The Salaryman Birder

Tag: nature

  • 24 Jan 2026 – Marina Grove

    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.

    Pond @ Marina Grove

    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.

    Little Grebe (juvenile)

    It was my lucky day indeed as I managed to spot the bird within the first hour of arriving onsite.

    Black-browed Reed Warbler

    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.

    White-breasted Waterhen

    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.

    Baillon’s Crake (January 2026)
    Baillon’s Crake (Dec 2025)

    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.

    Blue-tailed Bee-eater
    Blue-tailed Bee-eater

    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.

    Pin-tailed Snipe

    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?

    Asian Brown Flycatcher (?) or Taiga Flycatcher (?)
    Asian Brown Flycatcher (?) or Taiga Flycatcher (?)

    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

  • 11 Jan 2026 – Dairy Farm Nature Park

    When the stars align.

    I decided to bird at Dairy Farm Nature Park on Sunday as my legs were still exhausted from the trek to Jelutong Tower the day before.

    I arrived to a huge flock of Asian Glossy Starlings and Pink-necked Green Pigeons roosting on the canopy of the forest. The Straw-headed Bulbul was also calling from somewhere nearby but unfortunately I could not find it.

    Asian Glossy Starlings and Pink-necked Green Pigeons

    I waited at the observation deck for a bit and walked the Wallace Trail but hardly saw any birds. I was beginning to wonder if this was going to be one of those dry, unproductive days of birding. At least, this Square-tailed Drongo-cuckoo ensured that I will not return home empty-handed today.

    Square-tailed Drongo-cuckoo

    And then, the stars aligned. As I was turning to the path that loops back to the Wallace Education Centre, I spotted something foraging on the ground. It was an Orange-headed Thrush.

    Orange-headed Thrush

    The bird paid no heed to me. It went about it’s way foraging for bugs and worms on the forest floor. Occasionally, it would turn over a leaf to check what’s underneath. Sometimes it would hide in the bushes by the side when there were people passing by but it came out again when the coast was clear.

    Orange-headed Thrush
    Orange-headed Thrush

    After about an hour of observing the bird, it hopped off the path toward the forest and disappeared. I waited for an hour hoping to get better shots of the bird as the lighting improved but it never came out again.

    While waiting, I observed another small bird flying around the bushes. To my surprise, it was a Green-backed Flycatcher. I’ve mainly observed flycatchers darting around high on a tree (which is a nightmare to photograph). To find one that was quite chill and at eye level was truly a stroke of luck.

    Green-backed Flycatcher

    eBird checklist: https://ebird.org/checklist/S293600986