Friday 31stof August 2018and I woke up in Singapore. I took a flight yesterday and I arrived to my hotel around 4 o’clock in the afternoon. It was a very nice hotel, I give it 4 stars for this price. I will stay one night in one room with two small beds, but I will move in to a room with a big bed when I´m back from my bird watching adventure this morning.
I had stopped at the minimart next door when I came here to buy water and milk. After check-in I crossed the street to the shopping centre and the Supermarket in the basement. Oatmeal and tea. I will leave 6 o´clock in the morning so I need breakfast in my room before leaving.
I also bought the same health bars as I bought the last time to have as picnic lunch at the Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve. A little bit to look forward to.
ROASTED ALMOND - CRUNCHY GRANOLA BARS Almond power! Real roasted almonds blended with whole grain oats in this powerfully crunchy snack.
OATS ’N HONEY - CRUNCHY GRANOLA BARS For when it’s crunch time, this crunchy bar combines delicious, real honey with 16g of 100% natural whole grain oats.
So I was very happy with the hotel, tea and breakfast in my room, well, I passed a Japanese restaurant outside the Supermarket yesterday and I had an excellent dinner and I´m afraid I will end up there tonight again. A small set back as I had expected to eat oatmeal and “health” bars during the stay here in Singapore. I keep my fingers crossed.
My room
My room
My room
6 o´clock in the morning outside my hotel
There is no more UBER in Singapore and I had downloaded the GRAB thing to my phone and I booked a taxi. The taxi came after 2 minutes and we were soon on our way towards the Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve.
We left Bliss Hotel in China Town just after 6 o´clock and we arrived at 6 thirty. It was still dark and the driver had dropped me at the Wetland Centre. I wanted to go to the visitors centre so I walked towards the visitor centre down the road.
Took me 20 minutes to walk there and when I arrived they opened the gate. 10 minutes before 7 o´clock. I walked down towards the visitors centre and it was still dark. I spotted a Tailorbird and I managed to get a picture in the dark.
Dark when I arrive to Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve
They open the gate when I arrive to the visitor centre
Common Tailorbird, well, I´m almost sure it is
Listen to the wetlands early morning
I spotted a few Collared Kingfishers at the entrance, but it was too dark to take pictures. There was a lot of bird noises coming from the mangroves. There are some work taking place so I have to walk down to the sea front via the “forest walk” and when I reach the “Coastal Trail” I walk out to the “Eagle Point”
I saw the Striated heron also known as Little Heron, Mangrove Heron or Green-backed Heron. A few Collared Kingfishers and the Pacific Swallow. Looks the same as the Welcome Swallow, well, at least for me, but I can tell them apart here as you only see the Welcome Swallow in Australia.
Malaysia across the Straits of Johor
Collared Kingfisher at “Eagle Point”
Pacific Swallow
Walking through the mudflats and mangroves, obviously not caring about crocodiles and snakes
I leave the “Eagle Point” following the “Costal Trail” leaving the trail check out the “Lumnitzera Walk” coming to the Kingfisher Pod and there is a man watching two Milky Storks looking for food on the mud flats.
I checked the tide water yesterday and it is low water just after 8 o´clock and the water was on the way out by now. We were watching the Milky Storks looking for food while we were chatting. The man was on the way to his office but he always stopped here to enjoy the nature before starting the work.
Yeah, what a way to start your day! Watching the wonders of the nature! The storks pottering about minding their own business while we were watching chatting in a whispering voice about a little bit of everything. A gorgeous morning here at Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve!
I point towards Malaysia and I ask the man if he can see the Otters. A group of eight Otters were swimming by in the Strait of Johor. I told the man to be quiet and to stand still. - We might be lucky and they come in here to play, I said
We were standing there quiet watching the Otters. I touched the man´s shoulder and pointed at the Otters. - Look, they come in to us!
The Otters stopped just below us and they scared away the storks and they started to play around and I was taking pictures. I remembered that I was carrying my video camera in my belt so I brought it out from the pouch.
Otters swimming by
They change course and comes towards us
When the Otters left I took a video of the storks as well. When I have mad the heavy investment in the camera I can as well take the opportunity to get some practise.
We were very happy when we left. What an experience with the Otters. The man left for his work and I went to check out the area for birds. I ended up at the “Mud Experience” Lo and behold, I found some mudskippers and I made yet another video. There is nothing stopping me today!
I walk to the Wetland Centre and I check out the bats, and they are still there. Seems like they live there. There was a couple of monitor lizards in the pond at the centre. I crossed the bridge to the Buloh Tidals Ponds and I saw 2 crocodiles when I crossed the bridge.
I walked around the Buloh Tidals Ponds and it took around one hour to do so. There was a lot of Ashy Tailorbirds otherwise there was nothing much. YES! Collared Kingfishers, must have been millions of them. Redshanks in winter plumage and I spotted one Sandpiper on the mudflats.
Recorded with ZOOM H5 Handy recorder - High pass filter applied in Audacity
There were many many Ashy Tailorbirds in the mangrove. I got 2 pictures of the bird, one was erased immediately. It was dark and not easy to take picture while recording
Recorded with my ZOOM H5 Handy recorder. High pass filter in Audacity
Some crows cut out of the recording and crow sound depressed with noise reduction
2 Common Flamebacks in the mangrove
Common Flameback
Common Flameback
Birds very close, but pictures not good enough to make it to my list of observed birds
I walk back towards the visitor centre to get a taxi back to the hotel. I pass 2 Common Flamebacks, they are very close and make some noise, so I make a noise recording, but the pictures are not any good as the birds are covered by leafs and branches all the time.
I meet a girl on the trail and she show me a squirrel that she is taking pictures of. The squirrel just sits there and eat 30 cm from us. Couldn´t care less about us. I continue and I run in to a bird watcher looking at a Common Tailorbird. We walk together and suddenly there is a huge brown owl taking off in front of us.
We tried to find the owl again but with no luck. I continued back to the parking and my last picture was a White-throated Kingfisher
Squirrel eating
Walking back through the forest
White-throated Kingfisher
Last pictures from Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve for today
Well, the taxi arrived and I was soon on my way back to Bliss Hotel for tea and oatmeal. I will go to Singapore Botanical Garden in the afternoon. ClickHEREto find out if I find any birds in the Botanical Garden during the afternoon.
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