A lifer (new bird sighting) was presented to me today in Sungei Buloh but it was a tough shot.I came across a pair of them as I neared the obsevation hide near the educational centre in Sungei Buloh. They seemed startled as I was. One flew off and another stayed but soon fluttered away. I stayed back awhile thinking it was a nice quiet spot to wait for something to happen and it was worth the time. The male who flew away came back and foraged vigorously at the roots of a mangrove tree. Tucked under heavy foliage I could still recognise the bird but it was too thick for a decent shot.
I persisted patiently to find the opening however small just to have a record of the bird who was busy pecking away at the roots, adamant to find some grub. It continued wood-pecking for 30 minutes until a wave of the fantail, ashy tailorbird and company shooed him away.
The Laced Woodpecker is an uncommon resident in Singapore and stays mainly in the mangroves and coastal scrubs. It is very similar to the Streak-breasted and the Streak-throated Woodpecker but those are found far north of the Causeway.