The quest for the Brown-chested Jungle Flycatcher
A few days ago, I had seen a fellow birder share photos of the Brown-chested Jungle Flycatcher on social media. It was spotted at the Jurong Lake Gardens. On Sunday, I decided to try my luck at tracking it down.
The bird was spotted at the so-called “bamboo area” near the Butterfly Maze. It’s an area local birders are familiar with having yielded some migratory Flycatchers and Cuckoos there in the past. I arrived in the afternoon to begin my search.
The bird is known to remain still for long periods of time so I knew spotting it in a dark, dense forested area was always going to be a challenge. After about an hour, I picked up the movement of a small bird. A bit more of searching later, I finally, managed to spot the Brown-chested Jungle Flycatcher.
Unfortunately, I only managed to get a few out of focus record photos before it flew off. Another 30 minutes passes and I still could not find it again so I decided to move on for now.
Next, I headed to the Alstonia Island area. The Rufous Woodpecker chicks that I saw some weeks ago have fledged leaving behind an empty nest devoid of birds or photographers. I stopped to observe some Yellow-vented Bulbuls bath in a shallow stream.
As I was doing that, a Paradise Flycatcher flew in to a tree above me. This time, it was a Blyth’s Paradise Flycatcher rather than the Amurs I have been seeing for the past couple of weeks.
Before leaving, I decided to circle back to find the Brown-chested Jungle Flycatcher for improved photos. This time, I managed to spot the Flycatcher in an open position and got better shots of the bird.
The backlit background isn’t ideal but I didn’t want to risk spooking the bird again. So I stood where I was and took as many photos I can get as the bird looked around for prey.
Eventually, another birder came in and scared off the bird. I was mildly annoyed but I’d give them the benefit of the doubt that they did not see me stalking the bird in the bushes. With that, I decided to call it a day.
eBird checklist: https://ebird.org/checklist/S398987632
