Singapore Once More

After twelve years we're back in Singapore. Just as before we were amazed at the ambiance and clean surroundings of this small Asian country. More so now that everything is high-tech: at McDonalds you order using a huge screen, at our hotel restaurant you look at the menu by scanning a QR code - because there isn't any written one. We had a red-eye flight from Manila and a 2-hour delay made it even worse for this two elderlies. We checked in at our hotel at around 3 am and practically passed out as soon as we settled in our room. We woke up a little after 7 am and decided to have breakfast at the nearby McDonalds. After a hearty meal, we got our first bird - the Spotted Dove which is very common here in Singapore - just outside the hotel.

The most common species here is the Javan Myna. Our first (and not so good) shot was one perched on the mall entrance.

We then flagged a taxi to take us to the Singapore Botanic Garden. We were suprised at the number of people there. Then we realized that it was a holiday and it appears that a great majority of Singaporeans visit this nature park on such occasions. Thankfully there were still birds. A Pink-necked Fruit Dove was even that close as it negotiated a thorny palm tree.

Going through the narrow path and trying to avoid the hikers, we encountered our only lifer for the trip - an Olive-winged Bulbul!

As we approached the pond, we got a male Olive-backed Sunbird.

Perched on a tree across the pond was a Grey-headed Fish Eagle. Too bad it was quite far and in a dark area.

Then also from a distance came a Black-naped Oriole.

Red Junglefowls are common here in the park.

This time we got better shots at the ubiquitous Javan Mynas.

A small bird was flitting among the branches. Reviewing the photos later at the hotel I'd like to think that it was a Yellow-browed Warbler just because the migrant Arctic Warblers are probably gone since the migration season is over. If that's the case then it would be another lifer for us.

At 11:30 we decided to call it a day and headed to the mall to have lunch. We both were exhausted that we just rested for the rest of the day. The following morning we took a taxi to Bukit Timah. However when we got there we were daunted by the challenging trails. Since it rained early that morning, the steep trails were muddy and slippery and dark. Since we did not have hiking shoes on, Cynthia and I both agreed to skip this place and go back to the Botanic Gardens. It's no longer a holiday so we hoped there would be less people there. Indeed there only a few hikers when we got there. The first species that greted us was a Zebra Dove.

From really, really far away was a White-throated Kingfisher!

Good thing that its cousin, the Collared Kingfisher, was friendlier.

By the pond, this time we got a Pacific Swallow.

Feeding nearby was a pair of Brown-throated Sunbirds.

A White-breasted Waterhen was also busy feeding near the pond.

A Malaysian Pied Fantail also gave us good looks.

And our last bird of the trip was a very cooperative Oriental Magpie Robin.

It was almost noon and time to have lunch at the mall again. After lunch we headed back to our hotel room for some shut-eye to prepare us for our early morning flight back home.

Feeling Buloh

Our flight out of Singapore doesn't leave until 5:20 in the afternoon, so we decided to go to Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve. Using public transportation. A little after 8 am, we paid the entrance fee of S$.0.50 each (we're both senior citizens, so we were able to avoid the exorbitant S$1.00 per fee).

As we entered the trails, I was immediately reminded of the Smith Oaks area in High Island, Texas. The layout was almost the same, minus the hordes of Roseate Spoonbills and Egrets. Migration being almost over, all we saw on the mudflats was a single CommonRedshank.


We then focused our attention on the forest birds whose trillings and twitterings filled the humid air. This turned out to be quite a frustrating affair. How do you get good photographs of tiny objects that are constantly moving within the dark confines of leafy trees? Each time Cynthia and I would check the results of our photographic endeavors, a loud "aaargh!" would emanate from our lips. We would find another bird and the same thing would happen. This hurts even more so because the blurry shots we got were lifers and some of which are quite colorful - like the Scarlet-backed Flowerpecker or Ashy Tailorbird. One consolation though was that Cynthia who's got a steadier hand and quicker reflexes nailed a Crimson Sunbird!


Sungei Buloh is a great place to go birding. Photography-wise, it left me feeling blue. My dear wife always has a consoling statement on occasions like this: "We have a reason to come back."

Wise words, don't you think?

See Mynas

Singapore. Just the mere mention of that name conjures up visions of the exotic orient. Shopping center of Southeast Asia. Playground of the deep-pocketed Oriental aristocrats (and wannabes).

And so Cynthia and I paid this island nation a visit to...bird, of course! The very first place we went to was the Singapore Botanic Garden. While waiting for our fellow Philippine Bird Photograher(PBP), JP Carino, our attention shifted to a tall tree near the entrance where some birds were calling. The bright yellow of a Black-naped Oriole gleamed in the morning sun.



Adding to the cacophony were the various whistles and tweets that came from some Hill Mynas.

Down below Javan Mynas walked pompously on the garden grounds.

Both Myna species were lifers for us and as we savored the thrill, a female Asian Koel displayed from the branch of the same tall tree where the Orioles and Hill Mynas were singing their choruses.

A Blue-throated Bee-eater alighted on a tree next to the visitor centre. I ran towards the tree to try and get closer to it, while Cynthia stayed behind and photographed some Olive-backed Sunbirds.

JP, who works in Singapore, volunteered to be our "guide". Soon he came sauntering in huffing from the already humid weather. Unable to hail a cab being the morning rush hour, he had to walk from the train station to the botanic gardens. We told him to rest first before we begin our "tour". Just then a Dollarbird flew into the same tall tree where we got our lifers earlier.

JP having now regained his breath suggested we visit the heliconia trail. A few steps later, we were rewarded with a White-breasted Waterhen crossing our paths.

JP then pointed to a medium-sized black bird flying from tree to tree. "Racquet-tailed Drongo", JP told us to our delight.

Soon we were joined by Con Foley, the local bird expert and himself an outstanding photographer. We dipped on the Crimson sunbirds that were supposed to frequent this area. However, Con showed us both the Lesser and the Wandering Whistling Ducks huddled together by the pond. Behind us a pair of Pink-necked Pigeons were gathering material for their nest.

At this point the humidity had become almost unbearable and the birds were getting scarcer. As we all walked back towards the visitor center, a family of Oriental Magpie-robins foraged by the side of the road.

After lunch, our two friends bade goodbye as we wanted to stay at the gardens a bit longer. As we rested in the shade a Common Iora came hunting for insects among the leaves above us.

An hide-and-seek game with a Collared and a White-throated Kingfisher left us completely exhausted. That's when we decided to go back to the hotel and enjoy the air-conditioning system. And gloat over all the lifers we chalked that day.