Greens n Creatures Big n Small

Dedicate an afternoon to our Earth

2007-04-16T21:04:00.000+08:00

EARTH DAY 22ND APRIL SUNDAY @ SBG

Meet Harrry the Monster caterpillar

2007-04-15T23:05:00.000+08:00

"Hai!", Harrry the super hairy caterpillar

"I'm chillin out on this cool wooden railing...quite on my own..."

"...'cause my caterpillar friends think im freakin big & scary, probably due to the very many hairs i've got all over my freakin big body that turns them & even those dare devil predators off!"

Unknown to Harrry, there are other loners around as well. Perhaps they prefer to chill out or move around alone (you know how tough it can get moving in a mob especially if you & your peers have 100 or more legs);

Or perhaps it's way better staking out prey by yourself - imagine having to compete with your peers for food when food is hard to find, & if you are extremely hungry (& most likely grumpy), not to mention it's so not easy to spot things in the dark

OR your food (e.g. algae, lichen, fungi, plants, pet food) doesn't really move about much so lucky for this guy, he can afford to take his own sweet time to slime around the forest
('guy', 'he' & 'his' are generic terms of reference, not specific to the male sex)

"What da?" to us but "Woo Hoo!" for these snails, they were gathered here for a super duper feast of pet food left on the pavement by some kind soul, who became an unexpected snail saver

OR you simply like to act stickily pretty...

OR just need a rest from all that restless flying about...

OR it's more effective for your body colour to merge with the background to avoid starving predators...how would you like it if your hyperactive peers scurry around impatiently, attracting unwanted attention while you are hard at work trying to stay still & camouflage?
Just check out these guys below,

But of course, these Giant Forest Ants are of a different league - they are naturally colonial & instinctively, have the capacity to tolerate living in a roomy ant nest with a large major extended family. ANyway, these guys seemed to be on a mission to transport the babies to God knows where...GOOD LUCK ANTS!

Bad Bird Behaviour

2007-02-20T17:27:00.000+08:00

A woodpecker (Common Goldenbacked) attempting to break into a vehicle?? Hmm..i wonder what's in the car..worms? *shrugs* Didnt manage to snoop around to check out as i was beginning to look like a 'suspicious' character loitering around the parked car..eeekks! Oh btw this was at Pasir Ris Park Carpark C (where the preserved mangroves are) where many bird species were reportedly spotted by visitors & the stall uncle. P.S. incidentally there were few others e.g. Oriole, Asian Koel & 3 Hanging Parrots nearby when i was filming this guy!

White crested Laughing Thrush busy thrashing about & messing up the forest floor (BBNP) early in the morn. Not notorious, just its normal foraging behaviour as it flips dead leaves & twigs in search of bugs & yummy yum yums crawling under. Real cute guy which allowed me to go real close without getting scared out of its wits heheh

The Elusive Straw Headed Bulbul - a melodious forest bird that frequents BBNP.
Really couldnt spot the guy or guys calling! Eventually we caught sight of 2 on a tree behind..i missed a shot while fumbling to change from movie to snap mode *roll eyes*

I see (more than) seashells on the seashore

2007-02-11T00:19:00.000+08:00

Pasir Ris...not just a fisherman's village...
(the following animals & litter featured are just the tip of the sandberg)

Olive whelk (Nassarius olivaceus) with hitch hiking barnacles

Peanut worm (Phascolosoma arcuata)

An angry frothing Stone/Thunder Crab (Myomenippe hardwikii)

Snapping/Pistol Shrimp (Family Alpheidae)...check out those cute beady eyes (* . *)

UI Octopus (Family Octopodidae)..you can spot the teeny weeny chromatophores
that are oh-so-important for its 1st line of defence i.e. Camouflage!

UI Marine Leech...i've never encountered 1 at the seashore before
...eewww..where are my leech socks??

Can you imagine living in such a plasticky-glassy-
stinky-grossy-messy-sucky HOME??!!
No wonder people say:
"Pasir Ris got things (as in marine life) to see meh??? blink blank look*"

*All animals, plants, algae 'caught' were gently placed back in their original (super polluted) habitat; none managed to sneak into people's homes.

Lizzies Delight

2007-01-20T14:12:00.000+08:00

Spotted House Gecko

Not so common in houses now anymore
Click!
Click Click!

Marbled Forest Slender-toed Gecko
Pretty reddish brown eyes with blue eye shadow, slender toes
Click!
Click click!

Dwarf Gecko
The short limbed one
Click!

Green Crested Lizard
Stunning bright green with bluish tinge on head;
species threatened to be replaced by Changeable Lizard
Click!

Sun skink

Clouded monitor
Click!

Maritime gecko
Click!

Water monitor sun tan

All you ever wanted to know about our very own Colugo!

2007-01-17T11:25:00.000+08:00

The COLUGO book by Draco Publishing and NUS is finally out...

COLUGO: The Flying Lemur of South-east Asia. Norman Lim.

The book launch is on 3rd Feb (Sat) at Nature's Niche and it is now going for a special price of S$20 (without DVD) and S$30 (with DVD). After the launch, the book will be sold at Nature's Niche, Kinokuniya, etc. for S$25.20 (without DVD) and S$37.80 (with DVD). Keen to check out Colugo calling & gliding? Grab the version with DVD, which include a sound clip of the Colugo calling, video clips of its natural behaviour in the wild and of course, gliding sequences.

Upcoming BWV ReefTalk Sat 30 Sept

2006-09-15T23:46:00.000+08:00

Mud Lobster MTV

2006-09-03T23:59:00.000+08:00

Chanced upon a rare sighting of this keystone mangrove species aka mud lobster Thalassina anomala 1 sunny afternoon. Consider us lucky, unlucky for the poor lobster as it was badly entangled in some string most probably discarded by some irresponsible bugger. Thanks to a sharp eyed student, we managed to free the crustacean! WOO HOOO!!

Poor guy was kind of disorientated, didnt retreat back into its hole but trudged around the muddy pool & to our pleasant surprise, did what it does best! Burrow! So cool =o>

Where's my burrow??

Mud lobsters are key species in a mangrove community, digging and excavating in the mud. Thanks to these hardworkers, the mud is loosened and oxygenated, materials are recycled, making the substrate suitable for mangrove propagules to germinate. The volcano like mounds constructed as a result, is like a HDB flat for other animals e.g. ant Odontomachus malignus, the Tree-climbing crab Episesarma singaporense, the Mangrove mud shrimp Wolffogebia phuketensis, the spider Idioctis littoralis & the file snake Acrochordus granulatus. Without these shy little creatures, there will not be a healthy mangrove. If mud lobsters could talk, this featured crustacean star would perhaps give the best testimonial on how marine litter could kill however insignificant they might be to ignorant humans.

Not just a garden

2006-08-05T19:41:00.000+08:00

Snuggly hidden in a shrub which was at my eye level. Although the camera can swivel, that didnt really help due to my short arms, so have to 'borrow' a garden stool in order to snap this from the top! These eggies look so yummy, like those chocolate easter eggs =ob

Dont worry, im not that inhumane to swallow the eggies. 1 week later, the chickies hatched!! 1min they were screaming for food...
...the next min they were dozing. Repeat in cycles of 24hours, no wonder the babies were so tired...poor mummy or daddy too..got to fly in & out to check on them & forage for food.

Poor pomelo really badly infested with all kinds of pests you can think of: sap suckers, leaf miners, leaf hoppers, spider mites. But ive to admit, these miners are quite artistic to form these patterns on the leaves!

Didnt expect the Powershot to be this good! no macro lens required! ok lah with my kind of photography skills, this effect is quite good already heheh

More art in nature! If im a fashion designer, i will get ALL my inspiration from Nature!

Yup it's Blindie again. This time busy escaping from being exposed.

Cat (& bird) FIGHT

2006-07-23T00:01:00.000+08:00

Home Sweet Home

2006-07-22T23:39:00.000+08:00

Yup, they are around!

2006-06-13T23:55:00.000+08:00

Our forests are rich in biodiversity, just to share a handful of creatures i stumbled upon recently in our very own CCNR (central catchment nature reserve).

Colugo & baby - mum (or dad) was reddish brown, adorable baby was grey

Oriental Whip Snake

Green Crested Lizard

Terrestrial Flatworm, Bipalium sp.

Branded Imperial

Greatest surprise for the day - Banded Leaf Monkey! Didn't manage a good frontal shot, well blame it on my amateurish camera. Optical zoom not good enough, need telephoto lens!!

First encounters of the Intriguing Kind

2006-05-21T00:10:00.000+08:00

Interesting stuff i've seen over the past week, some of which were first time encounters

Underwater World S'pore

Kapok tree or Ceiba pentandra flowering behind UWW! Did you know that we have a legendary 80 year old Heritage Kapok Tree in SBG?

http://www.sbg.org.sg/attractions/heritagetrees.asp

http://www.nparks.gov.sg/nat_conv/htr.pdf

Now you know why it's called the KaPOK tree...stand any closer & i'll "pok" you

Seeds are surrounded by white fluffy cotton like thingies that insulate the *cute, vulnerable seeds from the chills & storms of the outside world*
*Fiction - my personal opinion so please don't quote & use this as part of your research /homework/project/assignment, & blame the blogger if you get your paper thrown back
due to inappropiate anthropomorphic remarks.

In the limelight

(P.S. Cotton Stainer bugs are often associated with cottony plants as they feed on the seeds. To feed themselves, they pierce, stain & spoil the oh-so-useful cotton fibres hence are being infamously labelled as pests in many areas)

Garden@Junyuan Primary

Life under the stone slab
If you are wondering what's so interesting about this worm, well it's not exactly a worm. It's actually a *da dum* Common Blind, Flowerpot Snake (Ramphotyphlops braminus), commonly (duh) found under flower pots & pot like stuff in the gardens. They don't just hang out under pots, you can locate them under the soil surface & rotting logs as well. Check out a new blog set up by some snakey people, http://singaporesnakes.blogspot.com/

Changi beach

Poor thing, must have gotten it's winged fins sliced off by some fishermen, hungry sailor or people with perverted minds that torture cats & helpless creatures. Sharks aint the only cartilaginous fish who need Wildaid (http://www.wildaid.org/)

Take my world apart

2006-05-13T00:41:00.000+08:00

I am the only one to blame for this
Somehow it all adds up the same
Soaring on the wings of selfish pride
I flew too high and like Icarus I collide
With a world I try so hard to leave behind
To rid myself of all but love,
To give and die

To turn away and not become
Another nail to pierce the skin of one who loves
More deeply than the oceans,
More abundant than the tear
Of a world embracing every heartache

Can I be the one to sacrifice
Or grip the spear and watch the blood and water flow

To love you - take my world apart
To need you - I am on my knees
To love you - take my world apart
To need you - broken on my knees

All said and done I stand alone
Amongst remains of a life I should not own
It takes all I am to believe
In the mercy that covers me

Did you really have to die for me?
All I am for all you are
Because what I need and what I believe are worlds apart

And I pray,
To love you - take my world apart
To need you - I am on my knees
To love you - take my world apart
To need you - broken on my knees

I look beyond the empty cross
Forgetting what my life has cost
And wipe away the crimson stains
And dull the nails that still remains
More and more I need you now,
I owe you more each passing hour
The battle between grace and pride
I gave up not so long ago
So steal my heart and take the pain
And wash the feet and cleanse my pride
Take the selfish, take the weak,
And all the things I cannot hide
Take the beauty, take my tears
The sin and soaked heart and make it yours
Take my world all apart
Take it now, take it now
And serve the ones that I despise
Speak the words I can't deny
Watch the world I used to love
Fall to dust and thrown away
I look beyond the empty cross
Forgetting what my life has cost
So wipe away the crimson stains
And dull the nails that still remain
So steal my heart and take the pain
Take the selfish, take the weak
And all the things I cannot hide
Take the beauty, take my tears
Take my world apart, take my world apart
I pray, I pray, I pray
Take my world apart

Worlds Apart.

Jars of Clay, Worlds Apart

Da Recent BWV ReefTalks

2006-05-07T19:13:00.000+08:00

The response has been really good for BWV at ADEX! Hope more of the people in Singapore as well as out of this 'lil red dot have been enlightened by all the effort from volunteers who tirelessly talked & shared our amazing shores & marine life to those yet seen or heard.

Thanks lots to everyone who putted in to this event!
(inclusive of those who presented, those gotten ill 'cause of too much talking &/or forgoing their meals, those who helped transport, set up & packed up REx, those who supported us despite the inability to come down to crowded Suntec on a weekend, etc.)

ADEX 06 - Day 2 RT Part I Zeehan on Nemo & Neighbours

Yes, it's Da Face of BWV giving her signature Nemo talk!

Ms REx (ReefExhibits) doing what she does best!

Caroline (booth volunteer) & her BWV-marine themed shirt

Vincent (booth volunteer) delightfully 'entertains' the patrons of our REx

More queries, more sales, more interest from da people

ADEX 06 - Day 2 RT Part II Jeff on Life as a Marine Biologist

Quote: "Let's welcome Da ONE & ONLY MARINE BIOLOGIST in Singapore!!!"
In case you are wondering, Jeff is NOT the only one here ok.
Not to mention the swarm of local marine enthusiasts around!

Da ever popular 'Play our game' game was a hit at ADEX!

Avid fans of Some local Dive Federation, awaiting excitedly for the presentation to start

The fan base stretches to the right row

For her hard work, our REx coordinator won a highly sought after lucky draw prize! So did many of our booth volunteers & members. Come volunteer & maybe you'll be
inflicted with the good luck!
*Disclaimer: BWV does not guarantee the striking of any lottery, ToTo, 4D
or any personal bets made by a volunteer.

Post Adex Day 2 - a well deserved dinner after thronging through the crowd in search of a makan place...i hate crowds

"My milkshake brings all the boys in the yard..."

ADEX 06 - Day 3 RT Part I Jani on Uncovering Spore's Submerged Secrets

Ms ReefFriends addressing the future of our nation

A captivated audience!

ADEX 06 - Day 3 RT Part II Ria Tan on Life on the Edge

Our honorable guest speaker Ms WildSingapore starts dispensing her 300 worth of slides!

In the beginning, there were a few...

...which grew to a few too many!
(Actually they were awaiting the results of the hourly lucky draw,
but then again if the ppt/photos were lousy, people would'nt bother to listen anyway right right??)
Well, let's just say we have good strategy to attract the masses heheh =ob

Yes, we do have reefs & amazing marine life in Singapore!
You can find them on our mainland, northern & southern islands!
Don't say i never say, nah! http://www.wildsingapore.com/places/index.html

Playing the 'Play our Game' game, winning prizes & of course our lovable Gillian

Grace introducing the OCEANS to a young booth visitor

Dividing the spoils after 3days of exhibiting, presenting & 'psychoing'

BWV ReefTalk 29th April 06 - Green & Marine by Dr Shawn Lum

Shawn & his formidable brolly!

Da audience is listening...mainly walk-ins into the library. I think it's Shawn's characteristic flowery shirt that pulled them =o>

Our beautiful posters of local marine life & habitats!
Many Thanks to library@Orchard for hosting us!

So by now if you are still asking, 'what's with this BWV thingy?
Is it related to BMW or what?'
Please click -> http://www.bluewatervolunteers.org/

Part of my world

2006-04-18T22:18:00.000+08:00

I've promised my cyber mate to put up nice photos...well here are some cuties who have been &/or are still part of my life =o>

Glamorous my a**

2006-04-16T00:39:00.000+08:00

Thanks to Otterman's notification & Dawn Kua's posting...found the source of this cruel act.

...The location for the sequence has been identified from a stretch of water in the background as being Hangzhou, a picturesque city south-west of Shanghai...

...But attention returned to China when an internet surfer came across a 37-year-old woman from Hubei province with the internet identity "Gainmas". She had registered a website in Hangzhou and - the ultimate evidence - had bought a pair of stilettoes on eBay last year.

She was also registered with QQ, a popular Chinese message service, where she wrote of herself: "I furiously crush everything to do with you and me."

Before her QQ address went dead, its owner had several conversations. In one, she is coy, saying "So what?" when asked if the pictures are of her, and then, when asked again, replying: "In theory."

When confronted by a reporter, she became defensive, saying: "Suddenly hundreds of people are on my QQ and cursing me. What's the problem if I crush cats? It's a type of experience. You wouldn't understand."...

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2006/03/04/wcats04.xml&sSheet=/news/2006/03/04/ixworld.html

Related links here
http://www.shanghaiist.com/archives/2006/03/22/are_we_there_ye.php#comments
I cant bear to watch!!
http://catwelfare.blogspot.com/2006/03/crush-video-in-china.html

It's not over...

2006-04-15T18:19:00.000+08:00

Can't believe i'm creating a blog (something which i've never bothered to do all along) to post this up...