Singapore - June 2024 - Day 1 - Lorung Halus to Pasir Ris, and Buffy Fish-Owl

After a refreshing sleep in my box I woke up nice and early and caught the MTR up to Punggol. The LTR loops were unfortunately closed this weekend but there were replacement bus services and upon enquiring where I wanted to go I was ushered to the correct line and shortly thereafter was sat on a bus heading just a short distance east towards Riviera. The sun had only just risen and my destination was the Lor Halus Wetland. The bus dropped me off about ten minutes walk away from the Lor Halus Red Bridge, and so just after 7am I had started birding.

It was hard work, much harder than I anticipated, especially carrying a rucksack weighing about 8kg containing my camera and all the supplies I would need for the day. But I persevered, starting off at the small series of ponds and deliverate scrubby areas with paths around them trying to find birds. I ended up doing a full circuit as it wasn't clear how to access the central part of the reserve, and in a couple of hours and over a couple of miles notched up something like 30 species - a decent start. The best bird here were Oriental Pied Hornbill, Coppersmith Barbet, Pied Triller, Brown-throated, Copper-throated and Ornate Sunbirds, and a White-throated Kingfisher. As with the start of most trips photography was inordinately difficult and I failed miserably to get anything decent of anything.

Copper-throated Sunbird

Oriental Pied Hornbill

Golden-backed Weaver

 

I then walked the Pasir Ris Farmway Park Connector (catchy!) from Lorung Halus to Pasir Ris, essentially walking east for about two miles through what was supposed to be farmland but appeared to be mostly one vast building site and was unfortunately rather bird-free as a result. I found some Pink-necked Green Pigeon along here, and my first Blue-throated Bee-eater, but is was actually rather a slog along an unshaded path busy with cyclists and runners, to a backdrop of JCBs and bulldozers and in increasingly warm conditions. I was pleased to finally reach the tree cover of Pasir Risk Park, and when I sat down on a bench above my head were a pair of noisy Collared Kingfishers. 

I had a nice break and a bite to eat under one of the numerous shelters here, which also had water fountains with which to refill my bottle - the mark of a great city. I also purchased my first of many fruit and ice-based concoctions which proved so so delicious and sustaining over my trip.  It was around here that I picked up a Black-naped Tern flying offshore between Pasir Ris and the island of Pulau Ubin. I had a poke around the various car parks looking up into the trees for the Spotted Wood-Owls that everybody seemed to see here but drew a blank, and so continued my walk east to the mangrove boardwalk. It was now about 1pm and the rumbles of thunder that had been distant in the morning were seemingly now rather closer. Ambling down one section of the boardwalk the trees suddenly began to wave and within a few seconds a deluge had started. Fortunately I was very close to a shelter and did not have to run very far. I joined a couple intent on taking as many romantic selfies as possible, and soon there were quite a few of under the corrugated roof as the rain pelted down. Lightning was frequent and at times simultaneous with the thunder and I felt rather exposed under this small tin roof. I can't remember how long I had to stay there, but I'd imagine it was probably 45 minutes or more before the rain finally let up and I was able to continue to the small pond where I hoped to find Sunda Scops Owl in the Pandanus.

On the way to the pond there was a Painted Stork along the Sungei Tampines, and a Common Flameback was seen at the pond itself. Of the Owls there was no sign, albeit that it is acknowledged that they are very difficult to see. Not helping was a renewed amount of water in the air, not as cataclysmic as earlier but still with a good capacity to soak, and so I cut my losses and walked to Pasir Ris MRT where I had a late lunch in a shopping centre and another fruity drink.

From here I then caught a bus Selatar which dropped me off a short walk away from the Hampstead Wetlands Park. This involved walking up Piccadilly, past Maida Vale and Lambeth Walk, before walking along Mornington Crescent and finally crossing Oxford Street and walking down Baker Street to Hampstead Gardens! If you don't believe me look it up! Once there it was clear I was in the right spot for the Buffy Fish-Owls. It was a hive of photographic activity, with loads of people with enormous cameras camped out by the side of small pond. They were clearly here for the long haul, with seats, camp tables and all sorts. I joined the throng for a while but soon gave up and went birding instead. This was pretty good with four Sunda Pygmy Woodpecker, another Oriental Pied Hornbill, a flyover Grey-headed Fish-Eagle, some Long-tailed Parakeet, and a pair of Straw-headed Bulbul that I knew were around here but that I hadn't genuinely expected to find. A properly rare bird these days.

Sunda Pygmy Woodpecker

Straw-headed Bulbul

Buffy Fish-Owl

Finally a shout, and an enormous Owl glided in from a hidden location and into a tree above the photographers. Cue a cacaphony of motor drives and excited chatter to which the Owl paid no heed whatsoever. It poked around in the nest tree for a while, and then flew off again. My work here was done! I packed up and caught a bus on the main road back down to Bugis, about an hour in air-conditioned comfort back to the City. It had been a hard day - 13 miles walked for only 45 species seen, but it had been an exhilarating one as well, and I still had two days. A quick bite to eat and another cooling drink and I was done.