Wednesday, June 26, 2013

Lorong Halus Wetland Reserve

2013 ~ Lorong Halus, a favorite place for many birders (bird watchers & photographers). I'd been there only a few times as it's quite out-of-reach by public transport. Had to depend on birder friends who are willing to fetch me & my guy in & out of that place. Nevertheless, those few trips produced rewarding experiences & many nice pics of the wildlife there.
Info on Lor Halus: http://rmbr.nus.edu.sg/dna/places/details/19

Lorong Halus is very well known to Singapore's nature lovers & birders alike. Much had being written about that place that it's needless for me to elaborate. So, without much further ado, let me present my collection of pics taken at Lorong Halus.

First, comes the pretty Butterflies…

Blue Pansy (Junonia orithya wallacei), male & female.


Pea Blue (Lampides boeticus) & Dark Brand Bush Brown (Mycalesis mineus macromalayana).


Great Eggfly (Hypolimnas bolina bolina) - male & Malayan Eggfly (Hypolimnas anomala anomala).


Pointed Ciliate Blue (Anthene lycaenina miya) & Common Caerulean (Jamides celeno aelianus).


Also witnessed a Wasp attack a Grasshopper, ate it & tried to carry away the leftover.

Wasp Attacking Grasshopper


Dragonflies had always intrigued me.

Dragonfly Nymph Casing & Variegated Green Skimmer (Orthetrum sabina).


Common Bluetail (Ischnura senegalensis), mating & 2 forms of female.


Ornate Coraltail (Ceriagrion cerinorubellum) & mating Variegated Green Skimmers (Orthetrum sabina).


Blue Dasher (Brachydiplax chalybea), Coastal Glider (Macrodiplax cora) & Blue Percher (Diplacodes trivialis) - male.


Common Scarlet (Crocothemis servile), male & female.


Common Amberwing (Brachythemis contaminate), male & female.


Female Trumpet Tail (Acisoma panorpoides) & male Scarlet Skimmer (Orthetrum testaceum).


And my top favorite of all, birds! Lorong Halus is known among many birders as having lots of escapees, introduced or non-native birds, which many species are originated from Africa, turning that place into something like Little Africa for birds. Pity I didn't have much pics of those escapees as I did not frequent there much. Non-native species will be noted as 'escapee' in my pics below.

Barn Swallow & a female Olive-backed Sunbird preparing a nest.


A female Common Goldenback Woodpecker & a mutated Indian Myna.


Common Iora, male & female.


 Long-tailed Shrike & White-throated Kingfisher.


White-bellied Sea Eagle & Brahminy Kite.


Changeable Hawk-eagle & Grey Heron.


Sooty-headed Bulbul (escapee) & Pied Fantail.


White-shouldered Starling & Little Grebes.


Common Greenshank & Common Sandpiper.


Pacific Golden Plover in non-breeding & breeding plumage.


Chinese Pond Heron in non-breeding & breeding plumage.


Scaly-breasted Munia, Black-headed Munia (escapee) & Bronze Mannikin (escapee).


Baya Weaver, male in breeding plumage & female.


Nest building by a male Baya Weaver.


Golden-backed Weaver (escapees), male in breeding plumage, female & their nest.


Common Waxbill & Crimson-rumped Waxbill. Both are escapees.


At present, it seem that Lorong Halus is one of the few places in Singapore where wildlife & human can coexist, but I'm not so sure of the future in view of the rapid out-of-control development due to the influx of foreign immigrants. Wild plants & animals always suffer when human encroached into their habitats. When will human ever learn to coexist with nature properly? We will suffer worse consequences when all our wildlife is completely gone!

Can We Coexist?

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