Looking back at my previous years coverage on World Migratory Bird Day – WMBD 2021, WMBD 2023 (May 13th), WMBD 2023 (October 14th), WMBD 2024 (11th May), WMBD 2024 (12th October) and WMBD 2025 (10th May). My birding journey has seen some great adventures visiting various nature reserves, parks and coastal areas for my birding photography, curating and uploading them into my Flickr photography collection – Bird/Wildlife Photography in Singapore.

WMBD 2025 Theme – Shared Spaces: Creating Bird-Friendly Cities & Communities

Although Singapore is a very small country by land size, we are a hub for migratory birds on the East Asian-Australasian Flyway and Central Asian Flyway, making it a major migratory bird hub/stopover destination. Singapore now can play a bigger and wider international role in the migratory birds journey with those 2 major flyways, a transit hub for migratory birds. 

Singapore is part of the East Asian-Australasian Flyway, migratory birds making a pitstop in Singapore, giving bird photographers here in Singapore many opportunities to photograph them in action, the diversity and beauty of those migratory bird species. 

Recent research findings over the past few years have also indicated that Singapore’s status as a major migratory bird hub has grown in stature, Singapore now has become the intersection of 2 major flyways, adding the Central Asian-Indian Flyway to the East Asian-Australasian Flyway.

For more information on Singapore has a hub for migratory birds in the East Asian-Australasian Flyway and Central Asian Flyway, please check out the following articles below:

• NParks article – Feathered Global Ambassadors: https://www.nparks.gov.sg/nparksbuzz/issue-42-vol-3-2019/conservation/feathered-global-ambassadors 
• Mothership article – New study shows Singapore is a pitstop for migratory birds from 2 major flyways: https://mothership.sg/2020/12/migratory-bird-central-asian-flyway-singapore/ 
• Nature Portfolio Scientific Reports: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-020-77897-z 
• Straits Times article on 1st April 2024 – New Initiative to protect migratory birds and habitats: https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/new-initiative-to-protect-migratory-birds-and-habitats

Visiting the various nature reserves, parks and coastal areas in Singapore for my birding photography, we can see Singapore playing their small part in creating bird-friendly cities & communities, through the protection, conservation and preservation of nature areas, parks, green belt connectors.

Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve in Singapore is a hotspot (internationally important) for migratory birds. It’s a must visit for bird photographers, nature and wildlife lovers. If you are an international visitor planning bird photography visits in Singapore, check out NParks Birdwatching at Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve for more information. 

Flickr Photography Collection – Bird/Wildlife Photography in Singapore

I am continuing to work on curating and uploading more bird photographs in Singapore, showcasing the importance of Singapore as a bird hub for migratory birds. Although I haven’t reach the level of photographing all the bird species listed in Singapore by Birds of Singapore website by Bird Society of Singapore, 

I would still be actively planning my trips to nature reserves, parks, coastal areas for bird photography (local and migratory) in Singapore, revisiting those parks and coastal areas that I don’t visit as often over the years, and I can update bird photography from those locations inside my bird photography collections on Flickr.

Migratory Bird Photography October 2025 to March 2026

Migratory bird photography season from October 2025 to March 2026 started slightly earlier for me in September 2025. Although it’s not peak bird migratory season yet here in Singapore, I would be planning and keeping a lookout for migratory birds arriving in Singapore in October and November 2025.

Meanwhile, I would also continue with photographing local birds that I have yet to be photographed, that has been eluding me over the years that I have been doing bird photography. 

To fellow bird photography friends out there, have a good migratory bird photography season ahead! 

The post World Migratory Bird Day 2025 (11th October) appeared first on TGH Photography and Travel Portal/Blog.

Key highlights of Lights By The Lake 2024 

Here are the key highlights of Lights By The Lake 2024 that you would need to take note of.

NParks Concert Series in the Park: Rockestra

Music lovers take note! The 21st edition of Rockestra is taking place! There would be great performances with the theme “Moonlit Melodies”, featuring a spectacular line-up of local artistes performing both popular Mandarin and English songs.

• Date: 14th September 2024
• Time: 6:30pm
• Location: The Oval, Lakeside Garden

Lantern Display

A crowd favourite, come on down to Jurong Lake Gardens for bright and beautiful lantern displays the celebrates the diversity and iconic buildings of Jurong Lake Gardens.

• Date: 8th – 22nd September 2024
• Time: 6:30pm – 10pm daily
• Location: Various locations, Lakeside Garden

Other key highlights of Lights By The Lake 2024

• Cultural Showcases and Music Performances
• Movie Screenings
• Lantern Riddles

Memories from Lights By The Lake 2023 Mid-Autumn Festival at Jurong Lake Gardens

Here are some photos of the beautiful and colourful lantern displays from my visit to Lights By The Lake 2023 Mid-Autumn Festival at Jurong Lake Gardens. 

More photos can be viewed here inside this photo album from my Flickr photography collections!

Happy Mid-Autumn Festival 2024!

Wishing all my readers a Happy Mid-Autumn Festival 2024 in advance! Wishing all a season of joy, happiness and bonding with your family and loved ones!

Lights By The Lake 2024 Mid-Autumn Festival at Jurong Lake Gardens

• Dates: 8th September 2024 – 22nd September 2024
• Time: 6:30pm – 10pm daily
• Location: Jurong Lake Gardens

For more information on Lights By The Lake 2024 and the key highlights, please visit 

• https://www.nparks.gov.sg/juronglakegardens/whats-happening/lights-by-the-lake
• https://lightsbythelake.nparks.gov.sg/ 

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I have been visiting and exploring Pulau Ubin since my scouting days. Pulau Ubin is a pretty accessible destination from mainland Singapore, it’s great and ideal for a lot of our outdoors recreation activities. We can do hiking, cycling, watching the beautiful sunset, exploring Chek Jawa Wetlands, wildlife and nature photography. 

It’s been some years since I last visited Pulau Ubin, I think this would be a great time for me to go for Pesta Ubin 2024, soaking in the Pesta Ubin festivities, activities and programmes, enjoying the great outdoors on Pulau Ubin, wildlife and nature photography, and hope to capture another gorgeous sunset from Pulau Ubin again. Here are some photos that I took at Pulau Ubin during my visit in 2016 when the Singapore Heritage Festival 2016 was held at Pulau Ubin!

What is Pesta Ubin all about?

Pesta Ubin is a kampung-style open house held on Pulau Ubin. This is an annual highlight of celebrating Ubin, they are organised by the Friends of Ubin Network (FUN), with the support of the National Parks Board (NParks).

Pesta Ubin 2024 – Live. Love. Learn at Pulau Ubin from 8-23 June

Pesta Ubin 2024 is the 9th edition, it’s about Live, Love, Learn at Pulau Ubin from 8th to 23rd June, with an exciting, immersive and diverse lineup of activities and programmes that showcase the essence of a sustainable and conservation-driven “Live Kampung” in harmony with nature. 

The focus of Pesta Ubin extends beyond celebrations, they also foster deeper affection and appreciation for Pulau Ubin’s heritage and ecosystem, while offering enriching educational experiences for all ages, ideal for family bonding and learning activities. 

Pesta Ubin 2024 exciting lineup of activities include wildlife photography, cycling trails and guided walks around Pulau Ubin. Most of these programmes are free to attend, they provide a valuable and wonderful opportunity for both locals and international visitors of all ages to explore Pulau Ubin’s lush biodiversity, uncover and learn about Pulau Ubin’s rich heritage while guided by experts in the field. Visitors to Pesta Ubin 2024 can also enjoy the beautiful and rustic landscapes that the island has to offer!

Pesta Ubin 2024 Activity Highlights

Here are some of Pesta Ubin 2024 Activity Highlights that might be of interest to you and your family! 

For the full list of activities, please visit  https://pestaubin2024.wordpress.com/#Activities 

Information and details on Pesta Ubin

For more details on Pesta Ubin, please visit 

• Pesta Ubin website: https://pestaubin2024.wordpress.com
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pulauubinday
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pesta.ubin
• Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@pesta.ubin
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@pestaubin

For more information on Pulau Ubin, please visit https://www.nparks.gov.sg/pulau-ubin.

If you are looking for outdoors programmes and activities for your family during the June holidays, or if you are an international visitor in Singapore during this month of June 2024, check out Pesta Ubin 2024, come on down and visit Pulau Ubin, for a fun and exciting time outdoors and a trip back in time to 1960s Singapore! 

* Information courtesy of NParks *

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Birds at Singapore Botanic Gardens

The Singapore Botanic Gardens has shown to be an important habitat for both resident and migratory birds. There are over 180 species of birds that have been recorded at the Botanic Gardens, almost half of over 400 species of birds that have been sighted in Singapore. Many of these sightings were contributed by community of bird watchers  that have provided sighting information as well as records of the activities of some of the birds and the duration they spent at the Botanic Gardens. 

The valuable source of information on the habitats and conditions preferred by the birds, as well as the observations help to inform NParks on their conservation strategies and plans, allowing them to better enhance the Botanic Gardens for both birds and visitors as Singapore is transformed into a City in Nature.

Conservation of key habitats in the Singapore Botanic Gardens supports bird diversity 

The conservation of key habitats is one of the main thrusts of Singapore’s Nature Conservation Masterplan. Within Singapore Botanic Gardens, there are 5 locations identified as nature areas for habitat conservation and enhancement. They are the 

• Primary Rain Forest
• Southern Forest of the Learning Forest
• Keppel Discovery Wetlands
• Natural freshwater stream at the Gallop Extension
• Eco-Lake

The diversity of habitats, both terrestrial and wetlands, and the long-term ecological research and horticultural works undertaken by the Gardens in conserving and restoring natural habitats and flora of Singapore have contributed to the diversity of bird species that have been sighted in the Botanic Gardens.

As for the birds, both resident and migratory, they in turn also contribute to the Gardens by enriching the habitats, playing their roles in the complex food web system that underpin our urban and forest ecosystems. 

Community partnerships enhance monitoring and conservation efforts

The community plays an invaluable role in the efforts to conserve Singapore’s natural heritage. Under NParks Garden Bird Watch (GBW), a Community in Nature initiative, citizen scientists help to survey birds at various green spaces across Singapore. The Singapore Botanic Gardens has been one of the the GBW locations since the launch of GBW in 2015. 

The 5 year data collected from the GBW showed that the Botanic Gardens is one of the top 10 sites for species richness. The insights from such surveys, as well as information on sightings from bird photographers, help guide NParks conservation and management measures, ensuring that the Gardens is conducive not just for visitors, but to avifauna as well.

Dr Tan Puay Yok, Group Director of the Singapore Botanic Gardens, said, “Interest in the bird life present in the Gardens is not new. As far back as 1898, the Gardens’ then-director H.N. Ridley wrote a paper on the birds of the Gardens published in the Journal of the Straits Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society in which he shared about the monitoring of a White-bellied Sea Eagle which had built a large nest on a big tree within the Gardens. It is heartening that our avian visitors and rich natural heritage continue to be appreciated and treasured by Singaporeans today, and they also contribute to our conservation efforts through their observations. Through this exhibition, we hope to share with our visitors the joy and pride of our bird watching community, the role of the Gardens in avian biodiversity conservation and the role of our avian friends in maintaining the ecology of our natural habitats, and to inspire more people to join us to transform Singapore into a City in Nature.” 

My birding and wildlife photography adventures in NParks GBW 

I am also playing my small part in NParks GBW through my birding and wildlife photography, helping out my friend Belinda who has been very active in NParks GBW Community in Nature initiative. 

My personal birding and wildlife photography adventures at Singapore Botanic Gardens over the years had been enriching and exciting, trying to spot and photograph the birds (both resident and migratory) in action, or somewhere inside the dense green nature areas or perched high up the tall trees at Singapore Botanic Gardens. Just part of my birding photography adventures (and playing small part in NParks GBW) across different locations in Singapore. 

Here are two photos of birds that I photographed at Singapore Botanic Gardens in 2023. I look forward to photographing and documenting many more different birds (residents and migratory) at Botanic Gardens. 

If you would like to find out more about NParks citizen science programmes and how you can get involved, please visit – https://www.nparks.gov.sg/biodiversity/community-in-nature-initiative/citizen-science-programmes 

“A Garden of Birds” – Community photography exhibition

The “A Garden of Birds” – Community photography exhibition received more than 830 community submissions, of which 160 photographs from 49 photographers have been selected for this community photography exhibition, made possible with the support of CDL.

This exhibition features numerous resident and migratory bird species, a curated selection of photographs shard by the enthusiastic birding community who come to Singapore Botanic Gardens to observe, admire, study and research the remarkable diversity of birds found in Singapore Botanic Gardens. 

Through the photographs, illustrations and interactive displays, this exhibition showcases the vibrant bird diversity of the Gardens, conservation and habitat enhancement efforts, and the role of green spaces like Botanic Gardens to support Singapore’s biodiversity conservation efforts. 

At the upcoming Festival of Biodiversity (https://fob.nparks.gov.sg) taking place on 25th and 26th May at One Punggol, visitors can find out more about Singapore’s rich natural heritage and how they can contribute.

Information on “A Garden of Birds” – Community photography exhibition

Venue: CDL Green Gallery, Singapore Botanic Gardens.

Photographs from the exhibition are also displayed at the People’s Gallery exhibition spaces near the Visitor Services Counters at Botany Centre, Nassim Gate, Tyersall Gate, Gallop Gate and Bukit Timah Gate (MRT Station Exit A).

Date: 7th May to 31st October 2024

Time: 

CDL Green Gallery

• Opening hours: 9am to 6pm daily
• Closed every last Tuesday of the month, if the closure falls on a public holiday, the closure will be moved to the following working day

People’s Gallery exhibition spaces

• Opening hours: 5am to 12am daily

Entry Fee: Free Admission

For more information on “A Garden of Birds” – Community photography exhibition, please visit https://www.nparks.gov.sg/sbg/whats-happening/calendar-of-events/exhibition-birds-of-sbg-2024 

* Information courtesy of NParks *

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Singapore’s Park Connector Network (PCN)

Singapore’s Park Connector Network (PCN) is one of the best developments that has taken place over the years, and they are still enhancing as Singapore strives towards a City in Nature by 2035. The PCN is Singapore’s island-wide network of linear green corridors linking and connecting major parks and natures across Singapore. They provide a wide variety of recreational, outdoors, nature, therapeutic and exercising opportunities for fitness, outdoors enthusiasts, as well as for our international visitors to visit the PCN and explore local heartlands, parks and nature areas of Singapore.

Do visit NParks Park Connector Network website – https://pcn.nparks.gov.sg/ for more information and updates!

Completion of the 18km Eastern Corridor 

On 17th February 2024, NParks announced the completion of the 18km Eastern Corridor, offering additional recreational connectivity between Pasir Ris Park and East Coast Park via Bedok Reservoir Park. The Eastern Corridor has been progressively opened since 2021 after it was first announced, allowing members of the public to enjoy walking and cycling along sections of the Eastern Corridor as soon as they were ready. 

For the public who would like an alternative route to travel between Pasir Ris Park and East Coast Park, the completion of the Eastern Corridor offers this alternative travel, linking parks in the east that presents a variety of nature-based recreational experiences for visitors to the parks. Some of them include bird watching/bird photography at Tampines Eco Green, therapeutic experiences at Sun Plaza Park, and sports activities at East Coast Park.

Half of the Eastern Corridor route is located among waterways, including those enhanced under national water agency PUB’s Active, Beautiful, Clean Waters (ABC Waters) Programme, such as the Sungei Tampines and Sungei Bedok. They offer visitors to the parks a scenic cycling and walking experience along beautiful water landscapes in the east. 

The Eastern Corridor also features the new 600m Bedok Park Connector (Eastern Bank), and the recently completed park connectors along Tampines Ave 9 and Tampines Ave 10, totalling over a distance of 3.2km. Through the use of multi-tiered landscaping along those park connectors, NParks enhances greenery and attracts biodiversity along the Eastern Corridor route and in the area. 

I do visit Pasr Ris Park a number of times for wildlife/bird photography (especially during low tide days), sunset photography and nature therapy. I have yet to revisit Tampines Eco Green since my last visit a few years back, as it was going through upgrades and enhancements as part of the Eastern Corridor route. I would revisit again to check out the wildlife/bird photography in the area, and explore part of the Eastern Corridor route. 

Upcoming enhancements to the eastern half of Round Island Route (RIR) 

The eastern half of the RIR was opened in January 2022, stretching over 75km, making it Singapore’s longest recreational connection, encircling Singapore in the east, from Rower’s Bay Park in the north-east to, Changi Beach Park, East Coast Park and past the Singapore River towards Berlayer Creek (Labrador Nature Park) in the south.

NParks will be enhancing the recreational experience along the eastern half of the RIR, they will be introducing way finding such as map boards and directional signage to allow for better navigation and improved user experience, and multi-tiered landscaping to provide shade and greenery. 

NParks will also be introducing marine habitats through the installation of marine tiles to attract biodiversity along the route. They will be progressively introduced at key points along the eastern half of the RIR. NParks is also planning three new cycling bridges at Changi Beach Park and East Coast Park to improve the experience for visitors to the parks.

Explore Singapore via island-wide recreational connectivity PCN

Visitors (both local and international) to the parks are able to explore Singapore via island-wide recreational connectivity PCN, this will not only bring the community closer to greenery, enabling them to benefit from the positive effects of nature on their health and well-being, they will also connect communities and bring about a sense of space many times beyond Singapore’s small island city-state. 

These are part of NParks’ overall plans to curate a 360km island-wide network of recreational routes by 2035, as Singapore transforms into a City in Nature. 

I have been exploring, documenting and photographing Singapore’s nature areas and parks, together with Singapore’s wildlife and bird photography, using the PCN, I am going to spend more time sharing my travelling experiences on the PCN between parks or nature areas in Singapore, with the local community, as well as with my friends from around the world when they plan to visit Singapore. 

* Information courtesy of NParks *

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I am playing my small part for WWD 2024 through my visual storytelling with Canon EOS R series camera, for this year’s series, they were shot with my Canon EOS R6 Mark II of my wildlife and nature/outdoors photography in Singapore, part of my TGH Explorer Series Production, largely inspired and influenced by National Geographic magazine publications when I started reading them in the late 80s to early 90s. 

How does digital innovation and technology plays a role in my WWD 2024? While I am not in the fields of wildlife research and conservation, I contributed via my photographs and documentations of various wildlife spotted and documented at different locations in Singapore in the nature areas as well as urban environments, bird watching/counting. Although I am probably more focused on bird photography and green nature spaces, I am going to document/photograph more of different types of wildlife beyond birds.

Here are some of my wildlife photography in Singapore that I captured with my Canon EOS R6 Mark II camera from mid 2023 till date. 

Here are my ongoing documentation and collection of my visual storytelling on wildlife photography and nature reserves/parks in Singapore, uploaded into my Flickr collections over the years with my different Canon cameras that I owned/tested.

Even though you might not be in the fields of wildlife and/or nature research/conservation, we can still play our small part in wildlife and nature conservation, with the help of cameras and digital innovation. I am continuing to play my small part on nature and wildlife photography/documentation in Singapore, and hopefully nearby regions as I am exploring and writing on the areas of sustainability, adding on to my nature and wildlife conservation. 

The post World Wildlife Day 2024 – 3rd March 2024 appeared first on TGH Photography and Travel Portal/Blog.

The Old Jurong KTM Railway Line stretched from Jurong Industrial Estate to Teban Gardens, connecting to Faber Drive, then Clementi/Sunset Way via the iconic railway bridge across Sungei Ulu Pandan, into Maju Forest, followed by the railway tunnel below Clementi Road, connecting across to Clementi Forest and eventually connecting with the Old KTM Railway Line near Old Bukit Timah KTM Railway Station that travels from Tanjong Pagar to Woodlands via Bukit Timah.

While the Old Jurong KTM Railway Line has less publicity and limelight since this route was a train freight transport route and not a passenger transport route, this sector stopped its train services in the late 80s, this area had been quiet since then, till the Old KTM Railway Line land area was returned back to Singapore in 2011 and they returned back into the limelight.

Jurong Town Hall Road Park Connector

A new Jurong Town Hall Road Park Connector Network (PCN) would connect Jurong Lake Gardens to Old Jurong Line Nature Trail along Jurong Town Hall Road. Based on the map provided by NParks in the CNA and ST news article, Jurong Town Hall Road PCN connects to the start point of the Old Jurong Line Nature Trail at the junction of Jurong Town Hall Road and Ayer Rajah Expressway (AYE), part of the original Old KTM Jurong Railway Line route. 

Old Jurong Line Nature Trail

This segment is probably one of my earliest photography documentation that I started on green spaces, history, heritage and old places in Singapore. With the Canon EOS R7 that I was reviewing, I continued on photographing and documenting with this new Canon APS-C mirrorless camera, bringing it out for my exploration projects.

From the railway bridge at Sungei Ulu Pandan along AYE, the former Old KTM Jurong Railway line travels along Faber Drive towards Clementi Avenue 6 and Clementi Avenue 4, connecting to the Old Jurong Line railway bridge towards Sunset Way, continuing on towards the Maju Forest via another small old railway bridge, followed by the Old KTM Jurong Railway Line Train Tunnel below Clementi Road, connecting across to Clementi Forest and eventually connecting to the Rail Corridor.

I would be very interested to see how this Old Jurong Line Nature Trail would eventually turns out when it’s completed. Based on the map provided by NParks in the CNA and ST news article, the route follows along the original former Old KTM Jurong Line that runs through private and public housing estates. 

The Sungei Ulu Pandan PCN runs parallel along the Old Jurong Line Nature Trail, they would fit in nicely together with the upcoming Old Jurong Line Nature Trail. I would continue to document and provide updates whenever I am able to.

Clementi Forest Nature Trail / Dover Forest 

The Clementi Forest is part of the Green Corridor sector, the Dover Forest sector is closely connected to the Green Corridor due to its location and connectivity. They were also in the news together with the Old Jurong Line Nature Trail announcement by NParks in years 2021 and 2022. The Clementi Forest Stream was also in the media limelight recently with nature surveys being conducted.

The Dover Forest sector that forms part of the Clementi Forest Nature Trail via the Ulu Pandan Park Connector, linking up with the new nature park in Ulu Pandan West. Also in the news, a segment of the Dover Forest would be used for public housing project. This sector has also generated significant interest in recent years. 

I would be writing more about the Clementi Forest Nature Trail and Dover Forest sectors in another article that I documented and photographed using the Canon EOS R7 camera.

Photography Collection

Over the years of photographing the Green Corridor/Rail Corridor and Old KTM Jurong Line, I have a collection of photo albums on Flickr, titled “The Green Corridor”. I have also decided to reorganise my previous, recent and upcoming documentation photos into a new consolidated photo album titled, “Old Jurong Line Nature Trail”

Continuing My Ongoing Documentation

I would still be continuing my ongoing documentation of the upcoming Old Jurong Line Nature Trail, Clementi Forest Nature Trail and the Green Corridor. Do keep a lookout for my articles and photographs that I would be sharing down the road, updates, developments and changes as the Old Jurong Line Nature Trail and Clementi Forest Nature Trail undergo changes to become a part of Singapore’s park extensive PCN.

Singapore’s park connector networks (PCN) is a hugely underrated project by our Singapore Government, connecting our various nature parks, rivers, parks, green areas in a network that can be easily accessible by walking, cycling, running and public transport. The PCN network would be on my list of travel, landscapes, nature and wildlife photography and sharing in my future articles. 

 A TGH Photography x Canon EOS R7 Explorer Series Production

Official news sources: 

July 2021 – NParks announces the Old Jurong Line Nature Trail as part of the 18km green recreational network within the new Clementi Nature Corridor

https://www.nparks.gov.sg/nparks-corporate/news/2021/7/nparks-announces-the-old-jurong-line-nature-trail-as-part-of-the-18-km-green-recreational-network-within-the-new-clementi-nature-corridor 

August 2022 – Clementi Forest Nature Trail to be enhanced, public helps with nature survey  

https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/environment/clementi-forest-nature-trail-to-be-enhanced-public-helps-with-nature-survey

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It takes a global pandemic Covid-19 to make/encourage Singapore explore its small land size area domestic tourism. We can start to explore and appreciate our own backyard, our history, heritage, culture, museums, nature. 

Time to support local businesses, explore, rediscover Singapore, her favourite tourism destinations among international visitors such as Gardens By The Bay, Sentosa, visit our heartlands, go for your local food adventure discoveries, explore our many nature parks, hike/walk/cycle along our extensive park connector networks (PCN), they are underrated and deserves more credit. 

Visit our network of museums, they are very interesting, informative and enriching, from local history and heritage to international contemporary arts. Rediscover our Singapore heritage and old places, my personal photography and documentation project over the years.

Through my Singapore photographs collection that I compiled over the years, I hope that this would encourage you to explore your own backyard in Singapore. We are a small country in land size, domestic tourism may not exactly ring a bell, this would be the time for change, we can rediscover Singapore again, appreciate the domestic tourism that Singapore has. 

I look forward to continuing my own SingapoRediscovers explorations that I collected over the years, updating and adding more photographs and stories of Singapore and her own backyard stories, photographs and adventures with my TGH Photography x Canon EOS RP Explorer Series Production.

Time to start your SingapoRediscovers – Explore your own backyard!

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Till date, I covered the following areas near my home for birding and wildlife photography, West Coast Park, Sungei Ulu Pandan Park Connector and Botanic Gardens. There were quite a number of different species of bird residing/visiting both areas mentioned above. My birding photography adventure was fun, quite a bit of waiting, being very observant and quiet, with some decent and nice photographs!

One area that I was very keen to explore was the Lorong Halus Wetland, part of the National Parks Singapore North Eastern Riverine Loop, this extensive network of park connectors that I haven’t finish exploring. I heard so much about this wetland over time and keen to visit it. On a public holiday Monday morning, my boss/colleague brought me there and showed me where to drive in, where to explore and what to watch out for at Lorong Halus Wetland. The wetland was beside the Serangoon Tidal Gates (dam/barrage) that enclosed Sungei Serangoon. Leading into the sea. This is a very beautiful and tranquil location, greenery on the sides, the river and the sea.

Since it was my maiden trip to Lorong Halus Wetlands and my emphasis was on birding photography, I didn’t take landscape/travel photos of this beautiful area. I would be planning to visit it again and share more photographs of my birding adventure and the surrounding areas. During this maiden trip to Lorong Halus Wetlands, I managed to spot and photograph the following birds

–       Blue-Tailed Bee-Eater

–       Common Kingfisher

–       Paddyfield Pipit

–       Long-Tailed Shrike

–       Raptor  (ID to be confirmed, it should be from the Buzzard family)

–       Spotted Dove

–       Baya Weaver

–       Grey Heron

There are a lot more species of birds residing and visiting at the Lorong Halus Wetlands, my hope for photographing the raptors around there didn’t materalise since they didn’t fly out to hunt for food (or they might have flew off to their home destination).

During my short time at Lorong Halus Wetland, I learned a few tips on birding photography from my boss/colleague, an avid bird photographer and photography seniors that I usually chat with at my regular photography shop.

–       Birds are creatures of habits; they would usually be back at their favourite/usual locations.

–       Patience is a must for bird photography.

–       Explore and recce the location on where to camp/position yourself next time when you return for bird photography.

–       Always mount your lens before going in there. You might just spot some birds along the way in (if you are driving).

–       The time frame to photograph the birds is not long, probably a few hours in the early morning from 7am to 10am or late afternoon around 4-6pm (when the weather is not too hot).

–       Don’t make too much noise and talk too loudly, our voices and sound can frighten the birds to fly away and hide.

–       Be very observant and always keep a lookout of the surroundings and skyline.

–       Always be ready to “fire and photograph”

–       Shoot at a high shutter speed (or higher if you prefer) e.g. 1/1000 to freeze the birds in action since their reaction and speed can be very fast.

–       Read up and understand more about the various birds.

–       Consider a tripod or a monopod; both have their pros and cons. It also depends on whether you would be camping at one location or walking around to explore and look for the birds.

–       Have the handy NSS Bird Guide App with you in your smartphone (especially useful and helpful for me to identify the various birds that I photographed)

–       Wear clothes that blend in well with your surroundings e.g. green/brown/khaki clothes.

–       A hat/cap is very useful to provide shade for you from the strong sunlight.

–       A pair of binoculars would be very handy and useful.

–       Be prepared to get wet, muddy and dirty when exploring in the forest, wetlands, swamps etc

–       Do not rush into photographing all the birds in the area, be patient, revisit the location over and over again.

–       Do not destroy habitats or nests of the birds and wildlife.

–     Take only photographs and memories; leave no litter behind, don’t take anything from the natural surroundings. Leave nothing behind but your footsteps only.

It’s also good to stay up to date with the following groups for more information and updates on the wildlife, nature reserves and birding photography in Singapore, especially on migratory birds arrival

–       National Parks Singapore

–       Nature Society Singapore

–       Birding Singapore

–       Saving Bidadari for Birds and People

–       Nature Photographic Society Singapore

I would be combining bird photography with nature/conservation photography in some areas for the upcoming months in 2013 and I hope that I would be able to share more of my stories and photos here with everybody here. Do take a lookout of my birding photography collection on Flickr and 500px!

Created with Admarket’s flickrSLiDR.

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