Butterflies @ Upper Peirce Reservoir Park

It has been quite sometime since my last visit to the Upper Peirce Reservoir Park (UPR).  On a breezy and cool Saturday morning (29 June), I found strolling along this quiet and long Old Upper Thomson Road that snaking through the lush greenery on both sides of the road, very rewarding.  

My first sighting of a butterfly was a beautiful lycaenid, Semanga superba deliciosa. It tested my patience and perseverance before offering me a relatively good perch for some quick shots.

Fluttering around a shrub, this Commander (Moduza procris milonia) kept coming back to the same plant  She appeared to be looking for the correct host plant for ovipositing her eggs.

Some small flowers of  a Leea indica shrub attracted this Yellow Vein Lancer (Pyroneura latoia latoia). It changed  its  perch a few times but is quite cooperative for me to snap a few shots.  

I spotted Horsefield's Baron (Tanaecia iapis pusea) quite often in my previous outings but I always had no luck of getting a good shot. No exception again, this was my best shot of a male from a distance near the reservoir edge. 

In Singapore, the Common Four Ring (Ypthima huebneri) is the smallest species of the genus Ypthima. There were many "Ring" butterflies along a trail leading to reservoir edge - this is just one of them I managed to get a shot.    

Common Grass Yellow (Eurema hecabe contubernalis) was abundant, fluttering around and feeding voraciously on a flowering Leea indica tree before the car park.

The moment I set in a shelter, I was very reluctant to move again. I really enjoyed the picturesque scene at UPR - the reflection of the greenery in the crystal clear water of the reservoir and the serenity of the park. UPR is a perfect place for a person to relax the mind and refresh the body - is a paradise on earth. .  

As the clock ticked away I had to make my way out. I noticed there were quite a number of reddish-pink flowers under a big tree  - no idea what this is.

Walking on a different side of the road while I was on my way out, I noticed a lycaenid butterfly flitting around a tree which bore many small flower buds.  It turned out to be a rather shy Chocolate Royal (Remelana jangala travana) which  kept staying away from me with high perches. 

A Narrow Spark (Sinthusa nasaka amba) also made its appearance on the same tree for a short period of time. But I had no luck of getting a good shot of it.

A rather small Horaga species with its forelegs being all white surprised me. It was flitting down from the canopy and landed on some flower buds. She appeared laying eggs on a flower bud but I could not find any egg with my naked eyes.

I must go back to hunt for this Horaga butterfly again - as it appeared "strange" to me.

This blog will not be updated until early August as I will be going for two overseas trips during the next two-three weeks.

A Quiet Morning @ Upper Seletar Reservoir Park

A late morning outing to Upper Seletar Reservoir (USR) Park on 21 June begun with a shot of this beautiful Tiger moth along the first trail.

It was a rather quiet morning. So when I found a mating pair of a Ring butterfly, I didn't give up chasing them. The six ocelli on the hindwing confused me. They were identified by Dr Seow to be a Malayan Five Ring (Ypthima horsfieldii humei) .

It was a very quiet morning. So I just took anything that cross my sight. This is a robberfly.

The Acacia Blue (Surendra vivarna amisena) is a common butterfly which can be found in forested areas or along forest fringes. I was rather lucky to find this solitary specimen on a perch behind a leaf 

The Grey Sailor (Neptis leucoporos cresina) is another common forest denizen. Very sensitive of slight movement, it took off  several times whenever I went closer towards it. This was one of the shots when it landed in front of me lasting a few seconds.

Here is another moth.