A Cloudy Morning @ USR

I met fellow BC members Chng, Loke and Mark when I strolled on a shady trail on 21 May. The sky turned cloudy and it started drizzling. We were about to call it a day when the clouds seemed to disperse slightly. So, we decided to walk around again.

I took a quick shot of this dark brown skipper, perhaps a Caltoris species when it perched on a leaf.

Mark spotted an injured and tattered Painted Jezebel (Delias hyparete metarete) on a leaf. It dropped on the ground and he managed to position it on a flower for us to take some shots.

My last butterfly shot was this rather common but unattractive Common Four Ring (Ypthima huebneri) flitting and feeding on Yellow Creeping Daisy (Wedelia triobata).

I cannot identify what these fungi are. They grew on rotten woods but looked like ferns.

A cluster of white mushrooms certainly could not escape my attention especially when critters all went for hiding.

Wild Flowers and Common Critters@ Bah Soon Pah

27 May was the last Saturday of the month. I would have gone for a long outing to some wild places if I had not arranged an appointment in the afternoon. So, I decided to take a look at the wild flowers and critters along Bah Soon Pah again.

I looked for species that I have not captured during my last visit. This grasshopper dressed up with an green outfit didn't seem to be afraid of my presence. This is a hoverfly, flitting amongst the attractive pink mimosa flowers - quite abundant on a piece of vacant farm land but getting a good shot was rather challenging as it hardly stayed still.

My first butterfly shot of the day was this Peacock Pansy (Junonia almana javana). I saw at least 4 individual sunbathing and feeding on wild flowers but they were just too alert for me to take a shot. This guy was resting momentarily when I had a quick snap.

My second butterfly shot was this common brown skipper - a Small Branded Swift (Pelopidas mathias mathias) feeding on the white Asystasia flower.

A very pretty and attractive climber was in full blooms with many pink flowers. This vine was growing on a fence. I guess this is Antigonon leptopus commonly known as coral vine.

Finally, this wild weed looks like Purple-leaved Button-weed (Borreria laevicaulis) whose purplish coloured leaves are slightly leathery and oblong. The small white flowers are rather uniquely arranged between the leaves.

Dairy Farm Park To The Summit On 28 May

Our last "training session" on a cloudy Sunday morning (28 May) before we head to Ermei Mountain did not give me many shooting chances. But I was happy to see some "new" critters that I didn't see during my last few trips to the submit.

This butterfly is common. If you observe carefully, it may be just perching in front of you. This Branded Imperial (Eooxylides tharis distanti ) was shot on our ascent to the summit on a rather cloudy morning.

This rather small green tiger beetle was seen moving on a leaf surface, apparently with its prey in its mouth. Its side-view shot is prettier than the top view.

A well-camouflaged forest damselfly, Malayan Grisette (Devadatta argyoides ) was found near the ground, perching with wings folded above its body.

My first sighting of an Abisara geza niya along the trail got me quite excited about it. But this guy was just too skittish, alert and full of energy. This is the the best environmental shot taken from a distance after at least 15 mins of chasing and stalking on steep stairs.

I really had a hard time getting a proper shot - apart from going up and down the stairs, when it was closer to me, it never stayed still and kept turning and flitting around. Here is one of those instinctive rapid shots - at least I captured the beauty of the green eyes.

It was drizzling when we reached the submit - surprisingly unusual as there were very few people there. We came down along the shortest path to carpark B before the rain got heavier. I should be on Ermei Mountain when this post goes on-line on 8 June.

Lornie Trail Part 2

Continue from my last post .

I usually check out the reservoir edge whenever I take a slow walk on this particular trail as this is the spot where I may find many different dragonflies - though mostly common species, I always hope to encounter surprises.

I have seen all three different Rhyothemis species at this location. This Rhyothemis phyllis is a common dragonfly but getting a good close-up shot of this beauty is never easy.

This is a male Rhyothemis obsolescens. According to Tang's book, it is uncommon. I took a quick shot of this guy before the wings were depressed.

This all red dragonfly with two black spots on the dorsum of the last two abdominal segments looks like a male Urothemis signata insignata - quite abundant on Vesak Day.

A mating pair of Orthetrum chrysis was spotted at the ground level. I was wrong to assume that they would be tame while they were doing their "business" - any slight movement would disturb them into a hasty flight.

This is a small green-eyed dragonfly Chalybeothemis fluviatilis (Green-eyed Percher). I could not get closer to as it perched far from the edge of the pond.

This elegantly perched dragonfly with a light blue abdomen looks like Aethriamanta gracilis.

Finally, I saw this small moth resting on the underside of a leaf, it didn't look attractive to me - its beauty was revealed only when I looked at the viewfinder.