The Salaryman Birder

Author: The Salaryman Birder

  • 26 Apr 26 – Marina Grove, Singapore

    Great Cormorants spotted in Singapore.

    On Sunday, I decided to go birding at the Marina Grove pond. My aim was to find the Javan Pond Heron which was the last remaining unchecked Pond Heron in my life list. I took my usual route via public transportation and alighted at the Gardens by the Bay MRT station.

    As I was setting up my camera and binocular at the station exit, I saw, from a distance, a flock of birds flying in a loose V-shaped formation… which was odd because I was not aware of birds in Singapore that exhibit this behavior. After taking some photos and examining them, I was surprised to see they were Great Cormorants!

    Great Cormorants @ Marina Grove, Singapore
    Great Cormorant

    The Great Cormorant is not known to be found in this part of the world. Past sightings are believed to be escapees from the then Jurong Bird Park. Are these descendants of those escapees or are they vagrants that have ventured too far south? I have seen Great Cormorants before in Japan and South Korea but to see them in Singapore felt truly special.

    Great Cormorants @ Marina Grove, Singapore
    Great Cormorant

    This whole experience had me thinking how I had to be at the right place and at the right time to cross paths with these birds. If I had made one decision differently like board an earlier train or set up my equipment later. I would have missed the entire encounter.

    Anyway, moving back to my original objective of finding the Javan Pond Heron. It didn’t take long to spot one foraging at the edge of the pond. This was another skittish bird though. It gradually retreated to the back of the pond after noticing my presence.

    Javan Pond Heron @ Marina Grove, Singapore
    Javan Pond Heron
    Javan Pond Heron @ Marina Grove, Singapore
    Javan Pond Heron

    The Little Grebe family that was previously seen here seemed to have moved on as I was only able to spot one adult that day.

    Little Grebe @ Marina Grove, Singapore
    Little Grebe

    It was my first time spotting a pair of Ruddy-breasted Crakes there though. I was surprised at how they did not seem to mind my presence at all. They came so near while feeding that I had trouble getting the camera to focus.

    Ruddy-breasted Crake @ Marina Grove, Singapore
    Ruddy-breasted Crake

    eBird checklist: https://ebird.org/checklist/S327552420

  • 19, 25 Apr 2026 – Jurong Lake Garden, Singapore

    Coppersmith Barbet nesting.

    I thought it’d be more interesting to group these series of photos into one post to see the progress of the Coppersmith Barbet nesting in Jurong Lake Gardens.

    Coppersmith Barbet nesting at Jurong Lake Gardens, Singapore.
    Coppersmith Barbet (taken 25-Apr-2026)

    On the 19 Apr visit, as I was headed toward the MRT station through Chinese Garden, I noticed a group of photographers waiting near a tree. I recognized the tree as one with a Sunda Pygmy Woodpecker nest the year before.

    But it turned out a pair of Coppersmith Barbets had moved-in instead. I didn’t had to wait too long before the parents came back to feed the chicks.

    Coppersmith Barbet nesting at Jurong Lake Gardens, Singapore.
    Coppersmith Barbet (taken 19-Apr-2026)
    Coppersmith Barbet nesting at Jurong Lake Gardens, Singapore.
    Coppersmith Barbet (taken 19-Apr-2026)

    A week later on 25 Apr, I dropped by again to check on the progress of the nesting. The chick had grown well with feathers covering the neck and head now. According to other birders onsite, there were two chicks in the nest but I only saw one on both visits.

    Coppersmith Barbet nesting at Jurong Lake Gardens, Singapore.
    Coppersmith Barbet (taken 25-Apr-2026)
    Coppersmith Barbet nesting at Jurong Lake Gardens, Singapore.
    Coppersmith Barbet (taken 25-Apr-2026)

    Both chicks had successfully fledged the following week. Perhaps, the Sunda Pygmy Woodpecker can reclaim it’s nest now?

    eBird checklist:
    1. https://ebird.org/checklist/S323978095
    2. https://ebird.org/checklist/S327124345

  • 25 Apr 2026 – Jurong Lake Gardens, Singapore

    The quest for the Indian Pond Heron

    For the second successive week, I headed to Jurong Lake Gardens for my weekend birding. I thought I’d try my luck at spotting the Barred Buttonquail. They are known to live in the grasslands area of the park but the last eBird reported sighting was back in January.

    After 2 hours of waiting, I gave up. But at least I’m not walking away empty handed as I got some decent photos of other common birds that frequent the grasslands.

    Brown Shrike @ Jurong Lake Gardens, Singapore
    Brown Shrike
    Scaly-breasted Munia @ Jurong Lake Gardens, Singapore
    Scaly-breasted Munia
    Zitting Cisticola @ Jurong Lake Gardens, Singapore
    Zitting Cisticola

    Next, I moved on to find another target, the Indian Pond Heron. There are three species of Pond Herons which migrate to Singapore namely the Chinese, Javan and Indian Pond Herons. What’s interesting is they can only be told apart after the birds develop their breeding plumage some time from March to June. Otherwise, they look the same during the non-breeding months.

    Pond Heron @ Marina Grove, Singapore
    Pond Heron in non-breeding plumage photographed in Marina Grove on 24-Jan-2026

    After much walking, I found the lone Indian Pond Heron (lifer) foraging on a grassy patch at the south end of the park. It was quite skittish so I kept my distance at all times and tried to hide behind trees or bushes to photograph the bird.

    Indian Pond Heron @ Jurong Lake Gardens, Singapore
    Indian Pond Heron
    Indian Pond Heron @ Jurong Lake Gardens, Singapore
    Indian Pond Heron

    eBird checklist: https://ebird.org/checklist/S327124345

  • 19 Apr 2026 – Jurong Lake Gardens, Singapore

    The quest for the Watercock

    I was still feeling quite tired from all the traveling so I took the previous weekend off from birding to chill. Now that I’m feeling better, I was off to Jurong Lake Gardens for another shot of sighting the Watercock which I previously missed. 

    White-breasted Waterhen @ Jurong Lake Gardens
    White-breasted Waterhen

    At 7AM, I arrived at the viewing platform overlooking Alstonia Island where the sighting was reported the day before on eBird. However, there was no sign of the bird. I made a brief detour to the grasslands area but there was nothing of interest (only the usual Ruddy-breasted Crakes) so I went back to wait at the platform.

    Ruddy-breasted Crake @ Jurong Lake Gardens
    Ruddy-breasted Crake

    I was chatting with another birder to kill some time when I noticed a bird foraging on the ground in the distance between two trees. Initially, I had dismissed it as a White-breasted Waterhen but decided to take a closer look with my binoculars anyway. 

    “It’s there, it’s there!” 

    Watercock @ Jurong Lake Gardens
    Watercock

    It was an awkward shot of the back from a distance, but it was good enough for identification. The bird continued to forage in the area sporadically appearing in the open but mostly hidden from view by the trees and bushes. 

    Watercock @ Jurong Lake Gardens
    Watercock

    Unfortunately, the noise from some nearby grass cutters may have spooked it to remain hidden. After waiting for awhile in vain, I decided to call it a day.

    Watercock @ Jurong Lake Gardens
    Watercock

    eBird checklist: https://ebird.org/checklist/S323978095

  • 03 Apr 26 – Daan Forest Park, Taipei, Taiwan

    Birding at Daan Forest Park

    We’re back in Taipei for the last leg of the Taiwan trip. This time, I’m going to be birding at Daan Forest Park.

    Daan Forest Park
    Daan Forest Park

    From the outside, the park looked like any other urban park. But the pond inside the park is truly a sight to behold.

    Ecological pond in Daan Forest Park

    There were hundreds of Black-crowned Night Herons and Eastern Cattle Egrets roosting or nesting on the trees around the pond.

    Black-crowned Night Heron at Daan Forest Park, Taiwan.
    Black-crowned Night Heron

    The Common Moorhen can also be seen at the pond. This one was gracefully gliding it’s way across the water.

    Common Moorhen at Daan Forest Park, Taiwan.
    Common Moorhen

    As for the rest of the park, common species typical to urban parks can be seen. For starters, a pair of Black-collared Starlings were spotted foraging on the grass. This one caught a yummy earthworm for brunch.

    Black-collared Starling at Daan Forest Park, Taiwan.
    Black-collared Starling

    And then of course there is the Taiwan Barbet which had been ubiquitous throughout the trip. This one was photographed excavating the tree trunk for nesting.

    Taiwan Barbet at Daan Forest Park, Taiwan.
    Taiwan Barbet

    Next, I saw a Grey Wagtail busy preening itself on the ground.

    Grey Wagtail at Daan Forest Park, Taiwan.
    Grey Wagtail

    I have seen eBird records of the Manchurian Bush Warbler (lifer) here so I made it a point to check the bamboo groves scattered around the park. With some luck, I managed to spot one on my first try.

    Manchurian Bush Warbler at Daan Forest Park
    Manchurian Bush Warbler

    Finally, the last tick added to my life list is the White-bellied Green Pigeon.

    White-bellied Green Pigeon at Daan Forest Park
    White-bellied Green Pigeon

    And that’s a wrap for my Taiwan vacation. A total of 61 species was sighted throughout the trip with 23 new species. Unfortunately I missed out on the Taiwan Blue Magpie which I really wanted to see. That will have to wait for another trip.

    eBird checklist: https://ebird.org/checklist/S317698245

  • 31 Mar ~ 01 Apr 26 – Sun Moon Lake, Taiwan

    Lakeside birding

    For Days 5 and 6 of the Taiwan trip, we move on to Sun Moon Lake, the largest freshwater lake in Taiwan located in Nantou county.

    Sun Moon Lake near Ita Thao.
    Sun Moon Lake

    Despite the large body of water, there aren’t many aquatic birds around. You will have more luck birding in the forests on the shore of the lake. Anyway, here are some interesting finds that I saw for the two days there.

    Sun Moon Lake near Ita Thao.
    Sun Moon Lake

    Gray-capped Pygmy Woodpecker (lifer) – While waiting for the public bus, I heard a faint bird call and managed to track it to this beautiful woodpecker. Unfortunately, I only got a few usable shots before it took off so all I have is this back photo.

    Gray-capped Pygmy Woodpecker at Sun Moon Lake.
    Gray-capped Pygmy Woodpecker

    White-rumped Sharma – Another bird that kept me entertained while waiting for the bus.

    White-rumped Sharma at Sun Moon Lake.
    White-rumped Sharma
    White-rumped Sharma at Sun Moon Lake.
    White-rumped Sharma

    Bronzed Drongo (lifer) – I spotted a pair of them actively flying between trees to catch insects.

    Bronzed Drongo at Sun Moon Lake.
    Bronze Drongo

    Black-naped Monarch (lifer) – I spotted a pair of male and female hunting for insects high up some bamboo. This one photographed is a female which has a duller plumage to the male’s all blue plumage.

    Black-naped Monarch at Sun Moon Lake.
    Black-naped Monarch

    Taiwan Scimitar Babbler (lifer) – Another bird that was heard first. It sounded like there was a small animal moving between dried twigs in some very thick vegetation. This was the best window that I had to photograph the bird after much searching.

    Taiwan Scimitar Babbler at Sun Moon Lake.
    Taiwan Scimitar Babbler

    eBird checklists:
    1. https://ebird.org/checklist/S317426575
    2. https://ebird.org/checklist/S317428245
    3.https://ebird.org/checklist/S317434603

  • 30 Mar 26 – Taichung Park, Taichung, Taiwan

    A hard fish to swallow.

    Taichung Park is the oldest and most iconic urban park in Taichung dating back to the Japanese occupation era. I dropped by the park in the late morning for some casual birding before lunch.

    There were a lot of Rock Pigeons at the park attracted by the parkgoers who feed them. These three Rock Pigeons of different coloration spaced out evenly on a branch looked like they were posing for a rock album cover.

    Rock Pigeon @ Taichung Park, Taiwan
    Rock Pigeons

    The highlight of the visit was this Black-crowned Night Heron who caught a fish too large for it to swallow.

    Black-crowned Night Heron @ Taichung Park, Taiwan
    Black-crowned Night Heron

    At one point, there was a small group of people gathered to watch the heron try to down it’s prized catch. “Oh oh, he’s got it” quipped the man next to me only for the fish to be regurgitated out again.

    Black-crowned Night Heron @ Taichung Park, Taiwan
    Black-crowned Night Heron

    I went ahead to explore the rest of the park and came back to check on the heron again after about an hour but it was still struggling to eat the fish.

    Black-crowned Night Heron @ Taichung Park, Taiwan
    Black-crowned Night Heron

    I left the park shortly after for lunch so I’m not sure if the heron did manage to finish it’s meal. I’d like to believe the persistent little bugger eventually got it down the hatch.

    eBird checklist: https://ebird.org/checklist/S317416519

  • 30 Mar 26 – Yongquan Park, Taichung, Taiwan

    First order of the day

    It’s Day 4 of the Taiwan trip and I’m starting the day with another quick early birding session at a nearby park. Yongquan Park is located in Taichung at the site of a former sugar factory during the Japanese occupation era.

    The park is built around a large central pond with boardwalks, walkways and an observation deck surrounding the pond. It didn’t take long for me to spot something interesting: a pair of Common Moorhens foraging at the banks of the pond.

    Common Moorhen @ Yongquan Park, Taichung
    Common Moorhen

    There was also an enclosure and feeding station where I saw some Muscovy Ducks and Mallards. Here’s a photo of the Muscovy Ducks going for a swim with the Common Moorhen.

    Muscovy Ducks and Common Moorhen @ Yongquan Park, Taichung
    Muscovy Ducks / Common Moorhen (center)

    Meanwhile, a Brown Shrike was perched high on a tree looking to catch some insects off the grass for breakfast.

    Brown Shrike @ Yongquan Park, Taichung
    Brown Shrike

    House Swifts can also be seen constantly flying over the pond to catch flying insects.

    House Swift @ Yongquan Park, Taichung
    House Swift

    Lastly, a nice close up of a Light-vented Bulbul resting on a handrail with decent lighting.

    Light-vented Bulbul @ Yongquan Park, Taichung
    Light-vented Bulbul

    eBird checklist: https://ebird.org/checklist/S317412960

  • 29 Mar 26 – Baguashan, Changhua, Taiwan

    Side quest birding

    After the early morning quick birding session, it was onward to Taichung which would serve as base camp for the next 2 days. The remainder of the day was spent on a day trip to Changhua city exploring Baguashan, home to the Great Buddha statue.

    Great Buddha at Baguashan

    The area also hosts an annual raptor watch event to spot the Grey-faced Buzzard which migrate through the area in great numbers as they return north for the spring migration season. Unfortunately, I did not spot any that day.

    View from atop Baguashan

    Though birding was not the main objective of the day, I did spot some of the common local birds in the area like this Taiwan Barbet.

    Taiwan Barbet @ Baguashan, Taiwan.
    Taiwan Barbet

    There was also a flock of Grey Treepies foraging from tree to tree.

    Grey Treepie @ Baguashan, Taiwan.
    Grey Treepie

    Lastly, a Malayan Night Heron was seen chilling on a grassy patch. It still amuses me that the bird is named after Malaya (old name for Malaysia) but is not commonly found in Malaysia.

    Malayan Night Heron @ Baguashan, Taiwan.
    Malayan Night Heron

    eBIrd checklist: https://ebird.org/checklist/S317403570

  • 29 Mar 26 – Linsen / Kangle Park, Taipei, Taiwan

    No expectations.

    On Day 3 of my Taiwan trip, I decided to drop by the Linsen and Kangle Park in Taipei for some quick early morning birding as it was near my hotel. These are urban parks located right smack in the middle of the city so I was not expecting much.

    Eastern Yellow Wagtail

    After about an hour, just as I was about to leave, I spotted this beautiful Eastern Yellow Wagtail (lifer) perched on a bare tree. This bird in an uncommon migrant in Singapore. After observing the bird for awhile, it took off to the ground to hunt for insects.

    Eastern Yellow Wagtail

    Always happy to add an unexpected tick to my life list.

    eBird checklist: https://ebird.org/checklist/S317400909