Last Update: 12 July 2009 While we try to be as forthcoming as we possibly could with the latest interesting bird sighting, we would also like to remind all birders and photographers following up on the sightings to always have the welfare of the bird in mind. We urge birders and photographers to minimise disturbance to the birds as much as possible. Thank-you for your co-operation! The birds will appreciate it. Please refresh/reload if the photo/pictures does not correspond with the text! (Posted 12 July 2009 by Yong Ding Li) The large powerful eagle-owls of the genus Bubo are generally known to be fearsome predators. Larger members like the Spot-bellied Eagle-Owl Bubo nipalensis have been known to tackle prey items as large as peafowls and jackals. This exciting record of an adult Barred Eagle-Owl Bubo sumatranus predating a young Long-tailed Macaque Macaca fascicularis in Panti forest on 26 June 2009 (photographed by Reno Wong) is perhaps the first documentation, adding on to a long list of other more conventional prey items like bats, small birds and rodent. Click to read more (Posted 21 March 2009) A female Chinese Flycatcher was seen at Lower Pierce Reservoir on 24/2 (Kim Chuah) and 26/2 (Alfred Chia). This rare winter visitor/passage migrant was previously known as a race of the Narcissus Flycatcher. It was subsequently split to a full species and named Green-backed Flycatcher (Ficedula elisae) and later renamed Chinese Flycatcher. It is also known as Beijing Flycatcher, Peking Flycatcher, Elise's Flycatcher in some other references. Some authors still prefer to retain this species as a sub-species of Narcissus Flycatcher (Ficedula narcissina). This bird was still present on 18/3 and was photographed by Lee Tiah Khee. Photo Lee Tiah Khee (Posted 21 March 2009) A Slaty-legged Crake was spotted and photographed by Chong Boon Leong at Lower Pierce Reservoir on 21/02. This extremely rare visitor was last recorded in Singapore on 21/11/2000 when one was found dead at Hume Avenue. This species is known to breed in the Indian subcontinent, northern Vietnam and SE China. Photo Chong Boon Leong Photo Chong Boon Leong (Posted 21 March 2009) Photos Marcus Chua Phylloscopus warblers are among some of the most difficult birds to identify, beside the usual dreaded waders, raptors and swifts. The Singapore Bird Checklist list four species of Phylloscopus type warblers, namely the Arctic Warbler, Eastern Crowned Warbler, Yellow-browed Warbler and the extremely rare Dusky Warbler. Small, active and mostly nondescript, this combination makes identifying these warblers a constant headache for birdwatchers. One such warbler was photographed on 23 Feb at Lower Peirce Forest by Marcus Ng. While sharing superficial similarities, closer examination of the photo showed that this bird was not an Arctic Warbler, as suggested but its double thin wingbar, white underparts, olive-greenish wash and pale pink legs. Neither was it an Eastern Crowned, a more distinctive Phylloscopus with its crown stripe and yellow vent. The lack of a strong double wing bar ruled out the Yellow-browed Warbler. Marcus also noted that this bird has a peculiar habit of skulking in low streamside vegetation, a behavior that was seldom or unseen in the other species. Speculations are that this is a Pale-legged Warbler Phylloscopus plumbeitarsus, a bird that has been suspected to occur here but for which there have been no confirmed records. This record is currently being evaluated by the Records Committee and if accepted will be the first confirmed record for Singapore. (Posted 13 February 2009) The month of February has been great for Black-backed Kingfisher. No less than three individuals have been reported from three different locations. Marcus Ng made the first discovery at MacRitchie Reservoir on 1 February. This was followed by another from David Tan on 10 February and this time from Lower Pierce Reservoir. And yet another from Lower Pierce Reservoir on 11 February by Lee Tiah Khee. The two kingfishers at Lower Pierce Reservoir are different as they had slightly different plumages. Photo Tan Siah Hin David Photo Lee Tiah Khee Photo Lee Tiah Khee (Posted 13 February 2009) Tan Gim Cheong, Marcus Ng, Con Foley and Danny Lau saw and photographed a Bat Hawk at MacRitchie Reservoir on 3 February at 19:35 hr. The only confirmed record was an adult female collected on Pulau Senang in 20 May 1951. Congrats to our discoverers! Photo Marcus Ng Photo Tan Gim Cheong (Posted 13 February 2009) John Lynn reported and photographed a juvenile Malayan Night Heron foraging by one of the forest streams on 3 February. Photo John Lynn

Latest Interesting Sightings Johor Barred Eagle-Owl (x1) predating on a young Long tailed Macaque at Panti Forest by Reno Wong on 26 June 2009. Singapore Chinese Flycatcher (x1) at Lower Pierce Reservoir by Lim Kim Chuah 24 February 2009), by Alfred Chia on 26 February 2009. and photographed by Lee Tiah Khee on 18 March 2009. -------------------- Slaty-legged Crake (x1) at Lower Pierce Reservoir by Chong Boon Leong on 21 February 2009. -------------------- Possible Pale-legged Warbler at Lower Pierce Forest by Marcus Chua on 23 February 2009. -------------------- Black-backed Kingfisher (x1) at MacRitchie Reservoir by Marcus Ng on 1 February 2009, (x1) at Lower Pierce Reservoir by David Tan on 10 February 2009 and (x1) at Lower Pierce Reservoir by Lee Tiah Khee on 11 February 2009. -------------------- Bat Hawk (x1) at MacRitchie Reservoir by Tan Gim Cheong, Marcus Ng and Danny Lau on 3 February 2009. -------------------- Malayan Night Heron (x1 juvenile) at Central Catchment Nature Reserve by John Lynn on 3 February 2009 -------------------- Barred Eagle Owl (x1) at Pulau Ubin by Marcus Chua on 17 January 2009 -------------------- Pacific Reef Heron (x1 Dark morph) at Chek Jawa foraging and fighting for food with a Little Egret, chasing it away by Ben Lee on 27 December 2008 -------------------- Northern Shoveler (x1 female) at Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve by David Tan on 27 December 2008. -------------------- Red-legged Crake (x2) at Singapore Botanic Gardens by Steven Chong on 26 December 2008. -------------------- Chinese Sparrowhawk (x1 female) at Bidadari Cemetery by KC Tsang on 26 December 2008. Other observer Lena Chow. -------------------- Japanese Sparrowhawk (x1) over Henderson Waves and Red-rumped Swallow (x1) at Choa Chu Kang Christian Cemetery by Lim Kim Seng on 23 December 2008. -------------------- Lesser Whistling Duck (x3) and Yellow Bittern (x1) at West Coast Marsh Garden by Lim Kim Seng on 25 December2008. -------------------- Osprey (x1) and Black Baza (x45) at Neo Tiew Lane 2 by Lim Kim Seng on 24 December 2008. -------------------- Thick-billed Green Pigeon (x4 male) and Pink-necked Green Pigeon (>100) on a Fruiting Indian Rubber Tree, Changeable Hawk Eagle (x1 pale morph), Crested Honey Buzzard (x1) and Japanese Sparrowhawk (x1) at MacRitchie Reservoir by Lim Kim Seng on 23 December 2008. -------------------- Oriental Pied Hornbill (x2), Black Baza (x7) and Straw-headed Bulbul (x8) at Pulau Ubin by Lim Kim Seng on 23 December 2008. -------------------- Crested Honey Buzzard (x1 torquatus) at Chua Chu Kang Christian Cemetery by Lim Kim Chuah on 24 December 2008. -------------------- Kentish Plover (x40+), White-faced Plover (x7), Pacific Golden Plover (about 500), Little-ringed Plover (x5), Long-toed Stint (x6), Common Greenshank (x1), Wood Sandpiper (x4), Oriental Practincole (about 30), Malaysian Plover (about 30), Grey Plover (x4), Sanderling (x3), Ruddy Turnstone (x6), Lesser Sand Plover (about 10), Changeable Hawk-eagle (x1), Peregrine Falcon (x1), Pied Harrier (x4), Eastern Marsh Harrier (x6) and Fork-tailed Swfit (x2) at Changi Cove by Simon Cockayne. Other observers were Martin Kennewell, Peter Hayman and Martin Hayman on 21 December 2008. -------------------- An Adult Brahminy Kite was seen fighting with and later chasing after 2 sub-adult White-bellied Sea Eagles over Pulau Buloh by Lim Kim Seng on 21 December 2008. -------------------- Chestnut-winged Cuckoo (x1) and Black Baza (x1) at Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve by Lim Kim Seng on 21 December 2008. -------------------- Orange-headed Thrush (x1), Hodgsons Hawk Cuckoo (x1), Indian Cuckoo (x1), Drongo Cuckoo (x1), Blue-and-White Flycatcher (x1 male), Dark-sided Flycatcher (x1), Asian Brown Flycatcher (x1), Asian Paradise Flycatcher (x1), Yellow-browed Warbler (x1), Daurian Starlings, Black Baza (x2) and a couple of Chinese Pond Herons at Bidadari Cemetery by Alfred Chia on 21 December 2008. Other observers include Doreen Ang, Pah Liang and Alan OwYong. -------------------- Terek Sandpiper (x2) at Sungei Buloh wetland Reserve by Lau Weng Thor on 20 December 2008. -------------------- Hooded Pitta (x1) at Bidadari Cemetery by Wong Chung Cheong on 20 December 2008 and by David Tan on 18 December 2008. -------------------- Grey Nightjar (x1) at Bidadari Cemetery by KC Tsang on 17 December 2008 morning. -------------------- Black-capped Kingfisher (x1) at Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve by John Pilgrim on 15 December 2008. -------------------- Crow-billed Drongo (x1) near Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve by John Pilgrim on 15 December 2008. -------------------- Hodgsons Hawk-cuckoo (x1) at Kusu Island by John Pilgrim on 15 December 2008. -------------------- Pheasant-tailed Jacana (x1) at Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve by Mendis Tan on 15 December 2008 -------------------- Black Bittern (x1) at Upper Seletar Reservoir along Mandai Track 15 by Cheong Loong Fah on 13 December 2008 -------------------- Ferruginous Flycatcher (x1) at Hindhede Park by John Pilgrim on 12 December 2008 -------------------- Hooded Pitta (x1) at Bidadari Cemetery by Con Foley on 7 December 2008. -------------------- Blue-and-white Flycatcher (x1 male & x1 female) at Jurong Lake Park by Cedric Ng, Gloria Seow and Lim Kim Chuah on 6 December 2008. -------------------- Eyebrowed Thrush (x1) at Bidadari Cemetery by KC Tsang on 6 December 2008. -------------------- Hodgsons Hawk-cuckoo (x1 adult) at Jurong Lake Park by Con Foley on 1 December 2008. --------------------

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