The Salaryman Birder

Tag: SBG

  • Birding Flashbacks #01: My First Rare Species

    I’ll be on hiatus from birding for a few weeks due to other commitments in life. Hence, I thought I’d blog about some past birding experiences prior to 2026 (before this blog was born). I’ll start with my first sighting of a rare species in Singapore.

    Date: 25 Nov 2023
    Location: Singapore Botanic Gardens (SBG)

    It was my first time at SBG for birding. I remember arriving at the Eco Lake very early at 7AM. As I was photographing some Black-crowned Night Herons, two ducks flew in and landed on the surface of the lake.

    Black-crowned Night Heron @ Singapore Botanic Gardens, Singapore
    Black-crowned Night Heron

    This was about 1 month after I started birding. I was still learning to identify most of the common species seen in Singapore. I had assumed those ducks were Lesser Whistling Ducks, an uncommon species, but can be sighted reliably in some locations. I took a few photos and then just stood to watch them before they disappeared among some foliage.

    Cotton Pygmy Goose @ Singapore Botanic Gardens, Singapore
    Cotton Pygmy Goose

    There was another photographer with me on that morning but we did not speak with each other. He had no interest in the ducks which reinforced my conviction that they must be Lesser Whistling Ducks. Any seasoned local birder must have seen them to death.

    I went about my day after the birding session. When I arrived home in the evening, I used Merlin (a bird identification app) to identify what I’ve seen for the day. At that point, I realized the ducks I saw looked nothing like the Lesser Whistling Duck.

    After going through the list of ducks that have been spotted in Singapore before, I identified them as a pair Cotton Pygmy Goose. I asked for further confirmation on the Bird Sightings Group in Facebook and was given the affirmative. I was asked to submit an official sighting to the Bird Society of Singapore.

    Cotton Pygmy Goose @ Singapore Botanic Gardens, Singapore
    Cotton Pygmy Goose

    Only then did I realized how incredibly lucky I was that morning. My sighting was only the 7th recorded sighting of the bird in Singapore. If I ever wanted proof of beginner’s luck, here it was staring me in the face. My only regret was not realizing the gravity of the situation earlier.

    eBird checklist: https://ebird.org/checklist/S289268461

  • 21 Mar 26 – Singapore Botanic Gardens, Singapore (Part 3)

    Other miscellaneous birds of the interest.

    Here’s one last batch of photos from the productive day of birding at the Singapore Botanic Gardens on 21-Mar. Starting at the Eco Lake, I spotted a Grey-rumped Treeswift (lifer) flying overhead.  

    Grey-rumped Treeswift @ Singapore Botanic Gardens, Singapore.
    Grey-rumped Treeswift

    I also counted eight Oriental Pied Hornbills flying across the Eco Lake one after another. That was the first time I’ve seen such a large flock traveling together. 

    Oriental Pied Hornbill @ Singapore Botanic Gardens, Singapore.
    Oriental Pied Hornbill

    While photographing the Crested Serpent Eagle, I spotted a small bird perched on the canopy of the same tree. Surprise, surprise. It was a Mugimaki Flycatcher. This one is a bit late on the migration as they mostly should have returned north by now.

    Mugimaki Flycatcher @ Singapore Botanic Gardens, Singapore.
    Mugimaki Flycatcher

    Lastly, I decided to check out the Raffles Building car park which is a known hiding spot for a pair of Collared Scops Owls. I managed to see both owls but they were quite high up and well hidden. I left them to their slumber after taking a few quick shots.

    Collared Scops Owl @ Singapore Botanic Gardens, Singapore.
    Collared Scops Owl

    eBird checklist: https://ebird.org/checklist/S311805155

  • 21 Mar 26 – Singapore Botanic Gardens, Singapore (Part 2)

    Fairy Pitta revisited.

    After the encounter with the Crested Serpent Eagle (CSE), I decided to revisit the Fairy Pitta (FP). Reports had emerged in the birding community that the FP had started to forage nearer to the boardwalk which allowed for better views of the bird. 

    I arrived at the Rainforest Trail boardwalk packed with birders and photographers who were eagerly searching for the FP. Meanwhile a lone staff member was struggling to handle the crowd control. Not wanting to add to the crowd situation, I decided to wait at the edge in the hopes that the FP may come my way instead. 

    I guess I was at the peak of my lucky streak that day as the FP began to hop my way, so I managed to snap some close-up open photographs of the FP. 

    Fairy Pitta @ Singapore Botanic Gardens, Singapore.
    Fairy Pitta

    The FP picked up a snail but dropped it shortly after.

    Fairy Pitta @ Singapore Botanic Gardens, Singapore.
    Fairy Pitta

    At one point, the FP was so near that my lens could not focus but I guess that’s a good problem to have. 

    Fairy Pitta @ Singapore Botanic Gardens, Singapore.
    Fairy Pitta

    The FP then surprised everyone by somehow flying through the crowd of birders from one side of the boardwalk to the other. It continued to forage after that unfazed

    Fairy Pitta @ Singapore Botanic Gardens, Singapore.
    Fairy Pitta

    eBird checklist: https://ebird.org/checklist/S311805155

  • 21 Mar 26 – Singapore Botanic Gardens, Singapore (Part 1)

    An audience with the Crested Serpent Eagle.

    I spent Saturday morning birding at the Singapore Botanic Gardens. Reports emerged a few days ago on the sighting of the Crested Serpent Eagle (CSE) at the Healing Gardens. So that was where I was headed. 

    As I entered the area, I immediately noticed a large brown protrusion sticking out of a tree branch. It did not look like an extension of the branch. As I was trying to make sense of what I was looking at, it turned its head and gave me a side eye.  There it is, the CSE! 

    Crested Serpent Eagle @ Singapore Botanic Gardens, Singapore
    Crested Serpent Eagle

    I managed to photograph the CSE from various angles as it remained still, keeping a lookout for prey. 

    Crested Serpent Eagle @ Singapore Botanic Gardens, Singapore
    Crested Serpent Eagle

    Soon, a small crowd of birders and curious parkgoers began to congregate around the CSE, but it did not seem fazed. 

    Crested Serpent Eagle @ Singapore Botanic Gardens, Singapore
    Crested Serpent Eagle

    After an hour plus, the CSE took off to perch on a higher tree and began to call. I waited with anticipation to see if there was another CSE nearby that would return its call. 

    Crested Serpent Eagle @ Singapore Botanic Gardens, Singapore
    Crested Serpent Eagle

    About 10 minutes later the CSE took off to the skies and slowly gained elevation before going out of sight. Pleased to get a photograph of the CSE in-flight showing it’s characteristic wing patterns. 

    Crested Serpent Eagle @ Singapore Botanic Gardens, Singapore
    Crested Serpent Eagle

    eBird checklist: https://ebird.org/checklist/S311805155