After the drizzle @ Upper Seletar

Yesterday it drizzled and drizzled. I needed a break from school 

work badly but the weather did not seem to agree with me; neither

did the butterflies. It was only after an hour or so that the sky 

cleared a little, letting some light in. This pristine common faun 

was the first to cross my path.

The common faun is always a familiar sight in our forests, often 

flying very close to ground and disappearing upon landing. While

it may not seem to be a very interesting butterfly due to its drab 

colours and abundance, its eyes are a burst of colour. The upperside,

too, is rather bright, being a rusty orange that flashes as it flies.

The sun finally decided to poke out from behind the clouds. A female

purple duke was fluttering around the ground. At first glance, she 

appeared to be puddling; a behavior not commonly associated with 

females. However it turned out that she was feeding on minerals on the leaves.

I was scouring a hedge line for anything interesting when I noticed 

something resting on a leaf. Longish shape, black, some yellow... 

definitely not a butterfly. It was cicada; a black and golden cicada. 

When it took off, it revealed a yellow abdomen, which it also 

exposes when calling.

The day was certainly getting brighter. I was shocked when a malay

lacewing glided out of the forest and onto the grass. It was unmistakable;

with its stunning combination of metallic black, white and glowing

sunset orange. This one was a male. The female sports a paler orange. 

The malay lacewing was arguably the highlight of the day. It came to

feed on some ixora blooms as well, but it was very active and 

I was unable to get any good shots. The underside is even more 
dazzling, with patterns of golden brown, red, black and white. It 
is one of our most colourful butterflies, and was a joy to watch.

Many other butterflies were seen, but only in glimpses and flashes.

Back to reality, my shots have really deteriated. It's obvious. I bet I'm

just out of practice. While I would love to shoot more, this year was 

destined to be a busy one. While my exams have recently passed, they

are nearly on me again. I think I will cease the self- pity here. Thanks

for reading!