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~

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~

Paradise for Capenter Bees

Yes, Lele found the paradise for capenter bees!!





It's a place with super big morning glories...

From Southern Ridges

Look, fellow capenter bees, the flower is so much bigger than you... Imagine flying towards such a big flower... Fly~~ fly~~

From Southern Ridges

...you can even go all the way into the flower...

From Southern Ridges

... and get pollens all over your back...

From Southern Ridges

Isn't it a good place?





---oOOo---

When Lele and Yy went to Hort Park last Saturday, we were greeted by the sight of capenter bees hovering around the morning glories. To tell the truth, it was fun trying to capture the photographs of capenter bees flying into the flowers. Though they look clumsy and stupid , Lele is still afraid of them when they fly towards Lele. In the end, the process was filled with screams (especially from Yy =P) such that the foreign workers keep giving us the eye... They must be wondering what are we doing =.=

Le~

A Butterfly Hovers Closely

Yy told Lele that there's a Butterfly Garden in Hort Park which opens to public on every last Saturday of the month...

The weather was good and we heard alot of birds chirping away once we alight from the bus...

From Southern Ridges

Of course we will be distracted =.= Instead of getting to Hort Park, we went the opposite direction to the Hilltop Walk...

Yellow Vented Bulbul. Saw some movements in the bushes. Using camera to zoom in, we found a Yellow Vented Bulbul grooming itself.

From Southern Ridges

Common Iora (male). The very first time Lele took photographs of this bird. The two of us actually spent up to 10 minutes stalking this bird in order to get a better view. Like the bright colour of its belly and the distinct stripes on its wings.

From Southern Ridges

From Southern Ridges

By the time we got to the enclosure where the butterfly are housed, it was already slightly pass 11am. Wondering whether we need to queue to get into the garden, we approached the two staffs on duty. To our 'shock', the Butterfly Garden only open for 2 hours, from 9am to 11am T.T Luckily, the two staffs still allow us to enter =x

There's a couple of big big butterflies in the enclosure and they are not afraid of human. Below are some of the photographs taken during the trip. Lele is not good with their identification as there's just too many species of butterfly around. Not to mention that to Lele, some looked similar...

Common Tiger

From Southern Ridges

From Southern Ridges

Clipper

From Southern Ridges

Common Mormon

From Southern Ridges

Tree Nymph

From Southern Ridges

From Southern Ridges

Unknown =x

From Southern Ridges

Leopard lacewing

From Southern Ridges

Wee---!! Lele likes the pattern and bright colours of the butterflies!! Especially when they rest on flowers. Given the chance, Lele would want to go to the butterfly garden again as we were abit rush this morning. There are still some species of butterfly that we didn't managed to capture.

Le~

Changi Point

Went to the Changi Point with Yy and Zx one week before the oil spill incident... Lele really likes the sceneries there. We were blessed with good weather that day such that when Lele looked at the photographs, lele almost don't believe that they are taken in Singapore... Hopefully the cleaning process can restore Changi Point to its previous beauty and also save much of the animals affected.

From Changi point

From Changi point

From Changi point

From Changi point

From Changi point

From Changi point

Le~