Singapore celebrated our 53rd National Day on 9 August 2018. During the days preceding and following National Day, electrifying news of a juvenile Barred Eagle Owl, being seen together with its parents at the Singapore Quarry, captured the attention of birders and bird photographers in Singapore. August also continued to see reports of breeding activity, as well as many first reports of migrants arriving on our shores.
One of the three Barred Eagle Owls at Singapore Quarry photographed by Mahesh Krishnan on 19 August 2018.
During the days preceding and following National Day, electrifying news of a juvenile Barred Eagle Owl Bubo sumatranus, seen together with its parents at the Singapore Quarry, captured the attention of birders and bird photographers in Singapore. Hitherto an elusive owl whose sightings in Singapore remain few and far in between, the sightings continue to surprise many with what birdlife Singapore could sustain.
Nature lover, Peter Ding, first spotted an adult on 24 May 2018 during one of his walks. He did not see the Barred Eagle Owl again until 7 August 2018. This time, it was a juvenile he spotted, trying to move from one branch to another. A day or two later, Peter saw the juvenile calling out to an adult perched in a separate tree. Puzzled as to what bird he had seen, Peter posted a photo of the bird and asked for help to identify it. That was how word got round social media and started the Barred Eagle Owl chase. Today, Peter shares his happiness with birders all over Singapore that the rare and elusive owl has bred successfully in Singapore.
Barred Eagle Owl juvenile at Singapore Quarry photographed by Francis Yap in August 2018.
Two non-breeding visitors were also reported. A Malaysian Hawk Cuckoo Hierococcyx fugax was spotted on 16 August 2018 at Lower Peirce by Colin Trainor, while another was seen at Pasir Ris Park on 21 August 2018 by Lim Kim Seng and on 29 Aug at Pasir Ris Park by Herman Phua. Kim Seng also spotted a Blyth’s Paradise Flycatcher Terpsiphone affinis at Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve (SBWR) on 26 August 2018.
Malaysian Hawk Cuckoo at Pasir Ris Park on 29 August 2018 by Herman Phua.
Singapore Botanic Gardens (SBG)
An Asian Red-eyed Bulbul Pycnonotus brunneus, more usually encountered in the central forests, was spotted on 7 August 2018 by Art Toh; while a male Jambu Fruit Dove Ptilinopus jambu and White-rumped Munia Lonchura striata were seen at the Learning Forest on 15 and 22 August 2018 by Reuben Braddock and Felix Wong, respectively. On 17 August 2018, Meilin Khoo photographed a Blue-eared Kingfisher Alcedo meninting, and on 22 August 2018 a Slaty-breasted Rail Gallirallus striatus was recorded by Felix Wong and Eng Eng.
Central Singapore
A Ruddy-breasted Crake Porzana fusca was spotted at Bidadari on 19 August 2018 by Zacc HD, while a Peregrine Falcon Falco peregrinus was seen at OCBC Building on 30 August 2018 by Steven Wong. About 10 Grey-rumped Treeswift Hemiprocne longipennis were spotted at Kampong Java Park on 22 August 2018 by Henrietta Woo, Tok Sock Ling and James Chua.
Zacc HD spotted a Ruddy-breasted Crake at Bidadari on 19 August 2018.
Northern Singapore
Two resident Lesser Whistling Duck Dendrocygnus javanica were spotted at Lorong Halus by Con Foley, Tan Kok Hui and Danny Lau. Several migratory species were sighted in the north. A Greater Sand Plover Charadrius leschenaultii was seen at Seletar Dam on 5 August 2018 by Saravanan Krishnamurthy, while a Brown Shrike Lanius cristatus was spotted on 10 August 2018 at Seletar Club Road by Goh Cheng Teng and Lester Tan, about a month earlier than our previous record. A Common Kingfisher Alcedo atthis was subsequentlly seen at Hampstead Road on 19 August 2018 by Art Toh and Meilin Khoo. Meilin Khoo also reported receiving news concerning the arrival of Grey Wagtail Motacilla cinerea and Forest Wagtail Dendroanthus indicus roosting in Yishun on 31 August 2018.
A Brown Shrike at Seletar Club Road on 10 August 2018 taken by Goh Cheng Teng.
A Greater Sand Plover at Seletar Dam on 22 August 2018 taken by Geoff Lim.
Eastern Singapore
Species encountered during a joint NParks-NSS survey on 5 August 2018 included a Buff-rumped Woodpecker Meiglyptes tristis and a Great Crested Tern Thalasseus bergii, which was also reported at Chek Jawa on 26 August 2018 by YT Chong. A Blue-eared Kingfisher Alcedo meninting was spotted at Pasir Ris Park on 20 August 2018 by Yew Chong.
A Buff-rumped Woodpecker recorded during a survey on Ubin on 5 August 2018. Photograph provided by the NSS-NParks Ubin Survey Team.
Migrants had started to arrive in force. A Common Redshank Tringa totanus was spotted on 3 August 2018 at Pasir Ris Park by Martin Kennewell. During the Ubin Survey on 5 August 2018, NParks and NSS volunteers spotted Whimbrel Numenius phaeopus, Terek Sandpiper Actitis hypoleucos, Common Greenshank Tringa nebularia, Red-necked Stint Calidris ruficollis and Lesser Sand Plover Charadrius mongolus on the northern island. On 19 August 2018, a Watercock Gallicrex cinerea was sighted on the island by Ramesh T.
Farther afield, a flagged Grey-tailed Tattler Tringa brevipes was spotted on Pulau Tekong on 11 August 2018, one month earlier than the last extreme date, by Frankie Cheong.
A Grey-tailed Tattler on 11 August 2018 taken by Frankie Cheong on Pulau Tekong.
Southern Singapore
In the south, residents continued to feature. On 2 August 2018, Malaysian Plover Charadrius peronii were sighted at Marina Barrage by John Marriott. A Little Bronze Cuckoo Chrysococcyx minutillus was seen being fed by a Golden-bellied Gerygone Gerygone sulphurea on 8 August 2018 at the Asian Civilisation Museum by Han YK. Lim Kim Seng’s foray into Pulau Semakau on 13 August 2018 yielded a White-headed Munia Lonchura maja and a Mangrove Whistler Pachycephala cinerea.
Western Singapore
Resident species encountered in the west included a Blue-winged Pitta Pitta moluccensis at the vicinity of Kranji Marsh on 3 August 2018 by Looi Ang Soh Hoon, an Abbott’s Babbler Malacocincla abbotti on 9 August 2018 at SBWR by Gerard Francis, and a Cinnamon Bittern Ixobrychus cinnomomeus on 26 August 2018 at Lim Chu Kang by Martin Kennewell.
On 3 August 2018, a Wood Sandpiper Tringa glareola and Pacific Golden Plover Pluvialis fulva, a first for the season, were seen at Lim Chu Kang on 4 August 2018 by Luke Milo Teo. By 26-27 August 2018, multiple sightings of the Grey Wagtail Motacilla cinerea were made at Lim Chu Kang by Martin Kennewell, Goh Cheng Teng and Lester Tan (Ramesh T. also recorded the wagtail at Changi Business Park on 26 August 2018). A first of the season Black-tailed Godwit Limosa limosa and Marsh Sandpiper Tringa stagnatilis were reported on 29 August 2018 at Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve by Geraldine Lee and David Li, and Veronica Foo, respectively.
Abbreviations:
BTNR: Bukit Timah Nature Reserve
CCNR: Central Catchment Nature Reserve
DFNP: Dairy Farm Nature Park
JEG: Jurong Eco-Garden
SBG: Singapore Botanic Gardens
SBWR: Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve
TEG: Tampines Eco-Green
This report is compiled by Geoff Lim and Alan OwYong, edited by Tan Gim Cheong, based on selected postings in various facebook birding pages, bird forums, individual reports and extracts from ebird. This compilation is not a complete list of birds recorded for the month and not all the records were verified. We wish to thank all the contributors for their records. Many thanks to Mahesh Krishnan, Frankie Cheong, Francis Yap, Herman Phua, Goh Cheng Teng, Zacc HD, Geoff Lim and the NSS-NParks Ubin Survey Team for the use of their photos.
List of Bird Sightings in the report:
| Family | Species | Date |
| Anatidae | Lesser Whistling Duck | 4-Aug |
| Ardeidae | Cinnamon Bittern | 26-Aug |
| Pandionidae | Western Osprey | 4-Aug |
| Rallidae
|
Slaty-breasted Rail | 22-Aug |
| Ruddy-breasted Crake | 19-Aug | |
| Watercock | 19-Aug | |
| Charadriidae
|
Pacific Golden Plover | 4-Aug |
| Pacific Golden Plover | 30-Aug | |
| Pacific Golden Plover | 31-Aug | |
| Malaysian Plover | 2-Aug | |
| Lesser Sand Plover | 5-Aug | |
| Greater Sand Plover | 5-Aug | |
| Scolopacidae
|
Black-tailed Godwit | 29-Aug |
| Whimbrel | 5-Aug | |
| Common Redshank | 3-Aug | |
| Marsh Sandpiper | 29-Aug | |
| Common Greenshank | 5-Aug | |
| Wood Sandpiper | 4-Aug | |
| Grey-tailed Tattler | 11-Aug | |
| Terek Sandpiper | 5-Aug | |
| Red-necked Stint | 5-Aug | |
| Laridae | Swift Tern | 5-Aug |
| Columbidae | Jambu Fruit Dove | 15-Aug |
| Cuculidae | Little Bronze Cuckoo | 8-Aug |
| Malayan Hawk Cuckoo | 16-Aug | |
| Strigidae | Barred Eagle Owl | 8-Aug |
| Apopidae | Grey-rumped Treeswift | 22-Aug |
| Alcedinidae | Common Kingfisher | 19-Aug |
| Blue-eared Kingfisher | 20-Aug | |
| Picidae | Buff-rumped Woodpecker | 5-Aug |
| Falconidae | Peregrine Falcon | 30-Aug |
| Pittidae | Blue-winged Pitta | 3-Aug |
| Pachycephalidae | Mangrove Whislter | 13-Aug |
| Laniidae | Brown Shrike | 10-Aug |
| Monarchidae | Blyth’s Paradise Flycatcher | 26-Aug |
| Pycnonotidae | Asian Red-eyed Bulbul | 7-Aug |
| Pellorneidae | Abbott’s Babbler | 9-Aug |
| Zosteropidae | Oriental White-eye | 30-Aug |
| Estrildidae
|
White-heaed Munia | 13-Aug |
| White-rumped Munia | 22-Aug | |
| Motacillidae
|
Forest Wagtail | 31-Aug |
| Grey Wagtail | 27-Aug | |
| Grey Wagtail | 26-Aug | |
| Grey Wagtail | 31-Aug |
Singapore Bird Group 