Creatures I see

Oriental Whip snake swallowing a lizard

2011-09-08T00:23:00.000-07:00

I stood diagonally across from this tree to take these shots of an Oriental Whip snake slowly swallowing a lizard till only the tail of the lizard was visible. It is not something I want to see again.

Dragonflies in the Singapore Botanic Gardens

2011-06-21T02:26:00.000-07:00

Butterflies, birds and dragonflies - these are creatures I love to photograph. Butterflies,because they have colourful wings. Birds, because they are a challenge and dragonflies, because they are the easiest to photograph as they do stick around longer than the time it takes the shutter of the camera to open and close on a sunny day.

Smiling lizard

2011-06-20T06:11:00.000-07:00

This scaly lizard was resting amongst the tall grasses unperturbed by my photography. Perhaps it was used to such attention and I was no threat.

Wallace Trail dragonflies

2011-06-20T06:04:00.000-07:00

When I saw this dark-tipped forest -skimmer dragonfly I was so excited because it was a shade of brilliant blue and I was so afraid that it would disappear from sight before I could be satisfied with at least one photo of this winged creature. So I took this shot from a safe distance just in case.

I moved closer to the dragonfly and in the shade of the tall trees tried my best to get the camera's auto focus to hit peak performance. Unfortunately, auto-whatever or auto-anything works best only in bright sunlight, hence the not-so-sharp pictures here.

Still, it was my first encounter with this particular specie of dragonfly.

Outstanding wings!

On the side of a drain, I spotted this common forest-skimmer.

Further on, a pink dragonfly with large pink eyes was resting on a twig.

Next to it was this dragonfly with orange wings. So pretty!

A couple of dragonflies

2011-06-04T09:27:00.000-07:00

Correct me if I am wrong about these two dragonflies that I had the good fortune to encounter one morning between Kentridge Park and the Hortpark. I think that they are the Camacinia gigantea, also known as the largest dragonflies in its class. I spotted the red one which is male at eye level on a dangling twig. Curious as to why it did not move when I approached, I discovered that it was slowly devouring a helpless insect. I wish I had a better camera with me but under the circumstances, I made do with what I had.

The wings were well spread out as I was approaching the dragonfly.

The dragonfly altered the wing positions ready to take-off when it felt threatened enough. As it appeared, the dragonfly was enjoying its meal so much that even when I was near enough to touch it, I was not considered a serious security threat.

Tired of taking the back view, I went round to the front of the dragonfly. Its mouth was too full to express surprise.

Now it is getting a little more ruffled than before.

So I left it to enjoy the rest of the meal in peace.

Nearby I caught sight of this female dragonfly of the same specie and it has beautiful yellow wings.

Wallace Trail creatures

2011-03-19T00:19:00.000-07:00

Last Sunday morning, I took a walk along the Wallace Trail inside the Dairy Farm Nature Reserve. I was delighted to have seen these creatures:

A tiny butterfly that liked to hover close to the ground fluttering its wings at rapid speed. The wings had a bluish hue when they were open - really beautiful!

A group of photographers were very excited by this discovery of what one of them described as "A Christmas tree". I couldn't agree more. This is one of the strangest caterpillars I have ever seen.

I wonder what kind of butterfly it will turn into.

Near the caterpillar, a praying mantis kept very still and unafraid of the inquisitive humans going near it to take pictures.

A rugged-looking grasshopper, not like the green ones seen in our gardens and backyards.

A butterfly pausing for a moment before fluttering away.

A handsome cricket eyeing us warily.

A blue dragonfly basking in the hot sun.

Another butterfly that likes to stay at ground level.

This one was harder to photograph because it kept moving from place to place.

That was a great morning for a nature walk.

A shiny beauty

2010-08-09T18:13:00.000-07:00

This photo was taken many years ago during one of my numerous vacations at Genting Highlands when my kids were still very young with a conventional camera. It was the first time that I saw such a huge millipede. Though my friend proved that it was harmless I stuck to just photo-taking. I would have dropped the poor creature if I had agreed to let it rest on my hand.

Monkeys grooming

2010-08-08T02:16:00.000-07:00

When I saw these long-tailed monkeys the way they were in the first photo in this post, I knew that I would get some interesting photos and I did! The centre of attention was his majesty being groomed by two other monkeys while a juvenile monkey was monkeying around jumping up and down the railing.

The art of monkey grooming at its best.

Ahhhh I feel soooo good!

Hortpark squirrels

2010-07-21T20:48:00.000-07:00

Feeding on the fruits, jumping form branch to branch, gnawing at the bark of the tree, this squirrel was never still for a moment. Even the auto focus of my camera was unable to cope with the squirrel's hyperactivity.

Ah, how do I dislodge this fruit?

Monkeys on the treetop walk

2010-07-21T20:41:00.000-07:00

Monkeys that I have encountered in my walks in the parks generally steer clear of people's path. These two on the treetop walk at Kentridge Park were challenging people to walk around them. A lady in the opposite direction was apprehensive, uncertain if she should take up the challenge. I decided that as long as I did not step on its tail it would have no reason to attack me. So I pretended that monkeys were the most common obstacles on wooden walkways such as this and did not stop to wait for them to finish their grooming business.

Spider Web

2010-07-11T03:21:00.000-07:00

Beauty comes to those who seek and I am not talking about cosmetic surgery or body enhancement programmes. This spider was a tiny speck compared with the web she had with so much patience and precision and from only certain angles, you get to appreciate its innate beauty that cannot be learned in a school or created through practice. Nature is marvellous because it is just there for us to admire, to wonder and to study.

Ssssnake

2010-05-31T03:10:00.000-07:00

I inevitably feel startled each time I see a snake in my path. Today I saw one again but it did not stay long enough to have many pictures taken.

A close-up of the pattern on the snake's skin.

Termite terror

2010-05-15T03:52:00.000-07:00

Many years ago, termites ate away some of my precious books in the store room. Now and then they will try to start a colony in my door frame and I get the pest control people to make sure they don't even think about it. On the concrete steps at Kentridge Park I saw columns of termites moving like soldiers getting ready for a major war. They were streaming across the steps. I stopped to take a closer look and then found it fascinating that next to the moving termites there were stationery ones. There were big termites with menacing heads and amongst them were baby termites. I was not sure what they were doing. It looks like they were feeding on something. As I had no time to study the behaviour of these termites, I took a short video which I will upload later.

Snake

2010-05-15T03:43:00.000-07:00

Snakes only scare me the instant they catch my attention. I would freeze for a moment and after that, as long as I am at least one meter away and the snake stays where it is or moves away, I will feel safe enough to start taking photos. This time I only had my Canon IXUS and (blame the camera) using the zoom these are all I can offer here.

Eat me if you dare

2010-05-09T02:44:00.000-07:00

Dragonflies are flighty creatures. Most times however I find that they do seem to pose for me.

Butterflies

2010-05-02T07:10:00.000-07:00

Along the trail leading to the TreeTop walk, I managed to catch some butterflies at rest with my camera. Here they are:

Pheasants in Taiwan

2010-05-01T08:32:00.000-07:00

I visited a Peacock farm in Taiwan in the Sun Moon Lake area. It was to have been a trip worth remembering because the farm that had 200 blue and white peacocks and a hundred other valuable birds was not operating as usual. Because of the rain earlier, the peacocks that normally roamed freely were kept away. We only saw one white peacock and a few species of pheasants that I thought were interesting.

Lady Amherst's pheasant (N.Burma, Tibet, Southern China)

Reeve's pheasant (North and Central China)

Swinhoe's pheasant (Lives only in Taiwan)

Golden pheasant (Central China)

Lizards

2010-03-21T08:22:00.000-07:00

I saw a few of these creatures in Labrador Park today. I did not have to go very near for I could rely on my Olympus camera with the 18X zoom lens to do the job. Thank goodness!

Monkeys

2010-03-10T05:16:00.000-08:00

I heard a commotion outside, looked up and saw a neighbour brandishing a mop at some monkeys on her roof. I caught this one looking for a way down.

And then I saw more and more of them - small, medium, big; male and female, young and old and the in-betweens i.e. teenagers. It was a three-generation family that came out of the jungle nearby to see if they can intimidate the humans and steal their food.

Using the cherry tree to climb onto the roof-tops.
Lean and mean, they are determined to invade the human territory.
Senior member of the troop - he had white eyelids.
Natural tight-rope walkers. Gutters are way too easy for them.
Let's see if there's food in the kitchen.

The muscular dude, protector of the troupe. Don't mess around with him.
Sitting on the edge of the roof, looking out for food.

Junior doing a balancing act.
Look at those whiskers - a threatening posture.
Really skinny monkeys, no wonder they venture out to look for food.

Perfect sense of balance. Walking on a wire fencing is not the same as walking on a tightrope.
This is the mynah that 'owns' the cherry tree. It was really annoyed that the monkeys came and made a nuisance of themselves.

Snake encounter

2010-02-28T00:31:00.000-08:00

Some people are naturally squeamish about snakes. I can be startled by the sight of them but once I see them I am not terribly afraid. Usually it is my curiosity and the overpowering urge to take pictures that numbs whatever inherent fear that I may have for these creatures. This snake was just minding its own business sunning itself when my friend slowed down in her tracks and indicated to me its presence. We walked past this snake and then I turned around to take the first picture. Then I took a step or two close to it and it did an about turn and soon it was gone.

Clean Cat

2010-02-09T22:44:00.000-08:00

From afar, I thought it was a pet rabbit because of its fluffy white fur and the way it was crouching. This cat did not look like a stray. It looked like a well-fed and well-trained cat and it was not afraid of me. Usually stray cats would bolt when I got too near to them. This one was without fear. Perhaps it had a very cushy life and that could explain why it was so trusting and unwary of strangers. This was the cleanest cat I have ever seen in my life. Wonder what it was doing there without its owner.

Butterfly

2010-02-01T07:55:00.000-08:00

We were separated by a glass window, this butterfly and me. That did not stop me from photographing it. For once I got really close to a butterfly with my camera lens. I also got to see a butterfly from a different perspective.

Dragonfly

2010-01-27T03:18:00.000-08:00

Free model from nature. This Dragonfly appeared to be a seasoned model as it did not flinch even though I could have touched it.

Spiders in Labrador Park

2010-01-24T07:48:00.000-08:00

There are three different spiders here. Look at the markings on their bodies to tell them apart. Two of the spiders had male companions that kept out of sight in case the females got hungry and decided to eat them up. The last one is a lone spider spotted at the Henderson Arch area.

Butterflies are free

2010-01-24T07:36:00.000-08:00

With my Canon 55 - 100mm zoom I tried to get at least one good shot. In the end I had many shots. They do not match the beautiful ones of butterflies that I have seen on the internet. However, the fun was in the chase and these photos are just records of me having fun during those moments.

Labrador Park.

Dragonflies and Damsel flies

2010-01-19T00:40:00.000-08:00

I have taken pictures of so many of these creatures. I should gather them all and display them here. Wait a little while...

Cotton stainer bug

2010-01-14T05:18:00.000-08:00

Under this majestic Kapok tree in the Singapore Botanic Gardens...
were several open seed pods with fluffy cotton inside them.
And then something tiny and red caught my eyes and as I went on bended knees...

I saw the babies, so many of them.

Spider

2010-01-13T05:27:00.000-08:00

I have taken photos of spiders bigger than this one.

Atlas moth

2010-01-09T06:25:00.000-08:00

This is reputed to be the largest moth in the world. This moth was hanging on the handle of my shoe cupboard outside my main door long enough for me to take this picture with a film camera. Yes, this close encounter happened several years ago. I found this picture in a box of old photos. I read that in Hong Kong this moth is also known as "snake's head moth" because the tips of the wings resemble a snake's head. The female moths are smaller and have frilly antennae. I am not sure if this particular one was male or female. Nevertheless, I shall always remember this strange and lovely visitor to my house.

Lizard portraits

2010-01-02T03:01:00.000-08:00

A creature I don't want to have in my garden. This one was photographed on Pulau Ubin.

Butterflies I see

2009-12-28T08:05:00.000-08:00

This Lacewing butterfly is my favourite butterfly of all times. Once I had an MRT card with a picture of this lovely creature on it. I kept the card for a long time and it got so old that I had to have it replace. I was so sad. I never thought I could see a real Lacewing - that was until I visited the Hortpark one day and by chance the butterfly enclosure was open to visitors and I was fortunate enough to see a Lacewing butterfly amongst others.

Squirrel in the Singapore Botanic Gardens

2009-12-06T01:48:00.000-08:00

Squirrel Yoga stretch.

See how stretchable I am!

Rest pose.

Great for the back muscles.

For a few seconds I can be still.

When I am done, you will have no more pictures to take.

Dusky Leaf Monkey

2009-12-03T23:37:00.000-08:00

Last Thursday, we drove 100km to Tangkak and then another 6km or so to the National Park of Mt Ophir. It was a free-and-easy day trip for us. The objective was not to climb Mt Ophir but to just take a short walk up the mountain next to small waterfalls. There were bigger waterfalls further up but we left those for another trip which we are planning with friends. I was attracted by the bright orange berries on this tree with very thick foliage near the start of the trek. I heard some rustling amongst the leaves and ignored it thinking that it was either a squirrel or some monkeys that I presumed were the usual long-tailed macaque monkeys common in Singapore. Then something told me that I should at least try to see what creature was creating that disturbance and I had my reward for just being curious.

I saw this adorable baby monkey looking curiously at me. It swung from branch to branch but kept a distance from me.I also saw its mum and dad close by. I found out that these are dusky leaf monkeys and I felt really privileged to have seen them. Look at the long tail!I have never seen these monkeys in Singapore. They were really lovely creatures!

2009-11-01T01:48:00.000-07:00

Tortoise

2009-07-17T02:02:00.000-07:00

Huh?

You bet you are!

What can you do to me, I have the best protection nature can give.

What difficulty?

You sure are a busybody!

Eh, thanks!

Yeah they are poisonous.

You have nothing better to do is it?

Sigh!

The grass is greener there!

Good bye then! Still...

You are welcome.

Same here too!

Not a bird, not a plane, it's an Iguana!

2009-06-19T02:04:00.000-07:00

Today, I visited my mother and she greeted me at the door telling me about a monstrous creature that I thought had got into her house. I was curious about this creature and much to my relief it had not entered the house but was taking a stroll along the drain at the back of the house.

Seeing an iguana in the flesh is nothing like seeing one on Animal Planet. Even though this particular iguana did not seem very threatening, it was nevertheless quite 'monstrous looking'.

I took these photos behind a grill door and used the optical zoom when I deemed it safe to venture outside. Yes, I am quite chicken-hearted when it comes to animals especially exotic ones like this creature here. The iguana was totally engrossed in sensing its new surroundings. It tried to climb a wall.The wall was too steep and not getting a foothold, it decided to do a few poses for my camera. And then feeling bored, it carried on walking away from my camera.