Looking back to a Birdiful November.

­­­­­­­­­I am sure that many of you like me had a super busy November chasing the many rare migrants that arrived here on their way south.

My lifer the female Narcissus Flycatcher at Dairy Farm Nature Park.

The highlight of the month for me had to be the female Narcissus Flycatcher that made landfall at Dairy Farm NP on 19^th. I dipped on the past sightings at Bidadari and the last one here. As with the previous year, more gems like the Siberian and Eye-browed Thrushes dropped by to feed on the White Mulberries at the park.

A first winter male Siberian Thrush was the first to arrive. An adult male followed a few weeks later.

Most of us spent the first week getting roasted at Henderson Wave hoping to catch some rare raptors coming through. The lucky ones hit the jackpot with a juvenile Eurasian Hobby. I had to be contented with a Peregrine Falcon, Greater Spotted Eagle and a Jerdon’s Baza.   

This Jerdon’s Baza was one of the few raptors that came down low over Henderson Wave.

When news that some marsh terns were seen foraging off the Marina Barrage early in the month, many of us got great shots of the White-winged Terns flying over. A short walk to the granite sea wall rewarded me with some wintering Kentish Plovers although I was not able to find the recently split White-faced. Two Sanderlings were also wintering there.

A large number of these White-winged Terns were seen for the first time fishing off the Marina Barrage this season.

Kentish Plover at Marina Barrage sea wall. Their numbers were low this season.

Once again the Healing Garden at the Singapore Botanic Gardens was attracting many of the migrant flycatchers with a myriad of insect life there. All the three paradise flycatchers, including a white-morphed, were keeping us busy. I was happy to redo my male Blue and White Flycatcher here.

The male Blue and White Flycatcher with its black throat, one of the many flycatchers that descended on to the Healing Garden this season.

This may be our last season to bird at the open farmlands at Neo Tiew Harvest Link as all the plots have been sold. A few snipes were feeding at a wet patch at the end of the road. One was confirmed as the Common Snipe. Over 350 Pacific Golden Plovers were using the dry open spaces as their high tide roost. Up in the air, Marsh Harriers came and went on the same day, but a few Sand Martins stayed around to feed with the Aerodramus Swiftlets.

A few Sand Martins spent a few days foraging at the open grasslands at Neo Tiew Lane this month.

My year list is just below average at 190 partly because of Covid. I still hold up hope of reaching 200 by year end. Bring on December!