The migrants are back – August 2014 edition

A quick trip to Seletar Dam/Yishun Dam mudflats this afternoon to look for early migrants yielded quite a number of birds. The Lesser Sand Plovers were present in good numbers (>300 birds). There was the rarer Greater Sand Plover, the Common Sandpipers, Common Redshank and a Pacific Golden Plover. Residents sighted at the mudflats include a few Striated Herons, a non-breeding Little Tern and unexpected flocks of Pink-necked Green Pigeons and Asian Glossy Starling that seem to be feeding at the outer edges of the mudflats.

It is still early days for the migrants and we expect more birds to come. The little mudflat at Seletar has proven to be a good ground to observe shorebirds. Most will be passage migrants, staying for a few days to a few weeks. A brief stop for food and needed rest before journeying further south.

Greater Sand Plover in non-breeding plumage. By the time this species make it to Singapore, it would normally have changed to non-breeding plumage.

The more common Lesser Sand Plover. Normally, you will see them in various stage of losing their breeding plumage. This bird here has lost significant colouration but still visibly orange in the breast area.

The Pacific Golden Plover here in flight. You can see the speckled ‘gold’ colour that defines this species.

The Common Sandpiper. Here having a meal.

Striated Heron. A resident bird that is now in breeding pluamge. The orange legs is indicative.

A non-breeding plumaged Little Tern.

A distant view of the flocks of Pink-necked Green Pigeons and Asian Glossy Starlings feeding at the edge of the mudflats where the aerial roots of the mangroves trees are.

A closer look at the flocks of Pink-necked Green Pigeons and Asian Glossy Starlings.