Mark Bruce
Super Moderator
Part 1: Singapore
My wife and I arrived in Singapore on the night of 28 June. We headed for the Parkroyal Hotel in Little India where we met up with BF's Ann Chaplin. After checking in and saying hello to Ann it was getting pretty late so we went off to bed.
Sunday, 29 June
After breakfast the three of us took a taxi to theSingapore Botanical Gardens. The gardens were established in 1859 when the colonial government granted 32 hectares of land to the Agricultural & Horticultural Society to establish a botanical garden. An earlier botanical garden had been established bySir Stamford Raffles, the founder of the colonial Singapore settlement, in 1822 at Fort Canning. This garden fell into neglect after Raffles’s death in 1826 and was closed in 1829.
The garden now occupies 63.7 hectares making a great birding spot well within Singapore's city limits. The SBG Bird Checklist lists 137 species recorded in the garden up to November 2007. The gardens open from 5 a.m. to 12 midnight 365 days a year, and admission is free except for the National Orchid Garden (8.30 am to 7 pm daily) where an S$5 admission fee is charged.
On route to the gardens we sighted numerous Javan Mynas, House Crows, Tree Sparrows and a small flock of Common Mynas. We entered the gardens through the Cluny Rd Gate at the Visitors Centre. As we entered the gardens a Black-naped Oriole flew over and a pair of Pink-necked Green Pigeon could be seen in the top of a nearby tree. We took a walk through the Rain Forest and Orchid Garden during which we sighted Spotted Dove, Yellow-vented Bulbul, Asian Palm Swift, House Swift, Grey-rumped Treeswift, Dollarbird, Oriental Magpie Robin, Pacific Swallow, Brown-throated Sunbird, Olive-backed Sunbird, Crimson Sunbird, Asian Glossy Starling and more Javan Mynas, House Crows, Tree Sparrows and Common Mynas.
We then had lunch and walked back to the visitors centre via Symphony Lake and added Brahminy Kite, Crested Goshawk, Golden-bellied Gerygone, and White-breasted Waterhen to the list. We visited Nature’s Niche Bookshop where I had a chat to Morten Strange, author of a number of regional field guides and manager of the bookshop. After the chat to Morten we headed back to the hotel for some cool during the hottest part of the day.
The late afternoon saw us heading to Fort Canning Park to visit the Battle Box Museum at the site of the former Allied HQ during the Battle for Singapore and Malaya. While in Singapore I wanted to take the opportunity to visit some of the POW sites from the World War II Japanese occupation of Singapore. After our visit to the museum we took the opportunity to do some birding in Fort Canning Park, another well-known Singapore birding spot. We were able add a lovely Collared Kingfisher to our list.
Monday, 30 June
After breakfast we headed to the Changi Chapel, a former POW chapel at the site of the infamous Changi Prison via Beach Road. My visit to Beach Road was to photograph the site of his capture for a dear former Far Eastern POW friend of mine. While at Changi Chapel we were able to add Edible-nest Swiftlet to the list.
From Changi Chapel we proceeded to the Kranji British and Commonwealth War and Military Cemetery and Memorial. In the quiet car park we added Scaly-breasted Munia and Sunda Pygmy Woodpecker to the list. Moments later I saw a small green parrot-like bird race out of tall tree across the car park and disappear into some trees on the far side of the car park. I was just about to chase after it when it came flying back and disappeared into the dense foliage of a tall tree near where we were standing. After a brief search we were able to add three Blue-crowned Hanging Parrots to the list.
The cemetery and memorial were very moving. I couldn’t help notice the Brown-throated and Olive-backed Sunbirds darting between the tombstones from shrub to shrub. While in the cemetery a lone Brahminy Kite circled and glided overhead. As we walked back towards the main road from the cemetery to get a taxi we added Common Iora and Changeable Hawk Eagle to the list. We headed back to the hotel for lunch and a rest.
Mid afternoon saw us heading back to the botanical gardens. During our time in the gardens we added Striated Heron, Lesser Whistling Duck, White-bellied Sea Eagle, Long-tailed Parakeet, Common Koel, Stork-billed Kingfisher, Blue-throated Bee-Eater, Coppersmith Barbet, Common Tailorbird, Hill Myna, and Large-billed Crow to the list.
While up at the far end of the gardens near Bukit Timah Road I observed a pair of parrots flying over that looked like Blue-rumped Parrot. Blue-rumped Parrot is a very rare resident in Singapore. The Blue-rumped Parrot are known to frequent the Bukit Timah Nature Reserve and the Central Catchment Area and these parrots were certainly heading in that direction.
After several hours in the garden we decided to have dinner. As we sat outside in the visitors centre area enjoying a quite evening meal, suddenly a Red-legged Crake jumped out of the dense plant cover next to a small pond and walked right past our table and disappeared into the dense plant growth of another small pond, a really unexpected and delightful way to end our stay in Singapore.
Getting to the Singapore Botanical Gardens
On Foot or Bicycle:
Entrance to the Gardens through: Tanglin Gate, Burkill Gate, Nassim Gate, Cluny Park Gate, and through the Bukit Timah Entrance.
MRT:
At present there isn’t a station at SBG. A station is planned for the future but is still several years away. At present the closest MRT station is Orchard MRT Station (NS22) on Orchard Road. From the station the gardens can be reached on foot, by bus (SBS bus 7, 105, 106, 123 or 174) or taxi.
Bus:
Via Holland Road
SBS Transit 7, 105, 123, 174
SMRT 75, 77, 106
Via Bukit Timah Road
SBS Transit 66, 151, 153, 154
SMRT 67, 171
Taxi:
There is a taxi drop-off and pick-up point at the Visitors Centre on Cluny Rd.
Part 2: Malaysia and our adventures with BF's Dr Manjeet Singh and Jason Tan to follow shortly
My wife and I arrived in Singapore on the night of 28 June. We headed for the Parkroyal Hotel in Little India where we met up with BF's Ann Chaplin. After checking in and saying hello to Ann it was getting pretty late so we went off to bed.
Sunday, 29 June
After breakfast the three of us took a taxi to theSingapore Botanical Gardens. The gardens were established in 1859 when the colonial government granted 32 hectares of land to the Agricultural & Horticultural Society to establish a botanical garden. An earlier botanical garden had been established bySir Stamford Raffles, the founder of the colonial Singapore settlement, in 1822 at Fort Canning. This garden fell into neglect after Raffles’s death in 1826 and was closed in 1829.
The garden now occupies 63.7 hectares making a great birding spot well within Singapore's city limits. The SBG Bird Checklist lists 137 species recorded in the garden up to November 2007. The gardens open from 5 a.m. to 12 midnight 365 days a year, and admission is free except for the National Orchid Garden (8.30 am to 7 pm daily) where an S$5 admission fee is charged.
On route to the gardens we sighted numerous Javan Mynas, House Crows, Tree Sparrows and a small flock of Common Mynas. We entered the gardens through the Cluny Rd Gate at the Visitors Centre. As we entered the gardens a Black-naped Oriole flew over and a pair of Pink-necked Green Pigeon could be seen in the top of a nearby tree. We took a walk through the Rain Forest and Orchid Garden during which we sighted Spotted Dove, Yellow-vented Bulbul, Asian Palm Swift, House Swift, Grey-rumped Treeswift, Dollarbird, Oriental Magpie Robin, Pacific Swallow, Brown-throated Sunbird, Olive-backed Sunbird, Crimson Sunbird, Asian Glossy Starling and more Javan Mynas, House Crows, Tree Sparrows and Common Mynas.
We then had lunch and walked back to the visitors centre via Symphony Lake and added Brahminy Kite, Crested Goshawk, Golden-bellied Gerygone, and White-breasted Waterhen to the list. We visited Nature’s Niche Bookshop where I had a chat to Morten Strange, author of a number of regional field guides and manager of the bookshop. After the chat to Morten we headed back to the hotel for some cool during the hottest part of the day.
The late afternoon saw us heading to Fort Canning Park to visit the Battle Box Museum at the site of the former Allied HQ during the Battle for Singapore and Malaya. While in Singapore I wanted to take the opportunity to visit some of the POW sites from the World War II Japanese occupation of Singapore. After our visit to the museum we took the opportunity to do some birding in Fort Canning Park, another well-known Singapore birding spot. We were able add a lovely Collared Kingfisher to our list.
Monday, 30 June
After breakfast we headed to the Changi Chapel, a former POW chapel at the site of the infamous Changi Prison via Beach Road. My visit to Beach Road was to photograph the site of his capture for a dear former Far Eastern POW friend of mine. While at Changi Chapel we were able to add Edible-nest Swiftlet to the list.
From Changi Chapel we proceeded to the Kranji British and Commonwealth War and Military Cemetery and Memorial. In the quiet car park we added Scaly-breasted Munia and Sunda Pygmy Woodpecker to the list. Moments later I saw a small green parrot-like bird race out of tall tree across the car park and disappear into some trees on the far side of the car park. I was just about to chase after it when it came flying back and disappeared into the dense foliage of a tall tree near where we were standing. After a brief search we were able to add three Blue-crowned Hanging Parrots to the list.
The cemetery and memorial were very moving. I couldn’t help notice the Brown-throated and Olive-backed Sunbirds darting between the tombstones from shrub to shrub. While in the cemetery a lone Brahminy Kite circled and glided overhead. As we walked back towards the main road from the cemetery to get a taxi we added Common Iora and Changeable Hawk Eagle to the list. We headed back to the hotel for lunch and a rest.
Mid afternoon saw us heading back to the botanical gardens. During our time in the gardens we added Striated Heron, Lesser Whistling Duck, White-bellied Sea Eagle, Long-tailed Parakeet, Common Koel, Stork-billed Kingfisher, Blue-throated Bee-Eater, Coppersmith Barbet, Common Tailorbird, Hill Myna, and Large-billed Crow to the list.
While up at the far end of the gardens near Bukit Timah Road I observed a pair of parrots flying over that looked like Blue-rumped Parrot. Blue-rumped Parrot is a very rare resident in Singapore. The Blue-rumped Parrot are known to frequent the Bukit Timah Nature Reserve and the Central Catchment Area and these parrots were certainly heading in that direction.
After several hours in the garden we decided to have dinner. As we sat outside in the visitors centre area enjoying a quite evening meal, suddenly a Red-legged Crake jumped out of the dense plant cover next to a small pond and walked right past our table and disappeared into the dense plant growth of another small pond, a really unexpected and delightful way to end our stay in Singapore.
Getting to the Singapore Botanical Gardens
On Foot or Bicycle:
Entrance to the Gardens through: Tanglin Gate, Burkill Gate, Nassim Gate, Cluny Park Gate, and through the Bukit Timah Entrance.
MRT:
At present there isn’t a station at SBG. A station is planned for the future but is still several years away. At present the closest MRT station is Orchard MRT Station (NS22) on Orchard Road. From the station the gardens can be reached on foot, by bus (SBS bus 7, 105, 106, 123 or 174) or taxi.
Bus:
Via Holland Road
SBS Transit 7, 105, 123, 174
SMRT 75, 77, 106
Via Bukit Timah Road
SBS Transit 66, 151, 153, 154
SMRT 67, 171
Taxi:
There is a taxi drop-off and pick-up point at the Visitors Centre on Cluny Rd.
Part 2: Malaysia and our adventures with BF's Dr Manjeet Singh and Jason Tan to follow shortly