Bukit Timah - Feb/March 2014 The effect of drought

My objective:
- Have a closer look at the two caves with a strong torch.
- See the effect of the dry season on vegetation etc.

Looked like a roundabout ... normally you can not see through the branches and leaves. The long drought had thinned the vegetation you can almost see through the thin sprawling undergrowth. Dairy farm hut is right behind this. The left and side branches to Dairy Farm Loop while the right hand branch leads to Seraya Loop

Baccaurea parviflora, wild rambai  flowering occur everywhere

 
   

B parviflora or wild rambai flowering.

One of the largest liana vine at the entrance of South View Path no far from the BT HQ.

Clear water still flow ...

Just one week apart the same Bat Lily changes a lot.

Bat Lily or devil lily

  Caves revisited. THe third caves are not where to be found and i suspect it lies 50 metres away from the 1st cave ( with through hole). The NP personnel i met on the trail told me the soil erosion had burred the entrance.  

This cave with a through opening in the other end

Close up x50 zoom of the hole reveal tree / branches overhanging the H Quarry face. This cliff side entrance is not accessible

THe bright dot is the through hole. Extreme zoomed in the image above show the vegetation in the other side of the cliff.

The other cave with no through hole

Camera flash through the metal  gate.

Using a strong torch light

Latex from the tree trunk

I flipped the image - the latex flowed down .

Bat Lily along the trail . We are having an unusual drought - no rain since one month ago!!!

Drongo sitting quietly and listening in to other calls

SBG - Two colorful woodpeckers at one shot Feb 23 2012

White gum belly buttons

SUNDAY 23 FEB '14 3PM.

I didnt hear the tud tud sound like before ... but saw a flicker of a dark bird in the branches. A maron dark red shadow.. when i saw the crest i know it is a wood pecker.  Then another red crested woodpecker flew in. I am sure they are eyeing at each other but they didnt interact like a pairing up same species.

Forest Bell Creeper

I spent some time here shooting the banded woodpecker and video the common flameback doing the hopping down the tree trunk hunting for insects. Passers-by  didnt notice what i was doing.

This is the very first thing i noticed in the foliage. Something stirred among the leaves. For the next few minutes i was facing with not one but two woodpeckers.

Banded woodpecker.

Banded  appearance  shot directly upwards

Another angle

Fireman coat?

Closer look

The keen eyes will notice two insects on its tail.

Common flameback woodpecker with the red crest ( male) .Video here showing him hopping down the tree trunk

Another pose - like an armored rider ... 

The punk spiky hair look!

Indian Cuckoo

Part II Marsiling Tunnel

Marsiling Tunnel - Continue from Feb 16 Posting.

Feb 22 Sat 2014 - Marsiling Crescent - In search of the half buried tunnel......continue this weekends. This time i got it. 

   Near the edge of the forest he Brahminy Kites were soaring. I heard their cries last Sunday and this time got one of them sitting pretty on a trunk.

The half buried tunnel is very well concealed .. this is the edge of the Forest.

Seen the trail here? 

This gray wagtail bird flew up from the canal and rested on a branch. 

Zebra dove

Green neck pigeon 

Three of them here

Immature Brahminy Kite - three of them were seen riding the thermal.

Terrain to get to the South Entrance

Info graphic Courtesy of UrbanXplorers.

Like a crack from far but easily crawl in if you dare...

See not small at all

This is South Entrance. North and the others are sealed. There is a right angle turn at the left - 2 flight of stairs downward Level 02 and Level B1 more than 5 meters down.  Full length is more than 60-70 metre.

Emerald Dove

See going in not that difficult