Wednesday, March 27, 2013

Tampines Eco Green

2012 ~ 2013 - Tampines Eco Green, a nature park bordered by TPE (Tampines Expressway), Tampines Ave 12 & Ave 9, is one of my favorite place for nature walks & photography. The park has an eco-friendly toilet & various natural habitats, a sanctuary for flora and fauna.

For more information about Tampines Eco Green:
http://www.nparks.gov.sg/cms/index.php?option=com_visitorsguide&task=parks&id=93&Itemid=73

http://rmbr.nus.edu.sg/dna/places/details/52

Tampines Eco Green


One question that I'd always being asked by people who wanted to go there is: Where's the entrance?
The canal which runs along Tampines Ave 9 & bordering the park confused many people. There is no crossing into the park at the canal side, except at the 2 ends of the park.
Answer: The main entrance to the park is at Tampines Ave 12, near the T-junction of Tampines Ave 12 & Tampines Ave 9. Just follow the MRT track walking towards Tampines Ave 12. Cross the road (Tampines Ave 9) at the T-junction & continue following the MRT track. About 15 meters away from the junction crossing, after you passed a canal, the entrance to the park will be on the left. The other entrance at the other end of the park is at Block 495F near the TPE.

Wetland environment & a hide for bird watching.


Very friendly eco park with many signs/guides along the tracks.

Sign Poles & Map


What you MUST NOT do in a nature park.


We (my guy & me) had been going there, on & off, for about 6 months, for nature photography, concentrating mostly on birds. Any wildlife we encountered is also potential target for our cameras.

Me @Tampines Eco Green


Shooting High & Low


First, lets feature a little of the flora before going into the fauna.

Leafy Rainbow


Yellow & Blue


Green & Red


Please do not release your unwanted pet into waterways or into the wild. It's very disrupting to the local natural environments. DO NOT keep pet if you cannot commit to it. Pets are long-term commitment, like family or relationship, not short-span fashion trend! They are NOT disposable items!

An abandoned Red-eared Slider in a pond.


A Painted Bronzeback & a giant African Snail.


Changeable Lizards basking in the sun.


Didn't encounter big animals at Tampines Eco Green except for this big 4+ footer Malayan Water Monitor Lizard.

Malayan Water Monitor Lizard


Creepy crawlies? Insects & spiders… many! =P

Bugs & mating Rhino Beetles.


Robber Fly & Cricket


Tropical Carpenter Bee (male) & Yellow Carpenter Bee (female).


Spiders!


Spiders Again!


Among the insects, Butterflies & Dragonflies are our favorite photography subjects.

Before the Butterflies, comes the Caterpillars…


Formosan Swift (Borbo cinnara cinnara), Contiguous Swift(Polytremis lubricans lubricans) & Paintbrush Swift (Baoris oceia).


Plain Palm Dart (Cephrenes acalle niasicus) & Bush Hopper (Ampittia dioscorides camertes).


Peacock Pansy (Junonia almana javana) & Three Spot Grass Yellow (Eurema blanda snelleni).


Blue Pansy ~ male (Junonia orithya wallacei)& Crotalaria Pod Borer (Argina astrea).


Common Mime (Chilasa clytia clytia) & Striped Albatross (Appias libythea olferna).


Autumn Leaf (Doleschallia bisaltide pratipa) & Tawny Coster (Acraea violae).


Leopard (Phalanta phalantha phalantha) & Chocolate Pansy (Junonia hedonia ida).


Plain Tiger (Danaus chrysippus chrysippus) & Blue Glassy Tiger (Ideopsis vulgaris macrina).


Short-banded Sailor (Phaedyma columella singa) & Painted Jezebel (Delias Hyparete metarete).


Nigger (Orsotriaena medus cinerea) & Dark Brand Bush Brown (Mycalesis mineus macromalayana).


Mating Season - Pea Blue (Lampides boeticus) & Tawny Coster (Acraea violae).


Dragonflies & Damselflies are fascinating…

Realm of Dragons!


Blue Percher ~ male (Diplacodes trivialis), Blue Dasher (Brachydiplax chalybea) & Pond Adjutant (Aethriamanta gracilis).


Yellow-Barred Flutterer (Rhyothemis phyllis) & Common Flangetail (Ictinogomphus decoratus).


Common Parasol ~ female (Neurothemis fluctuans) & Wandering Glider (Pantala flavescens).


Common Scarlet ~ male & female (Crocothemis servile).


Common Chaser (Potamarcha congener) & Variegated Green Skimmer (Orthetrum sabina).


Grenadier ~ male & female (Agrionoptera insignias).


Blue Sprite ~ male (Pseudagrion microcephalum) & Variable Wisp ~ male (Agriocnemis femina).


Birding, as they called it, is the hobby of spotting or photographing birds & birders are the people who indulged in this. With my baby camera, a Nikon CoolPix S6300, I've not enough reach for serious birding. So I deal with the shoot-anything-that-comes-along kind of nature photography. For birding, my guy is armed with a Canon PowerShot SX50 & I do the spotting for him. Strangely enough, many times, the birds either landed/perched near me or they kindly let me sneak up to them without flying off. Then I got them with my little camera. The thing about wildlife photography is, in the majority of the cases, it's all depends on luck. =P

Red-breasted Parakeet, Pacific Swallow & Asian Brown Flycatcher.


Olive-backed Sunbird (male) & Brown-throated Sunbird (male).


Black-naped Oriole caught a caterpillar & female Common Iora.


Long-tailed Shrike & Brown Shrike.


Yellow-bellied Prinia & Paddyfield Pipit.


Spotted Dove & Zebra Doves.


Pink-necked Green Pigeon (male).


Red Turtle Doves (male & female).


White-collared Kingfisher & White-throated Kingfisher.


Common Goldenback Woodpecker (female), Sunda Woodpecker & Rufous Woodpeckers (male & female).


Pied Triller & Chinese Pond Heron (late morph).


Blue-tailed Bee-eater & Blue-throated Bee-eater.


Yellow-vented Bulbul, Sooty-headed Bulbul & Red-whiskered Bulbul.


Relief Comedy ~ A pair of Sooty-headed Bulbuls.


Oriental Dollarbird & Lesser Coucal.


(left to right, top to bottom) Black-winged Kite, Brahminy Kite, Oriental Honey Buzzard & Black Baza.


Slaty-breasted Rail with chick running for cover.


Baya Weavers ~ female(left), male(right) & nests.


Asian Golden Weavers ~ male(left), female(right) & female with nest.


Note: Pics in this entry were either taken by me with a Nikon CoolPix S6300 or my guy with a Canon PowerShot SX50HS.

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