Friday, 22 June 2012

Venus Transit and Paser Ris, Singapore, June 2012

And so back to Singapore as this itinerary turns for home. A transit of Venus across the face of the Sun left me the opportunity and excuse for a lie-in before being helplessly drawn to Paser Ris.


The approach to the mangroves along Sungei (River) Tampines is always productive with a Sunda Woodpecker, Black-naped Orioles and a Collared Kingfisher.


The park itself is home to sunbirds such as this female Brown-necked Sunbird.


I discovered Paser Ris by accident on my first ever birding outing here and cannot pass through Singapore without making a visit. It was a quiet day today without the excitement of previous visits, but very pleasant just the same.
The quietness of the late afternoon visit allowed me the time to try to get a picture of a swiftlet. The only advice I have ever given about photographing swifts was ‘don’t waste your time’, but I have never been one to heed my own advice.


The swiftlets here are very difficult to identify, well, they keep flying about! I wanted to try for a picture to see if that would be able to tell me what I was unable to see with my naked eyes.


I had managed to separate Germa(i)n’s Swiftlet earlier in the trip by virtue of its lighter rump, but these showed a much fainter marking if at all. The obvious tail notch and plain underparts keep leading me back to Himalayan Swiftlet, but I cannot commit myself on the basis of these pictures.


On Sungei Tampines, the Grey Heron roost was busy. I would love to think that this individual shouted “Boo!” as it landed.


There are plenty of fruit trees around the park and a couple of them, down by the shore were attracting Pink-necked Green Pigeons and Asian Glossy Starlings to feed.


Birds seen; 21

Grey Heron 8, Striated Heron 2, Brahminy Kite 1, White-bellied Sea Eagle 1, Little Tern 2, Spotted Dove 2, Zebra Dove 2, Collared Kingfisher 4, Blue-throated Bee-eater 4, Brown-capped Woodpecker 1, Common Iora 3, Black-naped Oriole 2, House Crow 6, Pacific Swallow 4, Yellow-vented Bulbul 12, Ashy Tailorbird 4, Asian Glossy Starling 60, Javan Myna 40, Brown-throated Sunbird 2, Olive-backed Sunbird 1.

Potamarcha cogener

For more posts from Paser Ris with directions, Follow the links below;

Visit the dedicated Asia Page for more from Singapore including, Singapore Botanical Gardens, Sungei Buloh and the Central Catchment Area


1 comment: