NPX: What got you interested in animal watching?

JL: “The World of Survival” sticker book from Panini!

NPX: How long have you been into this hobby?

JL: More than 20 years.

NPX: We all know your bird ID skill is superb. How did you get to your current knowledge of birds?

JL: Not as superb as I want it to be! I still make mistakes and continue to learn from that. I get my current knowledge by reading, observing in the field, studying guide books, searching the internet, practicing and learning from mistakes – they all add up.

NPX: Where is your favourite “playground”? Can share which is the rarest bird you’ve seen?

JL: No favourite playground, but Changi Cove is always exciting. The endangered Nordmann’s Greenshank, of which only up to 1000 are left in the world, is the rarest bird I’ve seen.

NPX: What is your favourite species of bird? Why?

JL: This is tough, but if I were to choose, birds of paradise would definitely top the list. They are so stunningly beautiful and yet closely related to crows!

NPX: I heard you like to travel. Any interesting overseas birding trips to share?

JL: The most interesting overseas trip I’ve had so far (but not pertaining to birding) was at Yellowstone National Park.

NPX: What are the stuff you put inside your outing bag?

JL: Bino, camera, water and umbrella.

NPX: What is the most challenging aspect of this hobby?

JL: Bird ID. You do not always get clear views of the birds, so you’ll need to know their calls/songs, behaviours, habitats, distributions, etc to clinch the ID. Even with clear views, sometimes there are confusion species, so the more you know about each species, the better it is.

NPX: Can you describe your worse followed by your best birding experience?

JL: Worse: Missing the California Condor at Grand Canyon.
Best: Enjoying pretty birds in the nice cool temperature of Fraser’s Hill.

NPX: Any interesting photos you’ll like to share with us?

JL: I’m not a photographer, but here’s a photo of the famous Botanic Garden juvenile Malayan Night Heron to share.

NPX: Thanks for your time.

JL: Thanks.