Singapore Raptor Report, Late Spring Migration, April-June 2023

Black-winged Kite carrying prey, GBTB, June 2023, by Andrew Hunt

Summary:

Seven migrant raptor species were recorded during this period, compared with four in most other years. The 30 Oriental Honey Buzzard (OHB) Pernis ptilorhyncus at Mount Faber on 10th April was a surprise, as daily numbers are usually much lesser in April. There were a total of 67 records of the OHB in April, 13 in May and 10 in June.

A Jerdon’s Baza Aviceda jerdoni at Mount Faber on 2nd April set a new late day (by 5 days). For the Black Baza Aviceda leuphotes, there were two on 2nd April and four on 4th April, at Mount Faber and Telok Blangah Hill Park respectively. There were seven Chinese Sparrowhawks Accipiter soloensis in April: five at Mount Faber on 2nd April and two at Telok Blangah Hill Park on 4th April.

59 Japanese Sparrowhawks Accipiter gularis were recorded in April, thanks to observers at Mount Faber who counted 20 on both 2nd April and 10th April. This is a meaningful increase from last year’s 14 birds. Small numbers of Osprey Pandion haliaetus and Peregrine Falcon Falco peregrinus were also recorded between April to June.

Crested Serpent Eagles, Jalan Gemala 2, 7 May 2023, by Hong Yijun

Sedentary Raptors

There were breeding records for four resident raptors. The Black-winged Kite Elanus caeruleus pair at Gardens by the Bay successfully raised three chicks in May, all the while fending off the House Crows in the vicinity. A pair of Crested Goshawks Accipiter trivirgatus at Pasir Ris Park was raising a chick from April to May. The mixed morph pair of Changeable Hawk-Eagle Nisaetus cirrhatus at Choa Chu Kang Park raised a dark morph chick which fledged successfully in May.

There were seven active nests for the White-bellied Sea Eagle Haliaeetus leucogaster during this period.  The nests at Bedok and Chuan Park held one chick each, the nests at Yishun Avenue 8 and Pasir Ris held two large two chicks each, the nest at Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve had two fledged young perched nearby, and the nests at Marsiling and Yishun Avenue 1 had the adult sitting on either very young chicks or eggs.

Amazingly, there were six Crested Serpent Eagle Spilornis cheela during this period. An immature at Admiralty Park in April; whule at Pulau Ubin, sn sdult in April, and an immature in April & May, one at Jurong Lake Gardens in April; and two adults at Neo Tiew Road / Jalan Gemala 2 area in May.

In both April & May, the adult Grey-headed Fish Eagle Haliaeetus ichthyaetus at Potong Pasir was recorded fighting talon-to-talon with the adult White-bellied Sea Eagles over feeding territory at the canal.

Other resident raptors included a Peregrine Falcon Falco peregrinus of the resident ernesti race that was recorded at the southern ridges on 6th & 9th June, and the ubiquitous Brahminy Kite Haliastur indus.

Nocturnal Raptors

On 4th May, an injured Eastern Barn Owl Tyto javanicus was rescued from Tanah Merah Coast Road and handed to NParks for rehabilitation.

For a more detailed pdf version, please click Singapore Raptor Report, Late Spring Migration, Apr-Jun 2023

Many thanks to everyone for posting / sending in / sharing their records, and to Andrew Hunt and Hong Yijun for the use of their photos.

The Mystery of the Goldhill Juvenile Crested Serpent Eagle.

By Alan OwYong and Tan Gim Cheong.

The Crested Serpent Eagle, Spilornis Cheela, is listed as a rare resident and migrant in the NSS Bird Group’s Checklist 2021. Earlier authors were divided on its status. Robinson (1927) was not sure of its presence, while Burknill & Chasen (1927) noted that they visited on occasions. Gibson-Hill (1950) recorded it as a resident with small numbers. Chasen considered the subspecies here as the malayensis ( Thai-Malay Peninsula and N. Sumatra). Visiting burmanicus subspecies ( Indochina) have been recorded including one at the Chinese Gardens.

Cindy Chen had been photographing this Serpent Eagle at Goldhill for more than three years. An unusual back view of the eagle looking flustered fending off the mob attack of the Collared Kingfishers was one of her more memorable images of this eagle.

In the late 1980s and early 1990s, two individual Crested Serpent Eagles were residing at the Upper Seletar Reservoir Park. Subsequent records from around the island were mostly single birds and were assumed to be wanderers from Johor.

Over the past decade, a Crested Serpent Eagle had been visiting a patch of open forest at the end Goldhill Avenue. It seemed to be taken up residence there during the past few years, mainly due to the availability of reptiles and rodents there.

The tall Albizia trees fringing the open fields at Goldhill Avenue provide vantage perches for hunting for the Crested Serpent Eagles. Photo: Alan OwYong.

The first record of another bird here was on 14 March 2019 when Art Toh photographed both eagles perched on the same tree. They appeared to be of different sex but no bonding or pairing between the two was seen. Will these two be the real deal?

Photo of the two Serpent Eagles perched on the same tree on 14 March 2019 by Art Toh.

It took almost two years before we got the answer. On 7 March 2021, Julian Wong videoed the mating of this pair on an Albizia tree at the fringe of the Goldhill area. He was surprised to learn that this is the first record of these eagles mating here. This was great news as the Crested Serpent Eagle has no proven breeding records in Singapore.

Julian Wong videoed the first mating of a pair of Crested Serpent Eagles on 7 March.

But it was the photo of a juvenile bird taken by Tan YinLing on 25 May 2021 at the same forest that got us excited. This was the second photo of a juvenile Crested Serpent Eagle in Singapore (the other photo was in August 2018 at Bukit Batok). The first record of an immature was from Botanic Gardens on 11 November 1982. On 12 December 2001, a juvenile was recorded at Kent Ridge Park. Dr. Chaiyan Kasorndorkbua of the Kasetsart Laboratory of Raptor Research, Thailand, commented that this is a malayensis subspecies.

Second photo of the juvenile Crested Serpent Eagle taken on 25 May by Tan YinLing.

Trevor Teo made his own luck, roaming the area for several days, and finally got a close up look at the juvenile eating a snake on 3 June 2021. A just reward for his hard work. Unfortunately he did not see how the juvenile got the snake.

Trevor Teo worked very hard to get this photo of the juvenile with a snake. It was tearing and eating the snake when he saw it.

But the big question remains unanswered. Where did this juvenile come from?

So far no one has spotted any nests around the Malcolm Road area. These eagles build large platform nests with sticks and small branches close to the canopy of tall and secluded trees. They lay one egg and incubate it for 37-42 days. It will take a further 59-65 days before it fledges. The interval between mating to appearance of this Goldhill juvenile was 80 days. This time line looks a bit tight.

Curiously, none of the adults had been seen together with the juvenile, either on the same tree or close to each other. There were no reports of the adults chasing the juvenile away. No feeding was observed.

Juveniles are known to wander around. In a tracking study done in Taiwan, a juvenile was recorded some 20 km away from its natal site.

The Bird Group’s Records Committee will be evaluating this in their next review to determined the origin of this juvenile and change its status if needed.

We wish to thank Cindy Chen, Art Toh, Julian Wong, Tan YinLing and Trevor Teo for sharing their sightings and notes with us and for the use of their photographs.

References:

Lim Kim Seng. The Avifauna of Singapore. Nature Society (Singapore) 2009

Gombobaatar Sundev and Toru Yamazaki (compilers). 2018. A field Guide to the the Raptors of Asia. Volume 1.

Wikipedia.

In letters Dr. Chaiyan Kasorndorkbua. Kasetsart Laboratory of Raptor Research and Conservation Medicine. Thailand.

Singapore Raptor Report – Late Spring Migration, April-June 2019

Peregrine Falcon, an individual that was rescued, rehabilitated and released by JBP more than 10 years ago, at Toa Payoh, 17 April 2019, pic by Ted Lee.

Summary:

Only four migrant raptor species were recorded in the April to June period. They are the regulars during this period – the Western Osprey, Oriental Honey-buzzard, Japanese Sparrowhawk and Peregrine Falcon.

There were eleven records of the Oriental Honey Buzzard Pernis ptilorhyncus in April, ten in May and eight in June. At least five records in April were orientalis juveniles, as were six in May and four in June – these birds are spending the summer here in the tropics.

Five Japanese Sparrowhawks Accipiter gularis were recorded between 1-12 April. Singles at Ulu Pandan on 1st April, Mount Faber on 5th April, Pulau Ubin on 7th April, and Dairy Farm Nature Park on 8th April & 12th April. These are the last birds to leave for their breeding grounds to the north.

Seven Peregrine Falcons Falco peregrinus were recorded, all in the month of April. Notably, the individual photographed at Toa Payoh on 17th April had, on its left tarsus (leg), a ring with ‘JBP’ engraved. This bird was rescued, rehabilitated and released by the Jurong Bird Park (JBP) more than ten years ago. Another individual recorded at Haig Road on 4th April was mobbing an Oriental Honey Buzzard.

Five Western Ospreys Pandion haliaetus were recorded in the April-June period. Two at the Krani – Sungei Buloh area throughout, one at Gardens by the Bay on 3rd April, one at Jurong Lake on 27th April, and one at Pulau Ubin – Pasir Ris area on 22nd April and 8th May.

Grey-headed Fish Eagle, Ulu Pandan Park Connector, 9 June 2019, by Derrick Wong

Sedentary Raptors

The Changeable Hawk-Eagle Nisaetus cirrhatus was reported to be nesting at Kranji Marsh area on 19th April, and the White-bellied Sea Eagle Haliaeetus leucogaster was also nesting at Fort Canning, with a well grown chick on the nest observed between 13-29 June. Juveniles of the Crested Goshawk Accipiter trivirgatus at Bishan (April), Pasir Ris (April – 2 birds), and Ang Mo Kio (May), and a fresh juvenile Changeable Hawk-Eagle at Pasir Ris (April & May) suggest that breeding had occurred in the preceding months.

A nest, presumably that of the Brahminy Kite Haliastur Indus, based on the size of the nest and the observer’s experience, was recorded at the Rail Corridor near Phoenix Heights on 27th June. Also, a pair (a male & a female) of adult Crested Goshawks was recorded at South Buona Vista Road on 13th June, as were two adult Grey-headed Fish Eagles Haliaeetus ichthyaetus, probably a pair, at Sungei Ulu Pandan, also on 13th June.

One Crested Serpent Eagle Spilornis cheela was present at Goldhill Avenue area in April and May, with the exception of 27th April when two birds were seen. In addition, one individual was recorded at Pulau Ubin (April & May), one at Toh Tuck Road (25th May), and one at Sentosa on 10th & 15th April. An adult Peregrine Falcon of the resident ernesti race was photographed at Jurong East on 2nd June, perched on a TV antenna consuming a bird.

Nocturnal Raptors

A family of Spotted Wood Owls Strix seloputo comprising two adults and a recently fledged chick was recorded at Cashew Road on 1st May, the nesting was first noted in March and the chick had fallen from the nest during the nesting period, but all was well after intervention by ACRES. On 9th June, a family of Buffy Fish Owls Ketupa ketupu, including a recently fledged juvenile, was photographed at Jurong Lake. As an indication of another successful nesting attempt, a juvenile Barred Eagle-Owl Bubo sumatranus was photographed at Bukit Timah on 28th June. Notably, a Barred Eagle-Owl was recorded at Bukit Brown, a new locality for the species, on 27th April.

For a pdf version with more details, please click Singapore Raptor Report, Late Spring Migration, Apr-Jun 2019, v1

Many thanks to everyone for posting / sending in / sharing their records, and to Ted Lee & Derrick Wong for the use of their photos.

Singapore Raptor Report – January 2019

Jerdon’s Baza, at Lorong Halus, on 6 Jan 2019, by Angela Yeo

Summary for migrant species:

In January, 90 raptors of 7 migrant species were recorded. Up to six Jerdon’s Bazas Aviceda jerdoni were recorded at Lorong Halus-Coney Island area throughout the month, one at Bukit Timah Hill on the 12th and another found wintering at Changi Business Park from the 27th onwards.

Nine Japanese Sparrowhawks Accipiter gularis were recorded: two at Kranji Marshes, and singles at Mount Faber, Bukit Timah area, Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve (SBWR), Dempsey Road, West Coast Park, Punggol Promenade and Arena Country Club. A single Chinese Sparrowhawk Accipiter soloensis was recorded at Lorong Halus on the 5th.

Three Western Ospreys Pandion haliaetus were recorded, one at Sungei Buloh, one at the Central Catchment on the 23rd and another at Pulau Ubin on the 30th. Three migrant Peregrine Falcons Falco peregrinus were recorded, one at Gardens by the Bay, one at Kranji Marshes and one in the Bukit Timah area.

For the 29 Black Baza Aviceda leuphotes recorded, eight were at Serangoon Avenue 3. Lastly, a total of 31 migrant Oriental Honey Buzzards Pernis ptilorhyncus were recorded in January.

Changeable Hawk Eagle, dark morph, at Serangoon Reservoir, on 6 Jan 2019, by Zhang Licong

Highlights for sedentary species:

Amazingly, four Crested Serpent Eagles Spilornis cheela were recorded, one at the Botanic Gardens on the 2nd, one at Malcolm Road on the 14th, one at SBWR on the 16th and one at Pulau Ubin on the 20th. An Eastern Barn Owl Tyto delicatula was photographed in the daytime at Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve on the 17th.

Three torquatus Oriental Honey Buzzzards were recorded in January, one at Mount Faber on the 2nd, and up to two immatures at Pasir Ris Park between the 7th and 31st. Three ernesti Peregrine Falcons were reported, one at Bishan on the 6th and two in the CBD.

Oriental Honey Buzzard, immature torquatus, at Pasir Ris Park, on 8 Jan 2019, by Alvin Seng

The other sedentary raptors recorded included four Grey-headed Fish Eagles, four Crested Goshawk, seven Changeable Hawk-Eagles, ten Black-winged Kites, and the common White-bellied Sea Eagles and Brahminy Kites.

 

For more details, please see the pdf Singapore Raptor Report – January 2019

Compiled by Tan Gim Cheong

Many thanks to everyone who had reported their sightings in one way or another, and also thanks  to Angela Yeo, Zhang Licong, and Alvin Seng for the use of their photos.

Singapore Raptor Report – December 2018

Common Buzzard, adult pale morph with lizard tail protuding from its bill, on 1 Dec 2018, at the junction of Holland Road and North Buona Vista Road, by Art Toh.

Summary for migrant species:

A rare Short-toed Snake Eagle surprised and delighted a small group of birders who managed to get crisp photographs of the raptor as it flew over Changi Business Park on 5th December, and disappeared – a one-day wonder as it usually is for this species in Singapore. On the other side of the island, at the junction of Holland Road and North Buona Vista Road on 1st December, an uncommon Common Buzzard feeding on a lizard gave Art Toh many photo opportunities. A rare Imperial Eagle was reportedly seen at Neo Tiew Harvest Lane on the 15th.

A rufous morph Oriental Scops Owl was found on 5th December at Dairy Farm Nature Park. Then, a grey morph Oriental Scops Owl showed up in the same vicinity on the 9th, the same date as the year before! Both morphs were present on 9th and 10th December. Thereafter only the rufous morph was reported to be around until the 15th. These two birds display amazing site fidelity, returning to the same spot for the 3rd season in a row!

Eight Jerdon’s Bazas were recorded: four wintering at Changi Business Park, three at Lorong Halus on the 25th and one at Pulau Ubin on the 30th. Five Chinese Sparrowhawks were recorded: singles at Pulau Ubin, Henderson Waves & Coney Island, and two at Lorong Halus. Five Peregrine Falcons were recorded: singles at Kranji Marshes, Coney Island, Changi Business Park, Seletar Aerospace and West Coast Drive. Three Western Ospreys were recorded: one at Simpang grasslands, one at Kranji Marshes, and another at MacRitchie Reservoir.

Finally, we come to the most abundant migrant raptors. 15 Japanese Sparrowhawks and 49 Black Bazas were recorded, including 27 bazas at Lorong Halus on the 29th. The Oriental Honey Buzzard is tops again with 85 birds, including 33 birds at Tuas on the 1st.

Short-toed Snake Eagle, in flight over Changi Business Park, on 5 Dec 2018, by Feroz N Fizah.

Highlights for sedentary species:

The notable sightings for resident raptors include that of the locally rare Crested Serpent Eagle which was recorded three times: an immature at Henderson Waves on the 8th, and two sightings at Pulau Ubin, on the 7th & 31st, probably of the same bird. Another was the nesting of the Crested Goshawks at West Coast, with 2 chicks that were reported to have fledged by the time of this report. And also, a Brahminy Kite at Neo Tiew Lane 2 flying with nesting materials on the 29th.

The torquatus Oriental Honey Buzzard was recorded at Jelutong Tower on the 20th (tweeddale morph), Springside Link on the 25th, and an immature at Pasir Ris starting from the 27th (and is still around). The other resident raptors recorded were the Black-winged Kite, White-bellied Sea Eagle, Grey-headed Fish Eagles and Changeable Hawk Eagle.

For more details, please see the pdf Singapore Raptor Report – December 2018

Compiled by Tan Gim Cheong

Many thanks to everyone who had reported their sightings in one way or another, and especially to Art Toh and Feroz N Fizah for the use of their photos.

 

Birding Kent Ridge Park

Text and photos by Keita Sin 

The Southern Ridges of Singapore, stretching from Mount Faber to Kent Ridge Park, with places of historical interest and great hiking trails, is a great place to spend a weekend. The four parks making up the Ridges are also great for birdwatching. Kent Ridge Park, located at the western end is one of the most wooded parks there.

Raptor watch

Kent Ridge Park is one of the places where the annual Raptor Watch is held. A panoramic view of the sky can be appreciated from the top car park area, and Oriental Honey Buzzards and Sparrowhawks can usually be observed during the migration period. Other notable species such as the rare visiting Booted Eagle has been recorded here too. In 2000 and 2001 we had our first two records of the Blyth’s Hawk Eagle, a very rare non-breeding visitor from this park.

Other rare resident raptors, such as the Crested Goshawk and Crested Serpent Eagle, can also be seen here. The former had been recorded nesting at the park.

Crested Goshawk, January 2016. This top-down photo was taken from the canopy walk area.

Crested Serpent Eagle, April 2016.

Attractive Trees

The fig tree near the top car park (shown), as well as the rows of Tembusu trees at the area below it, is another area that attracts plenty of birds.

View from top car park. This is a great spot to look out for both raptors and birds feeding on the fruits, at the same time.

A relatively big population of Red-Whiskered Bulbuls can often be seen here.

Red-Whiskered Bulbul. An uncommon introduced resident. I often see them travelling together with Yellow-Vented Bulbuls.

The Violet Cuckoo and Banded Bay Cuckoo have been observed on this tree too.

Male Violet Cuckoo. Listen for their flight calls, this bird is often heard before seen.

Female Violet Cuckoo. More drab looking than the male, but so is the female Asian Emerald Cuckoo – don’t ignore them, you’ll never know.

Banded Bay Cuckoo. This individual was seen on the same day as the pair of violet cuckoos. Maybe they were having a conference.

When this fig tree fruits trees, occasional surprises such as the Thick-Billed Pigeon can occur too.

This coming season…

The migratory birds have once again started visiting (returning?) to Singapore. When in Kent Ridge Park, look for the fruiting trees, and do make an effort to scan the skies for raptors as well!

Further reading Angus Lamont’s bird records of Kent Ridge Park at http://lkcnhm.nus.edu.sg/rbz/biblio/46/46rbz113-122.pdf

Reference: Craig Robson. A Field Guide to the Birds of Thailand and South East-Asia. Asia Books Co. Ltd.

Singapore Bird Report-August 2015

Terek Sandpiper at Seletar Dam photo Francis Yap.

The Autumn migration season has began. We started seeing the arrival of the shorebirds to Sungei Buloh and the mud flats at Mandai, song birds to Bidadari and the Central Forest.  On the first day of August, the Lesser Sand Plovers, Charadrius mongolus, and Common Sandpipers, Actitis hypoleucos, were seen by Zacc HD over at the shore of the Seletar Dam, while Adrian Gopal was the first to report the arrival of the Common Redshanks Tringa totanus, and Common Greenshanks, Tringa nebularia, to SBWR. Lim Kim Seng picked up a lone Whimbrel, Numenius phaeopus, on 7th, a Marsh Sandpiper, Tringa stagnatilis, and a Terek Sandpiper, Tringa cinerea, both at SBWR on 12th. He also reported a Little Ringed Plover, Charadrius dubius, over at Neo Tiew Lane 2 on 12th while a Curlew Sandpiper, Calidris ferruginea, was seen at SBWR by Robin Tan on 28th.

It was a little slower for the passerine migrants. See Toh Yew Wai photographed a needletail flying over Jelutong Tower on 9th. General consensus was a Brown-backed Needletail, Hirundapus giganteus, We had our first Asian Paradise Flycatcher, Terpsiphone paradisi, over a Venus Drive on 15th ( Jensen Seah) followed by another the next day over at Pulau Ubin by Yap Wee Jin.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A Forest Wagtail, Dendronanthus indicus, (above) photographed by Laurence Eu at the SBG’s Healing Gardens on 16th was 3 days ahead of the previous extreme date, a returning Common Kingfisher, Alcedo atthis, to the lily pond at the Gardens by the Bay on 17th ( Koh Liang Heng), Arctic Warbler, Phylloscopus borealis, at our Central Forest on 22nd by Lim Kim Keang and an uncommon Eastern Crowned Warbler, Phylloscopus coronatus, at Bukit Timah on 23rd by Francis Yap. The month ended with Yellow-rumped Flycatcher, Ficedula zanthopygia, at Tuas South (Low Choon How), and a Tiger Shrike, Lanius tigrinus,  (Y.W. See Toh) both on 30th. All these records were first for the season.

We had several sightings of the Oriental Honey Buzzards, Pernis ptilorhyncus, during the first week from SBG and Central Forest to SBWR. Some appeared to be on migration flying in a South-easterly direction. Others were summering juveniles like Seng Alvin’s find at Pasir Ris Park on 25th. This was where Md. Nasir photographed a Tweedale morph Torquatus resident race Honey Buzzard. Other raptors reported this month was a returning Peregrine Falcon, Falco peregrinus, to Ubin on the 1st (Y.W. See Toh), a pair of Crested Goshawks, Accipiter trivirgatus, feeding its young at Bishan Park on 14th and a Crested Serpent Eagle, Spilornis cheela, photographed by Gill Jones on 22nd at her garden at the wooded Tanglin area.

We continued to find non breeding visitors like Jambu Fruit Doves, Ptilinopus jambu, at Sentosa on 6th, and SBG on 23rd (Alan OwYong), a Cinereous Bulbul, Hemixos flavala, at Bukit Timah Nature Reserve on 7th (Diana Jackson) and 23rd (Francis Yap) and the uncommon Brown-streaked Flycatcher, Muscicapa williamsoni, at CCK Park ( Danny Lau’s photo on the left).

Cinereous Bulbul at Bukit Timah Summit. Photo by Francis Yap

 

A Great-billed Heron spotted by Lai Ah-Eng at the East Coast Park.

Some notable resident species to report include a Great-billed Heron, Ardea sumatrana, seen by Lai Ah Eng at the beach off East Coast Park, a new location for the largest bird in Singapore. A rare introduced Black-crested Bulbul at BTNR on 7th by Diana Jackson, a hard to see Asian Palmswift, Cypsiurus balasiensis, over Bidadari on 10th by Zacc HD, a strayed Blue-eared Kingfisher, Alcedo meninting, fishing at Pasir Ris mangroves on 21st, spotted by Seng Alvin, a Glossy Swiftlet, Collocalia esculenta, and a vanishing House Swift Apus nipalensis, flying over Bishan Park on 25th by See Toh Yew Wai. The Glossy Swiftlet is new for Bishan. A juvenile White-rumped Shama, Copsychus malabaricus, at Bishan Park on 29th by Lim Kim Keang, a juvenile Asian Drongo Cuckoo, Surniculus lugubris, at Bidadari on 31st by Zacc HD  and a Black-headed Bulbul, Pycnonotus atriceps, at the MacRitchie Forest on 31st by Lim Kim Seng.

A Black-crested Bulbul feeding its young captured by Lee Van Hien.

The only nesting record was from James Tann of the Scaly-breasted Munia, Lonchura punctulata, at Gardens by the Bay on 19th. Lee Van Hien had a Black-crested Bulbul, Pycnonotus atriceps, feeding a young at the Bukit Timah Summit on the 8th.

BTNR Bukit Timah Nature Reserve, SBWR Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve, CCNR Central Catchment Nature Reserve, CCK Park Chua Chu Kang Park.

Reference: The Avifauna of Singapore. Lim Kim Seng 2009. A field Guide to the Birds of Thailand and South-east Asia, Craig Robson 2000. Edited by Francis Yap. The above records are taken from the various bird FB groups. pages, reports and forums.  Many thanks for your postings. Many thanks to Francis Yap, Lai Ah Eng, Lee Van Hien, Laurence Eu and Danny Lau for the use of the photographs.

Singapore Birding Report – September 2014

Eastern-crowned Warbler by Joesph Tan Kok Beng.

The excitement on the last day of August went up a notch in September when the migrants were coming in thick and fast. The former Bidadari Cemetery came alive with the return of the big guns. They were lured back to their favourite stomping ground by the appearance of the Flycatchers, Shrikes and Wagtails. The Ferruginous Flycatcher landed on 21^st, a new extreme date, followed by the Dark-sided Flycatcher on the 24^th and the globally threatened Brown-chested Flycatcher on the 27^th. All uncommon species and great ticks for the Big Yearers. Besides these, the photographers had their pick of Asian Paradise Flycatchers (5^th), Yellow-rumped Flycatchers (6^th), Tiger Shrikes (6^th) and Forest Wagtail (13^th). The bonuses were a Crow-billed Drongo on the 19^th and Siberian Blue Robin on 21^st. Both were first winter birds. The Drongo stayed for less than 2 days but the Robin was happy with the handouts and stayed a little longer.  Other migrants seen at Bidadari were a flock of 40 Daurian Starlings on the 13^th, Asian Brown Flycatchers and the Eastern-crowned Warblers. Other migrant passerines like the Arctic Warbler was recorded at Nee Soon during the FMBC on the 14^th, Brown Shrike at Tuas South on the 20^th and again the Eastern-crown Warbler at Sungei Buloh on 22^th

Great Knots at Seletar Dam by Zacc HD

As for the shorebirds, a total of eight Black-tailed Godwits were counted at Sungei Buloh on the 1^st up from the five seen the day before. The star bid of the month were the four rare Great Knots found feeding off the Pang Sua Estuary on the 27^th morning (Lau Jiasheng). Two were still there in the evening but gave the chasing Big Yearers the miss by moving over to Seletar Dam the next morning (Zacc HD). They were not seen again. Over at Mandai Mudflats, Rufous-necked Stints, Ruddy Turnstone and a lone Broad-billed Sandpiper were recorded during the Fall Migration Bird Census on 14^th. The Ruddy Turnstone also turned up at Seletar Dam on 21^st and at Chek Java on the 27^th together with the Grey Plovers. The Greater Sand Plover that was feeding at Seletar Dam last month made a one day cameo on the 28^th.

Greater Sand Plover at Seletar Dam by Rey Aguila.

The Marsh Terns were returning to the Serangoon Reservoir this month. Both the White-winged and the Whiskered Terns were seen on the 9^th while the Swift and Bridled Terns were seen flying off Punggol on the 13^th. An unusual large number of Black-naped Terns (100+) were seen off Tanah Merah on the 21^st. This could be the largest flock of this resident tern seen near the coast of Singapore.

The first migrant raptor was an Oriental Honey Buzzard seen over Bidadari on the 5^th. Four Japanese Sparrowhawks were spotted flying through Tuas South on the 16^th, the first for this Autumn. Subsequently the home owner at Blk 20 Dakota Cresent woke up to find a Japanese Sparrowhawk perched on his balcony on the 22^nd. Another was reported flying over Japanese Gardens on 30^th. This was where a Crested Serpent Eagle was photographed on 21^st. There were reports of earlier sightings of this Eagle. Chaiyan later pointed out that this particular eagle was the burmanicus and not the malayensis race. It is larger, more rufous than black. Could most of our previous record of this eagle been this race and not the Malaysian resident?

Interesting reports of our resident species include a hard to find House Swift flying over Seletar Dam (27^th) and a feeding Pacific Reef Egret there on the 15^th. First record of a pair of Lesser Tree Ducks at the pond at Labrador Park and a tame Java Sparrow feeding with the Mynas at Old Airport Road Hawker Center, a recent release no doubt. Over at the Japanese Gardens, a Cinnamon Bittern was foraging at the lotus pond ( 2^nd) and an uncommon non-breeding visiting  Malayan Hawk Cuckoo picked out on 24^th.

Contributing Observers: Tan Boo Eng, See Toh Yew Wai, Francis Yap, Zacc HD, Lau Jaisheng, Lim Kim Keang, Lim Kim Seng, Rey Aguila, Frankie Lim, Low How Choon, David Li, Lawrence Cher, Toh Yuet Shin, Albert Low, Christina See, Lim Ser Chai, Goh Juan Hui, Geoff Lim and Alan OwYong.