This publish was initially revealed on Could 25, 2013. It’s republished in our new “From the Archives” collection, by which we need to draw consideration to our huge again catalogue of greater than 10,000 birding-related posts revealed during the last 15 years or so.
Mike’s feedback relating to his current stopover in Japan struck a chord that has been resonating inside me for every week or two. Redgannet was initially conceived as a technique to encourage my colleagues (in case you haven’t learn the profile, I work as a flight attendant for a world airline) out of the retailers and their lodge rooms to expertise one thing that the native pure scene has to supply. My success on this respect has been very modest, however Mike triggered me suppose that as an alternative of making an attempt to tug people from their beds, I ought to be sharing with people who find themselves passing by means of, both in transit or on a layover.
I often write about websites accessible from the cities that I go to, however seldom make any point out of web sites that may be reached from the airport. For passengers passing by means of with transit occasions of greater than a few hours, such a chance could possibly be simply what they’re on the lookout for. Maybe I’ve missed my calling.
Let’s take Singapore’s Changi Worldwide Airport for instance; it’s a big hub airport with giant numbers of individuals passing by means of in transit to Australia, Indonesia and south-east Asia. Anybody with greater than a few hours to kill might simply make a fast birding foray out from the airport. The clear, straightforward and trendy Subway/Metro system right here is named the SMRT (map, and fare/time calculator hyperlink) and there’s a station on the airport (Google Earth lower and paste ref; 1°21’27.49″N 103°59’20.64″E (When you don’t have already got Google Earth, it may be downloaded without spending a dime at this hyperlink)). Alternatively, taxis are low cost and plentiful.
Asian Shiny Starling
Listed here are two websites that I go to often which may simply be reached from the airport by SMRT or taxi cab and given a cursory look inside a few hours. When you knew there was an Asian Shiny Starling shut by wouldn’t you need to go on the lookout for it? However, keep in mind to be again in loads of time in your onward flight!
A while administration ideas;
It could take a while to disembark and fulfill the formalities. Enable 30-40 minutes from touchdown to getting out of the airport and return to the airport with a minimal of an hour earlier than your subsequent flight.
Verify your maintain baggage during out of your airport of origin to your vacation spot and procure a boarding card in your subsequent sector on the identical time. This may depart you much less time burdened in your return to the airport.
When you want to depart the airport throughout your transit, you have to to current a touchdown card to immigration. Request a card and full it on-board to take advantage of your time.
Have a small quantity of Singaporean {dollars} to pay for taxis, trains and drinks. A taxi from the airport to Singapore Botanic Gardens might value S$20 – 30 relying on visitors, so convey no less than S$60 (Change charge calculator). When you don’t get to spend it, you should utilize it on board, or change it again later.
Taxi v SMRT – The SMRT is the superb, clear, secure, dependable, low cost transport system of Singapore. It should value simply over S$2 per passenger for a similar journey to the Botanic Gardens. The SMRT is predicted to take 50 minutes to the gardens, however a cab would in all probability handle it in half-hour. Taxis can often be discovered shortly and simply except it’s raining.
Don’t carry an excessive amount of hand baggage. You’ll both have to go away it on the airport and accumulate it later (utilizing up treasured time), or carry it with you in scorching, humid circumstances.
Beneath are particulars for Paser Ris and Singapore Botanic Gardens.
My favorite website in Singapore is Paser Ris. It’s straightforward to get to and from and really straightforward to get round. The birding will not be distinctive, however you possibly can simply see a few of Singapore’s and South-east Asia’s extra frequent species and it does throw up the occasional jewel. Often there are days like this!
Paser Ris is a small park inside 10kms of the airport, in all probability about 15 minutes in a cab. Taxis are straightforward to seek out from the airport and could be straightforward to seek out to get again once more. It’s inside 500m of Paser Ris SMRT Station (Google Earth lower and paste ref; 1°22’22.77″N 103°56’58.54″E), simply 5 stops (with one change) from the Changi Airport SMRT Station (Fare/time calculator predicts that it’ll value S$1.9 and take 23 minutes).
My private record for Paser Ris runs to 75 birds over 15 visits that common out at round 25 species per outing.
The generally seen birds, in accordance with their season, are; Grey Heron, Nice Egret, Little Egret, Cattle Egret, Striated Heron, Black-crowned Night time-heron, Brahminy Kite, White-bellied Sea-Eagle, White-breasted Waterhen, Little Ringed Plover, Frequent Sandpiper, Frequent Redshank, Whimbrel, Noticed Dove, Zebra Dove, Pink-necked Pigeon, Crimson-breasted Parakeet, Lengthy-tailed Parakeet, Asian Koel, Frequent Kingfisher, White-throated Kingfisher, Black-capped Kingfisher, Collared Kingfisher, Blue-throated Bee-eater, Brown-capped Woodpecker, Laced Woodpecker, Frequent Flameback, Frequent Iora, Tiger Shrike, Brown Shrike, Black-naped Oriole, Pied Fantail, Home Crow, Giant-billed Crow, Pacific Swallow, Crimson-whiskered Bulbul, Yellow-vented Bulbul, Frequent Tailorbird, Rufous-tailed Tailorbird, Ashy Tailorbird, Asian Brown Flycatcher, Oriental Magpie-robin, Asian Shiny Starling, Crested Myna, Javan Myna, Frequent Myna, Scarlet-backed Flowerpecker, Plain-throated Sunbird, Copper-throated Sunbird, Olive-backed Sunbird, Home Sparrow, Eurasian Tree Sparrow, Nutmeg Mannikin, White-headed Munia.
Noticed Wooden-owl
A couple of of the highlights embody; Black Baza, Crested Serpent-eagle, Blue-rumped Parrot, Higher Coucal, Noticed Wooden-owl , Dollarbird, Oriental Pied-hornbill, Mangrove Pitta, Golden-bellied Gerygone, Pied Triller, Ashy Minivet, Olive-winged Bulbul, Arctic Warbler.
Options of the park embody a small, tidal river (Sungei Tampines), lawns, timber and seashore. The park may be walked round in lower than an hour, however there are a number of options that may trigger the birder to linger. Its largest draw for birders would in all probability be the mangrove boardwalk and the 4 storey hen viewing tower.
There’s a concrete gutter between the tidal a part of the river and the growth which maintains water ranges upstream. You’ll find this the place the highway crosses the river at Google Earth ref; 1°22’30.66″N 103°57’9.79″E.
You may additionally discover acquainted faces. Black-crowned Night time Heron
From the bridge right here you can find herons, egrets and kingfishers. The trail alongside the proper (east) financial institution of the river leads alongside a cycle path with Asian Koels, Yellow-vented Bulbuls, Laced Woodpeckers and Oriental Magpie Robins all seemingly.
Take the left (west) path down the left financial institution of the river and you’ll shortly end up on a boardwalk amongst the mangroves. There’s a viewing platform constructed out over the river and the birding tower may be discovered additional alongside. Orioles, bulbuls and sunbirds are more likely to be seen from right here.
Whichever means you go, you’ll quickly end up on the shore and the mouth of the river, or the seashore will give a small choice of wading birds relying on the season and the state of the tide.
The frivolously wooded lawns convey flycatchers, pigeons and doves. There may be at all times the prospect of an over-flying raptor with Brahminy Kite and White-bellied Sea-eagle generally seen.
Services at Paser Ris embody bogs and ingesting fountains within the park itself. Close to the practice station, inside 500m are retailers and eating places.
You may additionally use the SMRT to go to Singapore Botanic Gardens. There’s a devoted station, appropriately named, Botanic Backyard.
My private record for the gardens runs to 60 birds over 9 visits. It’s open from early morning to late night and is busy at any time of day. In case you are not birdwatching, chances are you’ll want to take part with the musical Tai Chi classes. There may be an official web site with opening hours and occasions at http://www.sbg.org.sg/index.asp
The next species are generally seen right here; Lesser Whistling Duck, Yellow Bittern, Striated Heron, Brahminy Kite, White-breasted Waterhen, Noticed Dove, Zebra Dove, Pink-necked Inexperienced Pigeon, Lengthy-tailed Parakeet, Blue-crowned Hanging Parrot, Asian Koel, Asian Palm Swift, White-throated Kingfisher, Collared Kingfisher, Blue-throated Bee-eater, Banded Woodpecker, Black-naped Oriole, Black Drongo, Pacific Swallow, Yellow-vented Bulbul, Asian Brown Flycatcher, Oriental Magpie Robin, Asian Shiny Starling, Javan Myna, Scarlet-backed Flowerpecker, Plain-throated Sunbird, Olive-backed Sunbird, Eurasian Tree Sparrow.
Different highlights would possibly embody; Black Baza, Crimson-legged Crake, Stork-billed Kingfisher, Lineated Barbet, Japanese Crimson Sunbird.
Stork-billed Kingfisher
The SMRT station is situated near the north gate. Simply right here is Ecopond, a small lake with tough edges and a small palm-congested island. Search for Pink-necked Inexperienced Pigeons, Yellow-vented Bulbuls and Asian Shiny Starlings on the island’s palms. Across the edges you might even see White-breasted Waterhens, Yellow Bitterns and Lesser Whistling Geese.
Yellow Bittern
Head into the gardens and you’ll quickly discover Heliconia Stroll. That is my favorite a part of the park which permits actually shut views of Sunbirds that come right down to feed within the flower beds.
Heliconia Stroll overlooks Symphony Lake, one other great place to search for Yellow Bittern. An island hosts the orchestra stage and a few towering palms. Verify the tops of the palms for Blue-crowned Hanging Parrot and look ahead to White-breasted Kingfishers on any distinguished function.
Olive-backed Sunbird
In case your time is restricted chances are you’ll not have the ability to become familiar with the swiflets that flock above the lawns and lakes. When you do handle to determine them, please drop me a line and inform me what they’re.
There’s a small forested space with a boardwalk in order that it’s satisfactory even within the moist. Forest species are more likely to embody the Banded Woodpecker and Black Drongo.
The Botanic Gardens are farther from the airport than Paser Ris. 15 stops and a pair of modifications might sound fairly sophisticated, however the system may be very person pleasant and all indicators are in English. The calculator reckons that the journey will take 50 minutes and value simply over S$2.
On the guests space of the gardens, eating places, bogs and a present store could also be discovered.
When you do enterprise out, might I like to recommend the New Holland Discipline Information by Craig Robson to the Birds of South-east Asia.
There isn’t a Malaria danger in Singapore, however there are nonetheless biting bugs and repellent might be helpful round daybreak and nightfall.
Lastly, if you happen to should not have time to flee the airport, go to the butterfly backyard within the terminal.
Autor Redgannet
