Kit & Herman Year 2

[TonyQ]

A magnificent bird to reach 300. Congratulations 

The barbet is also very special 

[pedro maia]

Incredible that owl, congrats on the 300th.

[Tdgraves]

Well done on 300

[PeterHG]

Congratulations on a truly beautiful # 300! Great photos of the owl.

[lmSA84]

Well done on the 300! 

[marg]

@Kitsafari...this is great.  And,  think how much you have learned about birds and how far off of the beaten track you have ventured just in the last couple of years!!!!

[Zim Girl]

Fabulous picture of the Barn owl for no 300!

[Dave Williams]

Wow , really motoring and putting in the miles to get there too. BY has been life changing!!!! Keep it up.

[Soukous]

More very nice additions. 300 - WOW! great effort.

 

[Galana]

Congratulations on a well deserved triple century.

A lovely bird to mark the occasion too.

[Kitsafari]

301/SG123: Rusty-breasted cuckoo,  Turut Track

 

The cuckoo is distributed in the Thai-Malay pensinsula to greater and lesser Sundas, Sulawesi and south-western Philippines and not commonly seen resident in Singapore.

 

[Kitsafari]

302/SG124: Jambu Fruit Dove, Dairy Farm Nature Park

 

The best chance to see the Jambu fruit dove is when a tree fruits in the Dairy Farm Nature Park,but even then the stunning male is incredibly elusive. This time round, we saw only the immature and the female while the male was nowhere to be seen. 

Found mainly in the Thai-Peninsula Malaysia to Indonesia, this species is near threatened which isn't surprising as the male, with its bright pink-purplish face and pink-purplish  spot on its breast, is a favourite target for the caged bird trade. Habitat destruction is also its enemy. 

No shots of the female - so only of the immature bird.

 

 

[Kitsafari]

303/SG125: Asian Emerald Dove,  Diary Farm Nature Park/Pulau Ubin

 

This dove, while uncommonly seen, is a tad easier to see than the Jambu Fruit Dove. Also known as the Green-Winged or Common Emerald Dove, the bird likes to forage on the ground in its favoured wooded and forested areas. It is found in the Indian subcontinent to southern China, Southeast Asia down to northern Australia. It was skulking around the grass verge as we were seated, resting in a pavilion in Pulau Ubin (a tiny island off Singapore that has so far been untouched by major developments and build-ups). each time we stopped to take photos, it would vanish into the bushes. but once we started chatting, it would slowly wind its way out of the bushes. 

 

 

 

 

[Kitsafari]

304/SG126: Orange-bellied Flowerpecker, Dairy Farm Nature Park

 

This is a delightful nectar-sucking/insect-eating little bird that is found from Bangladesh to across SOutheast Asia. It is a common breeder in our forested areas. Very easily seen in Dairy Farm NP. The male is distrinctive by its orange belly.

[Kitsafari]

164/SG127: Grey Heron,  Pasir Ris Park

 

The grey heron was already counted in the Botswana list but I wanted to add to the Singapore list. The herons are breeding very well in Singapore, especially in Pasir Ris Park where you can see them flying busily with twigs in their bills to build nests up high on the trees. A common resident, this species is widely distributed in Africa,Europe and Asia. 

 

[Kitsafari]

305/SG128: Pacific Reef Egret, Marina East Drive

 

Also known as the Pacific Reef Heron or the eastern reef heron, the egret in the white morph looks similar to the other egrets except for its short legs and thicker and yellowish bill. This species comes in two morphs  - the dark morph, which looks quite awesome, and the white morph. 

Found also in southern China to Japan and Korea, down to Southeast Asia, Australia and across to NZ and the Pacific islands, the bird is uncommonly seen in Singapore, and along the banks usually during low tides.

 

 

Edited July 13, 2019 by Kitsafari

[Kitsafari]

306/SG128: Oriental Pied Hornbill, Pasir Ris Park

 

As mentioned in my BY 2018 thread, this majestic hornbill has had a spectacular comeback to Singapore, aided by the authorities who erected box nests to encourage it to breed again.So successful it has been the fairly large hornbill sometimes end up in residental homes' balconies but usually just to perch for a short moment.This is the one of only 2 hornbill species found in Singapore - the other being the Black Hornbill which we failed to find when we spent an entire morning in Pulau Ubin, the only place where there is a known resident.

 

 

 

 

[Kitsafari]

308/SG129: Masked Lapwing, Marina East Drive

 

the masked lapwing is native to Australia but a few escapees started to breed in Singapore a few years ago, is now counted as part of the SG list here. 

 

 

 

[Peter Connan]

Some more truly beautiful birds Kit!

[PeterHG]

Colourful additions again from your part of the world, @Kitsafari and great photos. I looked up the male of the Jambu Fruit Dove and that is a stunner, indeed. Sad that its beauty makes it a target for the caged bird trade.

[Galana]

The more I see of what you have found in your backyard the more I am overcoming my resistance to a trip there.

You certainly have got some terrific photos.

[Kitsafari]

162/SG130: Black Crowned Night Heron, Eastwood

 

This was counted in my Bostwana list but adding to the Singapore list. 

There's a heron that has been roosting in my neighbourhood and once in a very long while, it comes to perch at the tree next to my house. A few days ago, the adult flew in with another bird in tow. the adult flew off before I could get to the camera, but to my surprise, an immature night heron was preening itself and resting in the tree. It was quite close to my bedroom window, surprising me with its fairly large size.But it saw me, took fright at that black projectile sticking out from my face, and flew off. Good to know they are breeding successfully despite the rapidly shrinking habitat. 

 

 

 

Edited July 14, 2019 by Kitsafari

[Kitsafari]

19 hours ago, Galana said:

The more I see of what you have found in your backyard the more I am overcoming my resistance to a trip there.

You certainly have got some terrific photos.

 

@Galana

you could extend your Goa trip with @Soukous to Singapore....... 

[Kitsafari]

309/SG131: Coconut Lorikeet, Eastwood vicinity

 

There are eight species of parrots in SIngapore, and the coconut lorikeet is one of them, having been added in 2006 when  escapees started to breed successfully. They are not as widespread as the rose-ringed or the red-breasted parakeets, both of which are also introduced to Singapore. This particular lorikeet probably resides in our neighbourhood,. It usually appears alone, and joins the red-breasted parakeets feast on the ripe fruits of the lagerstroemia speciosa.  The Coconut Lorikeet  (Trichoglossus haematodus) is native to southern Maluku, West Papua islands and western New Guinea. It looks almost like the rainbow lorikeet  (Trichoglossus moluccanus) found in Australia, but its bars across its red breast are more pronounced. 

 

[Kitsafari]

310/SG132: Blue-winged Leafbird, Dairy Farm Nature Park

 

Another bird native to Singapore, the blue-winged leafbird is considered least concern, unlike its bigger and near threatened cousin Greater Green leafbird. The blue-winged species is exactly what it says - the blue streaks along its wings, with a yellow head and a black throat. The female is green all over with a a touch of blue on its throat. The species is distributed in southern India, Sri Lanka and southeast Asia. 

 

Edited July 14, 2019 by Kitsafari