After 2 months without any IMOG outing due to NPSS's Nature Photographic Course, we had a record turnout of 23 participants in today’s outing. We had more than 10 cars and it almost resulted in traffic jam at the Lakeside MRT’s meeting point!
(We parked our cars along the road side near the macro site)
Anyway, it was a pity that “天不做美” as it started to drizzle at 7.15am. We had little choice but to go to the nearby coffee shop for early breakfast. At 9.00am, when the condition improved, we proceeded to the macro site.
Jurong Woods II is a huge piece of wasteland in the western part of Singapore. This place was probably a kampong during the 70s or 80s. There are lots of bushes on both sides of the trail with many wild flowers attracting different kind of insects. These include Katydids, Hoverflies, butterflies, bees, crab spiders, hoppers, beetles, etc.
It was a nice and cool morning to do macro shooting. The lighting was good and not windy. The only distraction was the constant barking of stray dogs, easily more than 10 of them.
When we progressed further into the trail, there was a stream where we found some uncommon damselflies. We spent quite sometimes here taking turn to shoot the damselflies.
Yan Leong spotted a mating pair and went into the stream! A pity he did not manage to capture them despite his hard work.
(Yan Leong trying to shoot a mating damselflies)
There was also a wetland thereby and it looks like an excellent habitat for dragonflies and damselflies. I went into the wetland to explore with only my track shoe, certainly not an advisable thing to do which I found out later. Many common dragonflies and damselflies were sighted here. There was an uncommon dragonfly (Rhyothemis Triangularis) too but unfortunately, it was quite skittish and I did not manage to photograph it.
(Wetland)
About half an hour later when I was at another stream, I suddenly felt a big slimy thing inside my shoe. I quickly removed my shoe and I was shocked to see a fat leech, about a ten cents coin in diameter and 6 to 7 cm long! I should have taken a record shot of it but I was not in the mood to do so as my 2nd last toe of my right leg was bleeding continuously. Shereen gave me some tissue papers to clean up and stop the bleeding but it only stopped about more than an hour later!
(Bleeding non-stop after biten by a leech)
We called it a day at 12pm and some of us went to the nearby hawker centre at Bukit Batok for lunch and chit-chat.
Images posted at NPSS forum:
JW2 Macro by Stephen Lim
Bean flower and Yellow-legged Damselfly by Cai Yixiong
Chrysomelidae Beetle by Ong Wee Shien
Common Big-Jawed Spider by Allan Lee
Jurong Wood II by Lee Yan Leong
Participants (23) : Anthony Quek (Team Leader), Allan Lee, Cai Yixiong, Tony Tng, Sharon S. Lim, Stephen Lim, Shereen Ng & Freddie, Michael Ee, Michael Ooi, Pegi Lee, Ong Lim Sim, Yeo Tang Lim, Simon Ow, Teo Jia Yin, Joshua Fong, Lewis kek, Fong KT, Chue Pui Syn, Richael Tham, Lee Yan Leong, Ong Wei Sien & friend
