Singapore Birding Trip Report - Day 1 (Friday 28th July 2017) - Singapore Botanic Gardens

With our flight to Australia including an 18 hour layover in Singapore, we felt this was the perfect opportunity to dip our toes in to Asian birding and get a taste of some of the avian delights that Singapore has to offer. With just a short space of time before our connecting flights on both the outbound and return journey, we opted for locations that were relatively near to Changi Airport but still had a wide enough range of species and habitats to keep us occupied for the full time that we were there. This was our first time birding in Asia, so we found Singapore a perfect and gentle introduction to the myriad of colourful and unknown species that inhabit this vast continent.

The famous trees at Singapore's Gardens by the Bay

Singapore Botanic Gardens

With our Singapore Airlines flight arriving at 9am local time, after a gruelling 13 hour journey and no sleep we headed straight out of the refreshingly air conditioned arrivals lounge of Changi Airport and in to the hot, humid outside world of Asia, deeted up to the max in an effort to combat any unwelcome mosquito bites.

Changi Airport

Enjoying a cool air conditioned taxi ride over to our location for the day, a silhouetted woodpecker tapping vertically on a trunk remained unidentified as we sped by, our taxi driver giving a running commentary on Singapore sights and monuments as we went. For our first day in Singapore we had opted to explore Singapore Botanic Gardens, just a 20 minute drive from the airport to the centre of this small but fascinating country and a location packed full of the commoner species Singapore has to offer.

Singapore Botanic Gardens

Jumping out of the taxi we experienced the familiar rush of excitement that birding in a new country for the first time generates, everything new and creating that “kid in a candy store” feeling. Starting off at the Tanglin Gates entrance, an Olive-backed Sunbird buzzing around the trees was our first new bird of the trip, one of a handful of males we saw feeding in the gardens. Making up for its lack of size by packing a punch with its bright and bold colouration, these tiny jewels proved to be extremely abundant during our trip to Australia, and despite not managing any decent photographs in Singapore, we more than made up for it in Queensland. 

Female sunbirds were more tricky to ID - presumable Plain-throated Sunbird and Olive-backed Sunbird

A solitary White-breasted Waterhen gingerly wading through the small creek to the side of the gate was next to hit our lists, while our first Javan Mynas chattered noisily on the grass next to us. Native to Java and Bali but introduced in Singapore (where they are now extremely common across the whole country) we watched on as they jostled for the scraps left behind by the morning’s picnickers.

Javan Myna

Realising just how hot and humid Singapore was proving to be and regretting our lack of juices and water, we headed off towards the Marsh Garden area, a pair of Common Tailorbirds foraging low down in the shrubs our next new species, swiftly followed by the ruby red flair of a pair of Crimson Sunbirds feeding in the flower beds next to the footpath. Stopping to admire what turned out to be one of my favourite species in Singapore, these dainty nectar feeders were reminiscent of hummingbirds and we were able to get outstanding views as they fed at eye level.

Crimson Sunbird

Common Tailorbird

Arriving at Swan Lake we were finally able to get a good look at the flocks of Germain’s Swiftlets flying overhead, before the bright white rump of a single House Swift caught my eye as it powered forwards over the water. Clinching a few photos, the squared off tail and short, blunter wings ruled out Pacific Swift, and in what was a stroke of luck and good timing this proved to be our only bird of the trip.

House Swift!

Swan Lake - Singapore Botanic Gardens

Exploring Swan Lake further in the hopes of encountering any Kingfishers perched around the edges (sadly these eluded us) a Grey-headed Fish Eagle was a great spot perched in the tops of one of the trees, swaying in the breeze before eventually taking flight. 

Grey-headed Fish Eagle

Not expecting to see one during our brief visit, our luck continued as a large grey swift sp. powering overhead caught our eye. Sharp reflexes and a bit of luck enabled us to get some record shots which enabled us to nail the ID as a Grey-rumped Treeswift – again our only bird of the trip.

Grey-rumped Treeswift

Swan Lake and the surrounding trees continued to prove fruitful for us in terms of new bird species, as a group of 3 male Pink-necked Green Pigeons feeding in the tops of the trees were next on our lists, swiftly followed by a solitary drab Olive-winged Bulbul foraging on the ground – again like many species during our stopover one of the only ones we connected with on the trip. 

Pink-necked Green Pigeon

Olive-winged Bulbul

Following the path through the trees and over to the south side of the lake, the new birds kept coming thick and fast. A bright and showy Oriental Magpie Robin performed at eye level on a branch in front of us, while the first of many Yellow-vented Bulbuls perched obligingly amongst the leaves. 

Oriental Magpie Robin

Yellow-vented Bulbul

A pair of Blue-throated Bee-eaters flycatching from the branches were also a welcome addition, and we caught up with at least two more of these charismatic birds later on in the afternoon near the Healing Gardens.

Blue-throated Bee-eater

Walking up towards the delightful Ginger Garden, Alex’s sharp eyes soon spotted what was one of my most wanted birds of the trip – White-bellied Sea Eagle. Soaring high overhead framed by clear blue skies, it was great to have the pressure off so early with this charismatic species and we watched on as it powered away over the trees in the distance.

White-bellied Sea Eagle

Ginger Garden!

Heading over towards the bustling Orchid Plaza and surrounding parkland our next target announced its presence in as rude a fashion as possible, splattering my clean-on cream trousers and binocular eyecups with masses of wet brown bird muck! Several disinfectant wipes and a large brown stain on my leg later, I was able to appreciate the chattering flocks of Asian Glossy Starlings overhead a little better, one of several small groups congregating in the gardens. A pair of Spotted Doves feeding on the grass in Palm Valley were our first of many for the trip (again abundant in Australia, though introduced there) and it was nice to appreciate them in their native range. 

Spotted Dove

Pacific Swallows danced over the grass and over the water at the nearby Symphony Lake, occasionally perching on exposed posts protruding from the surface, while a number of terrapins in the shallows sunbathed in the morning sun.

Pacific Swallow

Sunbathing Terrapin

Deciding to check out the rainforest boardwalk area resulted in our first Black-naped Oriole of the trip – a striking male in bold black and yellow plumage, while a pair of Red Junglefowl attempted to stay inconspicuous amongst the thick rainforest shrubbery. The wild form of our domesticated chickens, Red Junglefowls have pure grey legs instead of yellow and are at risk of dying out in many areas on the edge of their habitat due to hybridisation with domestic chickens.

Black-naped Oriole

Red Junglefowl

With the heat once again becoming a bit too unbearable we stopped off in the shelter overlooking Symphony Lake, a huge Malayan Water Monitor keeping us entertained as it sat basking in one of the shallow streams while a daring White-breasted Waterhen picked at morsels on the path ahead. 

Malayan Water Monitor

White-breasted Waterhen legging it!

Enjoying a refreshing sip of juice, the fast darting motion of two Scarlet-backed Flowerpeckers caught our eyes, flitting frantically from branch to branch as we struggled to keep up with the camera. Calling rapidly we soon became familiar with their high pitched chattering squeaks and we were able to locate several more during the day by following our ears. With a bold red racing stripe running down the length of their backs, these soon became a firm Singapore favourite.

Scarlet-backed Flowerpecker

Unable to avoid the humid heat any longer, we trudged over to a stand of trees at the nearby Corner House, an elusive yellow blur at the top of the canopy eventually revealing itself to be a male Common Iora. Interestingly, this was the only bird we could find at Singapore Botanic Gardens, but our visit to Pasir Ris 4 weeks later on the return journey saw them being relatively abundant in the park grounds.

Common Iora

Plain Plushblue - one of a few butterflies we saw in the Botanic Gardens

Walking back up the hill and enjoying a showy flock of Red Junglefowl on one of the lawns while trying to pin down an elusive Tailorbird, we hit out next target in the form of a single Common Hill Myna perched high at the top of one of the neighbouring trees, an attractive glossy plumaged bird with its showy yellow moustache visible even at a distance. Far less common than the ubiquitous Javan Mynas congregating around every food stop, it was nice to connect with a native Myna species at last.

Red Junglefowl

Common Hill Myna

With the afternoon pressing on, after a quick rest at an outside café we continued, no sleep and the humid heat now really starting to take its toll. Exploring the Evolution and Healing Gardens, what was surprisingly our only Oriental White-eye of the trip revealed itself in a patch of small shrubs ahead, while a Brown-throated Sunbird perched at eye level eventually turned around and enabled us to see its cocoa stained throat. Like the Iora, this was another species of which we only saw one of in the Botanic Gardens, yet were abundant in Pasir Ris.

Brown-throated (also known as Plain-throated) Sunbird

A pair of Common Flamebacks feeding on the trunks in the garden were a welcome surprise, turning out to be our only birds of the trip and a species I had particularly been looking forward to seeing, while another pair of Blue-throated Bee-eaters entertained us as they enjoyed a late lunch.

Common Flameback

Blue-throated Bee-eaters

With Greater Racket-tailed Drongo still absent from our lists despite an earlier visit to the Rainforest Boardwalk, we headed back to the jungle thicket in an effort to locate this impressive species. With two long glossy plumes adorning the tail, this was one of the key species I wanted to see in Singapore, so it was a relief to track down 3 males on the eastern side of the boardwalk, flitting back and too on the overhanging branches and showing off their magnificent plumes.

Greater Racket-tailed Drongo

A slight movement in the undergrowth that caught Alex’s eye proved to be a skulking Ruddy-breasted Crake creeping through the leaf litter, me thankfully catching sight of it as it worked its way around a log pile before melting back in to the understorey. Completely unexpected and a great species to notch up in just a few hours visit to Singapore, we were lucky to get enough visuals as it crept along in order to clinch the ID.

The jungle thicket!

With time now progressing and jetlag, hunger and thirst taking over, a single Laced Woodpecker feeding amongst the leaf litter was our final new species in what had been a hectic few hours. 

Laced Woodpecker

Notching up 29 new species in total during our stopover and exploring Asia for the first time, Singapore had been a (hot and sweaty) blast, the Botanic Gardens proving to be the perfect introduction to Asian birding. 

The foliage at the Botanic Gardens

Javan Myna - everywhere there were picnic scraps!

Enjoying one last look at the voracious Javan Mynas scurrying over the picnic benches, we made our way back up through the gardens (inevitably via the gift shop) ready for our taxi back to the airport, where our Changi Airport hotel room was waiting for us complete with a much needed shower and bed. After a 6 hour power nap and snack before our connecting flight out to Cairns, it was now full steam ahead where our month long adventure in Australia would begin!

Changi Airport