2005 November

It was a week of bird watching on alternate days, starting on 30th October at Perahu Road, 1st November at Sungei Buloh, 3rd November at West Coast Park, and 5th November on Pulau Ubin.

Week after Singapore Bird Race 2005 and the runner-up Doreen can’t wait to meet up with classmates to bird watch again.
Group of six met up at Perahu Road, went through a hole in the fence and onto the trail for our morning walk.

Highlights for the day were two majestic white-bellied fish-eagles perched high on a tree across the pond. Two black bazas flew across the pond to land in a tree briefly before taking flight again. A black-shouldered kite perched on a bare branch in the open gave us ample time to examine its features.

It was the first time that I saw juveniles of blue-throated bee-eater and red-breasted parakeet.

Other birds sighted were brown shrike, asian glossy starling, black-naped oriole, spotted dove, asian koel, cattle egret, pacific swallow, javan myna, long-tailed parakeet, grey heron, yellow-vented bulbul, pink-necked green-pigeon, purple heron, asian brown flycatcher, olive-backed sunbird, house swift, brahminy kite, house crow and scarlet-backed flowerpecker.

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Some colleagues requested for a guided walk to Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve, so I arranged for one on a public holiday thinking that it will suit the schedule of most people. But only one colleague turned up with her family.

While waiting for my participants, I bird watched at the main hide and around the mangrove boardwalk.

Sightings for the day include yellow-vented bulbul, fantail, juvenile brown shrike, little egret, common sandpiper, collared kingfisher, white-throated kingfisher, brahminy kite, purple heron, whimbrel, pacific golden plover, common greenshank, common redshank, milky stork, house crow, white-breasted waterhen and great egret.

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Supposed to meet up with a friend to do the Kallang park connector. But cancelled the plan due to the early morning downpour.

When the rain finally stopped and the sky cleared at around 8:30 am, I grabbed my bag and went to West Coast Park.

I think the rain really did wonder. The birds were well washed, giving them a nice sheen and the colours were brilliant.

Saw about thirty juvenile asian glossy starlings standing shoulder-to-shoulder on an antenna, drying their feathers.

Sighted the following around the marsh garden:
Javan myna, striated heron, common sandpiper, brahminy kite, little egret, lesser whistling duck, asian koel, purple heron, collared kingfisher, house crow and pink-necked green-pigeon.

Just outside the marsh garden, on a tree above the shelter, was a pair of little green-pigeons.

Along the trail from the fitness corner to the entrance plaza were olive-backed sunbirds, common mynas, two scarlet-backed flowerpeckers, black-naped orioles, white-throated kingfishers, spotted doves and two rainbow lorikeets.

Cattle egrets were sighted across the west coast highway.

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Walk on Pulau Ubin was short and leisurely around Pekan quarry, along Jalan Batu Ubin and the sensory trail.

At the jetty, we saw pacific swallows, grey heron and two collared kingfishers.
An albino rock pigeon was on the roof of the jetty.

On a tree beside the coffee shop were asian glossy starlings and olive-backed sunbirds.

A peregrine falcon was perched on the radio station near the information kiosk.
Two oriental pied hornbills were on a tree nearby.

Around the information kiosk were house crows, eurasian tree sparrows, javan mynas, spotted doves, and common mynas.

A common sandpiper was on a rock at the sea.

Walking along Jalan Jelutong, we saw two dollarbirds, house swifts flying overhead, oriental magpie robin perched on a bare branch near the new campsite, and later a white-throated kingfisher.

Red-breasted parakeet moving from tree to tree. A brown shrike calling caught our attention when a common iora came into view. Then some yellow-vented bulbuls flew in.

An ashy minivet got us confused for a while.

Other birds sighted:
Pink-necked green-pigeon, greater racket-tailed drongo, black-naped oriole, scarlet-backed flowerpecker, brown-throated sunbird, white-bellied fish-eagle, little bronze cuckoo, seven black bazas, ashy tailorbirds and a pair of crimson sunbirds.