After the recent trip to MacRitchie, I decided to recee Bukit Timah Nature Reserve, together with a colleague, to see if there's any signs of mass fruiting of our primary forest trees too.
I have not been here since it was closed for repairs works in 2014, but the crowd is similarly huge as before. A larger toilet is a good welcome improvement to this popular hiking spot. I'm here for the plants and animals though.
Seeing these hole punctured leaves, I immediately knew that the Pagoda Bagworm Moth is underneath (the one above my thumb). It will slice out circular holes from the leaves and stick them to their backs to provide shelter from predators.
Along the summit path, we found what looks like the fruit of Swintonia schwenkii. With that many wings and a light fruit, it helicoptered more graceful and slowly then other winged fruits I knew.
Near the start of Keruing path, we noticed many remains of the fruit of Dipterocarps caudatus. Did a more thorough search and found a few intact ones for a photoshoot.
On the way back, a group of juvenile Long-Tailed Macaques were feasting off Artocarpus fruits, and splitting out the seeds.
Unfortunately, someone left a packet of tissue on the trail, which one of the monkeys snatched, and tasted if it's edible.
Along the path to the Hindhede Quarry, we also spotted a Clouded Monitor Lizard resting in between a narrow opening of two stems of a tree. Look at those claws!
Looking back at the start of the main trail, a tree was flushed with orange fruiting legume. From the colour, black seeds, and the rhomboid leaves, it should belong to Archidendron clypearia.
All in all, much less fruiting then I expected, but it's great to visit our iconic nature reserve again.