SG Nature Guide

Monday 27 March 2017

Tanjong Tuan Raptors Counts

I signed up with Malaysia Nature Society to volunteer for raptor counts at Tanjong Tuan. Together with another volunteer from Singapore, we took a night coach departing Singapore 8 pm on the 7th March 2017. We were caught in a 'human traffic jam' at Singapore Customs checkpoint, arrived the hotel at Seremban 3 am. Managed to catch a 2 hours sleep for the next day counting at Tg Tuan light house :-).

It was a quiet morning at the light house. Misty on that day. After a long wait till about 2.30 pm then, some eagles were seen, mostly soaring on the left above the light house.

Here are some pictures of the Oriental Honey Buzzard, Male

Oriental Honey Buzzard, Female

There were flocks of Black Baza flying across that area; far away... like many mosquitoes.. I am unable to take any photo as it were so tiny and flying so fast!

Grey-faced Buzzard (from top - 2 and 4) soaring high with Oriental Honey Buzzard

Grey-faced Buzzard (top-Oriental Honey Buzzard, below- Grey-faced Buzzard)

An Osprey is not commonly seen, appeared on the next day!!!

The resident White-bellied Sea Eagles, a resident were always there to keep us entertained.

Other resident birds...

A Dollar bird

The White-vented Myna

A pair of Common Mynas

Scarlet Minivet, female

A female Plain Sunbird

We were so lucky to see the Oriental Bay Owl (very rare). Thanks to Seng for bringing us to the oil plant plantation at Bukit Kepong for this rare bird !

Wednesday 26 October 2016

看看老鹰

10月6日是我第二次到泰南Khao Dinsor 的小山丘，义务数老鹰。韩和燕霞与我同飞，这是他们的第一次。我们在第二天每天早上六点出发到Khao Dinsor，开始我们的三天数老鹰的活动。Foundation http://www.theflywayfoundation.or.th/flyway_watcher_project2016_eng.html

很久没有走山路，外加要提早与午餐，2公升的水，照相机和望远镜上山路，啊。。超累的！但是想到老鹰在天空傲翔，我的眼睛也亮了！老鹰，我来了!

东方蜂鹰Pernis ptilorbyncus

这只东方蜂鹰的翅膀破了！

赤腹鹰Accipiter solensis 超多的！

日本松雀鹰Accipiter gularis

褐耳鹰（学名：Accipiter badius)

2 - 8日，一个星期的统计数量（老鹰与其他迁徙鸟）https://www.facebook.com/TheFlywayFoundationThailand

Top 10 most numerous migrants:
#1 Chinese Sparrowhawk 102,689 / Total: 348,665
#2 Oriental Honey-buzzard 46,586 / Total: 84,113
#3 Barn Swallow 6,980 / Total: 62,179
#4 Blue-tailed Bee-eater 6,197 / Total: 28,941
#5 Pacific Swift 3,467 / Total: 20,510
#6 Red-rumped Swallow 3,324 / Total: 5,934
#7 Japanese Sparrowhawk 1,047 / Total: 24,000
#8 Shikra 975 / Total: 1,285
#9 Blue-throated Bee-eater 368 / Total: 3,089
#10 White-throated Needletail 198 / Total: 457

Other migratory raptors:
Black-eared Kite 67 / Total: 120
Eastern Marsh Harrier 33 / Total: 124
Besra 26 / Total: 34
Booted Eagle 8 / Total: 9
Western Osprey 5 / Total: 13
Buteo spp. 5 / Total: 5
Crested Serpent Eagle 4 / Total: 5
Pied Harrier 4 / Total: 11
Common Kestrel 3 / Total: 6
Peregrine Falcon 3 / Total: 13
Grey-faced Buzzard 2 / Total: 2
Eurasian Sparrowhawk 1 / Total: 3
unidentified sparrowhawk 12 / Total: 877

Resident raptors:
Black-winged Kite
Rufous-bellied Eagle
Black Eagle
Crested Goshawk
Brahminy Kite
White-bellied Sea Eagle

Monday 1 February 2016

12 DAYS BIRD WATCHING IN THAILAND

Went to Thailand for a 12 days bird watching trip with Jacky, Henrietta and our Thai friend Jay; a very experience bird guide. He drove us by his parents' 4WD from Bangkok to Chiang Mai to different birding sites. We left the hotels almost everyday before sunrise and call off a day after sunset. It was a tiring but enriching trip. We saw a total of 400 species of birds (Singapore have 392 species) in 12 days!! Here are some of the pictures taken during the trip.