Bidadari Cemetery

November 5 - Got my 320th Singapore bird in a juvenile Grey-headed Lapwing at Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve. Fantastic!

November 7 - Bidadari is once again receiving its fair share of migratory birds. Hordes of photographers and a few birders (birders are losing out, sad!) are trampling the former graveyard in search of their favourite birds. Went with Ju Lin and Ping Ling and we had at least 3 Brown-chested Jungle Flycatchers, a Dark-sided Flycatcher, 2 to 3 female Yellow-rumped Flycatchers and 4 Asian Brown Flycatchers. Also seen was a single male juvenile Jambu Fruit Dove sitting quietly high up in a tree, unknown to shutterbugs. A Ruddy Kingfisher greeted our arrival when it flew past us and perched. 2 Indian Cuckoos were also seen separately. Tiger Shrike was also seen. Raptors included 2 Black Bazas and a soaring Oriental Honey Buzzard.

November 11 - Lorong Halus Ditch had 2 winter plumaged Pond-herons, 2 Common Sandpipers, a single Pacific Golden Plover, also singles of Yellow Bittern, Grey Heron and Little Egret.

Serangoon Tidal Gates

Took a leisure walk around the Serangoon Tidal Gate this evening. There were 15 Grey Herons resting on the reservoir side. A Rufous Woodpecker also called while migrating Barn Swallows returned in droves to their roosting site somewhere unknown.

Barn Owl

Made a quick visit to Marina Barrage early evening to check if the Barn Owl is still around. Quite a predictable and loyal bird as it was still at its usual roosting site atop a sewage pipe. Peacefully resting while awaiting its feeding time to come.

Migration has started!

Drove past Lorong Halus this afternoon and saw a lone Common Sandpiper perched atop a railing by the side of the river. Barn Swallows are about too. Hey, the migratory birds are trickling in now and the usual early arrivals had arrived. It's the start of another exciting season as the southward migration gets underway. Hope some goodies turn up...

Starting anew.....

Ok, this blog of mine had suffered a total neglect for a long time. It had recently been labelled by a young friend of mine as being "clearly unsustainable". Sigh...it's hard when you have a family, have work and yet have to devote some precious time to upkeep something which you had started on your own accord. Yep, I asked for it!

Can I try to revive this? That's what I am trying to do now, and that's why I am writing this piece. Maybe, it will be easier with lesser pictures. Maybe it will be easier if written about day-to-day happenings. Ok, I will try....and oh yes, to quickly finish off that Sarawak trip - we did see that Blue-banded Pitta, after a few hours of agonising wait and painstaking work!

Kubah National Park

Kubah National Park in Sarawak is only about half an hour's drive from the capital Kuching. This seldom visited park is where we were headed to search for the Blue-banded Pitta. Our guide Yeo Swee Teck knows where the stake-outs are, and deep inside, we knew we have a fair chance based on his experience.

7 January was our first morning of proper birding in Kubah. It was wet and the rain had just ended. Very soon, we found ourselves split into 2 groups with me and Albert Low as one and the girls Ju Lin & Yik Shih with Yeo as the other. The strategy was to station ourselves at 2 spots just down the road, play their call and to see if there is any response. This was near the Waterfall Trail. Time was 8.30am.

One responded quite some distance away from where me and Albert was. It kept responding, seemed to come closer, and that was it. Very soon, the other group came to join us. But it was to be a futile wait and we gave up. But just as soon as we gave up, another called from across the road from where we were! It was to be the start of a long wait....until we finally saw the pitta at about 11.45am....3 1/4 hours after we started. It was well worth the effort put in - the perseverance & the patience. The blob of orange-red with a green back and a tinge of blue necklace across the breast, we couldn't have asked for a prettier pitta!

 

 

Our accomodation at Kubah resembled those at Nepenthes in Kinabalu Park. It was comfortable living with 2 rooms upstairs, a kitchen, dining hall, sitting area and a verandah downstairs. Good for that tete-a-tete after a day's of birding.

Kubah National Park is known for its assemblage of frogs and we had quite a few on our night's outing.

The beginnings of my blog

A new year, a new beginning. This is my humble effort to try to start a blog of my avian sojourns. I just wish it will be sustainable! Will be leaving for the "Land of the Hornbills" in Sarawak with my birding friends come Thursday - for a crack at the Blue-banded Pitta. Wish me luck, cos I will need lots of it!