Botanic Gardens

Botanic Gardens is one of my fav places to relax, especially so when it's only a few mins bus ride away. First thing I'd do upon reaching was to head towards the Swan Lake and watch the 2 pairs of White Mute Swans (Cygnus olor) gliding gracefully... towards anybody with food. Yeah! the swans are damn greedy!

Practically every time when i was there, there'd always be people feeding the swans. Bread, pellets (which i suspect is fish/tortoise food but the swans would still gobble up anyway), cucumber, biscuits, and what not. Personally, i wouldn't say bread or biscuits is a healthy snack, in fact a swan's natural diet consists of aquatic vegetation such as underwater plants and algae. Bread and biscuits ain't that good for a swan's digestive system. For more info, check this out

Not that the swans at Botanic Gardens are looking rather sick; I'd say that they're pretty much happy being dependent on a diet of bread such that they'd wag their little tails in contentment. Nevertheless, if you're gonna feed swans next time, give them cabbage/lettuce instead okay?

After all Singapore aims for a healthy lifestyle =)

More pictures from Botanic Gardens:

Spot the Plantian Squirrel (Callosciurus notatus) !






i personally like this best; can you see the outline of a heart-shape formed from the over-hanging branches of a tree? The swans look like they're shy in lurve xD


Flowers of a Frangipani tree


Photos aren't that good, so go Botanic Gardens for a real eye-opener!

There is a way that nature speaks, that land speaks. Most of the time we are simply not patient enough, quiet enough, to pay attention to the story.
-Linda Hogan

mumblings

the recent news about the death of 11 rare Siberian tigers in a Chinese Zoo due to starvation (read:) makes me wonder (in slight disgust) about the state of animal welfare in China. What are the many zoos in China for if they don't even take care of their animals well? I'm not gonna argue about the ethics of having zoos in the first place here; it is the fact that thousands and thousands of animals are suffering in China and because of China that makes me feel a sense of despair at what can be done. The fur and food trade in China plays a major part in Canada's seal hunt, the massive skinning of dogs and cats, illegal poaching of wildlife which occurs in other countries such as Africa and so on.

Not that I hate China, i just wish that the Chinese government stops squabbling over politics and money and start looking at things that needs their concern the most. More needs to be done to highlight to the Chinese people about the dark-side of TCM as well.

On a lighter note, check out this deep-sea vampire squid that has a quirky ability to turn itself inside out to avoid predators: here!

bits and pieces of pulau semakau

picturesque view of Pulau Semakau's only natural coral reef
Flower Crab (Portunus pelagicus)
not sure what is this, but it seems like an egg sac of something?
Acorn Worm?
Haddon's Carpet Anemone (Stichodactyla haddoni)
Noble Volute (Cymbiola nobilis) with her egg sacs. Apparently this could be the Noble Volute laying season; i saw another Noble Volute the second time i was thereUpside-Down Jellyfish (Cassiopea sp.)! What is it thinking about all the time, being upside-down like this?
Unsure of this anemone type
Zoanthid (small polyps) Zoanthus sp.
Knobbly Sea Star (Protoreaster nodosus) doing that cute little twirl dance. Knobbly Sea Stars are commonly seen in red, orange or brown, but surprisingly there're white, pink, blue and green ones too! Knobblys are unfortunately considered endangered today =(
Hairy Crab (Pilumnus vespertilio) i love these teddybear creatures but beware, some of them can be rather fierce! A friend of mine got her finger snipped at by one naughty guy.
This particular algae looks a bit obscene... >.< this are one of the essential tools for seagrass transect. A ruler and a quadrat. The souvenirs i get from these surveys are backaches in the next day but it was worth it! =D

musings of a busy girl

Was looking through some Nature-themed quotes and found some interesting ones and couldn't resist pasting some here:

JOSEPH WOOD KRUTCH: Cats are intended to teach us that not everything in nature has a function.

LINDA HOGAN: There is a way that nature speaks, that land speaks. Most of the time we are simply not patient enough, quiet enough, to pay attention to the story.

RABINDRANATH TAGORE: Trees are the earth's endless effort to speak to the listening heaven.

RACHEL CARSON: Those who contemplate the beauty of the earth find reserves of strength that will endure as long as life lasts.

RALPH WALDO EMERSON: Nature is a mutable cloud which is always and never the same.

I realised that i haven't been updating this blog like a good girl should, well i have a backload of pictures awaiting to be posted up.

Well i should quickly do it soon, to keep myself updated and in touch with one of my passions.

I've decided that this blog shouldn't be restricted to only nature, but as well as my other passion: animals. After animals and nature are linked; even knowing the friendly stray cats in my neighbourhood makes the place i live in a secret haven to me. Call me weirdo, but my definition of a secret haven extends to something that's more intangible =)

Before i shoot off to do my SSS1207 essay, here's a final plea for anyone of u coming across this blog to stop this inhuman act:

Even if climate isn't taking pity on them, we humans should.

Stop Canada's Seal Hunt Now!