A Report from birdtours.co.uk
SINGAPORE.     15-16 OCTOBER, 1998, Tim Earl
(This report appears with the permission of Bren McCartney of the Berkshire Birds Web-Pages - see links)

I had a two-day stop-over in Singapore on a birding trip to Australia. Because of the lack of time and my inexperience in Asia I employed a local guide Subaraj Rajathurai (Raj - e-mail: serin@swiftech.com.sg (Subaraj Rajathurai) - for one half-day and a full day's birding. His fee includes meals in local restaurants, refreshments all transport and a superb check-list for use as reference. Raj proved to be an excellent birding companion with humour and considerable knowledge to add to his extraordinary field skills. In the time available I could not have found half the sites or species without him.

15.10.98

A start at 6am when Raj collected me from my hotel and we went, with driver, to Changi Village for the short crossing to Pulau Ubin. We were joined by Oriental Bird Club secretary Brian Sykes at the ferry. There we explored the village area on foot, picking up flocks of long-tailed parakeets flying over, Red jungle-fowl, Common flame-back and Laced woodpeckers and a migrating Japanese Sparrowhawk. We then took to cycles, stopping to investigate bird calls, likely habitat and anything seen as we passed.

Raj's hearing is well tuned to the local calls and helped us get Straw-headed bulbul and Abbot's babbler in the dense secondary vegetation. On reaching the mangrove swamps we used tapes to try and pin down Mangrove whistler (with success) and Mangrove pitta, Pitta megarhyncha, which we did not get. This super habitat yielded a small party of birds which included Ashy and Dark-necked tailorbird, Asian paradise flycatcher, Magpie robin, Pied fantail and Brown-throated sunbird. With a little help from Brian I pulled out Common iora. A call alerted Raj to Stork-billed kingfisher and a stunning Scarlet-backed flowerpecker added to the fun. A tip-off ended the morning with a migrant and most obliging Ruddy kingfisher.

Birds seen in Pulau Ubin forest habitat:

Crested (Oriental) honey buzzard Pernis ptilorhynchus
White-bellied sea-eagle Haliaeetus leucogaster
Japanese sparrowhawk Accipiter gularis L (lifer)
Red jungle-fowl Gallus gallus L
Great crested (Swift) tern Sterna bergii
Lesser crested tern Sterna bengalensis
Spotted dove Streptopelia chinensis
Pink-necked pigeon Treron vernans L
Long-tailed parakeet Psittacula longicauda L
Asian (Common) koel Eudynamys scolopacea L
Ruddy kingfisher Halcyon coromanda L
White-collared kingfisher Halcyon (Todihramphus) chloris
Eastern broad-billed roller (Dollarbird) Eurystomus orientalis
Laced woodpecker Picus vittalus L
Common flameback (goldenback) Dinopium javanense L
Indian house crow Corvus splendens
Large-billed crow Corvus macrohynchos
Black-naped oriole Oriolus chinensis
Asian (Philippine) glossy starling Aplonis panayensis L
Common myna Acridotheries tristis
Javan myna Acridotheres javanicus L
Barn swallow Hirundo rustica
Pacific swallow Hirundo tahitica L
Straw-headed bulbul Pycnonotus zeylanicus L
Olive-winged bulbul Pycnonotus plumosus L
Abbott's babbler Malacocincla abbotti L
Eurasian tree sparrow Passer montanus
Scarlet-backed flowerpecker Dicaeum cruentatum L
Crimson sunbird Aethopyga siparaja L
Birds seen in Pulau Ubin mangrove habitat:

Brahminy kite Haliastur indus L
Common sandpiper Tringa hypoleucos
Greater coucal Centropus sinensis L
Himalayan swiftlet Callocalia brevirostris L
Common kingfisher Alcedo atthis
Stork-billed kingfisher Pelargopsis capensis L
Smyrna (White-throated) kingfisher Halcyon smyrnensis
Blue-tailed bee-eater Merops philippinus
Mangrove whistler Pachycephala grisola L
Pied fantail Rhipidura javanica L
Asian paradise-flycatcher Terpsiphone paradisi L
Indian house crow Corvus splendens
Common iora Aegithina tiphia L
Oriental magpie-robin Copsychus saularis L
Dark-necked tailorbird Orthotomus atrogularis L
Ashy tailorbird Orthotomus sepium L
Arctic warbler Phylloscopus borealis
Plain- (Brown-) throated sunbird Anthreptes malacensis L
Copper-throated sunbird Nectarinia calcostetha L
16.10.98

Another 6am start had us in MacRitchie Reservoir forest before day-break to get excellent views of Collared scops owl and Brown hawk-owl. It started to rain as we set off across the golf course and by the time it finished four hours later I was a little damp. However, we had picked up Greater racket-tailed drongo, Asian fairy-bluebird, Hill and Javan myna and stunning views of sparring White-bellied sea eagles and Brahminy kites. The forest edge yielded Forest wagtail, Striped tit-babbler and one of my all-time top five birds, Siberian blue robin.

MacRitchie Reservoir (forest and golf course)

Brahminy kite Haliastur indus
White-bellied sea-eagle Haliaeetus leucogaster
Long-tailed parakeet Psittacula longicauda
Collared scops owl Otus bakkamoena L
Brown hawk-owl Ninox scutulata L
Grey-rumped treeswift Hemiprocne longipennis L
Edible-nest/Black swiftlet Collocalia fuciphaga/maxima L
Little swift Apus affinis
Common kingfisher Alcedo atthis
Smyrna (White-throated) kingfisher Halcyon smyrnensis
Common flameback (goldenback) Dinopium javanense
Greater racket-tailed drongo Dicrurus paradiseus L
Large-billed crow Corvus macrohynchos
Asian fairy-bluebird Irena puella L
Javan myna Acridotheres javanicus
Hill myna Gracula religiosa L
Asian brown flycatcher Musicapa latirostris
Yellow-rumped flycatcher Ficedula zanthopygia
Siberian blue robin Luscinia cyane
Barn swallow Hirundo rustica
Pacific swallow Hirundo tahitica
Olive-winged bulbul Pycnonotus plumosus
Arctic warbler Phylloscopus borealis
Striped tit-babbler Macronus gularis L
Forest wagtail Dendronanthus indicus L
Plain- (Brown-) throated sunbird Anthreptes malacensis L
Drying off, we went to Sungei Buloh Nature Reserve, a magnificent piece of Singapore tourist attraction. Over brunch we were thrilled by a flock of 45 Oriental pratincoles migrating through with Himalayan swiftlets. From the hide, where we were again joined by Brian Sykes, Terek sandpipers were the top of my wader list (twitched while wringing out saturated socks) while White-fronted waterhens, a Yellow bittern and Slaty-breasted rail added nicely to the growing day-list. Broad-billed sandpipers, Limicola falcinellus, which had been seen in the morning would have been a close second but they had left for mud-flats as the tide dropped before we got there.

Once the rain stopped things started moving with Yellow-breasted prinia, Zebra and Emerald doves, Common and Rufous-tailed tailorbirds starring.

Birds seen at Sungei Buloh:

Little egret Egretta garzetta
Great white egret Egretta alba
Purple heron Ardea purpurea
Cattle egret Ardeola ibis
Striated (Green-backed) heron Butorides striatus
Yellow bittern Ixobrychus sinensis L
Slaty-breasted rail Galliallus striatus L
Bar-tailed godwit Limosa lapponica
Whimbrel Numenius phaeopus
Common redshank Tringa totanus
Marsh sandpiper Tringa stagnatilis
Common greenshank Tringa nebularia
Wood sandpiper Tringa glareola
Terek sandpiper Tringa cinereus
Common sandpiper Tringa hypoleucos
Ruddy turnstone Arenaria interpres
Curlew sandpiper Calidris ferruginea
Oriental pratincole Glareola maldivarum L
Pacific (Asian) golden plover Pluvialis fulva
Little ringed plover Charadrius dubius
Lesser sandplover Charadrius mongolus
Greater sandplover Charadrius leschenaulti
Emerald dove (Green-winged pigeon) Chalcophaps indica L
Zebra (Peaceful) dove Geopelia striata L
Asian (Common) koel Eudynamys scolopacea
Himalayan swiftlet Callocalia brevirostris L
Edible-nest/Black swiftlet Collocalia fuciphaga/maxima L
Pacific (Fork-tailed) swift Apus pacificus
Stork-billed kingfisher Pelargopsis capensis
Black-capped kingfisher Halcyon pileata L
White-collared kingfisher Halcyon (Todihramphus) chloris
Black-naped oriole Oriolus chinensis
Brown shrike Lanius cristatus
Javan myna Acridotheres javanicus
Asian brown flycatcher Musicapa latirostris
Yellow-vented bulbul Pycnonotus goiavier L
Yellow-bellied prinia Prinia flaviventris L
Common tailorbird Orthotomus sutorius L
Rufous-tailed tailorbird Orthotomus sericeus L
Olive-backed sunbird Nectarinia jugularis L
Early afternoon saw us at the Seragoon Estuary searching for Chinese egret (without success) and debating the local Whimbrels' apparent similarity with other Curlew species. lesser coucal and long-tailed shrike were in grasslands close to a river thick with White-winged terns hawking a fly hatch with Pacific and Barn swallows.

Birds seen on the Serangoon Estuary:

Little grebe Tachybaptus ruficollis
Grey heron Ardea cinerea
Cinnamon bittern Ixobrychus cinnamomeus L
Osprey Pandion haliaetus
White-browed crake Porzana cinerea L
Common redshank Tringa totanus
White-winged black tern Chlidonias leucoptera
Little tern Sterna albifrons
Rock dove (feral pigeon) Columba livia
Red collared (turtle) dove Streptopelia tranquebarica L
Lesser coucal Centropus bengalensis L
Long-tailed shrike Lanius schach L
Yellow wagtail Motacilla flava flavissima
A visit to a sewage settling pond (which by now will have been filled in by the development work going on) produced Cinnamon bittern and White-browed crake (found by Brian and giving stonking views). Red collared doves were feeding with the local pigeons, watched by Scaly-breasted munias in nearby tall grass.

A few hundred yards away the grass habitat of long disused settling ponds were most productive with Black-headed and White-headed munias, Baya and Streaked weavers, Oriental pipit, Barred buttonquail, Pallas's grasshopper and Oriental reed warblers.

Birds seen at the old sewage ponds, Serangoon Estuary:

Barred buttonquail Turnix suscitator L
Little swift Apus affinis
Blue-tailed bee-eater Merops philippinus
Barn swallow Hirundo rustica
Pacific swallow Hirundo tahitica
Fan-tailed warbler (Zitting cisticola) Cisticola juncidis
Pallas's grasshopper warbler Locustella certhiola
Oriental reed warbler Acrocephalus orientalis L
Scaly-breasted munia Lonchura punctulata L
Black-headed (Chestnut) munia Lonchura malacca L
White-headed munia Lonchura maja L
Oriental (Paddyfield) pipit Anthus rufulus L
Streaked weaver Ploceus manjar L
Baya weaver Ploceus philippinus L
As the day drew to a close we stopped at Loyang Camp for brilliant performances by the following:

Red-breasted parakeet Psittacula alexandri L
Tanimbar (Goffin's) cockatoo * Cacatua goffini L
Coppersmith barbet Megalaima haemacephala L
Asian (Philippine) glossy starling Aplonis panayensis
Our last stop was in forest near the Botanical Gardens where we had a second Ruddy kingfisher, Brown-chested jungle-flycatcher and a roosting Changeable hawk-eagle.

Birds seen in forest close to the Botanical Gardens:

Changeable hawk-eagle Spizaetus cirrhatus L
Ruddy kingfisher Halcyon coromanda
Blue-tailed bee-eater Merops philippinus
Hill myna Gracula religiosa
Brown-chested jungle-flycatcher Rhinomyias brunneata L
Three hours later I was on an excellent British Airways flight back to London.

In total I had seen 122 species of which 70 were lifers.

SINGAPORE LIST:

Little grebe Tachybaptus ruficollis
Little egret Egretta garzetta
Great white egret Egretta alba
Grey heron Ardea cinerea
Purple heron Ardea purpurea
Cattle egret Ardeola ibis
Striated (Green-backed) heron Butorides striatus
Yellow bittern Ixobrychus sinensis
Cinnamon bittern Ixobrychus cinnamomeus
Osprey Pandion haliaetus
Crested (Oriental) honey buzzard Pernis ptilorhynchus
Brahminy kite Haliastur indus
White-bellied sea-eagle Haliaeetus leucogaster
Japanese sparrowhawk Accipiter gularis
Changeable hawk-eagle Spizaetus cirrhatus
Red jungle-fowl Gallus gallus
Barred buttonquail Turnix suscitator
Slaty-breasted rail Galliallus striatus
White-browed crake Porzana cinerea
Bar-tailed godwit Limosa lapponica
Whimbrel Numenius phaeopus
Common redshank Tringa totanus
Marsh sandpiper Tringa stagnatilis
Common greenshank Tringa nebularia
Wood sandpiper Tringa glareola
Terek sandpiper Tringa cinereus
Common sandpiper Tringa hypoleucos
Ruddy turnstone Arenaria interpres
Curlew sandpiper Calidris ferruginea
Oriental pratincole Glareola maldivarum
Pacific (Asian) golden plover Pluvialis fulva
Little ringed plover Charadrius dubius
Lesser sandplover Charadrius mongolus
Greater sandplover Charadrius leschenaulti
White-winged black tern Chlidonias leucoptera
Great crested (Swift) tern Sterna bergii
Lesser crested tern Sterna bengalensis
Little tern Sterna albifrons
Rock dove (feral pigeon) Columba livia
Spotted dove Streptopelia chinensis
Red collared (turtle) dove Streptopelia tranquebarica
Emerald dove (Green-winged pigeon) Chalcophaps indica
Pink-necked pigeon Treron vernans
Zebra (Peaceful) dove Geopelia striata
Red-breasted parakeet Psittacula alexandri
Long-tailed parakeet Psittacula longicauda
Tanimbar (Goffin's) cockatoo * Cacatua goffini
Asian (Common) koel Eudynamys scolopacea
Greater coucal Centropus sinensis
Lesser coucal Centropus bengalensis
Collared scops owl Otus bakkamoena
Brown hawk-owl Ninox scutulata
Grey-rumped treeswift Hemiprocne longipennis
Himalayan swiftlet Callocalia brevirostris
Edible-nest/Black swiftlet Collocalia fuciphaga/maxima
Pacific (Fork-tailed) swift Apus pacificus
Little swift Apus affinis
Common kingfisher Alcedo atthis
Stork-billed kingfisher Pelargopsis capensis
Ruddy kingfisher Halcyon coromanda
Smyrna (White-throated) kingfisher Halcyon smyrnensis
Black-capped kingfisher Halcyon pileata
White-collared kingfisher Halcyon (Todihramphus) chloris
Blue-tailed bee-eater Merops philippinus
Eastern broad-billed roller (Dollarbird) Eurystomus orientalis
Coppersmith barbet Megalaima haemacephala
Laced woodpecker Picus vittalus
Common flameback (goldenback) Dinopium javanense
Mangrove whistler Pachycephala grisola
Pied fantail Rhipidura javanica
Asian paradise-flycatcher Terpsiphone paradisi
Greater racket-tailed drongo Dicrurus paradiseus
Indian house crow Corvus splendens
Large-billed crow Corvus macrohynchos
Common iora Aegithina tiphia
Black-naped oriole Oriolus chinensis
Pied triller Lalage nigra
Asian fairy-bluebird Irena puella
Brown shrike Lanius cristatus
Long-tailed shrike Lanius schach
Asian (Philippine) glossy starling Aplonis panayensis
Common myna Acridotheries tristis
Javan myna Acridotheres javanicus
Hill myna Gracula religiosa
Brown-chested jungle-flycatcher Rhinomyias brunneata
Asian brown flycatcher Musicapa latirostris
Yellow-rumped flycatcher Ficedula zanthopygia
Siberian blue robin Luscinia cyane
Oriental magpie-robin Copsychus saularis
Barn swallow Hirundo rustica
Pacific swallow Hirundo tahitica
Straw-headed bulbul Pycnonotus zeylanicus
Yellow-vented bulbul Pycnonotus goiavier
Olive-winged bulbul Pycnonotus plumosus
Fan-tailed warbler (Zitting cisticola) Cisticola juncidis
Yellow-bellied prinia Prinia flaviventris
Pallas's grasshopper warbler Locustella certhiola
Oriental reed warbler Acrocephalus orientalis
Common tailorbird Orthotomus sutorius
Dark-necked tailorbird Orthotomus atrogularis
Rufous-tailed tailorbird Orthotomus sericeus
Ashy tailorbird Orthotomus sepium
Arctic warbler Phylloscopus borealis
Abbott's babbler Malacocincla abbotti
Striped tit-babbler Macronus gularis
Eurasian tree sparrow Passer montanus
Scaly-breasted munia Lonchura punctulata
Black-headed (Chestnut) munia Lonchura malacca
White-headed munia Lonchura maja
Forest wagtail Dendronanthus indicus
Yellow wagtail Motacilla flava flavissima
Oriental (Paddyfield) pipit Anthus rufulus
Streaked weaver Ploceus manjar
Baya weaver Ploceus philippinus
Scarlet-backed flowerpecker Dicaeum cruentatum
Plain- (Brown-) throated sunbird Anthreptes malacensis
Purple-throated sunbird Nectarinia sperata
Copper-throated sunbird Nectarinia calcostetha
Olive-backed sunbird Nectarinia jugularis
Crimson sunbird Aethopyga siparaja
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