Maiden Tour of The Asian Openbill

The Asian Openbill (Anastomus oscitans)  finally made their maiden tour to Singapore!! Just as I wished, they finally pay a visit to Singapore. I don't know how long they will stay here in Singapore. Well, wish them all the best and hope to see more of them here.

I was told that one bird was spotted at the other location. That means there are more than 6 that have made it to Singapore! A very good start of 2013 for birding in Singapore!

Asian Openbill Stork

The Asian Openbill or Asian Openbill Stork (Anastomus oscitans) is widespread and common in Thailand, Burma, Sri Lanka and India but very rare in Malaysia and so far no record in Singapore yet. However, it was spotted first in Penang in early January, then Malacca & last week in Johor. Singapore is just few km away, will the storks continue to fly south to Singapore?

This is how they got their name - Openbill!

Openbill is smaller than Milky Storks in comparison.

The Asian Openbill feeds mainly on large molluscs (snails).

Asian Openbill is a broad-winged soaring bird and they too relies on thermals of hot air for sustained flight to move from area to area for feeding.

These photos are all taken in Thailand. The next time when you out for birding in Singapore make sure you look out for it, it might be your lucky day!

** 24 Jan update** - 1st bird landed in Sg on 22nd January!!

Thailand 2013 Birding Trip - Part 2

This is the second part of my first birding trip to Thailand in 2013. After the very fruitful trip to Pak Thale on shore birds, we move to Kaeng Krachang National Park for our forest and open country birds. 

Kaeng Krachan is situated near the South-Western of Thailand. This is my 2nd visit to this beautiful place  - One of my biggest find the last time I visit here is a leopard!.  

This two White-fronted Scops Owl (Otus sagittatus) was so cute that I decided to show them first in this post.

This Pintail Parrotfinch (Erythrura prasina) is new bird for me. This is my first time seeing this colourful bird that about the size of a sparrow.

Golden Fronted Leafbird (Chloropsis aurifrons)

Another nocturnal bird that we saw - Indian Nightjar (Caprimulgus asiaticus)

Black-Naped Monarch, female(Hypothymis azurea)

Blue Bearded Bee Eater (Nyctyornis athertoni)

Mountain Imperial Pigeon (Ducula badia)

The very skittish White Handed Gibbon. Managed to get a shot while this mother with baby cross the road in-front of us on the tree top.

A very cute Burmese Striped Squirrel.

 Another squirrel that we saw.

 Siberian Blue Robin (Luscinia cyane)

 Greater Necklaced Laughingthrush (Garrulax pectoralis)

 The Red Throated Flycatcher (Ficedula parva) will show orange throat during breeding plumage.

 Black Drongo (Dicrurus macrocercus) that is quite common there.

 Brown Shrike (Lanius cristatus)

 Green Bee Eater (Merops orientalis)

 Asian Openbill (Anastomus oscitans) is very common especially at the paddy field along both side of the road.

 Plain Prinia (Prinia inornata)

 Siberian Stonechat (Saxicola maura)

 Bronze-Winged Jacana (Metopidius indicus)

 Red-Wattled Lapwing (Vanellus indicus)

Black-Capped kingfisher (Halcyon pileata)

Thailand recorded more than 900 species of birds. This for sure won't be my last birding trip to Thailand, I'll sure come back for more...

Black Baza & The Praying Mantis

The Black Baza (Aviceda leuphotes) is one of the common winter visitor that can be found in open country and wooded areas.

They are usually found in small flock and fly from tree to tree, they usually stays on top of the tree and I hardly see them stay at one tree for longer than 3 minutes. According to "Singapore Biodiversity", Black Baza feeds mostly on insects, especially beetles. I have never been able to see or photograph feeding Black Baza until last Sunday at Bidadari.  

For the first time, I managed to get close to this bird to see what this bird is hunting & consume it. It was a huge Praying Mantis!

Their feeding behaviour very similar to other smaller birds, they bite off the head of their prey before consume the rest of their prey.

Thailand 2013 Birding Trip - Part 1

I have my 2013 first birding trip last week at Thailand. Like many other country of South East Asia, birding at Thailand during this period will have opportunity to watch both the resident as well as migratory birds.  Visit during this period will have higher chance of meeting with the less common & rare birds such as the one that appeared on the sign board that bring us to our intended birding site, Pak Thale Shorebird Site - Spoon-billed Sand piper! I was told that only 3 birds recorded this season!

Pak Thale is one of the best birding site I ever visited. The birding site sits right in the middle of huge salt pan along the Gulf of Thailand. This in return give bird watcher a opportunity to watch bird in anytime of the day as long as there are sun light (from sun rise to just before sun set) as this site is not affected by tidal changes and the water level is consistent throughout the day.

Salt are harvested when sea water evaporated.

Saw this huge flock of  Eurasian Curlew (Numenius arquata) from far before we even arrive at the site. I have never seen so many Eurasian Curlew before. I use to see only Whimbrel in Singapore!

We start with the more common birds - the Common Sandpiper (Actitis hypoleucos)

Marsh Sandpiper (Tringa stagnatilis) is also quite common in Singapore.

Bird that not so common in Singapore - Broad-billed Sandpiper (Limicola falcinellus)

Stints are some of the smaller shore birds, smaller than a plover - Temminck's Stint (Calidris temminckii)

Another stint that I saw - a Long-toed Stint (Calidris subminuta)

Common Greenshank (Tringa nebularia)

A very beautiful Sanderling  (Calidris alba)

Spotted Redshank  (Tringa erythropus) is quite common here, but not in Singapore.

Curlew Sandpipers (Calidris ferruginea) bigger birds in photo with bill slightly curved down.

One of the most beautiful water birds, with long pinkish/red leg - Black-winged Stilt  (Himantopus himantopus)

Common Snipe  (Gallinago gallinago)

Pintail Snipe (Gallinago stenura)

Numerous of terns and gulls can be found here too. Such as this - Common Tern  (Sterna hirundo)

Brown-headed Gull  (Chroicocephalus brunnicephalus)

Caspian Tern (Hydroprogne caspia)

Black-tailed Godwit  (Limosa limosa) with her super large bill.

Another uncommon encounter - Black-headed Ibis (Threskiornis melanocephalus). Very similar to Sacred Ibis that are now very common in Taiwan. Instead of black patch on tail, this Black-headed Ibis have grey patch on their tail.

Red-necked Phalarope (Phalaropus lobatus) in non-bleeding plumage. My 1st time seeing this rare birds.

Another new bird for me, extremely beautiful shore bird that with a very unique bill - Pied Avocet (Recurvirostra avosetta)

The bird of the trip will be this Spoon-billed Sandpiper (Eurynorhynchus pygmeus). It took us 2 days to find this beautiful bird. Managed only to take a record shot as the sunlight is really too harsh to take a proper photo.

Our list recorded more than 60 species at this site and they are just too many to be included in this post. You have to visit the site to look at yourself and be amazed by all the beautiful birds!