Mandai Track 15

A very cloudy Saturday morning on 5 May dampened my desire and spirit of having my weekly photography and hiking session. Fortunately, the weather became better in the early afternoon - a last minute decision brought me to Mandai Track 15. 

This time I decided to walk all the way to the end though I wasn't on the road all the time as there is a bicycle trail running almost parallel to the track. This Ancyra Blue (Catopyrops ancyra) was perching slightly above my eye level , looking downwards at the trail.         

I have not been sighting and shooting any robber fly for quite sometime.This small robber fly was holding on its prey while I snapped a few shots.

As usual, I can't be sure what Telicota species this is. According to Dr Seow who commented my post in the BC forum, it is more likely to be a T. linna .  

A relatively large Potanthus species compared with other look-alikes, this Detached Dart (Potanthus trachala tytleri) was shot at a grass patch along the bicycle trail.  

Another orange skipper but smaller,  was resting quite still on a leaf surface. After taking a few shots, I real;ised that it was a Lesser Dart (Potanthus omaha omaha).

 There were many Pea Blues at the end of Track 15 near a campsite.

In the afternoon where there is sunshine, they tend to open their wings for sunbathing. The uppersides of the female look like this.

This brown skipper looks like a Small Branded Swift (Pelopidas mathias mathias) which was found resting on a blade of grass at the end of  the track.        

 

Branded Imperial (Eooxylides tharis distanti) is a rather common forest beauty. It likes to flitter around  in shady forested areas.

It was late in the afternoon when I came back to the starting point where I saw a  Common Sailor (Neptis hylas papaja) perching close to the ground level. This species has become rather abundant in our scrubland  or along forest fringes.      

Another shot of a same perch.