Birding/ Bird watching at Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve, Singapore

Birding/ Bird watching at Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve, Singapore

Saturday 4th of November 2017 and we left the Hindhede Nature Park/ Bukit Timah nature reserve. I will visit the Hindhede Nature Park/ Bukit Timah nature reserve again. But on a weekday and in the dry season. We were driving towards the Woodlands and the Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve. We were on a highway surrounded by forest, well, at least trees and I kept my eyes out for something that could be interesting for bird watching.

We left the highway and we were soon seeing a bigh sign saying Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve. Kranji Gate and we know that we were on the right place. I walked the short distance from the carpark to the visitor centre. I have never heard of crocodiles here in Singapore, but there was many warning signs, so if they are not a joke there are crocodiles here in Singapore.

Birding/ Bird watching at Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve, Singapore
On the way to Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve

Birding/ Bird watching at Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve, Singapore
We found the place

Birding/ Bird watching at Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve, Singapore
Bigger map, click HERE

Birding/ Bird watching at Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve, Singapore
Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve Visitor Centre

Birding/ Bird watching at Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve, Singapore
Lizard at the Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve Visitor Centre

I stop at the Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve Visitor Centre as I can hear the Olive-backed Sunbird in the trees. I see a few Oriental white-eyes and a Lizard. And the Lizard is the only thing I get a picture of. There are two trails from the Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve Visitor Centre.
1) Forest trail
2) Costal trail

And after a little walking, 3 minutes you reach a “mid canopy walk”. An hanging walk path half way up the trees, yes as the name suggest, a mid canopy walk. I decide to take the “Costal Walk” First point of interest is the Little Heron Deck, a platform overlooking the Straits of Johor. But I didn't see any birds, but I could see Malaysia on the other side of the Straits of Johor

I get up on the Coastal Walk, a concrete walk path and I'm soon reaching the bridge over the water. I get out on the bridge and I'm soon seeing a Striated Heron.

Birding/ Bird watching at Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve, Singapore
Little Heron Deck

Birding/ Bird watching at Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve, Singapore
Costal Walk

Birding/ Bird watching at Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve, Singapore
Coming to the walking bridge

Birding/ Bird watching at Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve, Singapore
Coming to the walking bridge

Birding/ Bird watching at Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve, Singapore
Coming to the walking bridge

Striated Heron, Little heron, Butorides striata, นกยางเขียว

Striated Heron, Little heron, Butorides striata, นกยางเขียว
Striated Heron - นกยางเขียว

Striated Heron, Little heron, Butorides striata, นกยางเขียว
Striated Heron - นกยางเขียว

Striated Heron, Little heron, Butorides striata, นกยางเขียว
Striated Heron - นกยางเขียว

Striated Heron, Little heron, Butorides striata, นกยางเขียว
Striated Heron - นกยางเขียว

Striated Heron, Little heron, Butorides striata, นกยางเขียว
Striated Heron - นกยางเขียว

Striated Heron, Little heron, Butorides striata, นกยางเขียว
Striated Heron - นกยางเขียว

I left the bridge and I continued on the Coastal Walk towards the Buloh Tidal Ponds. I don't see any birds on the Coastal Walk, but I can hear a lot of Kingfishers. But it is a beautiful area to walk in, if it wasn't for all the people screaming all over the reserve. So yet again, I made a mental not to come here on a weekday. Everywhere I have been it have been crowded and this is most likely due to the weekend.

I passed several crocodile warning signs on the Coastal Walk. But I never saw any crocodile.

Birding/ Bird watching at Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve, Singapore
Warning

Birding/ Bird watching at Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve, Singapore
Walking along the Coastal Walk

Birding/ Bird watching at Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve, Singapore
Lumnitzera Walk

Birding/ Bird watching at Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve, Singapore
Lumnitzera Walk

Lumnitzera Walk,

Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve. This boardwalk gets its name from Teruntum merah (Lumnitzera littorea), a locally Endangered species of tree with fissured bark and bright red flowers that grows in back mangroves.

Birding/ Bird watching at Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve, Singapore
Kingfisher Pod

Birding/ Bird watching at Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve, Singapore
Mud Experience

Walking towards the Buloh Tidal Ponds and you pass the Lumnitzera Walk. A bridge taking you in to the mangroves. We pass some PODS and I never entered any of the pods. But I think it is some kind of exhibition. The MUD EXPERIENCE is platforms low to the mud flats so you can study the different animals living there. But now it was high-water and the platform was under water.

Approaching the Wetland Center and the noise from the visitors got higher. I asked a few of them what they were doing here. I told them that they could as well have been down at Orchard Road screaming at each other. I was thirsty and no restaurants or mini marts. Only vending machines and I didn't had any Singapore dollars. And the vending machines only had sweet water.

But one of the tourists gave me a bottle of water, she was so sweet. I finished my water and I went out on the bridge to cross Buloh Besar River to the Buloh Tidal Ponds.

Birding/ Bird watching at Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve, Singapore
At the Wetland Centre

Birding/ Bird watching at Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve, Singapore
At the Wetland Centre

Birding/ Bird watching at Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve, Singapore
White-breasted Waterhen

Birding/ Bird watching at Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve, Singapore
White-breasted Waterhen

Birding/ Bird watching at Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve, Singapore
White-breasted Waterhen

Birding/ Bird watching at Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve, Singapore
Sungei Buloh Bridge

Birding/ Bird watching at Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve, Singapore
Painted Storks

Birding/ Bird watching at Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve, Singapore
Collared Kingfisher

Looking up and down the river from the bridge and I could see Collared Kingfishers and Painted Storks. The bridge was full of people and there was a group of children with a Guide looking for birds. At the other end of the bridge I came right on to a bird hide.

I left the bird hide, only egrets and quite far away. But now I know that I should come here at low water next time so the mudflats are clear from water and I can enjoy the birds.
- Did you see the crocodile? I guy asked
- No

We went back to the hide and in front of the egrets was a crocodile sleeping. And the crocodile will soon have to leave when the mud pile is covered with water. So yes, if you want to come here it should be at low water. I made a mental note about this and I continue along the walk path going around the Buloh Tidal Ponds.

Birding/ Bird watching at Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve, Singapore
Egrets on the mud flats

Birding/ Bird watching at Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve, Singapore
Crocodile

Birding/ Bird watching at Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve, Singapore
Bird hide

Birding/ Bird watching at Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve, Singapore
Waders, but too far away for any good pictures

Birding/ Bird watching at Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve, Singapore
Little Egret

Birding/ Bird watching at Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve, Singapore
Waders, but too far away for any good pictures

Birding/ Bird watching at Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve, Singapore
There are many bird hides around the Tidal Ponds

Birding/ Bird watching at Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve, Singapore
Back at the bridge to the Wetland Centre

Birding/ Bird watching at Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve, Singapore
Buloh Besar River from the Sungei Buloh Bridge

Birding/ Bird watching at Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve, Singapore
Buloh Besar River from the Sungei Buloh Bridge

I was thirsty and I knew that there would not be any water to get at the Wetland Centre. Unless of course if I was lucky like when I arrived here. But the chances are slim for meeting anyone having a bottle of water for me. So I just knew that I had to trot all the way back to the Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve Visitor Centre.

I walked a bit with a girl and a guy that I had met at the Tidal Ponds. They were here to look for birds as well and we looked around for some Kingfishers. We could hear a lot of Kingfishers from the mangrove but no sighting. The only bird we saw on the way back was the Ashy Tailorbird at the MUD EXPERIENCE.

Going back and I go out on the bridge again to see if I can see the Striated Heron again. No Heron but a Sandpiper, don't ask me what Sandpiper it is, but that is never mind. Too far away for any good pictures anyway. But that was the only bird so I had to take a picture.

Ashy Tailorbird, Orthotomus ruficeps

Ashy Tailorbird, Orthotomus ruficeps
Ashy Tailorbird

Ashy Tailorbird, Orthotomus ruficeps
Ashy Tailorbird

Birding/ Bird watching at Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve, Singapore
Sandpiper

Well, no water at the Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve Visitor Centre, but again, I was lucky and I got a bottle from one of the people working there. I booked a UBER car and I checked out the bird life around the parking lot while waiting. I spotted Yellow-vented Bulbuls and Olive-backed Sunbirds in the trees.

And wait I did. 3 or 4 different cars and no one came. Yes, I was in the middle of nowhere and the battery was running flat so I could not call a TAXI. I was not happy, well, I was quite angry and I will never use UBER again. I have downloaded Singapore TAXIs app and this should be as good. And with Singapore taxi, you can always call them.

Olive-backed Sunbird, Cinnyris jugularis, นกกินปลีอกเหลือง

To see the map in a full window click HERE

I was very lucky, there was a taxi after just a few minutes of waiting on the road side. We were on the way back to Holiday Inn and I decided that it was enough of bird watching for today. It was quite late in the afternoon. But after a cup of tea and some oatmeal I decided to go to check out the Botanical Garden. Click HERE to find out if I spotted any birds at the Botanical Garden.


Birding/ Bird watching at Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve, Singapore

       
                  
OK, it has come to my knowledge that we have senior citizens visiting my web page. How hard can it be? So it's not very easy for them to see the blue coloured links to the next page.
Jiffy (also jiff)

noun [in SING.] informal a moment: we'll be back in a jiffy.

ORIGIN late 18th cent.: of unknown origin.

So as you understand, in a jiff pretty much depends on your internet.
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E ni Svenskar och inte förstår Engelska så ska ni skämmas. J och Björn, med det menar jag inte att alla mina stavfel ska ältas varje gång vi träffas.

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