Raptors Galore ! ! !

Sunday was a feast for my eyes and a landmark in my Birdwatching Land. Exciting number of raptors @ Marina South, starting with 2 brahminy kites who looked like sea eagles in the early morning sun light. 2 photogenic black-shouldered kites braving the sun to perch on a bare tree to model for us. Perfect Lifer Moment for me! My companions, Harry & Kim, had a field day taking photos or gawking at their majestic mien. What fine birds they are!

As if to restore its rightful place, a seaeagle swooped into sight from afar, even then a big vision, with a fish .... we were speculating it's a pomfret... haha.... but it's too long to be one... not a bad catch, even birds believe in eating like a king!

Every species seems to be outdoing each other .... Harry spotted 8 sparrowhawks (Lifer, not counting the faraway silhouette in Bt Brown) circling around some enchanted spot... which Kim remarked was a conference...hmmm....so it's holding some international meeting @ Suntec city, after which they seemed to adjourn to the Expo...

But the highlight was the oriental honey buzzard (L)...actually I didn't know what it was... only that it was HUGE, notwithstanding the fact it was perched on a tree nearby....even the rufous backed woodpecker (L) did not divert our attention for long.... but 1 of these guys was chased by the ruffians crows...only 3 of them.... but you can see their gangster tactics quite clearly, chasing them & causing the hapless fellow to dip a few times in flight :(

The changeable hawk eagle (L) & black baza (L) were around too, as with an unmoving dollarbird. Just as we thought the birds would all shy away from the heat as the blistering midmorning heat parched the rather tree-less land, we saw 2 red-whiskered bulbuls (L) (wow! I thought they had all migrated to the HK streets, leaving only their distinctive image in some old S'pore notes) and a blackcapped kingfisher too ! (L)(highest no. of lifer for me).... ah, how can I forget to mention the tons of yellow-vented bulbul ( didn't know they fly in flocks ! ) and their noisy neighbours - the shrikes & munias....

All in, 27 species , leaving one satisfied birdwatcher...... happy travels can materialise in S'pore too!