6030. Mother and child

 FINLAND - 14 MAR 2023: Ivalo Airport is a small airport. A mother and child walk a long distance from the plane to the terminal on arrival. Travel promotes mental wellness and bonding with children.

 

  

6029. Olive-backed Sunbird (Cinnyris jugularis) in Lentor Road park.

6029. The male Olive-backed Sunbird (Cinnyris jugularis) has an iridescent neck. It is actively feeding on nectar.

SINGAPORE - 11 May 2026: 8 am. A male olive-backed sunbird (Cinnyris jugularis) has a distinctive blue-black throat. It has olive-coloured back, bright yellow body. It feeds on nectar and small insects.

Canon R5, 300mm, 1/400 sec, f/16, iso 3200. AV mode

6028. Common Gras Yellow

 Common Grass Yellow is one of the most common butterflies in Singapore. This is likely due to its many host plants being common in the wild or widely cultivated in parks and other public areas. The adults can be seen fluttering tirelessly in parks, wastelands and even  urbanised areas. They regularly visit flowers for nectar and puddle on wet grounds for minerals.

6027. Straw-headed bulbul

 The straw-headed bulbul (Pycnonotus zeylanicus) is a species of songbird in the bulbul family, Pycnonotidae. It is found from the Malay Peninsula to Borneo.

 Gregarious and often perches on low branches overlooking water. Location: Bukit Timah Nature Reserve, Dairy Farm Nature Park, Bukit Batok Nature Park, Bukit Gombak, Central Catchment Forest, Bukit Brown and Pulau Ubin.

 

 

The Straw-headed Bulbul (Pycnonotus zeylanicus) is primarily a frugivore that feeds on fruits, figs, and berries, supplemented by insects and small invertebrates. They are crucial for seed dispersal in their forest habitat, often feeding in pairs or family groups in mangroves, woodlands, and along rivers. 

Primary Diet Components

• Fruits and Berries: Their main diet consists of various soft fruits, especially figs (Ficus spp.) and mistletoe berries. They frequently consume wild "cherry" (Muntingia calabura).
• Insects and Invertebrates: They forage for spiders, beetles, caterpillars, mantids, and cockroaches
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Small Animals: They occasionally consume small molluscs (riverine snails) and small vertebrates like flying lizards. 

Foraging Behavior

• They typically forage in the canopy but are known to feed on the ground more often than other forest bulbuls.
• They may follow foraging flocks of monkeys or squirrels to catch insects disturbed by them.
• They are known to eat nectar and flower buds.
• They often use water sources to wash or soak food. 

Diet in Captivity/Rehabilitation
For rehabilitation or captive care, a suitable diet includes soft fruits (banana, papaya, chiku), insects (worms), and specialized pellets.

 

 

 

 

The Straw-headed Bulbul is listed as critically endangered primarily due to the illegal Asian songbird trade. Highly prized for its loud, melodious song, it is heavily targeted by poachers. This relentless trapping, combined with severe habitat loss across Southeast Asia, has decimated its wild populations. 

The species (Pycnonotus zeylanicus) faces two main threats:

• The Cage-Bird Trade: Because of their beautiful calls, these birds are highly sought after by bird enthusiasts and competitors. This demand has driven prices up, fueling relentless poaching and local extinctions in countries like Thailand, Myanmar, Java, and Sumatra.
Habitat Destruction: The loss of preferred environments—such as lowland forests, mangroves, and riverine habitats—has severely restricted their natural living spaces. 

A Unique Haven in Singapore
While the global population continues to struggle, Singapore has emerged as an unexpected stronghold for the species. Thanks to strict wildlife protections and over three decades of conservation efforts, the local population of Straw-headed Bulbuls has remained stable and is even slowly increasing. 

You can learn more about these ongoing preservation efforts from the Mandai Wildlife Reserve or the Nature Society Singapore. 

6026. Hubner's Wasp Moth Lentor Walk Park

 

SINGAPORE - 8 May 2026. 10.32am. Lentor Walk Park. Hubner's Wasp Moth (Amata huebneri) sips 
nectar from a flower. It has distinct orange bands in abdomen and transparent windows in its wings, mimicking a wasp to deter predators. 

 

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SINGAPORE - 8 May 2026. The Japanese Jasmine (Pseuderanthemum carruthersii) is an evergreen shrub bearing white flowers with deep purple or pink spots in the throat. Ornamental flowers. 

 

 

6025. Video. Egrets

 Video

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SCRIPT

 

 

 

6024. The Common Sailor and the Short-banded Sailor

 

 

 

SINGAPORE - 8 MAY 2026: 10.14am. Lentor Loop Park.  The Short-banded sailor (Neptis columella) is a species of nymphalid butterfly  found in South and Southeast Asia.

Canon R5, 300mm, 1/500 sec,f/5.6, iso 500. Handheld. TV mode, high up in a tree fluttering.

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 This species bears a close resemblance to the Common Sailor (Neptis hylas papaja), and two can only be distinguished with a closer scrutiny of the white markings on the wings. Generally, the Short Banded Sailor is larger than a typical Common Sailor.

 Physical Description of Adult Butterfly:
Above, this species resembles various Neptis species in having similar white markings against dark brown to black background. On the forewing, the white cell streak is narrow and short, and the spot in space 1a elongated. On the hindwing, the broad discal band does not reach the costa. In the male, vein 8 of the hindwing ends on the termen just below the apex (in contrast, this vein ends on the costa for Neptis species). The speculum on the hindwing upperside is prominent. Underneath, the white markings are set against yellowish brown background.

 

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Common sailor (Neptis hylas)  

Physical Description of Adult Butterfly:
On both wings the cells are open, and vein 8 on the hindwing ends on the costa. Above, the wings are dark brown to black in ground colour and feature the usual white markings for Sailor species. A distinguishing feature is that post-discal spots in spaces 2 and 3 of the forewing are in echelon and are directed to the termen. There is no whitish ring on the abdomen. Underneath, the wings are rich golden ochreous in ground color, and nearly all white markings prominently outlined with black borders.

 

 Physical Description of Adult Butterfly:
On both wings the cells are open, and vein 8 on the hindwing ends on the costa. Above, the wings are dark brown to black in ground colour and feature the usual white markings for Sailor species. A distinguishing feature is that post-discal spots in spaces 2 and 3 of the forewing are in echelon and are directed to the termen. There is no whitish ring on the abdomen. Underneath, the wings are rich golden ochreous in ground color, and nearly all white markings prominently outlined with black borders.

6023. Where do butterflies sleep at night?

 

Where do butterflies sleep at night?

🤔 At night or during bad weather, butterflies will usually seek shelter by hanging from the undersides of leaves, or crawl into crevices in the bark of trees, between rocks or other objects, and sleep.

6022. Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf Yishun Central, Northpoint Mall

 #coffeebean and #tealeaf #singapore cafe in Yishun Central #breakfast 15 May 2026: 10.25am. Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf at Northpoint Mall. I had brunch with Mr Brian Peck at this spacious cafe, avoiding the nearby Toast Box cafe which had much smaller squarish tables and hard seats. He shared his tips on Manual settings for the Canon R5 camera and about his sister's dog eating ice-cream and condo management - a variety of topics for an interesting conversation. Yishun Central (Neighborhood)

 Location: Blk 926 Yishun Central 1, #01-185, Singapore 760926 Operating Hours: Opens daily from 8:00 AM (approximate)Details: A cozier, neighborhood-style cafe that offers a more relaxed atmosphere compared to the bustling mall crowds. 

Popular All-Day Breakfast Items Breakfast Platter: Scrambled eggs, turkey ham, chicken sausage, toasted bread, and seasonal side salad Price: ~$18.50 Pancakes & Eggs Platter: Buttermilk pancakes, scrambled eggs, maple syrup, and salad Price: ~$15.50 Breakfast Waffles Platter: Crisp waffles, scrambled eggs, chicken sausage, and salad Price: ~$18.50

6021. Lesser Grass Blue. tripod. 9am

 

 

 SINGAPORE - 10 MAY 2026: 9am. The Lesser Grass Blue butterfly (Zizina otis) is one of the smallest butterfly species. The male has a dull purplish-blue colour on top of its wings while the female tends to be browner. The underside of the wings is typically gray with a series of small black spots. It is often found in open grassy areas, urban gardens and parks, where they fly close to the ground. 

 

 Canon R5, 250mm, 1/250 sec, f/5.6, iso 125, TRIPOD.