MacRitchie's Beasts

Had a few more critter shots from MacRitchie. Here are some insects that I found on the way.

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This pretty butterfly was spotted together with the Orange Skimmers at the drain. They were drinking and basking at the same time. There were a few more of these butterflies, which I presume are Blue Jays, near the drain. I managed one simple shot of two but they are pretty far apart in the picture.

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There were other creatures like this pair of mating beetles.

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And a shedded exo-skeleton of a big spider, similar to the ones I see in India.

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Apart from these invertebrates, there were lots of squirrels but this time I managed to grab a shot of a Plantain Squirrel as it jumped toward us.

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And finally there was a baby Malayan Water Monitor trying to take shelter in a tree hole near the exit. This ended our journey too. It was as if the monitor was there saying "Goodbye for now! Come back soon!" Well of course I'll be back soon.

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Dragonfly Hunt

Dragonflies were common throught the whole journey, especially near the water. It was the first time I was using a dslr to photograph dragonflies so I did find it quite different. However, I was pleased with most of my shots. The first one was a mettalic blue one, Cratilla metallica.

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There were many Red Grasshawks, but I just took a single shot as they were common and sometimes hard to shoot.

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We reached a path that had a big drain beside. Along the drains there were plenty of Orange Dragonflies. I have identfied them as Orthetrum testaceum and their common name should be Orange Skimmer. However, they were also hard to shoot and I only managed one good shot.

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This is one species that is yet to be identified. Found it along the forest path.

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And this one's my favourite, the Red Swampdragon. This attractive little fellow was spotted near a stream heading to Venus Drive. It was really pretty and co-operative too.

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I spent a few minutes shooting this dragonfly. I kept trying to focus on the eyes but sometimes I would miss as the wind would be pushing it around. But in the end I got these four shots well-taken.

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MacRitchie Reservoir Scene Shots

Went over to MacRitchie one day as it had been quite a while since I last visited this reserve. This time I was interested in getting more scenery shots since I had my friend's 450D with me. This is what MacRitchie Reservoir looks like from the reservoir park.

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There were two main routes to take. During June we took the route on the left and found absolutely nothing interesting. That may be because the area is just beside the expressway. So we took the other route on the right this time. This is what the start of the path looks like.

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This is what the typical forest path looks like.

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Path that leads to the Treetop Walk.

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We had some rest on these benches...

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And here's a shot of a fern leaf that I took.

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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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Another Earless Agamid

Spotted this little fellow while climbing the steep steps. It was also the second time spotting a Earless Agamid, the other one was also in Bukit Timah.

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What I like about this lizard is that it is one of the few lizards that are co-operative with nature lovers like us and will pose to be photographed. Gliding Lizards and Changeable Lizards usually run off when we get close.

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Here are some close-up head shots of the agamid.

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I was almost done with the lizard when a woman ahead of us called out to us, "There's a snake up here!" I rushed with the camera, leaving its cap and my small bag where it was. The lady was poiting out to a small snake between the undergrowth. It was a Spotted Keelback. Despite the fact that it came up all the way to my feet, I failed to get a shot of it due to its speed. Throughout this whole trip, what surprised me the most was that I had spotted 3 animals that I'd once seen before. The Malayan Whip Snake, Stick Insect and the Spotted Keelback.

A Brown Stick Insect

Very soon we headed into the Taban Loop and I immediately spotted this camouflaged stick insect on a bush beside. I softly told my friend 'Stick Insect' and he called out, 'Where!? Where!?' Well thats because he had never seen one before.

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It was now my 5th time shooting a stick insect. I had seen one long ago in the summit, but it was small and green. It only stayed for a few minutes before flying away. This one was big and brown. The other three were spotted in India in a day.

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Photographing this stick insect was extremely difficult, especially when I had no choice but to use manual focus. I kept trying to focus on the head but most of the time I fail. Eventually I made it with these shots here.

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I placed it back under the leaves and left then.

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Totally Unexpected

We returned to the Visitor Centre after the climb. After a few minutes of drinks and some snacks, we decided to walk the Taban Loop. However, before we left, I just looked behind the giant historical book. At the very moment, I saw a small, green tail at the end of twig behind the book. My eyes carefully moved up the green line till I noticed a pair of eyes. A Big-Eye Green Whip Snake was hiding from me.

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I had seen one of these before about a year ago while on the way to the summit. I never expected to see one again so soon. However, that other individual was there for only a few seconds before slithering away into the bushes. This time I was much luckier.

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Holding a much better camera in hand, I snapped as many good shots as possible. Soon, it started to get away but surprisingly, not into the deeper bushes but towards the visitor centre! As I feared that it would get stepped onto or run over by a car, I told my friend Thomas to faster get a stick to hold it. And then, the photography session starts.

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Here's a full-body shot of the snake.

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Some head shots that I successfully shot with the 450D. I did use flash for all photos and all of them looked brilliant. The first photo in here is my favourite out of all these photos.

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In this photo you can see the underside of the snake. The three green lines in between white can be clearly seen.

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After taking all these shots I was already pretty tired. I also had to be careful as I'd never know when the snake would decide to give me a kiss! Squatting down just a few inches from the snake's tongue and the floor for about half an hour can be tiring! We released the snake back where it was and left for the Taban Loop.