Belated BY - 6th year! Herman&Kit

[Kitsafari]

630. White-faced Plover

 

[Kitsafari]

631. Tibetan Sand Plover

Renamed from Lesser sand plover, here keeping a curlew sandpiper company. 

 

[Kitsafari]

632. Pacific Golden Plover

[Kitsafari]

633. Malaysian Plover

The species is a resident in Singapore. A pair is often found on the man-made rocky boundary near the Marina East park. 

 

 

The pair's breeding seasons have often failed in the past few years because crows often attack their chicks as the rocky boundaries offer absolutely no place to hide. The rocky beaches are also very accessible to people so the more veteran birders would keep any nesting a secret to prevent hordes of photographers descending on the birds and chick. The secretive nesting was what happened with last year's breeding, and this chick managed to evade the marauding crows, so much so that it successfully matured and was able to fly with the parents. A very happy and successful breeding, for a change! Herman documented it over the weeks, and I'll share a handful of photos.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Full flight and the secret's out!

[Kitsafari]

634. Marsh Sandpiper

 

[Kitsafari]

635. Terek Sandpiper

 

with some redshanks

 

[Kitsafari]

636. Masked Lapwing

 

[Kitsafari]

637. Milky Stork

[Kitsafari]

638. Painted Stork

A juve

[Kitsafari]

639. Red-wattled Lapwing

Juve

[Kitsafari]

640. Woodcock

 

Male

 

female

Edited January 7 by Kitsafari

[Kitsafari]

641. Whimbrel

 

[Kitsafari]

642.  Oriental Pratincole

Often seen in a pass-through in the skies when they migrate southwards. On some occasions, one or two may land here on the return journey back up north. 

[Kitsafari]

The final batch from Singapore - the raptors. these include those seen migrating above us in the skies as they fly further south. 

 

643. Black Baza

 

In the  past, we would see more of these stunning raptors stopping over in Singapore to refuel and rest before they head down south. But as our forest cover and the number of tall trees dwindle, fewer of these bazas are seen.  It's the same story with the elegant Jerdon's Bazas. 

 

 

 

 

[Kitsafari]

644. Jerdon's Baza

 

[Kitsafari]

645. Black-winged Kite

 

This is a resident species that prefers wooded or forested areas but their habitat is shrinking rapidly.

 

 

[Kitsafari]

646. Brahminy Kite

A resident raptor but it has adapted to urban areas quite well. 

 

[Kitsafari]

647. Changeable Hawk-Eagle

 

Also a resident species and seems to be adapting well to urban areas. 

Dark morph

[Kitsafari]

a couple of repeats

Chinese sparrowhawk (counted in Bali)

 

Black Kite - counted in HK

 

 

[Kitsafari]

648. Common Buzzard

[Kitsafari]

649.  Crested Goshawk

A resident species, breeds quite well at Pasir Ris Park

 

adult

Juve

[Kitsafari]

650. Eastern Marsh Harrier

A winter visitor that was transiting here. 

[Kitsafari]

651. Greater Spotted Eagle

Flying through!

 

A Brahminy Kite escorting the larger raptor out of its territory 

 

[Kitsafari]

652. Grey-headed Buzzard

Just passing through

[Kitsafari]

653. Japanese Sparrowhawk

Our neighbourhood is an attractive stopover for the Japanese sparrowhawks every year. In October, we found a male sparrowhawk in the tree next to our house late in the day and it looked like it had just flown in and wanted to roost for the day. But a very noisy construction truck passing through made it nervous and it flew off. This was a different one from the female that used to stop over.