Thick-billed Pigeon
The usual suspects were to be found in the trees separating the fairways on the golf course. From the Lornie Road end of Sime road, I could see into the Singapore Island Country Club ( Bukit )grounds. The line-up consisted of Pink-necked Green Pigeon, Black-naped Oriole and Asian Koel. I didn’t linger long, I was keen to be in the forest.
The first part of the track has been much improved since my last visit, but the second section of the trail was still very rough. I consistently forget how frustrating birding in the forest can be. I go in with such high hopes only to find that either the forest is as quiet as the grave, or that it is full of birdsong without a single bird actually being visible. On this occasion a huge chorus was calling, but managing to flit, in silhouette, through the canopy without me getting a good look.
The morning was already hot and very sticky. Every time that I stopped, my glasses steamed up. I had to take them off and wave them about to clear them. Eventually, 2 Greater Racket-tailed Drongos came out of the tangles and showed that they were the main culprits of the chorus. I was surprised by how much noise they could make between them. A Chestnut-vented Malkoha kept to the shadows, but was distinctive with it’s large size and light greenish bill.
Out in the open of the golf course, 2 Collared Kingfishers sat together on a branch overlooking a water hazard. On my right the reservoir steamed gently. It was so sticky that I was unsure whether the reservoir was giving up water to the atmosphere or the moisture was being wrung from the air itself.
I stopped to try to get a picture of a Thick-billed Pigeon. Despite having ladled factor 15 sunscreen on to myself and although it was only 09.00, I was still being hurt by the intensity of the sun.
I moved on towards the shade of the boardwalk and the forest beyond. I was halted just before the boardwalk by another dragonfly. I will have to find a good field guide for these chaps. Does anyone know of a good one for Singapore?The day was becoming increasingly, unpleasantly, hot. There were a few local Singaporeans braving the elements and the unmistakable bray of English ex-pat who was, insanely, jogging with her friend. A little early in the day for mad dogs, but the English do hate to pass up opportunities to show quite how ridiculous they can be. I felt foolish enough myself with my hankie draped from the back of my cap to protect the back of my neck.
Not surprisingly, the birding was quiet. Nothing unexpected had shown up until I moved into the damp section of boardwalk.
I had stopped for yet more dragonflies when something fluttered up from the ground and alighted about 5 meters away, just visible. I could see it was a nightjar, but could not make out which one it might be in the gloom of the understorey.
I tried a photo, but didn’t hold out much hope. I was surprised therefore to see quite a bit of detail in the picture when I got it home. There are a few candidates for nightjars in Singapore, so I had to check the mug shots. It was easy to narrow the suspect list down to 3; the Large-tailed, Grey and Savannah. From the evidence, I am tempted to suggest Large-tailed Nightjar, but would have preferred to see the broad white tips on the tail.I would be pleased to hear any opinions.
Next, I met up with the Monkeys. Long-tailed Macaques are common in the forest and quite bold. I encountered them just as I was leaving the boardwalk and approaching the Jetulung Observation Tower. The tower raises you up through the mid-levels to the canopy 6 storeys above. There is no shade on the top level, so I set up my stake-out from the 5th. I unpacked some water and a snack and took off my cap and camera. The monkeys had joined me on the tower and were fascinated by all the gear lying around. They kept looking for opportunities to snatch something.
Yawning and bearing of teeth with the white eye-lid display is a sign of aggression and or nervousness among the macaques. It was a little intimidating, but they were quickly moved on with a simple “Boo!”At last I started to see a few birds. From the 5th storey I saw Orange-bellied Flowerpecker, Scarlet Sunbird, Yellow-vented and Olive-winged Bulbul. The monkeys suddenly dived for cover as a large bird of prey flew by. It was White-breasted Sea-eagle. I don’t suppose the sea-eagle would mean any harm to the macaques and they were probably reacting instinctively to the silhouette of a raptor.
Beyond the tower, the jungle steamed uninvitingly. I was beginning to realize the importance of bringing enough water. I was already beginning to suspect that my meager supplies were going to be hopelessly inadequate. There is a drinking fountain at the ranger’s station. If I had chosen the right fork in the path beyond the tower, I might be halfway there by now. But I had elected to head for the Rifle Range Link and was now becoming quite distressed. The sweat was pouring off me and I had precious little to replace it with. It would be a further 5Kms before I was likely to find any water or transport.
I was becoming so distressed that on seeing a trogon-like silhouette on a branch above the path, I muttered, “Please don’t let it be a trogon.” In other circumstances, it would have been a dream photo, but I had no desire to stop lose any more liquids while taking pictures.
As it happens, I got lucky. After reaching the tarmac road, I only had to walk about a kilometer before reaching a radar array. Against all the odds, a taxi was dropping a passenger here and was surprised and pleased to find another fare.
Normally, I prefer to use public transport as much as possible, It’s not the principle, it’s the money. Today, rather than getting the cab to drop me at the nearest bus-stop, I gladly let him take me all the way home.
My colleagues are of the type who are very fastidious about their appearance. Practicality and necessity are no substitute for fashion and style. Imagine the amazement of two of them as I alighted from the taxi in front of them. Dripping, stinking and still with my hanky hanging sodden from the back of my cap, “Minging” I think was the word they used. Once in the cab and making our air conditioned way along Rifle Range Road, I could see that it possibly held some birding opportunities. There was forest on both sides of the road and it looked quite “birdy”. Perhaps next time I will ask to be dropped at the Radar array and walk the trail in reverse. But this time I will bring more water!
The main entrance to Macritchie Reservoir is on Lornie Rd. There are facilities with toilets, parking and a visitor’s centre. Continue along Lornie Rd a further 2 Kms to Singapore Island Country Club at Sime Rd. The Golf Link Trail begins 100m back along Lornie Rd from here. There are no facilities for toilets or refreshments. Bring plenty of water. A ranger station at the far end one branch of the trail has a drinking fountain and toilets. Short sections of the trail are rough with rocks and mud and can be treacherous when wet. There are scant opportunities for sheltering from the rain.
The hide looks out onto a saltwater lagoon. The approach to the hide skirts the edge of the lagoon and I could see hundreds of birds including Black-winged Stilt, Chestnut Teal, Silver Gull and Black Swan, so I had a pretty good idea of what was on the lagoon before I reached the hide. 
But it was only when I was settled and scanning that I noticed the small waders at the water's edge. I recalled once seeing a Dotterel here and assumed it to be the same species. But there are 2 dotterels from Australia which are superficially quite similar, so I referred to my field guide to jog my memory. 
According to my guide, the bird I was looking at was not a dotterel at all, but a Black-fronted Plover. I realised that this is a bird who has disputed family lineage and the name depends on whom you listen to.
They had been too distant before to get a decent shot, although I wasted a lot of card space trying just the same. Behind them, the stilts continued probing the deeper water with a couple of Bar-tailed Godwits who had stayed behind when the rest of them had headed North for the Siberian summer. 
Time was pressing this morning and I wanted to check out the newly renovated wetlands at Mason Powell Creek, recently renamed Mason Park Wetlands. So I started back towards the Victoria Ave entrance. On the way is a bend in the path with a bottlebrush bush hedge. This is usually a good spot for Superb Fairy Wren. Absent on the way down, they were now calling deep in the hedge. 
A female responded to some pishing, but the male stayed stubbornly deep in the hedge. As if I hadn't had enough mangrove boardwalks this week, I took a quick detour through the Budu mangroves on the floating walkway. I was rewarded at the other end with a Royal Spoonbill and a Great Egret. As I walked alongside the lawns, I reflected that I had not seen any Magpie Larks. Then as if by magic, one landed right in front of me and pulled a grub from the grass.
I left the park, and followed the aforementioned sign to Mason Powell Creek. The sportsfields on the left, played host to some Australian Ibis, Australian Black-backed Magpies and Masked Lapwings. At the end of the road, a bridge crosses over Powell Creek and into Mason Park Wetland. This area has undergone renovations recently with extensive plantings and removal of Casuarinas which were encroaching onto the wetland and blocking the flyways.
Return trains from Concord West to Wynyard usually run every 30mins. the train due at 11.09 was running 10 minutes late, but easily got me back to the city in plenty of time to start the longhaul back to London via Singapore again.
The Noisy Myna by comparison is subdued, but still not tuneful. The Noisy Myna is a Honeyeater, not a starling as the name might suggest. Honeyeaters are one of the families of birds that exist only in the Australasian Zone.
Today, an early storm had flooded the river which was sweeping through the gutter in a torrent. The Striated Herons were forced up the concrete sides and onto the barrage. A large Monitor lizard had taken refuge high on the bank to avoid the rushing water. The high water brought the herons and the monitor closer to the path and closer to the people who walk and ride bicycles along them. They looked unsettled at the proximity. 
I decided to break with tradition today, and change my accustomed route through the park. A new stretch of boardwalk had been built into the mangroves and I was keen to explore this. Here I found tree-climbing crabs that I had never noticed before. 
Further along, a platform opens onto the river. I had once observed a Buddhist throwing cockles into the water from here. She bought them at the local market and then released them back into the wild from the platform. Today was Buddha's birthday, but there were no offerings or gestures being made. 
Instead a group of Black-crowned Night-herons were roosting on a branch above the flooded river.
The tower was productive this morning and gave me the chance to photograph one of the most visible birds of Singapore, the Yellow-vented Bulbul, as they fed in a fruiting tree beside the tower. There were Pink-necked Green Pigeons at eye-level from the top, a female Asian Koel, Plain-throated Sunbirds and Common Iora. Black-naped Orioles swooped below me and a common Tailorbird barked monotonously nearby.
Here I saw a pair of Laced Woodpeckers and a Fantail. 
Further along a lizard sat for a picture while I listened to the raucous calls of a pair of Ashy Tailorbirds. Across the bridge and back onto the mangrove boardwalk, I was re-tracing my steps from earlier. 
The tree-climbing crabs were gone, but a Collared Kingfisher was in their place. Another species of lizard was posing irresistibly. I will have to find a herpetologist friend to help me identify and classify. 
Further along the boardwalk, I was able to compre the songs of two species of tailorbird. A common Tailorbird and an Ashy Tailorbird were both singing in close proximity.
It would look very dramatic in a photo. The fruiting tree was also attracting Pink-necked Green Pigeons and a Black-naped Oriole passed through as I was snapping the starlings.