15/10 - Sungei Ulu Pandan (29 May 2010)

Interview with the photographers :

Endy : What do you think of this site for Nature Macrophotography?

Cricket on yellow flower by Kyaw Htay

Kyaw Htay : I think it is a very nice place. I have been here 3 times with IMOG and a few times on my own. In fact, this is where I got my "Cricket on Yellow Flower" one year ago. I posted that picture at Nikon Photo Club and was made Editor's Choice. The subjects are aplenty, do a detailed search and you will know what I mean. This morning, I was very lucky to find an uncommon butterfly which I have never seen in my whole life.

Close up on Katydid by Tan Chuan Yean

Stephen Lim : Not bad at all! I brought my son along in this maiden outing of mine. We had a great time. We took so many spiders and katydids (many little ones + a big juvenile).

CP Chan : A Good site indeed. I enjoyed taking photos of the many Katydids and the best was that I got a chance to photograph a cicada on a very low level, this is one of my wishlist items came true.

Twig-like feather legged spider with "soccer ball" by Tan Chuan Yean

Tan Chuan Yean : I was a little late. But surprisingly, although only a small portion of the area was combed, I found quite many uncommon spiders.

Yan Leong : I remember that I came 1 year ago, and there were still quite many insects today. There is a new McDonald Restaurant with Drive Thru nearby now, we had a wonderful meal there after the trip at about 11:30 am.

Participant (6) : Endy Tan (Team Leader), Kyaw Htay, Stephen Lim & son, CP Chan, Tan Chuan Yean, and Yan Leong

14/10 - Jurong Woods (22 May 10)

Jurong Woods remains as a good macro playground. We saw many Lynx spiders in actions (with preys such as ant, fly & caterpillar). Other subjects found are crab spiders, hoppers, dragonflies, moths, caterpillars, robberflies, etc. This time round we took the left turn at the Y-junction but did not explore too deep in as the outing was cut-off early before 10 am due to the approaching rain. Some of us had coffee at the nearby coffeeshop located at the other end of Jurong Road before we called it a day.

(Lynx spider maternal care by Allan Lee)

Participants (6) : Allan Lee (Team Leader), Lee Yan Leong, Chan CP, Syn CP, Joshua Fong & John Wong

13/10 - Chestnut Avenue (08 May 2010)

Our records show that the first and only outing to Chestnut Avenue by our Informal Macro Outing Group (IMOG) was conducted on 30 August 2008, led by Michael Ee. Chestnut Avenue was very famous two years ago in the macro shooting community, but getting less attractive recently as results of less subjects provided perhaps due to the negative impacts of the surrounding development projects to its natural environment. However, a recent recce shooting by some of our members show that the site is recovering in term of natural habitats and macro subjects. So we chose to visit the site again.

(Spiny Spider by Cai Yixiong)

We started shooting at about 7.50 am when most of the photographers were in the place. The weather condition was fine and the shooting ground remained under shadow condition even on the time that we left at 11.20 am. Water dew covered most of the vegetation, and many of the shooting subjects.

(Dewy Dragonfly by Lee Yan Leong)

Macro subjects found there were Spiny spider, St Andrew's Cross Spider, Laglaise's Garden Spider, Dewy Dragonfly, caterpillars, and if your eyes are sharp, a simple leaf like what have been presented by Hazel Han could also be very nice and interesting. There are many more subjects which will be posted on the NPSS forum later I believe.

Participants (11): Cai Yixiong (Team Leader), Ong Wee Shien, Stephen Lim, Sharon S. Lim, Joshua Fong, Michael Ooi, Eugene Hu, Shereen Ng, Hazel Han, Lee Yan Leong and John Wong.

12/10 - Pulau Ubin (1 May 10)

The star of the day was the Tawny Coaster butterfly with a cluster of eggs on the leaf of passion fruit. Other subjects spotted include lynx spiders, praying mantis, caterpillars, butterflies, hoppers & lacewing insect.

(Wild apples by Allan Lee)

It was probably due to the hot weather, or for whatever reasons, we found that the two usual places (Butterfly Hill & Secret Garden) which we visited, were not as good as before. The long lalangs that we often see along the track next to the Secret Garden were cleared making it too clean for macro shooting. It is time that we explore new hunting grounds for future outings in Pulau Ubin.

In short, the best thing to do that day was to sit in the coffee shop chit-chatting with some refreshing cold drinks.

Participants (11) : Allan Lee (Team Leader), Sharon S. Lim, Yeo TL, Joshua Fong, Teo Ngee Chye, Vincent See, Hazel Han, Catherine Wong,Vivien Wee, Syn CP and Richard Ho

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