A slow hike from Upper Peirce Reservoir to Sime Track

It has been a long time since CH and I went for shooting together. Thanks CH for giving me a lift on a fine Monday (9 June) morning to Upper Peirce Reservoir. We strolled from the carpartk to Jelutong Tower, passing by the reservoir edge and the golf course.

We encountered quite a number of common butterflies along the way.
There were quite a number of Striped Albatross futtering in the morning sun. 

Sun-loving butterflies such as the Tawny Coster (Acraea terpsicore) were spotted feeding on Biden flowers.

Whereas the Peacock Pansy (Junonia almana javana) was bathing under the morning sun.

Another sun-bathing butterfly, a female Common Mormon (Papillio polytes romulus)

Along the way, we encountered quite a few of skippers. This looks like a female Baoris farri.

The presence of a cell-spot suggests that this is a Pelopidas species. This might be a P. agna.

According to Dr Seow from ButterflyCircle, this is a female Potanthus ganda perching on a grass blade.

When we reached the Julontong tower, we noticed that the weather didn't look very promising so we turned back walking towards Upper Peirce Reservoir.

Along the Sime Track, this interesting flower with seeds attracted by attention. I guess this is Sterculia lanceolata.

The Common Flashing (Vestalis amethystina) damselfly is rather common along Sime Track. 

We had a short water break at the Ranger Station before heading back to the Upper Peirce Reservoir.

  

Along the fence separating the golf course and the hiking path, we encountered more butterfly species, This is the Common Line Blue (Prosotas nora superdates) fluttering at the ground level.

This Common Hedge Blue (Acytolepis puspa lambi) was also looking for a nice spot to puddle on the ground before resting on a foilage for a short while.

The male Horsfield's Baron (Tanaecia iapis puseda) flew past me and perched on a leaf.

Jewelled Grass Blue (Freveria putli) was first discovered in SG in September 2023. I rarely encountered this smallest butterfly in Hong Kong (wingspan about 12 - 16 mm) when I was stationed there for a few years. It is amazing to me that how this little beauty could mysteriously come to SG and now it seems that it has settled down here permanently.

We encountered a few pristine specimens fluttering around its host plant Indigofera spicata (Creeping Indigo)  (life history here) growing along a short stretch of fence between the reservoir edge and the golf course. Though it is rather small, a prominent row of black spots on the underside hindwing margin is distinctive enough for us to identify it with certainty. 

Another shot when it was sliding its wings.

CH was using a Huawei Pura 7 phone in this outing to shoot butterflies. I must say that the effect and the quality of the images are impressive (sharp with good details and nice bokeh) and comparable with shots taken from a dedicated macro-lens.  With AI technology being widely adopted and the advancement of microchips,  handphone cameras will be as good as many dedicated lens or cameras.  I think very soon more people will use handphones to take pictures of macro subjects.

 
      

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.