the bird. Soon a few other birders/photographers started showing up. Still the bird was nowhere to be seen.

Nevertheless, 1 Chinese Pond-heron and 2 Tiger Shrikes in breeding plumage were showing, so were a male Yellow-rumped Flycatcher, Asian Brown Flycatcher, Asian Paradise-flycatcher and Arctic Warblers. The local birds also keep us company - Oriental Pied Hornbill, Lineated Barbet, Coppersmith Barbet, Common Hill Myna, etc. The only raptor seen today was an immature pale Oriental Honey-buzzard orientalis with very heavily moulted tail.

Then, after 10 am, a photographer spotted the Indian Pond-heron on a tree. Soon the news spread. Con and some birders/photographers started showing up.

In breeding plumage, the bird is unmistakable - pale buff head to breast, and maroon mantle to scapulars.

After 1 hour or so, the bird went into hiding and many of us broke for lunch. All the while, it was on the tree, not tame and on the grass as reported on the previous day. After lunch, Con got a message that the bird was back and on the grass. So back we went.

Not long after, the bird went into hiding on the trees again and it was time to part ways.

While driving home, I decided to check out Pasir Ris Farmway 3, where an Indian Pond-heron had been spotted three years ago. No Indian, but a breeding Javan, a breeding Chinese, and a non-breeding pond-heron were showing well.

The Javan Pond-heron in breeding plumage is also unmistakable - buff head to neck, orange breast, and slaty mantle to scapulars.

The Chinese Pond-heron in breeding plumage is also unmistakable - maroon head to breast, and slaty mantle to scapulars.

However, in non-breeding plumage, all three species look alike.

Also present at the farmway were 2 Little Egrets, 1 Common Sandpiper and 1 Pintail Snipe.

From these views above, it was only possible to narrow down to Pintail/Swinhoe's. Out of a few hundred shots, 1-2 showed signs of the outer pins, narrowing it down to Pintail Snipe. From the shot below, the outer pins could be seen in the water reflection.

This is also a great place to get close-up shots of Grey Herons.

Lastly, a Common Sandpiper and a Little Egret to round things up.

Singapore Strait 12Apr15

From KH

Went on the pelagic trip organised by Bird Group with Danny. It was a hot and sleepy trip.

Little Terns - both in breeding plumage

Lesser Crested Terns - bottom bird in breeding plumage

Black-naped Terns - the top right with a flying fish

Great Crested Tern (12)
Lesser Crested Tern (34)
Little Tern (14)
Black-naped Tern (10)
Bridled Tern (1)
Swiftlet spp. (22)
Grey Heron (2)
Barn Swallow (1)
White-bellied Sea-eagle (1)
Brahminy Kite (1)

Bidadari 23Mar15

From Con

After a bit of a sad start to the day, I went to Bidadari hopping that the LHC without the rufous wash was still around. It took a long time searching for it, but I was in luck and it was still there and I managed to get some photos. Previous LHC that I’ve photographed both adult and juvenile had a rufous wash around the neck and upper breast, but this one does not. However it most certainly is a LHC, it is visibly larger and flies like an LHC with stronger wing beats and much greater distance of flight than either MHC or HHC. It was rather skittish and would not allow close approach, but still I got useable photos.

A photo guide to the ID of Large Hawk Cuckoos

Serangoon, Poyan 22Mar15

Danny and Con did the census at Poyan, getting a record 60 species! I did Serangoon as usual and managed "only" 51 species.

		Serangoon	Poyan
1	Red Junglefowl		7
2	Sunda Pygmy Woodpecker	10	2
3	Banded Woodpecker		3
4	Laced Woodpecker		1
5	Common Goldenback		7
6	Lineated Barbet		8
7	Coppersmith Barbet		1
8	Oriental Dollarbird		1
9	Stork-billed Kingfisher	1	1
10	White-throated Kingfisher	3	2
11	Collared Kingfisher	3	2
12	Blue-throated Bee-eater	2	3
13	Blue-tailed Bee-Eater		2
14	Banded Bay Cuckoo		2
15	Rusty-breasted Cuckoo		1
16	Little Bronze Cuckoo	2
17	Asian Drongo Cuckoo	1
18	Asian Koel	4
19	Greater Coucal		1
20	Lesser Coucal	1	6
21	Rainbow Lorikeet		1
22	Blue-rumped Parrot		1
23	Rose-ringed Parakeet	3
24	Red-breasted Parakeet		18
25	Long-tailed Parakeet	1	5
26	Swiftlet Spp	20	25
27	Common Pigeon	8
28	Spotted Dove	7	12
29	Common Emerald Dove		1
30	Zebra Dove	1	10
31	Pink-necked Green Pigeon	4	30
32	White-breasted Waterhen	2
33	Marsh Sandpiper	1
34	Common Greenshank	2
35	Common Sandpiper	9
36	Pacific Golden Plover	18
37	Red-wattled Lapwing		7
38	Black Baza	1
39	Crested Honey Buzzard		1
40	White-bellied Sea Eagle		2
41	Grey-headed Fish Eagle	1
42	Changeable Hawk Eagle		2
43	Little Egret	2
44	Grey Heron	2
45	Striated Heron	21
46	Blue-winged Pitta		3
47	Tiger Shrike		1
48	Brown Shrike	1
49	House Crow	2
50	Large-billed Crow		2
51	Black-naped Oriole	10	24
52	Pied Triller	1	5
53	Ashy Minivet	2	6
54	Pied Fantail	9
55	Greater Racket-tailed Drongo		4
56	Common Iora	9	9
57	Asian Brown Flycatcher	1	1
58	Oriental Magpie Robin	1	3
59	Asian Glossy Starling	4	29
60	Common Myna	1	1
61	White-vented Myna	32	33
62	Pacific Swallow	3	2
63	Straw-headed Bulbul		6
64	Sooty-headed Bulbul	1	1
65	Yellow-vented Bulbul	11	27
66	Olive-winged Bulbul		3
67	Zitting Cisticola	2
68	Yellow-bellied Prinia	4	2
69	Oriental Reed Warbler	2
70	Common Tailorbird	7	1
71	Dark-necked Tailorbird		2
72	Ashy Tailorbird	10	1
73	Arctic Warbler	2	1
74	White-crested Laughingthrush		6
75	Striped Tit Babbler		5
76	Scarlet-backed Flowerpecker	2	3
77	Brown-throated Sunbird	2	3
78	Purple-throated Sunbird		2
79	Olive-backed Sunbird	14	5
80	Eurasian Tree Sparrow	9
81	Paddyfield Pipit		1
82	Baya Weaver		21
83	Scaly-breasted Munia	10
	Total Species	52	60
	Total No.	282	353