A Lesser Big Year - for Kit&Herman 2020

[Kitsafari]

33/SG33 : Straw-headed Bulbul, Hindhede Nature Park

 

The straw-headed bulbul is poached almost to extinction, with its only stronghold now left in Singapore. There are wide estimates of 600-1200 birds left, of which 200 are in Singapore. The bulbul's calls and songs echo through the park loud and clear (, and we often hear them in Dairy Farm Nature Park), making them easy targets for the songbird trade and for poaching. In December last year, the Nature Society got together with Birdlife to rope in a number of government agencies and wildlife organisations to put together an action plan to deepen the protection of this threatened species. It will take time, but let's hope it will work to keep the species alive for generations to come. 

 

 

 

[Kitsafari]

34/SG34 : Indian Cuckoo, Changi Business Park

 

A migrant from their northern native grounds which are in India, China, Siberia, South Korea and northern Southeast Asia. 

 

[Kitsafari]

35/SG35: Oriental Darter, Hindhede

 

The oriental darter is a rare non-breeding visitor to our shores and this year, it has returned in January but at a nearby quarry, rather than at the Singapore quarry where it had returned two years running. It was seen moulting while staying at the quarrry, but has grown back its feathers, and surprise, surprise - just a few days ago, some lucky birders saw two of them! will they breed here?? (well we all hope so! ) the suspense continues. 

 

[Kitsafari]

36/SG36 : Lesser Whistling Ducks, Garden by the Bay

 

The ducks were back with ducklings once more. Herman saw them in early stages with I think it was six but the numbers have since dropped to four at the last count. Last year, they lost all the babies, so we are hoping they've become smarter parents this time round. They are uncommon breeding residents in Singapore but this pair are residents at the GBTB surroundings.

 

[michael-ibk]

Kit, you have the coolest garden ever - could we please swap? Beautiful pictures! Oh how I'd love to have Bee-Eaters and Kingfishers at home. 

[Kitsafari]

@michael-ibk 

 there's a UK series called House Swap - I wonder if they've ever tried a Garden swap? 

 

[PeterHG]

As before, beautiful photos and interesting info!

[Kitsafari]

37/SG37 : Little Egret, Pasir Ris Park

 

Little egrets are doing very well in Singapore. I still recall nearly 20 years ago that we started seeing more and more of these white birds near our home, which suggested that the wetlands and rivers have become cleaner and healthier for the egrets to flourish here. this is a common migrant to Singapore.

 

[Kitsafari]

38/SG38 : Red Junglefowl, Singapore Botanic Garden

 

The junglefowl is also doing well in the Singapore parks and forest reserves. Its grey legs mark it from the domestic roosters which have yellow legs. A common resident here. The male is a proud kaleidoscope of colours while the female is a dull brown.

 

Male

 

female: 

 

 

 

[Kitsafari]

39/SG39 : Striated Heron, Garden by the Bay

 

A common resident and migrant here. Found all over Asia, Australia, Africa and South America. 

 

 

 

 

[Kitsafari]

40/SG40 : Oriental Pied Hornbill, Pasir Ris Park

 

Very reliably seen in Pasir Ris Park where the hornbills do very well but sometimes bother the resident spotted wood owls. It's the only hornbill species regularly seen although the rare visitor black hornbill sometimes makes an appearance on Pulau Ubin, when it hangs out with its cousins the pied hornbills. 

 

[Kitsafari]

41/SG41 : Pacific Swallow, Kallang River

 

A common resident here and is found all over Asia-Pacific. Reliably found in Pasir Ris Park as well. 

 

 

 

 

 

[Kitsafari]

42/SG42 : Black Swan, SIngapore Botanic Garden

 

No need to talk about this Australian import turned resident here. They had babies but they got sick fast and were taken away by  park officials. Herman's theory is that too much bread was being fed to the young ones by visitors to the gardens. 

 

[Kitsafari]

43/SG43 : White-breasted Waterhen, Hindhede

 

The waterhen which has a red undertail is a very common resident in Singapore's parks but fiercely territorial. It's also a migrant from northern Asia during winter months. 

 

 

 

[Galana]

On 2/16/2020 at 12:50 PM, Kitsafari said:

I wonder if they've ever tried a Garden swap? 

 

That won't help me as I don't have a garden.But I do have a nice sea view.

[Kitsafari]

@Galana sea views will do nicely as well - presumably more shorebirds and sea birds? 

[xelas]

Count me in for the house/garden swap thing. Lovely photos @Kitsafari and great commentary.

[Kitsafari]

Thanks @xelas you guys are coming back with a big haul!

 

here's a photo of one of the black swan's cygnets from H 

 

[Kitsafari]

44/SG44 : Sulphur-crested Cockatoo, Pasir Ris Park

 

A handful of these cuckatoos is often found together with a flock of tanimba corella. The sulphur-crested cuckatoos are native to Australasia and were brought over into Singapore as part of the pet trade. It looks almost like the yellow-crested cuckatoos but have a light bluish eye-ring and doesn't have a yellow spot on its cheeks. 

 

 

Edited February 23, 2020 by Kitsafari

[Kitsafari]

45/SG45 : Tanimbar Corrella, Pasir Ris Park

 

The noisy tanimbar correllas were also brought into our island via the pet trade from the Tanimbar islands in Indonesia where they are an endemic species. they have done well here, spreading around the various parks and gardens. 

 

[Kitsafari]

46/SG46 : Red-legged Crake, Singapore Botanic Gardens

 

It looks like the ruddy-breasted crake but has black and white bars across its belly. A winter visitor from northern Asia and northern Southeast Asia, some have stayed on and become a uncommon breeding resident. 

 

Chick!

 

Mom and chick

Edited February 20, 2020 by Kitsafari

[Kitsafari]

47/SG47 : Changeable Hawk-Eagle, Changi Business Park

 

the eagle is an uncommon resident and is part of the boot eagle sub-family. It is widely distributed from the Himalayas region across CHina and Southeast Asia to the Philippines and the Sundas. 

 

 

 

[michael-ibk]

Great shot of the Crakes - very cute!

[pedro maia]

I really like raptors and that Hawk-eagle photo is amazing.

[Zim Girl]

I agree, the adult and chick crakes is such a lovely picture and the Hawk-eagle is stunning.