The rain outside my windows has just stopped. I was gazing at the dark skies thinking how I should go about drafting this posting. Joe Cocker was singing his famed You are so beautiful in the background. Indeed, Mandai Orchid Garden (MOG) is a beautiful place (http://www.mandai.com.sg/). It is a place for all nature lovers. Regardless if you like birds, butterflies, insects, flowers, fishes, plants, dinning or just to find a nice natural place to get away from the concrete jungle and bustling city lifestyle, you can find it in MOG. Lost yourselves among the beautiful orchids, be surrounded by Torch Ginger flowers and watched little birds like Crimson Sunbirds and Little Spiderhunter feeding from them or even dine at the cosy Vanilla Pod restaurant (http://sittingwishingeating.com/2010/03/03/vanilla-po/) while listening to the sound of the water from a stream nearby.
MOG is also photographer friendly place. Just tell the ticketing counter you are there for photography and you need only to pay $1.50 instead of the usual $3 ticket for an adult. Many years ago when I was the moderator of Avian Watch Asia, MOG was kind enough to let us organized a member gathering there. Back then, super telephoto lenses are not a common sight. The gathering allows knowledge and hand experience to be shared among members.
I have not been to MOG for a long time taking for granted it will continue to be there. It was until recently that I brought a friend to have a firsthand experience in photographing birds that I decided to pay MOG a visit and later came to know that MOG may be gone by end of this year. A Google search led me to this article in WildSingapore.
http://wildsingaporenews.blogspot.com/2010/03/mission-save-mandai-orchid-garden.html
Unless you are a newbie, I believe most of us have benefitted from MOG in one way or the other. I would like to call upon you to share your best images taken at MOG, insight on fauna and flora there and personal experiences. Let consolidate these into this thread. Perhaps, one day the persons or authorities making decision on the lease of the land where MOG is located will come to realize that MOG is not solely about orchids. The flowers may be shifted but birds may be gone. Over the years, various birds have been found to nest in MOG. If will be shame if this natural heritage (MOG in totality) is lost. You know the thing about us is that we have not been telling enough people how much we love a place or how nice a place is. Very often, our complains outweigh our compliments. Lets not make the same mistakes here. Share with everyone what MOG meant to you!
Let me fire the first salvo!
These images of Little Spiderhunter were taken on my recent trip to MOG. In fact, I couldnt think of another place that I could photograph this fella as easy as in MOG.
I like the backlit effect in this image.
One of the things I like about Little Spiderhunter is its long curve bill and its bubbly character.
MOG is also photographer friendly place. Just tell the ticketing counter you are there for photography and you need only to pay $1.50 instead of the usual $3 ticket for an adult. Many years ago when I was the moderator of Avian Watch Asia, MOG was kind enough to let us organized a member gathering there. Back then, super telephoto lenses are not a common sight. The gathering allows knowledge and hand experience to be shared among members.
I have not been to MOG for a long time taking for granted it will continue to be there. It was until recently that I brought a friend to have a firsthand experience in photographing birds that I decided to pay MOG a visit and later came to know that MOG may be gone by end of this year. A Google search led me to this article in WildSingapore.
http://wildsingaporenews.blogspot.com/2010/03/mission-save-mandai-orchid-garden.html
Unless you are a newbie, I believe most of us have benefitted from MOG in one way or the other. I would like to call upon you to share your best images taken at MOG, insight on fauna and flora there and personal experiences. Let consolidate these into this thread. Perhaps, one day the persons or authorities making decision on the lease of the land where MOG is located will come to realize that MOG is not solely about orchids. The flowers may be shifted but birds may be gone. Over the years, various birds have been found to nest in MOG. If will be shame if this natural heritage (MOG in totality) is lost. You know the thing about us is that we have not been telling enough people how much we love a place or how nice a place is. Very often, our complains outweigh our compliments. Lets not make the same mistakes here. Share with everyone what MOG meant to you!
Let me fire the first salvo!
These images of Little Spiderhunter were taken on my recent trip to MOG. In fact, I couldnt think of another place that I could photograph this fella as easy as in MOG.
I like the backlit effect in this image.
One of the things I like about Little Spiderhunter is its long curve bill and its bubbly character.
#2 nice 
