I slept in a bit later than I had wanted to, I think just incredibly tired from having walked 18 miles the previous day. This is not what my body is used to, especially with a heavy load, 30 degree heat and 95% humidity. Nonetheless I was birding Jurong Lake Gardens before 8am. The area was thronging with morning commuters, this is a big residential area with a lot of people heading to work. Just outside Lakeside station I found an orange juice machine which for a nominal sum produced me a cup of freshly-squeezed orange juice. As a drank the first I commanded it to make me second, wonderful!
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| Pink-necked Green-Pigeon |
Jurong Lake Gardens had been recommended to me by Mick, but of course he had been here in November and it was now June and so various birds simply weren't present. Nonetheless I had an enjoyable birding session here until late morning and finding all sorts of new birds for the trip. I started at the floating garden at the top end and walked down alongside the lake to the grasslands area. Highlights were Little Bronze Cuckoo, Plaintive Cuckoo, Asian Koel, Black-crowned Night Heron, Crested Goshawk, a group of Swinhoe's White-eye and some Common Iora. I had been hoping for Crakes in the grasslands but apparently you need rain, after which they emerge and run around where you can see them.
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| Black-crowned Night Heron |
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| Crested Goshawk |
Late morning I headed back to the Central Catchment Area and walked up the gentle track to the Dairy Farm Nature Park. I'd found this area on eBird whilst looking for targets, which included two species of Leafbird and general good forest birding. This area is on the north side of Bukit Timah, and indeed you can walk via the Dairy Farm Hut up a much steeper track to the summit and then down the other side to the Hindhede Trail. The whole of Singapore seems to be like this, a huge city but with lots of corridors and you whilst you'd have to cross a few main roads you could spend an entire day in the forest moving along well-maintained trails from one area to another.
The area was pretty busy with walkers and with school groups, but I was amazed to actually find both Greater Green Leafbird and Blue-winged Leafbird feeding in the same fruiting tree along the Wallace Trail, and then along the main track both Short-tailed Babbler and Abbot's Babbler. In breaks in the canopy I could see a pair of Changeable Hawk-Eagle high above Bukit Timah.
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| Black-naped Oriole |
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| Greater Green Leafbird |
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| Blue-winged Leafbird |
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| Abbot's Babbler |
Time was now running out. It was 1pm and my flight out was at 10.30pm. I still hadn't managed to see the Spotted Wood-Owls, and rather than dip at Pasir Ris again I decided to try a new spot on the other side of the Central Catchment Area, Bishan-Ang Mo Kio Park. I jumped in a cab at the bottom of Dairy Park and was soon at the correct spot - as with all Owls in Singapore their presence is given away by photographers. Sure enough two adults and a fat fluffy youngster were sat way up in the trees above a car park. Finally! I took a few photos but mostly admired them through bins, wonderful views in the canopy. I then enjoyed a spot of lunch before walking west through the park along the stream, disturbing a Purple Heron as I did so, to catch a bus to the Singapore Botanic Garden for one final wander.
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| Spotted Wood-Owl |
This time I entered at the top, and walked down to the bottom, concentrating most of my efforts around Pulai Marsh and the Bambusetum side to the west of Swan Lake. No outstanding birds, but I did get great views of a White-throated Kingfisher in the woodlands reminding me that some of these species are not tied to water in the slightest. My main target here, Stork-billed Kingfisher, remains most-wanted! A reason to return.
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| SBG |
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| White-collared Kingfisher |
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| Malaysian Pied-Fantail |
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| Spotted Dove |
And that was it. It was 5pm and not much light remained. I also needed to get back to my hotel to pick up my small suitcase and pack up, after which I headed to the airport for a much-needed shower and some very cold drinks, this time of an alcoholic nature! And then a very long flight back home - I think I slept nearly the entire way!
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