Dogged Nature

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Yesterday could easily have been one of my most enjoyable days at Sungei Buloh - it was a day of camaradarie and fun - nature walks with Krish the guide of all guides, boat rides around the estuaries of the Reserve, ceremonies of appreciation, sing-along sessions, banner-writing and terracotta moulding, video documentary viewing  (who better than David Attenborough for an hour of educational entertainment?), catered buffet tea and dinner, and top top it off, a night walk in the Reserve, during which we saw many beautiful invertebrates, Puff-faced watersnakes, and even fireflies. Ria managed to make it for the night walk, after having presented at the NYEF pre-forum event in the morning. I was really glad she came, when we had at the chance to talk, to catch up, and best of all to wander about in Buloh together, accompanied by our faithful Nikons. (When I crawled out of bed today, she had already posted on the Wildfilms blog!)

Through the years, we have seen the volunteer group grow… there are so many new faces, all so enthusiastic and best of all, they're getting younger. The former staff and old-time veterans of Buloh were all around, as where the NParks big bosses. It was all chit-chatty and happy, a celebration of the group which helped make Buloh the success it is today: not only the official recognition of it as an international and regional natural heritage site, but also all the new animals which have been making Buloh their home these years. 

It's been an honour to be a part of the family, and it's what's been helping me nurture my passion in nature since the early ages. At the banner-writing session, someone recommended that I write, "I grew up here!" - which wasn't far from the truth. 

A group of volunteers enjoying their ride

Mangrove crabs are good climbers

A Puff-faced watersnake. There were hordes of these at the aquatic plant pond!

A beautiful little moth - ID t.b.c.

Hatched spiderlings

There was a sleeping tailorbird by the path… didn't wanna flash it so just took a record shot

Saw a few Ornamental treetrunk spiders

A spikey Lynx spider

An ant-mimicking crab spider eating the weaver ant it mimics

Chrysalis of the Short Banded Sailor

And more photos of animals and people on Zoto.

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A few pics from my collection of exoskeletons, eggs, skins, moults and sloughs.

The classic cicada moult

Praying mantis, probably 3rd instar

Spider #1

Spider #2 

Giant terrestrial dragonfly moult  

Cotton stainer moult

Plus more photos of specimens here.

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aka International Year of the Turtle, held at East Coast Park.

Event pics can be found here.

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Nikon D70 + Nikon Fieldscope ED78 + attachment @ 1000mm  

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I realise that the more mozzies I feed, the more interesting the animals are that I get to see. Why must this be so?

Was called to Sungei Buloh yesterday to take on a group of schoolkids from Pat's Schoolhouse. Very inquisitive minds… endless questions. Very rewarding. I'm glad I had a choice between this and a bunch of teenage boys from SJI! 

My duty was but in the morning. I had the rest of the day to myself. I knew of the treasures the KNT held and also its better birding spots, so that was where I ventured. It was mozzie frontier, but it was all worth it! Saw some pretty strange creatures along the way… and I came out through the other end and met with the Kranji Dam, where the terns where, where I've always been wanting to shoot. Darn my D70… too slow with my 80-400 VR! I could barely keep track of the terns in my viewfinder; how was I to focus on them as they swept past above my head? It was fun though, and the place stank of rotten fish washed up from the reservoir.

Little Tern

Giant Ant-mimicking Spider

Pentatomid stink bug nymph (Pycanum sp.?)

Some Plume Moth (Pterophoridae)

Cotton Stainer nymphs

After Buloh and Kranji was Geylang, to the headquarters of Nature Society. Some President's Chat thingy, was invited along. It turned out to be a meeting to do with the constitution and resolutions passed at the AGM, and some other discussions. My first time dealing with the NSS and meeting it's who's who and legal advisors… all rather exciting. I wish I had met them sooner, it would have helped in some things. I've met a few of them before in my wanderings about nature places, and it's usually a "you look familiar, have I seen you before?" before we're formally introduced. I don't know where this would all lead to, but I think I've really got my hands tied. 

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We started off from Mandai Orchid Gardens, Kiat, Steven (our first time meeting; he figured I was Husky from the butterfly-pal forums! He was Birdwing) and I. We had high hopes for MOG, having heard and seen the great sunbird shots - especially of the Crimson sunbird and the spiderhunter - that other photographers managed to get from that place. It was tooo quiet. Hardly anything besides the Olive-backed and my good friends the Changeable lizards. I bumped into Keith there… a pleasant coincidence! We seem to have a tendency of bumping into each other in places.

We went on to the Kranji dam in search of the terns. Funnily enough, I see them every time I pass by on my way to Buloh, but when I go there specifically to shoot them, they're never there. No terns, no raptors. So… onwards to Buloh. Bob's smaller croc cousin was there by the main bridge, and there was a Paradise Tree snake in the main hide. Saw the tailorbirds, sunbirds, and the Common Iora. Lepidoptera-wise, the sunbeams and lascars were out in full force - 'tis the season for them perhaps.

Nothing much else, so we went to Sembawang after lunch to a former bee-eater hotspot. The long grasslands were trimmed, the bee-eaters were nowhere to be found. No luck whatsoever! Next, to Sringleaf. A Stork-billed kingfisher, and a Purple heron in the canals. Nothing special. We picked up a Painted Bronzeback - it was dead with two punctures in its sides and its innards were spilling out - in one of the smaller drains. Not a bad end to a bad birding day, but it would have been more exciting had it been alive. 

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