11/10 – Margaret Drive (24 Apr 10)

Allan and I thought we were early but Vincent was already waiting at Ridout Tea Garden (previously known as Queenstown Japanese Garden) car park, smiling at us as we drove into the car park. While waiting for the rest of the avid photographers to fall in, I gobbled up a Sausage McMuffin with Egg from McDonalds and it was all Hazel’s fault! Tony arrived at the last minute and he probably knew we had breakfast already so he did not bring any this time. I am writing with my tongue-in-cheek, of course. Nevertheless, we welcome his camaraderie with cordial greetings and smiles.

It was 0730 hrs and a few eager photographers set off before us while we waited for another 5 minutes for another buddy. We caught up shortly via a short cut to our green playground. I grew up in Margaret Drive. It was down memory lane, at least for me. As we walked deeper into the vast piece of green land, it brought back plenty of sentimental memories. I remember vividly there were at least 3 short public housing blocks and a unsophisticated playground where I stood. Carefree children would play endlessly and when it was time for lunch or dinner, their mothers would shout from the common corridor for them to go home.

We dispersed into smaller groups. Along the way, we spotted an Exoskeleton of a small hopper (left), Day Flying Moths, Tusock Moths, Male Crab Spider with a Prey, flat white Moth, a blue Dragonfly, Fighting Spiders, Butterflies and Chameleons.

The cream of the crop during this IMOG was a very tiny Moth (below). From a distance, it looked like a Jumping Spider from the side view because you could see 4 black dots that resembled the eyes of a Jumping Spider.

What started out as a cool morning turned out to be a humid and sweaty late mid-morning. We ended early in view of the inhospitable weather and walked to the hawker centre at Block 40A Margaret Drive for some nostalgic food that I have not savoured for years.

Present : Vincent See, Chue Pui Syn, Shereen Ng, Tan Peck Kheng, Allan Lee, Joshua Fong, Eugene Hu, Ko Kyaw Htay, Yeo Tang Lim, Kelvin Loke, Ong Wee Shien, Hazel Han, Tony Png and Sharon S. Lim (Team Leader)

10/10 - Mandai Orchid Garden (17 Apr 10)

Mandai Orchid Garden (MOG) is a popular site for avian photography as many birds come out from the Nature Reserve forest to this place for feeding and breeding. Unfortunately, the government has identified this plot of land for re-development in January next year. IMOG has never organized an outing to MOG and we thought it would be good to do one before this place is gone.

(Vintage Garden)

Most participants arrived at the meeting point (carpark near the entrance of MOG) at 8 am punctually. The admission fees to MOG is $3.50 for the general public but it is only $1.50 per person for photographers like us. Our original plan was to concentrate at the open hillside Vintage Garden in the earlier part of the morning when the sun was expected to be softer. There are a vast variety of orchids and quite a no. of beautiful flowers here.

(Water Garden)

However, the sun was not kind on this particular morning and by 8.45 am, the heat was unbearable and all of us retreated to the sheltered Water Garden at the lower edge of MOG.

(Caterpillar by Chan C.P.)

Subjects spotted includes dragonflies, damselflies, caterpillars, derbid bug, Atlas moth, tree frog, fungi, etc. After more than 3 hrs of shooting in a hot and humid environment, we decided to call it a day at about 12 pm. We lunched at the hawker centre near Blk 339, Ang Mo Kio.

(Caterpillar by Kyaw Htay)

Participants (10) - Anthony Quek (Team Leader), Sharon S. Lim, Kyaw Htay, Eugene Hu, Ong Lim Sim, Shereen Ng, Vincent Ng, Tony Png, Joshua Fong & Teo Ngee Chye

9/10 - East Woods (10 Apr 10)

East Woods is another interesting site found on mainland Singapore! Over the years, besides visiting the popular and regular locations, IMOG continues the effort to explore all the potential Macro sites in this little island country. Now, the exploration finally has been given a name as . . . "Project Macrolumbus". Inspired by the passion and courage of the famous Christopher Columbus to explore the world, IMOG has set its sail to uncover the many more wonderful hidden new sites for Nature Macrophotography.

This new site is located at portion of Upper East Coast Road near/reaching Bedok Road. We set up and started at about 8.15 am. Then, most of us concentrated at the first quarter of the woods. Some subjects observed were : some wild flowers (mimosa, vernonia, railway creepers, asystasia, 2 passion flower species), 3 species of little moth (size of a 10 cents coin but hiding in low grasses, plenty of tiger moth), 1 weevil, weaver ants building nest, at least 3 dragonfly species, 1 caterpilar, 1 small red beetle, 2 butterflies, some grass hoppers, some spiders, crickets, and the star of the day was a juvenile red praying mantis (1^st sighting).

At about 10.45 am the rain started falling and we took shelter under the bus stop nearby. We had some chit chat then some of us headed to the Bedok Food Centre using bus (1 stop only) for lunch together, when rain turned drizzle.

It was only a 2.5 hours outing but we all had a great time. 25% of the entire woods was explored and we hope to explore the rest of it in near future.

(Juvenile Praying Mantis By Lee Yan Leong)

Participants (16) - Endy Tan (Team Leader), Ong Wee Shien, CP Chan, Lee Yan Leong, Yeo Tang Lin, Ong Lim Sim, Sharon S Lim, Hazel Han, Catherine Wong, Vivien Wee, Vincent See, Kelvin Loke, Tan Peck Kheng, Joe Bee Tong, Kyaw Htay & Agnes Goh