Raptor Report Early Autumn Migration, July-September 2019

A Western Osprey with a big catch, Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve, 11 July 2019, by Sim Chip Chye

Summary:

The early migrants included all the five expected species, namely the Western Osprey, Oriental Honey Buzzard, Chinese Sparrowhawk, Japanese Sparrowhawk, and Peregrine Falcon, during the July to September period.

A total of 46 Oriental Honey Buzzards were recorded. There were at least seven immature orientalis in July, four in August, and three in September - these are individuals hatched last year, over-summering here this year and are expected to migrate to the north only next spring. At least two torquatus were recorded - one photographed at Springleaf on 20 July by Alex Fok, and a tweeddale morph photographed at Upper Reservoir on 10 September by Deborah Friets.

The first Japanese Sparrowhawk was recorded on 13 September at Jalan Bahar, and on 26 September, Adrian Silas Tay recorded 28 at The Pinnacles Duxton, including a flock of 12. Aother eight were recorded at Henderson Waves on 28 September. All in, 47 early arriving Japanese Sparrowhawks were recorded.

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The first three Chinese Sparrowhawks were recorded on 22 September at Tuas. They were followed by two on 27 September at Jelutong Tower, 3 on 28 September at Henderson Waves, and 8 on 29 September at Tuas.

Four Western Ospreys were recorded, with one at Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve (SBWR) on 11 July having caught a big fish. The others were singles at the Botanic Gardens on 7 July, Seletar Dam on 14 September, and Marina Bay on 26 September.

Four Peregrine Falcons were recorded - an adult ernesti on 6 Jul at Telok Blangah; a juvenile of indeterminate race on 27 July at ; a far individual at Marina Bay on 3 August, possibly an ernesti; and another at Kranji Marsh on 29 Sep.

A resident ernesti Peregrine Falcon, note the dark 'helmet' and rufous-buff wash on chest, Telok Blangah, 6 July 2019, by Ros Qian

For the resident raptors, seven diurnal species were recorded. Apart from the usual ones, there were records of the rare Crested Serpent Eagle at Pulau Ubin on 2 July & 8 September, and at Malcolm Road on 6 July & 6 September. Notably for nocturnal raptors, a recently fledged juvenile Spotted Wood Owl at fell to the ground on 11 July, but managed to climb back up the tree to reunite with its parents.

Page 2 of 6 1. Western Osprey Pandion haliaetus (4) Date No. Location and Details Reported By 7 Jul 1 Botanic Gardens David Irving 11 Jul 1 Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve, with a big fish Sim Chip Chye

6 Aug 1 Kranji Marsh Tay Kian Guan

14 Sep 1 Seletar Dam Fadzrun A. 21 Sep 1 Kranji Marsh Mac Ng 26 Sep 1 Marina Bayfront Siew Mun

2. Oriental Honey Buzzard Pernis ptilorhyncus (orientalis mainly) (44+2) Date No. Location and Details Reported By 5 Jul 1 Kranji Marsh Richard Payne 7 Jul 1 Eco Green, immature pale morph Alvin Seng female 7 Jul 1 West Coast Drive Tay Kian Guan 9 Jul 1 Pasir Ris Park, immature pale morph female Alvin Seng 14 Jul 1 Punggol-Buangkok PCN, immature pale morph Derrick Wong 20 Jul 1 Springleaf Nature Park, torquatus, adult Alex Fok 21 Jul 1 Lorong Halus, immature pale morph female, Siew Mun morning 23 Jul 1 Sentosa Cove, immature pale morph male, John Marriott mobbed by 15-20 House Crows 24 Jul 1 Ulu Pandan PCN, immature pale morph female Roy Noel Chua 26 Jul 1 Changi Business Park, immature dark morph Herman Phua male 26 Jul 1 Singapore Quarry, evening, immature dark Francis Yap, Art Toh morph female, calling in flight 31 Jul 2 Pasir Ris Park, 1 was an immature dark morph Zhang Licong male 31 Jul 1 Garden, immature pale morph Kok M Lee

3 Aug 1 Singapore Quarry William Mahoney 5 Aug 2 Neo Tiew Harvest Lane, immatures Alan OwYong 6 Aug 1 Pasir Ris Park, immature pale morph female Alvin Seng 10 Aug 1 Pulau Ubin Martin Kennewell 11 Aug 1 Springleaf, afternoon Ng Wei Khim 12 Aug 1 Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve Han YK 15 Aug 3 Sembawang Martin Kennewell 17 Aug 2 West Coast Drive Tay Kian Guan 20 Aug 1 Pandan River Sim Chip Chye 22 Aug 1 , immature female Tay Kian Guan 23 Aug 3 Jelutong Tower Oliver Tan 24 Aug 1 Kranji Marsh, immature pale morph Adrian Silas Tay 28 Aug 3 West Coast Drive Tay Kian Guan 30 Aug 2 Kranji, juveniles Alan OwYong, Lee Ee Ling 31 Aug 1 Halus Wetlands Feroz Ghazali 31 Aug 2 Rifle Range Road Tan Kok Hui 31 Aug 3 Bukit Timah Railway Station, 10am Ulf Remahl

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6 Sep 1 Singapore, adult female torquatus Esther Ong 6 Sep 2 Jelutong Tower Francis Yap 7 Sep 2 Fort Canning Park Samuel Ng 10 Sep 1 , torquatus tweeddale Deborah Friets morph 10 Sep 1 Jurong Lake Garden Alok Mishra 10 Sep 1 Coronation Road, juvenile pale morph Susan de Silva 11 Sep 1 , immature male pale Herman Phua morph 13 Sep 1 Changi Business Park Mike Hooper 14 Sep 6 Jelutong Tower Tan Kok Hui 15 Sep 1 Kranji Marsh Fadzrun A. 21 Sep 2 NUS, 2:45pm Oliver Tan 22 Sep 12 Tuas Low Choon How 23 Sep 1 , 8:30am - 12pm Zacc HD 24 Sep 1 Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve, immature pale Steven Cheong morph 27 Sep 3 Jelutong Tower Francis Yap, Richard White

3. Chinese Sparrowhawk Accipiter soloensis (16) Date No. Location and Details Reported By 22 Sep 3 Tuas Low Choon How 27 Sep 2 Jelutong Tower Francis Yap, Richard White 28 Sep 3 Henderson Waves, at least 1 adult female, Adrian Silas Tay 9:25am - 12pm 29 Sep 8 Tuas Low Choon How

4. Japanese Sparrowhawk Accipiter gularis (47) Date No. Location and Details Reported By Sep 1 Pasir Ris Park adult male Jae Gu 13 Sep 1 Jalan Bahar Lim Kim Seng 18 Sep 1 Ketam Bike Park, Pulau Ubin, morning Keita Sin 22 Sep 1 Sentosa Cove, juvenile, morning John Marriott 23 Sep 1 Kent Ridge Park, 8:30am - 12pm Zacc HD 24 Sep 1 Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve Martin Kennewell 26 Sep 28 The Pinnacle Duxton, biggest group comprised Adrian Silas Tay 12 birds, 8:50am - 1:30pm 27 Sep 1 Jelutong Tower Francis Yap, Richard White 28 Sep 1 Jelutong Tower, adult female, 8-10am See Toh Yew Wai 28 Sep 8 Henderson Waves, at least 1 adult female, Adrian Silas Tay 9:25am - 12pm 29 Sep 3 Tuas Low Choon How

Page 4 of 6 5. Peregrine Falcon Falco peregrinus (2+2) Date No. Location and Details Reported By 6 Jul 1 Telok Blangah, ernesti adult Ros Qian 27 Jul 1 Pulau Ubin Jetty, juvenile See Toh Yew Wai

3 Aug 1 Marina Bay, possibly ernesti Esther Ong

29 Sep 1 Kranji Marsh Martin Kennewell

Resident Raptors

Black-winged Kite Elanus caeruleus Date No. Location and Details Reported By 13 Jul 1 Lorong Halus, adult Herman Phua

20 Sep 1 Harvest Lane Lim Joseph 29 Sep 2 Tuas Low Choon How

Brahminy Kite Haliastur indus Date No. Location and Details Reported By 2 Jul 1 , adult Michael Phua 7 Jul 1 , adult Wang HM 12 Jul 1 Marina Barrage, adult Herman Phua

2 Aug 1 Pasir Ris Park, juvenile Ted Lee 11 Aug 1 Changi, juvenile Herman Phua 12 Aug 1 Little Guilin Ulf Remahl 22 Aug 1 Marina Bay, adult Carol Lim 30 Aug 1 , adult Tay Kian Guan

3 Sep 2 Sisters' Island Carol Lim 24 Sep 1 Pasir Ris Park, juvenile Alvin Seng

White-bellied Sea Eagle Haliaeetus leucogaster Date No. Location and Details Reported By 10 Jul 1 Pasir Ris Park, immature Alvin Seng

2 Aug 1 , 6:35pm Ulf Remahl 2 Aug 1 Upper Pierce Reservoir Tay Kian Guan 2 Aug 1 Pulau Ubin Seah Kok Meng 23 Aug 2 Marina Barrage, 1 adult harassed by House Herman Phua Crows, 1 immature 30 Aug 1 Marina Bay, caught a fish, adult Carol Lim

19 Sep 1 Park, immature Lim Joseph

Page 5 of 6 Grey-headed Fish Eagle Haliaeetus ichthyaetus Date No. Location and Details Reported By 2 Jul 1 Little Guilin, 2nd/3rd year bird, caught a fish, Ulf Remahl 9am - 9:50am 24 Jul 1 Ulu Pandan, adult Michael Phua

August 1 Singapore Quarry, adult Lim Joseph 3 Aug 2 Singapore Quarry Zhang Licong 11 Aug 1 Springleaf, juvenile, afternoon Ng Wei Khim 12 Aug 1 Little Guilin, 7:30am - 9am Ulf Remahl 25 Aug 1 Botanic Gardens Learning Forest, juvenile Art Toh

Crested Serpent Eagle Spilornis cheela Date No. Location and Details Reported By 2 Jul 1 Pulau Ubin Feroz Ghazali 6 Jul 1 Malcolm Road Soon Yi Pak

6 Sep 1 Malcolm Road Tay Kian Guan 8 Sep 1 Pulau Ubin Adrian Silas Tay

Crested Goshawk Accipiter trivirgatus Date No. Location and Details Reported By August 1 Kent Ridge Park, juvenile Wang HM 10 Aug 1 Pasir Ris Park, adult Herman Phua 25 Aug 1 , adult Wang HM 25 Aug 1 Pasir Ris Park James Tann 25 Aug 1 Satay by the Bay Siew Mun 26 Aug 1 Satay by the Bay Sim Chip Chye

10 Sep 1 Botanic Gardens Brian Powell

Changeable Hawk-eagle Nisaetus cirrhatus Date No. Location and Details Reported By 19 Jul 1 Changi South, immature pale morph Ted Lee

3 Aug 2 Singapore Quarry, 1 dark morph, 1 pale morph Zhang Licong 9 Aug 1 Tampines Eco Green, pale morph Wang HM 16 Aug 1 Tuas, immature pale morph Lim Joseph 20 Aug 1 Tampines Eco Green, pale morph adult Feroz N Fizah 31 Aug 1 Turut Track, one eyed dark morph Adrian Silas Tay

Spotted Wood Owl Strix seloputo Date No. Location and Details Reported By 11 Jul 3 Pasir Ris Park, 1 fledged juvenile and its Carol Lim parents, juvenile fell to the ground but subsequently climbed back up the tree

Compiled by Tan Gim Cheong

Many thanks to everyone for their records and to Sim Chip Chye and Ros Qian for the use of their photos.

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