I was going to play the potentially dangerous (in bird
watching terms) long game and spend the morning at Gardens by the Bay. Then having
added a few more resident birds to my trip list I would jump back on the
downtown MRT line and take an afternoon stake out at Bukit Timah for the Hooded
Pitta.
The gardens were void of people early on and with so many
blooming flowers the birds were busy tucking into breakfast. Sunbirds were
around every corner with bulbuls, pigeons and doves, Crow and Miners, but the first species
on the list was a Malaysian Pied Fantail. This species I managed to photograph later
on at Bukit Timah.
I have been surprised that I have not seen House Sparrow on
this trip. I think I have seen it in every country I have visited. I saw some
Sparrows but they were Tree which reminded me of the almost lost population at
Beddington Farmlands. None of the birds had rings on them so the likely hood
was they were not on their holidays from the UK.
I made my way up to Satay by the Bay noting a Common Sandpiper
on the shoreline. I must have been clumping around like an elephant as I
managed to spook the Stork Billed Kingfisher who promptly flew from a pond I
was circling. There were a few birders out looking for Common Kingfisher which migratory
through Singapore and highly sought after.
Having completed a round of the park I sat down to take a
moment only for a female Common Flameback to enter stage left. A couple of Common
Tailorbird was calling to each other which made the task of locating them
fairly straight forward.
were two birds calling.
Only one raptor today shame the photo wasn't better but I will be looking at the blurred image to confirm my thoughts.
I would recommend this location to any visitors to Singapore
but if you are keen to see the birds then an early start is a must. The numbers
of tourists were increasing by the time I left at around 1130am.
Part II – Butik Timah !!
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