A Her-man BY with Kit 2021

[Dave Williams]

Brilliant! Powering away at 161! I think your Chestnut Munia shot is fabulous and what bird photography is all about. 

[Kitsafari]

thank you @shazdwn @PeterHG @xelas @Zim Girl  @michael-ibk @Dave Williams

 

Much appreciation for the high praise coming from you @Dave Williams 

[Kitsafari]

It's baby boom time, or rather the babies have fledged and are either finding their legs or rather wings, or still begging for food. 

 

Last Sunday on May 2, we went seeking out the juveniles of two other owl species, and felt very contented after spotting them. Of course, they are no contest to the fluffly snow-white barred eagle owl chick, but juveniles are always cute!

 

We woke very early to get into an area where F1 formula would have run in September. At 6.30am, it was still very dark but the Barn Owl juvenile was already at the opening waiting for its parents for a meal. At one point, it screeched loudly. The nest is some 12 storeys high, tucked into a gap in the Benjamin Sheares Bridge which spans the mouth of three rivers which merge below it. I always wondered who was the person who first sighted it, but it seems that the adult barn owls have been there for some time but that only very few knew about it. well, at least until the news of the juvenile broke. in the low light, it was quite a challenge for photography. 

 

 

 

 

Not a great shot as it moved its head but we quite liked his quizzical look.

 

We moved on to the next famous juveniles. The resident pair of Spotted Wood Owls at Pasir Ris Park has successfully bred over the last four years. This year, it was special - there were two juveniles that are learning to move around. The younger chick kept falling - amazingly surviving the falls. Too many people were crowding round the poor chick so the park authorities have fenced up a large area around the trees that the juveniles and their parents are at.

The chick made its arduous climb up to the top of the tree, making everyone biting nails at the suspense! 

cracking shots from Herman. 

  

 

[Soukous]

11 minutes ago, Kitsafari said:

cracking shots from Herman. 

 

yes they are

[Galana]

Agreed. All baby Owls are cute. Even the downright ugly ones.

[michael-ibk]

Simply an aaaaawwwwwwww-post. Aaaaaaaawwwwwwwwwwww.

[PeterHG]

+ 1 for Herman's efforts! Great Owl shots.

[Kitsafari]

162. Blue-throated Bee-eater, Tampines Eco Green

 

 

[Kitsafari]

163. Suplhur-crested Cockatoo, Sentosa

 

 

[Kitsafari]

164. Lesser Whistling Duck, Satay by the Bay

 

 

Edited May 9, 2021 by Kitsafari

[Kitsafari]

165. Mandarin Duck, Defu 

 

Not a native fowl but this duck was happily enjoying the recent rains.

 

 

 

 

[Kitsafari]

166. Chinese Egret, Pulau Ubin

 

A migrant rarity, the Chinese egret has an unusual way of feeding - stamp stamp,   tilt the head and feed. it was on a distant sandbar so it's a heavy crop.

 

 

 

[Kitsafari]

167. Indian Peafowl, Labrador Park

 

 

 

 

[Peter Connan]

What lovely shots of the owl and cockatoo!

[xelas]

Looks like the whole birdin' world is flyin' through Singapore!And we are lucky to have you there, to record them.

[Galana]

Lovely shots.. I always love to see new Species of BeeEater.

 

I no longer feel slightly guilty about showing our feral Indian Peacocks. I may even go and photograph the Helmeted Guinea Fowl that lives on a nearby farm.

Is the Cockatoo native?

[Soukous]

I love all the Bee-eaters, but especially ones I've never seen before.

[michael-ibk]

Gorgeous!

[Kitsafari]

thanks everyone. 

 

@Galana the cockatoo is native to Australia, New Guinea and some parts of Indonesia but not to Singapore. these are probably escapees, but somehow they've done pretty well to survive in Singapore. Although no breeding has been sighted, they must be reproducing as the numbers have grown, especially on the island of Sentosa where it was first sighted in 1987. 

 

[elefromoz]

On 5/8/2021 at 4:02 PM, Kitsafari said:

cracking shots from Herman. 

I'll say, and if that Spotted Wood Owl Chicks face doesn't cheer everyone up, nuthin' will. I'm so impressed that you are still able to produce so many new Birds, fantastic

[Dave Williams]

Agreed, super looking Owl Chicks. More excellent shots too.

[Kitsafari]

168: Scarlet Macaw, Defu vicinity

 

Very clearly not native residents but the macaws hail from central and south America. These were probably escapees from the pet bird trade. I googled scarlet macaw singapore and all I got were "Scarlet Macaws for sale!" Unfortunately,the parrot pet trade is booming during the pandemic as some Singaporeans suddenly decided it was cool to keep bright colourful birds as pets.

 

Well, EBC dictates in a no-travel world!

 

[Kitsafari]

169. Common Hill Myna, Labrador Park

 

Labrador Park was a new park for us to explore, but it was relatively quiet and a sudden incoming storm didn't help either. We did see a pair of pin-striped babblers hopping too fast to capture, and a great billed stork on top of these mynas. 

 

The common hill myna is definitely a local resident but also dwindling in numbers in our country. You hear their clear distinct calls before you see them. It is also a big target for poachers and since imports have been banned from Indonesia and Thailand, the local birds are at higher risk of being hunted. Nationally threatened. 

 

  

[Kitsafari]

170. Blue-Rumped Parrot, Venus Drive

 

An uncommon resident and on the IUCN near-threatened list. The best time to see it is when a resident pair returns to nest in the same area or when a fruiting tree proves too delicious to ignore.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Kitsafari]

171. Ashy Tailorbird, Satay by the Bay

 

A resident species, and usually commonly seen in more wooded areas.