A Few Critters Along Mandai Track 15

I decided to drop by Mandai Track 15 on a nice and cool Saturday morning (21 Dec 2013). Quite often, I didn't see many hikers, bikers or photographers here - I was rather lonely in this "one-man's land" most of the time.  As usual, my first "check-point' was the training shed near the gate. I wandered around the area for awhile but found nothing to shoot.

A lonely female Striped Blue Crow (Euploea mulciber mulciber) finally showed up and started to feed on the Bidens flowers.

Strolling leisurely on the biking trail, I had to give way to groups of  bikers occasionally. Butterflies and other critters were either sleeping or not there at all, the trail was devoid of  insect life. When I spotted this tiny ladybird - a small beetle in fact, I took a quick shot before it flew off unexpectedly in a breeze.

I made a correct decision of  switching to walking on Track 15. A Plain Nawab (Polyura hebe plautus) was zooming around rapidly and "testing" the dry ground a few times. Pouring some water to wet the ground, I waited patiently for it to puddle. I was lucky that it did come back and found the damp spot. What a good opportunity  for me to snap some shots of a  Plain Nawab, a species that I have not had a proper shot for a long time.

I went further in and spotted a Short-banded Sailor (Phaedyma columella singa) flitting at the ground level and looking for puddling spots amongst some dry leaves. It had the habit of flapping its wings slowly while feeding on the ground.

I turned back before noon and found quite a number of Purple Duke (Eulaceura osteria kumana) flitting from leaf to leaf along the biking trail.

A pair of mating shield bug caught my attention when I was about to leave the place. I like this shot as I didn't get to see mating shield bugs often.