Tuas 29Oct16

From KH

Danny and JS went to Ave 7 to check out the forested patch and got a Hodgson's Hawk-cuckoo.

When I reached Ave 16, they were already in the woods, but they informed me that there was a Chestnut-winged Cuckoo hidden in the trees along the road. Sure enough, there it was, skittish and well-concealed. Also around were Low CH and friend, and Lim KK.

Migrant raptor-wise, there was only a flock of Oriental Honey-buzzards heading south before the sky opened and we had to retreat to the new coffeeshop.

We returned to Ave 16 once the rain stopped, but there was nothing else of note.

The resident Brahminy Kite prowling its territory

"Shackled" House Crow with food in mouth

Scaly-breasted Munia feeding

"Botak" Common Myna

Beware of Red Dwarf Honey Bee nest!

Singapore Botanic Gardens 25Oct16

From Con

Oriental Pied-hornbills are trying out a potential nest in the Singapore Botanic Gardens at the entrance to the Rain Forest. The male is bringing mud to the female inside the tree hole.

Pulau Punggol, Tuas 22Oct16

From KH

Danny, JS and I planned to start the day's birding at Kranji Marsh, but upon reaching, we found the sky looked threatening and decided to head East. By the time we reach Lorong Halus, the rain clouds had caught up with us! So we adjourned to our favourite Punggol food court for breakfast.

Once the sky cleared, we headed to Pulau Punggol.

We didn't try very hard to turn the Paddyfield Pipits here into Angus pipits

A juvenile Sooty-headed Bulbul was begging for food

As nothing much else was going on here, we decided to head to Tuas for raptor watching. Although the sky was overcast, we saw 1 Common Buzzard and 1 immature male Eastern Marsh-harrier, on top of the usual OHBs and accipiters.

Common Buzzard

Immature male Eastern Marsh-harrier

There were also migrating Pacific Swifts.

Pacific Swift

Bidadari, Tuas, Singapore Strait 15Oct16

From KH

Con, Danny and I started at Bidadari. There were 3 Brown-chested jungle flycatchers, 1 juvenile Malaysian hawk cuckoo, 1 juvenile Slaty-breasted rail and the usual suspects.

Later, Danny and I went Tuas for raptor watching, but we only got 1 accipiter and 1 OHB.

JS went pelagic birding with Francis and gang in 2 boats. They got the usual terns (including Aleutian terns), Swinhoe's storm petrels and a flock of migrating Pacific swifts.

Tuas 10Oct16

From GC

Plaintive cuckoo, female
Rusty-breasted cuckoo (friendly)
APFC
Yellow-rumped FC, female
Brown-chested JFC (skittish)
Asian Brown FC
Eastern crowned warbler

Only 9 OHB (very high), some Blue-tailed bee-eaters and Barn swallows on migration.

1 tattered Jap sparrowhawk flying from Tuas to Johor!

Female Plaintive cuckoo ©Tan GC

Johor 07-08Oct16

From KH

Con, Danny, JS and I spent the weekend birding in Johor.

Grey-capped Woodpecker ©Con Foley

Lesser Fish-eagle ©Con Foley

Rifle Range, Wallace Centre, SBWR 01Oct16

From KH

Con brought along a couple from Colombia to join Danny and I today. We started at Rifle Range. Along the way to Jelutong Tower, we got the usual residents Banded woodpecker, Hill mynas, Greater racket-tailed drongos, Short-tailed babblers, Pin-striped tit babblers, Dark-necked tailorbirds, Asian glossy starlings, and the usual migrants Yellow-rumped flycatcher, Asian brown flycatchers, Eastern crowned warblers.

At Jelutong Tower, we managed to get some more birds: Blue-crowned hanging parrots, Pink-necked green pigeons, Olive-winged bulbuls, Brown-throated sunbirds, Scarlet-backed flowerpeckers.

On the way out, I saw a rare Brown-chested jungle flycatcher.

Shifting location to Wallace Centre, we found tonnes of photographers there! We got an adult White-bellied sea eagle soaring high up, a confiding male Yellow-rumped flycatcher, 3 noisy Asian fairy bluebirds, an almost invisible Little spiderhunter and singing Straw-headed bulbuls.

Moving on to Sungei Buloh, we met Martin and his friend, and there were only the usual waders.