Surprise snipe.
This week, the appearance of the Common Hoopoe had driven the local birding community abuzz (it was frontpage on the national newspaper). However, I decided to give it a miss because I imagine it’s going to be crazy crowded and birding in a residential area felt rather jarring.
Instead, I headed to Marina Grove on Saturday morning. This little rain-logged pond overlooking the majestic Marina Bay Sands became a newfound birding hotspot in 2025 after the sighting of a family of Little Grebes here.
This was my 3rd visit to the location and I had already seen most of the rarities here. This time, my target was the Black-browed Reed Warbler (lifer), an uncommon migrant to Singapore which I had missed in previous visits.
It was my lucky day indeed as I managed to spot the bird within the first hour of arriving onsite.
Feeling more relaxed now that I’ve gotten my target bird, I took my time observing and photographing the other birds around. The family of White-breasted Waterhens (2 adults, 2 chicks) were out and about foraging for breakfast.
I observed the two Baillon’s Crakes seem to be much more skittish than the first time I saw them in Dec 2025. Back then, they came out openly to feed. This time, they hid among the reeds and only came out into the open briefly to dart between patches of reeds.
After awhile, I decided to walk further down beyond the pond to check the adjacent grasslands. The Blue-tailed Bee-eaters were perched low on the shrubs. Good chance to get some lovely eye-level shots.
As I walked by the tall grass, I spotted a bird that flew out from the grass. It was too fast for me to react but I managed to capture a few record shots. Upon reviewing the photos, it turned out to be a Pin-tailed Snipe (lifer), another uncommon migrant to Singapore.
Later, I saw a small group of photographers crowded on the left side of the pond. Apparently, the Taiga Flycatcher was spotted. I took some photographs of the bird however after reviewing the photos at home, it looked like an Asian Brown Flycatcher to me. What do you think?
And before I knew it, it was time to pack my gear and call it a day. All in all, it was a satisfyingly productive morning of birding.
eBird checklist: https://ebird.org/checklist/S296135456
The Salaryman Birder 
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