Mandai Orchid Garden

I remember my friends described me as a park lover in my graduation booklet. I don't really know why, or how or even when... I started to enjoy going to parks and natural reserves, to feel that I'm part of the nature; I started to love the feeling of sunlight burning on my skin; I started to see almost everything with four legs as cute (hey, birds only got two legs and mushrooms have none, and I think that they are cute too); I started to want to capture everything I see and love...

Sadly, not every story have a happy ending, and this is just the case for the Mandai Orchid Garden... 

To tell you the truth, I only know about this place from Yy early this year when we took up the hobby of birding. It is quite well known among natural lovers for its diversities of insects and birds. Yet, what brought our attention to this place is the announcement of its closure and relocation to make way for Singapore Night Safari... I understand that Singapore is a small island and that there is a limitation to how much we can reclaim our land. I also understand that many things have to make way for developments and maybe tourist attractions... 

Scratch that, maybe I don't truly understand that... I know that the Orchid Garden is not really being close off and I know that it is going to be relocated and be preserved... In fact, the new location might even attracted more wildlife to this garden. But, what about the wildlife that are relaying on its presence now? 

The same issue happened to Chek Jawa a few years back. Thought the plan to reclaim this land was defer for ten years, but what fate awaits Chek Jawa in 2012? Thinking of this, I feel somewhat reluctant to welcome the coming of the year 2011... We can be proud of the highest man-made waterfall in Jurong Bird Park; We can be proud of the world's largest fountain in Suntec or the world's biggest observation wheel- the Singapore Flyer, the advancements, the clean and green environment... We can and should also be proud of the rich diversity that we have here... 

I guess I'm really not someone who will be a good government, as I'm not willing to make this kind of sacrifice for developments... Haiz, enough of me complaining, below are some photographs that I have taken during my visit on 26th Dec- My last and only glance on Mandai Orchid Garden... 

---Mandai Orchid Garden---

The place has a rustic feel as mentioned by Yy. The only problem is there are too many mosquitoes... 

From oOOo When I am free oOOo

From oOOo When I am free oOOo

From oOOo When I am free oOOo

I'm not really good with flowers, I can only say that the first is a pink hibiscus and the second torch ginger, and of course 4th, 5th and 6th are orchid. 

From oOOo When I am free oOOo

From oOOo When I am free oOOo

From oOOo When I am free oOOo

From oOOo When I am free oOOo

From oOOo When I am free oOOo

From oOOo When I am free oOOo

Olive Backed Sunbird (male)

From oOOo When I am free oOOo

Crimson Sunbird (male)

From oOOo When I am free oOOo

Scaly Breasted Munia (immature)

From oOOo When I am free oOOo

Scaly Breasted Munia (mature)

From oOOo When I am free oOOo

Le~

Jurong Bird Park

Went to Jurong Bird Park with Yy and Zx on the 25th of July... The ticket was a bit too expensive but Lele really enjoy the trip very much. It's fun to try spotting the birds in the cage... The cage actually posed a problem in taking photographs, so Zx teaches Lele how to use manual focus^^ Some of the birds that Lele likes...

1. Kingfishers look very proud and handsome

From Jurong Bird Park

2. Hornbill and Toucan are slow and retarded... Very cute (in my opinion)^^

From Jurong Bird Park

Except this one... =x





3. Bird of Paradise have very beautiful feathers.

From Jurong Bird Park

4. There's a parrot that knows how to whistle and follow Lele says 'Hello" XD

From Jurong Bird Park

One of the favourite sections of the Bird Park is the Jungle Jewels. The birds are not restrain inside the cages but are allowed to fly 'freely' in the enclosure... There's so many different species of birds, the three of us were trying to capture all species on the camera.

From Jurong Bird Park

Yy and Lele also saw a Crowned Pigeon couple building their nest. We saw the male Crowned Pigeon bringing the dry stalk to the female Crowned Pigeon which put it in place on the half done nest. Then the male Crowned Pigeon which seen to be unsatify with the job, took it up again and rearrange... All along, the female Crowned Pigeon giving it death stares...

From Jurong Bird Park

Some of the photographs taken on the day:






Le~

Surprise 02!!

Met up with Hx for lunch today. While we were walking towards the bus interchange, something on the metal barrier captured Lele's attention... Something flapping... a tail... Yes, a bird with long tail, yellow belly, black strip across its eye area (Zx, if you are reading this... no, this is not a dream...)

Lele: Hx, that bird... (*Lele super likes it, hopefully Lele don't have the retarded longing look...)

Hx: Yl, that bird is very beautiful...

Lele: *search bag

Hx: Yl, you have to be faster, it looks like it's going to fly away. It looks nervous, keep looking around

Pity that Lele only have the smaller camera, DMC- FX01 with Lele. Nevertheless, Lele still managed to fish out the camera from Lele's bag and capture a few photographs of the bird...

Long Tailed Shrike

From oOOo When I am free oOOo

Then... while Lele was shooting... Lele noticed that... There's TWO of them!! Super Happy!!

From oOOo When I am free oOOo

Le~

Lele's Birding Diary 09~

Date: 4th July 2010, Sunday
Time: Evening
Venue: Chinese Garden and Japanese Garden
People involved: Lele, Yy and Zx





---oOOo---





Photographs

Grey Heron. Spotted a grey heron resting on the barrier again. Like the reflection of the bird in the water. Notice the strip of black fur on its head...

From Birding at Singapore Chinese Garden

Olive Blacked Sunbird (Juvenile). Lele likes how the sunbird looked round and chubby with its fur ruffled up. The shape of its bill is even more obvious when the body is so short X)

From Birding at Singapore Chinese Garden

Black-Rumped Flameback. Finally able to capture the photographs of this woodpecker. Lele still remembered once when Lele went jogging, Lele saw this bird 'hanging' onto a tree trunk for more than two minutes... Pity that Lele don't have a camera at that time. Since then, Lele have always want to see this bird again and take photographs of it!! We are very lucky to see not one, but two of this woodpecker on that day. They are very fast birds, hopping from branches to branches, tree to tree. Not to mention that they seen to prefer high place... Lele neck is tire for looking up the branches for them!! Like the red crown and how they hold on to the trunk of the tree^^

From Birding at Singapore Chinese Garden

From Birding at Singapore Chinese Garden

From Birding at Singapore Chinese Garden

Black Naped Oriole (Juvenile?). Zx said this is the juvenile of black naped oriole. The call of the bird was similar though not as high pitch as the adult. It was spotted on the branch, chirping away. Perhaps calling its parents?

From Birding at Singapore Chinese Garden

Common Iora (male). Spotted the male bird again. Lele would like to see the female bird also!! Its looking at the camera in the second photograph ^^

From Birding at Singapore Chinese Garden

From Birding at Singapore Chinese Garden

White Belly Sea Eagle. An eagle glide by... Lele has always want to take photographs of some great bird like eagle and kite. Lele actually imagine it being something fierce and all mighty =.=

From Birding at Singapore Chinese Garden

Collared Kingfisher. This kingfisher was grooming itself on the tree. Likes how it spread its feathers. After grooming for around 10 minutes, it took off, poked a little heron hunting near the lake and flew far far away, all the while emitting the laugh-like calls. In short, to Lele, it just bullied a little heron and then laughing away, very proud of itself... Bad bad kingfisher =(

Another scenario by Yy: after finish grooming itself, it went to say bye to the little heron =.=

From Birding at Singapore Chinese Garden

It have being sometime since Lele went birding... Lele is happy that Lele finally managed to capture the photographs of blacked- rumped flameback and also some juvenile birds~~

Le~

Lele's Birding Diary 08~

Date: 18th April 2010, Sunday
Time: Evening
Venue: Chinese Garden and Japanese Garden
People involved: Lele, Yy and Zx





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Photographs

Oriental Pied Hornbill. The three of us was squatting near the river, waiting for the kingfisher that we saw flying to the opposite side... Then... Lele heard some movements on the tree just next to Lele... Looking up the tree, the very first 2 words that came to Lele's mouth were: So big... ... And, we forget about the kingfisher completely... What can Lele say? FINALLY!!!! A few weeks back Yy and Zx saw a few Hornbills in Chinese Garden, since then, we have been going there frequently in hope of seeing them. Yipee!! Lele is HaPpY~~ Lele thinks that Hornbill is stupid looking and hence very- the- cute ^^

From Birding at Singapore Chinese Garden

From Birding at Singapore Chinese Garden

Blue Throated Bee Eater. Saw this very colourful species again. Lele really likes the bright colour and the long tail of this bird. It was resting on the top branch of the tree, with the bright sky as background. Lele is glad that the colour comes out well.

From Birding at Singapore Chinese Garden

Stork Billed Kingfisher. New Kingfisher species for us!! At first Lele and Yy thought that it was Common Kingfisher... We even bet Happy Meal with Zx for it... And now we owe him one Happy Meal each =.= Friend said that it looked like a toy. We found out that Kingfishers have very distinct and loud calls, sound very much like they were laughing at us for not being able to spot them... So now we will very often 1. follow the calls, or 2. ignore as we had took many photographs of Collared Kingfishers le...

(Photograph by Yy)

From Birding at Singapore Chinese Garden

Plantain Squirrel. Tada~~ No matter how many photographs (of squirrel) Lele took, Lele still likes to take more when Lele sees them. This is so as Lele still thinks that they look very adorable and have many new expressions yet to show Lele...

From Birding at Singapore Chinese Garden

It was supposed to be a jogging session for Lele while Yy and Zx go birding... But after jogging to Chinese Garden in less than 10 minutes, having to stop as one tourist asked Lele to help him take photographs (and may Lele emphasize: photographs =.=)... Lele don't feel like jogging le... So Lele ended up sticking to them. But Lele didn't bring the camera along, so there wasn't much photographs taken. As Lele is shy shy to keep borrowing camera from Yy and Zx =x

Oh, this take so long to be posted as Lele need to take photographs from Zx...





Le~

Lele's Birding Diary 07~

Date: 4th April 2010, Sunday
Time: Evening
Venue: Chinese Garden and Japanese Garden
People involved: Lele, Yy and Zx





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Photographs

Chinese Pond Heron. A nice surprise greeting us once we came out of the MRT station. Lele thinks that they looked cool and peaceful. Every time Lele gets to see a new species Lele will get very excited!! There were like 4 of them on the grass field but they were all very far away. In order to get closer to this one which was much much nearer to us, Lele and Yy stepped onto the grass. As it was just after a rain, the grass field was rather wet. Not to mention there's some section where when one stepped on it, water will ooze out, flooding your leg... All done just to get a clear photograph of this bird... ...

From Birding at Singapore Chinese Garden

Brown Shrike. Hee, another new species!! It started to rain again soon after we enter Chinese Garden... We spotted this bird sheltering on a tree just in front of us. At first Lele thought that it was Yellow Vented Bulbul due to the yellow fur on its underside... But, it's a Shrike!!!! It looked ruffled up and very cute... The three of us stood there and took many photographs of it, each time taking turns to hold the umbrella... By the time we are done, even the rain had stopped =.= Poor bird, can't even shelter in peace...

From Birding at Singapore Chinese Garden

From Birding at Singapore Chinese Garden

Fantail. This Fantail came hunting for insect soon after the rain ceased. It wasn't afraid of human as once it flew right in front of Yy for a catch... Or can I say that it ignored the three of us completely... It was a very fast bird, at one second one can still see it having an insect between it's bill and the next, it was gone, eaten. All the while when it was hunting, the three of us was squatting near the brush, looking like some stupid perverts... .... In the second photography, the reason for its name is revealed!!

From Birding at Singapore Chinese Garden

From Birding at Singapore Chinese Garden

Yellow Bittern. Went to the Japanese Garden to continue our birding session... Spotted this Yellow Bittern flying into cattail brush... While Lele was trying to spot it in the brush, it flew out to the lotus pond and started hunting for fish... Soon, it flew onto the grass patch just on our right to enjoy its feast... WoHoO, it caught a small fish!!!!

From Birding at Singapore Chinese Garden

Juvenile Night Heron. This bird was spotted on the root? branch? of the tree on the opposite side of the lake... Not too sure of the species, but Zx said it looked like the juvenile of Night Heron... Normally a few shore birds can be found resting on these branches, but as it was too far away, it was very difficult to capture clear photographs. So far, Lele have seen Little Egret, Grey Heron and Night Heron there.

From Birding at Singapore Chinese Garden

We are really very lucky to see so many species that we have never seen before and Lele is Super Happy!!!! Yeah! Go celebrate!! Nevertheless, Lele can't help but feel like we are a bit 喜新厌旧as we seen to have lost interest of those birds that we gave been seeing thus far. But, fear not, Lele still thinks that Bulbul is a very cute name, Waterhen is very shy and Little Heron is very sneaky!!

今日成语：喜新厌旧--喜欢新的，厌弃旧的。多指爱情不专一。
(成语 IT learner: http://chengyu.itlearner.com/cy10/10349.html)



Le~

Lele's Birding Diary 06~

Date: 27th March 2010, Saturday
Time: Evening
Venue: Chinese Garden
People involved: Lele and Yy, later joined by Zx





---oOOo---





Photographs

Little Heron. We saw this Little Heron hunting near the construction site. Shore birds were often spotted on those floating barrier. Lele always have a look out for them when Lele pass by.

From Birding at Singapore Chinese Garden

Grey Heron. Standing tall. Lele likes the pattern on its head. Also spotted near the construction site.

From Birding at Singapore Chinese Garden

Coppersmith Barbet. It was resting on the very same tree, not sure whether it was the same bird though. Lele likes the colour of Barbet. It looked like it was lending on the branch in the second photograph and it looked adorable ^^

From Birding at Singapore Chinese Garden

From Birding at Singapore Chinese Garden

Olive Naped Sunbird (Female). A very nice pose by the sunbird... This sunbird flew to the tree and start posing for us to take photographs. It stayed on the same branch for a while.

From Birding at Singapore Chinese Garden

Plantain Squirrel. Lele's all times favorite again =D

From Birding at Singapore Chinese Garden

The weather was good, one can see the moon on the sky... A very beautiful sight in Lele's opinion.

From Birding at Singapore Chinese Garden

Le~