2006 March 19 - ABC 2006

Photos by Ivy Tan.

Met up with Nessie, Fee and Ivy for the Annual Bird Census 2006.
We started from the bend of Malcolm Park behind St. Joseph’s Institution.

Perched on the bare branches in the background were some Blue-throated Bee-eaters, a Dollarbird and some Pink-necked Green-pigeons. Javan Mynas were on the ground.
In the trees on the right side of the road, 2 Straw-headed Bulbuls were singing aloud.
Calls of the Collared Kingfisher and Common Iora were heard.

Then we proceeded along Malcolm Road and down the slope to Goldhill garden.
Some men and a ground digging vehicle were by the road.
Some trees were felled and there were patches of soil where the trees used to be.

A lot more Javan Mynas moving on the ground and up in the trees as well.
Long-tailed Parakeets making their noisy calls while perched and also in flight. So were the Collared Kingfishers.

A Tanimbar Cockatoo was making loud harsh screeches up in the tree. Then we saw it chasing after a Rainbow Lorikeet.

Nessie was looking at an Asian Brown Flycatcher, and we were looking for an Asian Koel when a brownish bird flew into the heliconia bush.
I only managed to see some white patches on the wings and the long tail has white outer feathers.
There were 2 eggs lying side by side on the ground. They were about the size of quail eggs, pale brown with black speckles.
We stayed a while longer, hoping to see the bird come back to her eggs. But we were also worried that we could be giving her undue stress by staying too near for too long, so we moved off quite reluctantly.
Going back to where we started, the Common Iora finally showed up, after we had a good view of an Oriental Magpie-robin.
After the census, we went back to where the eggs were.
The Large-tailed Nightjar was resting on her eggs!
It’s a relief to know that she did not abandon them.

Full list of birds recorded:

1. Banded Woodpecker
2. Laced Woodpecker
3. Common Flameback
4. Dollarbird
5. White-throated Kingfisher
6. Collared Kingfisher
7. Blue-throated Bee-eater
8. Blue-tailed Bee-eater
9. Asian Koel
10. Greater Coucal (heard only)
11. Tanimbar Cockatoo
12. Red-breasted Parakeet
13. Long-tailed Parakeet
14. Large-tailed Nightjar
15. Spotted Dove
16. Pink-necked Green-pigeon
17. White-breasted Waterhen
18. Golden-bellied Gerygone (heard only)
19. Brown Shrike (heard only)
20. House Crow
21. Large-billed Crow (heard only)
22. Black-naped Oriole
23. Greater Racket-tailed Drongo
24. Common Iora
25. Asian Brown Flycatcher
26. Oriental Magpie-robin
27. Asian Glossy Starling
28. Javan Myna
29. Hill Myna
30. Pacific Swallow
31. Straw-headed Bulbul
32. Yellow-vented Bulbul
33. Common Tailorbird (heard only)
34. Dark-necked Tailorbird
35. Rufous-tailed Tailorbird (heard only)
36. White-crested Laughingthrush
37. Scarlet-backed Flowerpecker
38. Olive-backed Sunbird
39. Crimson Sunbird
40. Swiftlet spp
41. Rainbow Lorikeet