Evening at Lakeside

Lakeside, although located in the middle of a busy town, is an ideal spot for a quick and refreshing stroll. As the name suggests, the park is located along a large lake, and holds two small 'islands', the Chinese and Japanese Gardens. I used to regularly go for early morning jogs and evening walks here with my friends or family, as it was a mere 15 minute walk from my home.

The sparkling apartments at night, seen on the other side of the lake

Lakeside, Singapore (Archived)

I was looking through my old photos of Singapore when I realized there were some shots of Lakeside that I hadn't uploaded. These photographs were taken from Lakeside in April 2011, during my summer break.

A stretch of condominiums by the lake... It must be a beautiful view for the residents living in there!





Can you spot the MRTs (trains)?



A random shot of the wide canal along which I walked home.



Oh God, I just miss Singapore! :(
Anyway, Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year, everyone!

Purple and Golden

Purple and Golden don't seem to go very well, do they?

I captured two shots from the Chinese and Japanese Gardens once again, on a fine evening. After some minor editing, I was fascinated by the two images, one of a purple shade and the other rich golden. Here's the former, which is a silhouette of a bundle of vines, with the lake in the background.

This next shot was taken with my old Casio compact. I realized the sun was, at that very moment, hiding behind the park lamp. I decided to take a shot as it was before my eyes, as if the sun was producing light from inside the lamp.

Birding at Chinese & Japanese Gardens

I went for a walk to the Chinese and Japanese gardens one morning, this time with my zoom lens mounted on my camera. I was intending to do some birding, but it turned out to be far from easy as most of the birds were really shy (like always). Here are some smug shots I managed of a number of birds. A pair of Common Mynahs.

A pair of storks or herons, in flight.

A Yellow-Vented Bulbul. Apparently, I was chasing a Shrike but ended up spotting this bulbul in its place.

A Collared Kingfisher as it flies off from a lamp pole.

And the majestic White-Bellied Fish Eagle. This fella was soaring above the gardens for hours, probably trying to catch some fish?

I spotted a lot more birds but sadly didn't get a chance to photograph them.

Morning Sunrise

I headed over to the Chinese and Japanese Gardens one morning for a brisk walk. The sun was about to rise, and a beautiful scene was set up before me. The incoming clouds taking over the bare blue sky.

The beautiful sunrise...

Reflection of clouds in the water. It looked like a painting!

Beauty of a Sunrise

"Each golden sunrise ushers in new opportunities for those who retain faith in themselves, and keep their chins up.... Meet the sunrise with confidence. Fill every golden minute with right thinking and worthwhile endeavor. Do this and there will be joy for you in each golden sunset."

~ Alonzo Newton Benn
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Shot this the next morning from the edge of Jurong Lake. It was a beautiufl sight, hence I took a few shots. Next I'm planning to shoot a beautiful sunset.

Common Snakeheads and Dragonflies

I spotted a few Snakeheads in the ponds while walking past. Most of them swim away slowly but there was this particular one that stayed where it was.

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I wasn't sure if it was alive but soon it turned and moved a little.

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Before I left, I also managed to grab some shots of the common dragonflies. Here's a male and a female found flying near each other.

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A Grenadier Dragonfly at Rest

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Was on my way to Japanese Garden with two other friends for jogging. On the way, I found this pretty dragonfly resting on a leaf bud beside the path. I'd seen a similar one in MacRitchie. I've identified that one as a Red Swampdragon whereas this one's a Grenadier.

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Spent some time shooting this Dragonfly before both the dragonfly and we went off. A beautiful dragonfly, nevertheless.

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You'll Never Miss These...

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Spotted this young Malayan Water Monitor at the edge of the lake on the way back. These reptiles are generally very common in any area with big water bodies. They are also easily transported through canals and drains and may even end up in a drain in the middle of a city.

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And of course you'll never go back from the gardens without finding one of these Changeable Lizards.

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Stork

After jogging for a while I stopped and got my camera out again hoping to find some interesting creatures. Right then I saw several bird watchers armed with their dslr cameras and long zoom lenses crowding near the pond. I looked and saw this big, white bird that I don't think I've seen before... It was surely a species of Stork. From a distance I took a few shots hoping to get at least one that would help me identify it.

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The stork stayed for quite a long time, for about 30 - 45 minutes. There wasn't much I could do except watch the bird and the photographers excitedly snapping away.

Dragonflies from Chinese & Japanese Gardens

Went over to the Chinese and Japanese Gardens for a few mornings during the holidays. This area is very popular during November to December since many species of migratory birds can be spotted there. However, I did not come to find any birds. I was more interested in the smaller and less-popular creatures.

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Dragonflies were one of the main insects I spotted there, especially this particular species. There were bigger Slender Skimmers but they did not give me a chance to shoot them. These dragonflies are not identified yet, but they may possibly be either Ditch Jewles or Globe Skimmers.

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These dragonflies could very commonly be found anywhere near the lake or near ponds. There were both males and females, but I only managed one shot of the different gender, which was a dark orange. I'm still not sure which ones are the females and which one the males, though generally the males should be more bright and attractive.

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The supposedly females were very co-operative and I managed one prefect head shot.

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