Showing posts with label birding. Show all posts
Showing posts with label birding. Show all posts

2022 birding summary

Another year of awesome birds!
Spent the last day of 2022 doing what I like, b2b (bike to bird), hoping to add more lifers for the year. Although that didn't happen, am still glad to get 15 lifers through the year. Hooray!!!
Some memorable moments:
Jurong Lake Gardens was named cuckooland in January when a variety of cuckoos congregated there; I ticked off the Large Hawk-cuckoo and Asian Emerald Cuckoo.

Bishan-Ang Mo Kio Park was abuzz in March and I got the Pallas's Grasshopper Warbler and Javan Pond-heron.

Indian Pond-heron came back to Dover in April; some say it has become a regular.

Went to Pulau Ubin a few times in April and May, only managed to see the Black-winged Flycatcher-shrike.

Cycled the new park connector at Changi Bay a few times to get the Light-vented Bulbul and Pin-tailed Whydah in May.

Ruby-cheeked Sunbirds were found building nest in Sungei Buloh in June, so I have to visit since I missed them at Pulau Ubin in the previous months.

The Bali Myna at Telok Blangah Crescent in July has a ring on its right leg. I think it was trying to impress the Javan Myna by calling and showing its long plumes. The cleaners were quite amused by the enthusiasm of us (birders and photographers) whenever the bird flies overhead or perches low.

Very pleased to see a few Black-rumped Waxbills at Bishan-Ang Mo Kio Park in August.

So glad that I saw the posts by birders on 1 November about the Black-headed Ibis at Sungei Buloh because I would be on leave the next day and was wondering where to go for lifers.

Saw 2 cuckoos on 26 November at Windsor nature park: Chestnut-winged Cuckoo at 9+, near toilet, low bush, very skittish. Hodgson's Hawk-cuckoo at 12+, very near boardwalk outside Hanguana trail, low perch, came out open for quite awhile, very friendly.

Walked around Tampines Eco Green in the rain but couldn't find what I came for. Went for early lunch, checked messages and rushed to Telok Blangah Hill Park. So happy to see the Zappey's Flycatcher.

The White Wagtail was foraging below the willows at Pelton canal in December. Seems like it has been visiting this location for the past 2 years.

More lifers in 2023, thank you!
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2021 birding summary

It has been quite a year, birding wise.

Here are some highlights (* indicates first reported sighting in Singapore):
Cotton pygmy-goose – hongbao for Lunar New Year at Bishan-Ang Mo Kio park, pond near Grub bistro.
Mandarin duck – male in breeding plumage with ring on left leg at Hougang Avenue 10.
Green broadbill – at Pulau Ubin, along Jalan Noordin. A police patrol car drove by when the crowd was getting too big.
*Spotted flycatcher – at Kent Ridge park. Walked a long way from the MRT station; thankfully the bird was active and everyone was rewarded with good views when it flew several times to the ground to forage.
*Tree pipit – at Dover Forest West. Went on Saturday afternoon, walked around and waited for about three hours, no show. Went again on Sunday morning, almost gave up when it appeared to a joyous crowd; everyone formed a big circle around the pipit (we practise social distancing, even with the bird) and cameras were clicking away enthusiatically; I think there was a smile on every masked face.
Fairy pitta – this is the second time that this pitta is seen in Singapore; I tried twice unsuccessfully when it first appeared in 2019.
Went to Hindhere Nature park on Deepavali and queued for about an hour (yes, NParks inroduced a queue system after some unpleasant incidents between birders/photographers and other park users when “star” birds appear).
Amur falcon – at Lorong Halus. This is a female who loves to eat green grasshoppers/katydids.
*Black redstart – in someone’s backyard at Springwood Crescent. The most unlikely place to find a rare bird.
Grey-faced buzzard – at Telok Blangah Hill park, carpark 3. A police patrol car was stationed there to ensure social distancing.
Mangrove whistler – at Berlayer Creek boardwalk. Paced up and down for more than 2.5 hours to see this bird, which is usually found on the Southern islands.
Looking forward to 2022!
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2018 May 12 - Great Slaty Woodpecker

The female Great Slaty Woodpecker (GSW) was first sighted at Bukit Timah Nature Reserve (BTNR) on May 2.
I walked the way to the summit on Saturday late morning but did not see many birders nor photographers, and came away with no luck.
Later that day, I received news that BTNR was abuzz with activities throughout the day; GSW made her appearance in the morning and afternoon as well. I missed the show!!! No news of GSW on the following days.

Report by Bird Group, Nature Society (Singapore)
https://singaporebirdgroup.wordpress.com/2018/05/09/return-of-the-king/

On May 11, Francis Yap found it near treetop walk.
I alerted Doreen, who managed to get the exact location very quickly.
The next morning we headed to Rifle Range Road; it was still dark and we had our torchlights.
We arrived at the spot just before 7am, and waited patiently.
Sun rays kept us accompanied.
More people arrived to try their luck. An hour passed, patience was wearing off slowly; some walked off to other parts of Central Catchment Nature Reserve.
At about 8:30am, GSW appeared; patience has paid off for those who waited. Everyone stared at the bare branch and cameras clicked hastily.
Photo by Michael Toh.
After a round of photo shoots, we high five to congratulate each other. Then it was quick messaging to inform the others who might be in the area. We left the scene at about 9:30am.
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2018 February 4 - Raptor watch from the kitchen - 2


Sunday, 4 February 2018, 07:25 am.
A big bird flew from the tree on the right to the roof of the neighbouring block.
Noticed a second bird when I looked through the binoculars.


While video recording, a third bird appeared.

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2017 December 3 - Raptor watch from the kitchen

Sunday, 3 December 2017, 08:55-08:58 am.

A big bird is perched on the roof. Brownish wings, whitish front.

The bird glides down to a bottle-brush tree, partially hidden.
Seems like the branch is not able to support its weight; the bird adjusts position a few times.

It flies across the carpark to another bottle-brush tree on the left.

Moments later, the bird flies back to the first tree, adjusts itself and perches in the open.
Greyish head and lighter grey above the eyes; eyes dull red; brown to dark chocolate on nape; brownish streaks on throat and chest.

Flies right over the block.
White feathers on thighs; yellow tarsus; black band on tail tip; another black band on tail near the legs.
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2017 November 18 - St John's island

With Doreen, Freda, Ian, Sox, Michael and Destin.



  1. coppersmith barbet
  2. white-throated kingfisher
  3. blue-tailed bee-eater
  4. spotted dove
  5. common sandpiper
  6. honey-buzzard
  7. brahminy kite
  8. white-bellied sea eagle
  9. changeable hawk-eagle
  10. eastern cattle egret
  11. black-naped oriole
  12. flycatcher (asian brown?)
  13. oriental magpie-robin
  14. common myna
  15. javan myna
  16. barn swallow
  17. pacific swallow
  18. yellow-vented bulbul
  19. oriental white-eye
  20. tailorbird (heard)
  21. arctic warbler
  22. flowerpecker (heard)
  23. brown-throated sunbird
  24. olive-backed sunbird
  25. paddyfield pipit
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2016 December 26 - Kranji

With Doreen, Nessie, Ian and Freda.
  1. Lesser Whistling Duck##
  2. Yellow Bittern
  3. Striated Heron - at Sungei Buloh
  4. Grey Heron## - at Sungei Buloh
  5. Purple Heron##
  6. Great Egret - at Sungei Buloh
  7. Intermediate Egret
  8. Little Egret - at Sungei Buloh
  9. Black-winged Kite
  10. Black Baza
  11. Changeable Hawk-Eagle## - heard only
  12. Brahminy Kite - one individual seen carrying nesting material
  13. White-bellied Sea Eagle
  14. Grey-headed Fish Eagle##* - perched on a low botak branch close to one of the ponds
  15. White-breasted Waterhen - at NSRCC
  16. Grey-headed Lapwing - Doreen's photo
  17. Red-wattled Lapwing##
  18. Pacific Golden Plover - at Sungei Buloh
  19. Whimbrel - at Sungei Buloh
  20. Common Redshank - at Sungei Buloh
  21. Common Greenshank - at Sungei Buloh
  22. Common Sandpiper
  23. Rock Dove
  24. Red Turtle Dove
  25. Spotted Dove
  26. Zebra Dove - at NSRCC
  27. Pink-necked Green Pigeon
  28. Lesser Coucal
  29. Asian Koel
  30. Banded Bay Cuckoo - heard only
  31. Plaintive Cuckoo - heard only
  32. Oriental Dollarbird
  33. Stork-billed Kingfisher
  34. White-throated Kingfisher
  35. Black-capped Kingfisher
  36. Collared Kingfisher
  37. Common Kingfisher
  38. Blue-tailed Bee-eater
  39. Blue-throated Bee-eater
  40. Lineated Barbet - heard only
  41. Sunda Pygmy Woodpecker
  42. Laced Woodpecker
  43. Common Flameback
  44. Red-breasted Parakeet*
  45. Long-tailed Parakeet*
  46. Golden-bellied Gerygone - heard only
  47. Common Iora
  48. Pied Triller
  49. Brown Shrike - at NSRCC
  50. Black-naped Oriole
  51. Malaysian Pied Fantail
  52. House Crow
  53. Large-billed Crow
  54. Yellow-vented Bulbul
  55. Barn Swallow - at NSRCC
  56. Pacific Swallow
  57. Red-rumped Swallow
  58. Oriental Reed Warbler
  59. Yellow-bellied Prinia
  60. Common Tailorbird
  61. Dark-necked Tailorbird
  62. Ashy Tailorbird - at Sungei Buloh
  63. Asian Glossy Starling
  64. Common Hill Myna#
  65. Javan Myna
  66. Common Myna - at NSRCC
  67. Daurian Starling
  68. Oriental Magpie-Robin##
  69. Asian Brown Flycatcher
  70. Scarlet-backed Flowerpecker
  71. Olive-backed Sunbird
  72. Scaly-breasted Munia
  73. Paddyfield Pipit
  74. Milky stork - at Sungei Buloh
  75. Swiftlet spp.
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2016 June 25 - An amazing encounter

It flew from the railing into the grass patch; all the while calling.
Left wing stretched out and seemed unbalanced. Could it be injured?
While I was focusing my binoculars to take a better look, it flew up and stood on my recording board.* OMG!!! A newly fledged bird.
It is overall yellowish; fluffy white belly; faint ring around the eyes; very short tail.
Are the parents calling from the trees? I tilted my head to search in vain.
Perhaps I should take a photo of this.
When I lowered my arm to reach for my phone, it flew onto a palm frond.
Hope it reunites with its parents.

*I was taking part in NParks' Heron Watch. For easy access, I hung the recording board around my neck and it rested on the front of my body.
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Kranji Marshes






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2015 December 27 - Sungei Buloh

With Doreen, Freda, Ian, Sox, Siew Guat, Aik Bee, Bee Lan, Vivien and Ee Sin.
  1. COMMON GOLDENBACK
  2. LINEATED BARBET
  3. ORIENTAL DOLLARBIRD
  4. COLLARED KINGFISHER
  5. BLUE-TAILED BEE-EATER
  6. SPOTTED DOVE
  7. RED TURTLE DOVE
  8. PINK-NECKED GREEN PIGEON
  9. WHITE-BREASTED WATERHEN
  10. WHIMBREL
  11. MARSH SANDPIPER
  12. COMMON GREENSHANK
  13. COMMON SANDPIPER
  14. OSPREY
  15. BRAHMINY KITE
  16. WHITE-BELLIED SEA EAGLE
  17. CHANGEABLE HAWK-EAGLE ##
  18. LITTLE EGRET
  19. GREY HERON ##
  20. GREAT EGRET
  21. CATTLE EGRET
  22. STRIATED HERON
  23. YELLOW BITTERN
  24. HOUSE CROW
  25. BLACK-NAPED ORIOLE
  26. PIED TRILLER
  27. COMMON IORA
  28. ASIAN GLOSSY STARLING
  29. WHITE-VENTED MYNA
  30. BARN SWALLOW
  31. PACIFIC SWALLOW
  32. STRAW-HEADED BULBUL ##**
  33. YELLOW-VENTED BULBUL
  34. OLIVE-WINGED BULBUL
  35. DARK-NECKED TAILORBIRD
  36. RUFOUS-TAILED TAILORBIRD
  37. ASHY TAILORBIRD
  38. BROWN-THROATED SUNBIRD
  39. COPPER-THROATED SUNBIRD #
  40. OLIVE-BACKED SUNBIRD
  41. milky stork
  42. painted stork
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2015 November 28 - Marina East

List of birds seen/heard:
  1. White-throated kingfisher
  2. Collared kingfisher
  3. Oriental Dollarbird
  4. Little Tern
  5. Common sandpiper
  6. Red-breasted parakeet
  7. Striated heron
  8. Grey heron
  9. Cattle egret
  10. Brown-throated sunbird
  11. Olive-backed sunbird
  12. Blue-tailed  bee-eater
  13. Brahminy kite
  14. White-bellied sea eagle
  15. Paddyfield Pipit
  16. Javan munia
  17. Javan myna
  18. Common myna
  19. House crow
  20. Common Tailorbird
  21. Asian brown Flycatcher
  22. Swiftlets
  23. Barn Swallow
  24. Pacific Swallow
  25. Pink-necked Green Pigeon
  26. Spotted Dove
  27. Zebra Dove
  28. White-breasted Waterhen (heard only)
  29. Oriental Honey Buzzard
  30. Common Iora (heard only)
  31. Long-tailed Shrike
  32. Black-naped Oriole
  33. Asian Glossy Starling
  34. Yellow-bellied Prinia (heard only)
  35. Eurasian Tree Sparrow
  36. Oriental White-eye
  37. Yellow-vented bulbul
  38. Arctic warbler
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Sungei Buloh

outside Kranji MRT station







fantail pod

eagle point

kingfisher pod

mudskipper pod

outside Neo Tiew Crescent

Jurong Eco-Garden













List of birds seen:
  1. SUNDA PYGMY WOODPECKER
  2. LACED WOODPECKER
  3. COMMON GOLDENBACK
  4. ORIENTAL DOLLARBIRD
  5. WHITE-THROATED KINGFISHER
  6. COLLARED KINGFISHER
  7. ASIAN KOEL
  8. RED-BREASTED PARAKEET
  9. SPOTTED DOVE
  10. ZEBRA DOVE
  11. PINK-NECKED GREEN PIGEON
  12. BLACK-NAPED ORIOLE
  13. ASIAN GLOSSY STARLING
  14. YELLOW-VENTED BULBUL
  15. COMMON TAILORBIRD
  16. ORANGE-BELLIED FLOWERPECKER
  17. OLIVE-BACKED SUNBIRD
  18. SCALY-BREASTED MUNIA
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2014 June 14 - Gardens by the Bay - Bay East

Walk with Bee Lan, Hui Miang and Vivien.
List of birds seen:

1) LESSER WHISTLING DUCK ##
2) ORIENTAL DOLLARBIRD
3) COLLARED KINGFISHER
4) parakeet (unidentified)
5) SPOTTED DOVE
6) ZEBRA DOVE
7) WHITE-BREASTED WATERHEN
8) GREY HERON ##
9) STRIATED HERON
10) LONG-TAILED SHRIKE
11) HOUSE CROW
12) COMMON MYNA
13) WHITE-VENTED MYNA
14) YELLOW-VENTED BULBUL
15) ORIENTAL WHITE-EYE
16) ASHY TAILORBIRD (adult + juvenile)
17) OLIVE-BACKED SUNBIRD
18) EURASIAN TREE SPARROW
19) Common Waxbill (lifer and my 117 bird for the year)

## Nationally Threatened Species
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2014 June 8, Sunday - Kallang PCN

Walk from Kallang MRT Station to Bishan-Ang Mo Kio Park with Thomas, Ee Sin and Hui Miang.
List of birds seen:

1) SUNDA PYGMY WOODPECKER
2) WHITE-THROATED KINGFISHER
3) COMMON PIGEON
4) SPOTTED DOVE
5) ZEBRA DOVE
6) LITTLE EGRET
7) STRIATED HERON
8) HOUSE CROW
9) BLACK-NAPED ORIOLE
10) WHITE-VENTED MYNA
11) PACIFIC SWALLOW
12) YELLOW-VENTED BULBUL
13) ASHY TAILORBIRD
14) OLIVE-BACKED SUNBIRD
15) EURASIAN TREE SPARROW
No comments:

2014 May 24 - Kampong Buangkok and Punggol PCN

Walk with Matilda and Hui Miang around  Kampong Buangkok and along Punggol PCN.

List of birds seen:

1) SUNDA PYGMY WOODPECKER (2x moving up and down tree trunk)
2) WHITE-THROATED KINGFISHER
3) COLLARED KINGFISHER
4) ASIAN KOEL (female; brownish with white markings; on palm fruits)
5) parakeet (unidentified)
6) SPOTTED DOVE
7) STRIATED HERON (flying across Sengkang Floating Wetland)
8) BLACK-NAPED ORIOLE
9) COMMON MYNA (at Mushroom Cafe)
10) WHITE-VENTED MYNA
11) PACIFIC SWALLOW (adults and juvenile on railing along Punggol PCN)
12) RED-WHISKERED BULBUL (my 113 bird for the year)
13) YELLOW-VENTED BULBUL
14) tailorbird (unidentified)
15) SCARLET-BACKED FLOWERPECKER (tiny bird with red crown)
16) OLIVE-BACKED SUNBIRD (male; dark throat)
No comments:

2014 May 1 - Bishan-AMK Park

Walk with Bee Lan, Hui Miang and her second sister.
List of birds seen:

1) COMMON GOLDENBACK (woodpecker; first bird in the park)
2) WHITE-THROATED KINGFISHER
3) COLLARED KINGFISHER
4) BLUE-CROWNED HANGING PARROT ## (fly past)
5) SPOTTED DOVE
6) WHITE-BREASTED WATERHEN
7) PURPLE HERON ##
8) YELLOW BITTERN
9) LONG-TAILED SHRIKE
10) COMMON MYNA (overall brownish; yellow patch around eyes)
11) WHITE-VENTED MYNA (overall black)
12) PACIFIC SWALLOW (flying low around the field)
13) YELLOW-VENTED BULBUL
14) SCALY-BREASTED MUNIA (2x high up tree with nice structure)
No comments:

2014 April 18 - Pasir Ris Park

Walk with Bee Lan, Vivien, Hui Miang and her eldest sister.
List of birds seen:

1) RED JUNGLEFOWL ## (rooster that can fly!)
2) COMMON GOLDENBACK (woodpecker seen by Vivien & I)
3) COPPERSMITH BARBET (burrowing tree hole)
4) ORIENTAL PIED HORNBILL ##   
5) WHITE-THROATED KINGFISHER   
6) ASIAN KOEL (heard)
7) SPOTTED WOOD OWL ## (2 adults + 1 juvenile)
8) SPOTTED DOVE (near Eco pond)
9) ZEBRA DOVE (2 around bush near footpath)
10) PINK-NECKED GREEN PIGEON (male + female picking palm kernels)
11) WHITE-BREASTED WATERHEN   
12) COMMON SANDPIPER (seen by Hui Miang & I)   
13) BRAHMINY KITE   
14) WHITE-BELLIED SEA EAGLE (quarrelling with crows)
15) LITTLE EGRET   
16) GREY HERON ##   
17) HOUSE CROW   
18) BLACK-NAPED ORIOLE   
19) ORIENTAL MAGPIE-ROBIN ##   
20) WHITE-VENTED MYNA   
21) OLIVE-BACKED SUNBIRD   
   
## Nationally Threatened Species
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black-backed kingfisher

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2014 March 2 - Lower Peirce Reservior



Blue-winged Pitta
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