Contributed by Doreen Ang.
This is an edited version.
AH and I birded briefly at Tuas today starting from 0830h. The heavy pre-dawn rain messed up our original plan to bird with NK at 0730h. We managed only a straight walk in and out, i.e. no deviation to the extreme left or right due to time constraints. It drizzled lightly for a brief moment when we were there. AH looked smashing in her new wellingtons!
I was pleasantly surprised to see the 'straight path' totally covered with patches of yellow mimosa. As expected, puddles of water had formed after a few days' rain. A bund clearly demarcates the left and right fields. No sign of any bull dozers which is a good sign!
Our list:-
7 red-wattled lapwings - noisy birds, flying in 2 distinct groups across the field towards the back end.
40+ mixed flock of black-headed and scaly-breasted munias - adults and juveniles. Feeding.
5-6 white-headed munias - not as sociable as the earlier species. Kept to themselves. Outstanding white head.
several paddyfield pipits - distinct white outer tail feathers evident as it flew, and just before landing.
plaintive cuckoo - silent. Perched on a bush. Black eye and bill. Striped undertail. No distinct supercilium. Brownish all over. Juvenile?
2 savannah nightjars - accidentally flushed two on the gravel patch. Flew close past us on both occasions. Silent. Had good views of unbroken white outer tail feathers (on one - obviously a male) and white patch on wing. A lifer for AH!
several zitting cisticolas - one puffed up individual reminded AH of a white golf ball!
house crows.
a pair of sunda pygmy woodpeckers - chasing each other on a blooming acacia tree. A different harsh call was heard.
a pair of golden-bellied gerygones - on the same acacia tree. One of the smallest birds in Singapore with a unique bird song to match.
6 pink-necked green pigeons - males and females. Perched together, drying their wet feathers.
1 blue-throated bee-eater - dark brownish head contrasting with body. Still around in mid Sept?
1 pied triller - brilliant black and white seen clearly even at a distance.
1 spotted dove.
egret sp - in the sky far away.
snipe sp - two accidentally flushed. Flew off a short distance to the left field. Typical fattish snipe jizz. Silent.
common goldenback - heard only.
shrike sp - heard.
1 common tailorbird – further away from the plaintive cuckoo.
black-naped oriole.
white-vented myna.
yellow-vented bulbul.
a small flock of asian glossy starlings.
swiftlet sp.
barn swallows.
crake/rail sp - AH spotted one uniform darkish bird disappearing deeper into thicket.
Birds recorded on Pulau Ubin:
Nipal palm
Flower of Nipal palm