Square-Tailed Drongo-Cuckoo In Bidadari

I went back to Bidadari to hope to find the elusive Malaysian Hawk Cuckoo, after seeing it so many times in the social media and I did not really spot it last time I was there.

But I managed to observe a Square-Tailed Drongo-Cuckoo (a mouthful, and I only know the name after consulting an expert) perching on a tree and skilfully catching worms from the grass patch below. It caught about 5 worms during the 30-odd minutes I as observing it, and most of the worms were fat and juicy. I did not even know they were there! Not observable to the human eye I suppose.

So this post will be mostly of this bird. It was pretty "cooperative". I inched myself towards it cautiously, fearing that it would fly away, but it did not! I managed to get a good distance and some good shots of it.

The Cuckoo with one of its catch.

I was actually mesmerised by its beauty. It was not an entirely black bird, and somehow it looks elegant and graceful to me. Maybe it was quiet, that's why. 

It has some green and blue tint on its features. 

The Square-tail Drongo-Cuckoo. 

Other pictures taken because I thought they looked nice.

I always find and amuse myself with Changeable Lizard that are in weird positions. Here's one.

High up on one of the supposedly dead tree I saw this bee perching like this. 

While walking, I noticed something big flew near me. It was an insect and I thought it was a moth or sort. On close inspection (very close, these guys are good at camouflaging), it was this mantis.

All in all, it was a good trip and I enjoyed myself thoroughly, although I still do not have the luck to see the Malaysian Hawk Cuckoo.

Sidenote, probably a moment of folly. I saw many other birds like the Collared Kingfisher and Brown Shrikes but I could not find them on my memory card, even though I saw them on my camera preview. Oh well.

~Huat

Exploring What's Left of Bidadari

Bidadari was a wonderland for birders but it is no longer the place we know because the area is now in the midst of being developed into a residential area. I decided to see what's left of it.

Bidadari was one of the first places I went to when I started watching and photographing birds. The first time I visited Bidadari was a late afternoon, close to evening. For those who do not know, Bidadari was a cemetery, and going there alone in the evening alone was definitely an adventure to me. Soon enough, Bidadari became one of my favourite places because it is apparently the only place that I could get hold of a flycatchers and other passerines, which I love to watch. I can't seem to see them elsewhere. 

Now, there is only a small patch of land left, I could see that there were some new trees being planted. I felt a dull ache in my heart seeing a massive area of the place being hoarded up and cleared.

This is near the columbarium, probably the only entrance to Bidadari now. Can you see the hoarding further up?

I still like the scenic and quiet this place possesses. Take more pictures like this before it changes drastically.

Nevertheless, Bidadari still surprised me this morning with some of the encounters I have had.

A Blue-throated Bee-eater perching.  

A Brown Shrike, with that unmistakable eye-liner. It disappeared before I could get a closer shot.

A futile attempt of a Scarlet-backed Flower Pecker. Again it flew away and disappeared before I could get a better shot.

A Dollar Bird. This guy been perching there for quite sometime.

And there is this bald tree that has many interesting things happening. I accidentally spotted a Coppersmith Barbet.

Then a small group of Asian Glossy Starlings.

And.. I do not know what they are but I believe they are migratory birds. Update: Thanks to reader Gavan Leong, I now know these are Purple-backed Starlings, or Daurian Starlings :DDD (love it when I learnt something new)

Another futile attempt to take a sunbird in flight like this. Many people think they are hummingbirds but they are not. Hummingbirds do not exist here in our region.

An Asian Brown Flycatcher. I was observing this guy for a very long time. I got lucky because it perched on the branch close to me and enabled me to take this shot.

Because the sunlight was shining on it. I thought these where saga seeds, the ones that people pick to profess their love. But they are not. They are fruits of the raintree. Thanks to reader Gaven Leong confirming that these were indeed saga seeds. OMG.

More exciting photos I took prior to the clearing here.

~ Huat

Photowalk / Birdwatching - Pasir Ris Park

Pasir Ris Park is a quaint and quiet park that I enjoy visiting. In addition one can spot many birds rather easily.

Today a juvenile Oriental Magpie Robin showed its finesse in hunting. It caught 3 insects in a minute. Later I came across the regular residents - Collared Kingfisher. There were a couple of them around. I did not see the Stork-billed or the Laced Woodpecker this time. I was hoping to see a one-eyed Fish Owl called Buffy though.

Oh well.

The juvi OMR greeted me when I arrived at PRP.

One of its catch. Couldn't get a sharper copy because this guy was moving around so fast! Before this bug, it caught an grasshopper. After this bug, it caught another bug!

Before it vanished back into the woods, it did a pose for me.

Collared KF is becoming a common sight in PRP for me. Here's one looking up. If you see closely there's another one on the right. I honestly did not see it when I was taking this photograph. 

This Collared KF was perching in another location while I was on my way to see if I could spot any owl.

~Huat

5 Reasons to go to the Singapore Botanic Gardens

1. Because of its history.

I am not a history buff, but I know it is more than a century old. More info in the wiki page. You can learn much of its history there.

The gate at the Bukit Timah entrance, just outside the train station.

2. Because it is accessible.

The botanic gardens is one of the interchange stops for the Downtown Line (DTL) and Circle Line (CCL), situated at the Bukit Timah Entrance. There is another entrance, the Tanglin Entrance, which is also accessible by foot from Orchard Road, but it will be quite a walk.


3. Because it is a large and quiet place.


While it is situated in somewhat prime land, the botanic gardens is a great place to escape from the city buzz. While it can be crowded during weekends, you can still enjoy some tranquility, because the area is just too big.

There are many benches like this for visitors just to sit and enjoy the tranquility. [Taken with the Redmi Note 3]

If you like quiet with a touch of nature, the botanic gardens is the place to go! [Taken with the Redmi Note 3]

4. Because it is also home to many birds and little critters.



I have been to the botanic gardens a couple of times to bird-watch. Yes, there are raptors and many birds to be spotted. Unfortunately it was rainy today and many of them went to hiding. Nevertheless I still have a couple of shots that I could share here.

An Oriental Magpie Robin. [Taken with Fujifilm X-T1 + XF 100-400mm]

A squirrel. They are quite common in the gardens! [Taken with Fujifilm X-T1 + XF 100-400mm]

A monitor lizard. Well, there are three lakes in the gardens, so I suppose they can be common, just that these creatures are elusive. [Taken with Fujifilm X-T1 + XF 100-400mm]

A red-neck slider. These, unfortunately, are probably released by pet-owners. [Taken with Fujifilm X-T1 + XF 100-400mm]

A White-breasted Water Hen taking a plunge! [Taken with Fujifilm X-T1 + XF 100-400mm]

5. Because it is a UNESCO World Heritage Site!



It was awarded the status on 4 July 2015, which was considered one of an apt gift for Singapore's Golden Jubilee in that year.

At the Bukit Timah entrance.

A plaque at the Tanglin/Nassim entrance.

Due to unfavourable weather, I was not able to cover the whole gardens. But it is a great place to hang out with family and friends, provided the weather is good of course. Nevertheless, here are some photographs I would like to share.

Just an old tree. I was trying to compose something I think.

I do not know what species of papaya these are but the tree is rather short.

The stage at the Symphony Lake. This is one of the landmarks in botanic gardens. Many concerts and performances are occasionally held here.

Side note: The Redmi Note 3 camera is only so-so, but I have to make do as my wide angle camera for now.



~yZhifa

Photowalk: Pasir Ris

Just went for a walk at Pasir Ris Park, and took the opportunity to spot some birds. Birdwatching in the afternoon is never a good idea. Not only the Sun is hot, not many birds are going to appear since most of them would have done their hunting and feeding in the morning.

I was just lucky, managed to capture a Common Iora, not 1 but 3 Stork-billed Kingfisher, a Collared Kingfisher and a pair of Common Flamebacks Laced Woodpeckers, with none other than the Fujifilm X-T1 and the XF 100-400mm lens.

A Common Iora. Their calls are actually very nice to listen too! But they can be challenging to photograph, given their size and speed.

A Collared Kingfisher. They are probably the noisiest kingfishers that I know of.

As mentioned, I saw not 1 but 3 Stork-billed Kingfishers. Not sure if they are a family. This is SBKF #1. Perching on one of the branches amongst the mangrove. Took this because I did not know they could turn their head almost 180 degrees.

Still SBKF #1 because it was the closest to me and easiest to photograph. I decided to use the Velvia film simulation in the X-T1 to do these colourful birds more justice.

SBKF #2. Perching on a tree beside a river (or canal). SBKF #3 not shown.

Near SBKF #1 were these beautiful Common Flamebacks Laced Woodpeckers. I suppose it was a mother-daughter couple, the mother is in the background, because I saw her feeding the one on the foreground. Highly elusive birds. The photo did not turn out crisp sharp, I was a tat disappointed, but I guess I'll accept this for now, since it is pretty rare to be able to photograph these.

~Huat

My Actual Day Wedding Photography Checklist - Gate Crashing/Fetching the Bride

As a actual day (AD) wedding photographer, I will make sure the following are accomplished at the minimum:

At the Bride's Place:

1. The gown
2. The shoes
3. The jewelry
4. Any forms of rituals (paying respect to ancestors, etc)
5. During make-up
6. Bride after putting on the gown
7. The mum
8. Sisters preparing the games for gatecrash
9. Putting on the veil.
10. Arrival of the groom
11. Gatecrashing
12. Groom entering the room
13. Groom unveil the bride
14. Groom kisses the bride
15. Moving to Groom's place

At the Groom's place (before fetching the bride)

1. Groom dressing up
2. Brothers
3. Decorating the car
4. The bouquet and the bride gifts
5. Setting off

At the Groom's place (after fetching the bride)

1. Tea ceremony
2. With the Groom's family
3. Bride Throwing the flower (I think there is a proper term for this)

At the Bride's Place (returning after Groom's place)

1. Tea ceremony
2. With the Bride's family

If you are finding a freelance photographer for your actual day photography, do feel free to contact me! :)

~yZhiFa

More Samples from the Fujifilm XF100-400mm

Here are some more photographs taken with the awesome lens. Enjoy!

A lizard. Pasir Ris Park.

A Scaly-breasted Munia. Gardens by the Bay.

Bumper boats. Changi Jetty.

A cicada. Pasir Ris Park.

A Common Kingfisher. Pasir Ris Park.

~yZhiFa