Butterfly Photography at Our Local Parks - Telok Blangah Hill Park

Butterfly Photography at Our Local Parks
Featuring : Telok Blangah Hill Park


The Terrace Garden which leads up to the highest point of Telok Blangah Hill Park

In our earlier blogpost on the Southern Ridges Parks, we explored the 47 Ha Kent Ridge Park. Starting from west and moving towards east, the Southern Ridges comprises Kent Ridge Park, Hort Park, Telok Blangah Hill Park and Mount Faber Park. All the four parks are interconnected via walkways and overhead bridges. This weekend, we take a look at the next elevated park, Telok Blangah Hill Park.


An overview of Telok Blangah Hill Park which is connected to Hort Park at the western end at Alexandra Road, and to Mount Faber at the eastern end at Henderson Road

A view along the elevated Forest Walk, which connects Alexandra Arch to Telok Blangah Hill Park.

Telok Blangah Hill Park is bounded by Alexandra Road on its western boundary, and Henderson Road on its eastern boundary. This elongated park is about 34 Hectares in area, and covered with lush greenery over most of its area. It is connected to the Hort Park via the Alexandra Arch overhead bridge at its western boundary. A visitor entering from this end of the Park will trek the Forest Walk – a 1.3-kilometre-long elevated metal walkway that links Hort Park to Telok Blangah Hill Park.


Below the elevated Forest Walk is the Earth Trail.

A certain locations, the Earth Trail is connected to the elevated Forest Walk via staircases

Both the Earth Trail and Forest Walk end at the little metal shelter which then leads you onto Telok Blangah Green road

An alternative route along the same direction is the Earth Trail that brings you closer to the forest understorey. The Earth Trail is below the elevated Forest Walk and connects to the elevated walk at certain places via staircases. Both trails will lead a visitor to Telok Blangah Green. At the start of the Forest Walk is a shelter at which you can take a quick rest before proceeding to the other parts of this hill park.


A the top of Telok Blangah Hill Park, where a visitor gets a 360deg view of the surroundings


A view across the horizon of the Singapore skyline

A view downwards from the top at the Terrace Garden

Be prepared for lots of staircases and steps at Telok Blangah Hill Park!

The entrance to the Terrace Garden

Telok Blangah Green winds around the hillock which overlooks the Terrace Garden. The Terrace Garden consists of a series of semi-circular terraces situated at the top of the park. The top of this hillock is the highest point of the park and from here, you will be able to enjoy a breath-taking 360-degree view of Singapore.


Alkaff Mansion with its commanding view of the surroundings

Alkaff Mansion and more steps!

The forecourt at Alkaff Mansion

Walking along Telok Blangah Green will take you past the historic Alkaff Mansion, an elegant colonial bungalow built by a family of Arab Traders, which used to host grand parties for the social elite and who's who in 19th century Singapore. Situated on top of a knoll with a commanding view of the lush greenery around, Alkaff Mansion is now an F&B outlet today.


Some of the red-brick paths winding through the forested areas in the park

Brick path in the forested area.  There are stone tables/seats where one can take a good rest or even have a picnic under the shaded understorey.

As you continue to walk towards the east, you will pass a public rest room on the left, and the Therapeutic Garden on the right. The lush greenery all around the garden creates a restorative environment to engage the senses and to uplift both mental and emotional well-being while serving as complementary habitat for native biodiversity. Walk towards the Therapeutic Garden and take a short detour downhill towards the Stream Garden which brings you to the foot of the hill and the main road Telok Blangah Heights.


A pavilion to take shelter from the hot sun or pouring rain

And more steps!

Back up at the Therapeutic Garden, and on the left of Telok Blangah Green is a hilly patch of lush forested area with a network of quiet paths complete with stone tables and seats and a shelter from the elements. There are the occasional butterfly surprises around this area, and one should look carefully at the shrubbery that may attract some rarities.


Paved road leading towards the Henderson Waves

If you stay on the main trails, there are ample signages

One of the older trails that lead you to the hillock that connects to Mount Faber Park.

On the right side is Car Park 1, and another network of paths winding around the greenery, leading to another knoll which is connected to the Henderson Bridge. There is a shelter and seats at this hilltop area where one can take a short rest and a cold drink from the vending machine before crossing the distinctive Henderson Waves overhead bridge to Mount Faber Park.  This forested hillock was also the location where the body of Huang Na was found after her tragic murder back in 2004.



Butterflies of Telok Blangah Hill Park

As far as butterflies are concerned, the Southern Ridges is a location where occasional rare species may appear. This is related to one of the habits of "hill topping" by butterflies - whereby many species, particularly the males, indulge in the activity of choosing their favourite perches and patrol the area for eligible females.  The list of butterflies featured here is not exhaustive.



Two examples of butterflies that are normally found in the forested nature reserves, but can be spotted at Telok Blangah Hill Park.

Over the years, some of the species that have been observed at Telok Blangah Hill Park include some of the rarest Lycaenidae species that have been observed in Singapore. As some of the vegetation have evolved over the years, certain species that have been spotted between 2000 and 2010 are no longer seen today. Interestingly, some forest-dependent species like the Branded Imperial and Malayan Lascar were "regulars" at TBHP in the past.


The Colour Sergeant was once found quite commonly at the grounds of Alkaff Mansion.  It is no longer seen there today.

At the grounds of the Alkaff Mansion, there once were a few host plants of the Colour Sergeant growing at the periphery of the forecourt. I recall that we often found the caterpillars of the Colour Sergeant on this host. Today, these plants have not survived and the species is rarely seen at this location.



Three Spot Grass Yellows eclosing on their host plant, Albizia

The common urban species are found at TBHP, and interestingly, three species of the Eurema or Grass Yellows, have been observed around the park. There was a time when the Albizia trees (Paraserianthes moluccana) had large congregations of the Three Spot Grass Yellow (Eurema blanda snelleni) breeding on them. The Common Grass Yellow (E. hecabe contubernalis) and the Chocolate Grass Yellow (E. sari sodalis) are also spotted here.



Look out for the distinctive dragon-headed Plain Nawab caterpillars on the Red Saga shrubs

If you look amongst the low shrubs of the Red Saga, there are often caterpillars of the Plain Nawab (Polyura hebe plautus) feeding on the leaflets of this common tree. The adults are often frolicking at tree top level, flying rapidly from one perch to another, and returning repeatedly to their favourite perches.


The Malayan Plum Judy was first recorded from the Southern Ridges



Examples of the Miletinae found at Telok Blangah Hill Park

This park was one of the first places where the Malayan Plum Judy (Abisara saturata kausambioides) was spotted. It can still be observed hopping from leaf to leaf in recent years. At least four species of the Miletinae are regularly observed at TBHP, the most often seen is the Biggs Brownwing (Miletus biggsii biggsii) flying restlessly amongst the shrubbery. The Apefly, Blue Brownwing and Pale Mottle have also been spotted here.


The rare Silver Royal was feeding at the flower of Syzygium sp. at Telok Blangah Hill Park when it was sighted in 2005


The very rare White Fourline Blue was observed at Telok Blangah Hill Park for a period of about a month in 2009.  It can no longer be found there and has not been seen since.

Amongst the Lycaenidae recorded here is the very rare Silver Royal, which was photographed whilst feeding on the flowers of a Syzygium tree where it was first recorded as a re-discovery in 2005. Another very rare Lycaenidae, the White Fourline Blue (Nacaduba angusta kerriana) was first observed at TBHP. Subsequent to that sighting in 2009, where it was documented as a re-discovery, a female was observed ovipositing and its life history successfully recorded on the host plant Entada spiralis. However, it has not been seen since that short period in 2009.



Various other Line Blues from the genus Nacaduba are often sighted at Telok Blangah Hill Park

The other confusing lookalike Sixline and Fourline Blues can also be found here, usually frolicking on bright sunny days. They fly rapidly, and then select a perch onto which to land and they have a unique habit of flattening themselves to the angle of the sun to maximise their exposure to the warm sunshine.




A variety of skippers observed at Telok Blangah Hill Park

Amongst the Hesperiidae found at TBHP are the various Palm Darts, Common Redeye, Chequered Lancer, Plain Banded Awl and the Orange Awlet (where its caterpillar host plant, Arthrophyllum diversifolium, is commonly found at TBHP). The variety of caterpillar host plants that can be found at TBHP supports these species. Some examples are Spatholobus ferrugineus, Caryota mitis, Cocos nucifera and various grasses and bamboos.


A Copper Flash feeding at the flowers of the Mile-A-Minute at Telok Blangah Hill Park

All in all, the butterfly diversity at TBHP is above average. However, the park cannot be considered as an ideal butterfly-shooting location for beginners due to its topography and vegetation - some areas of which are not easily accessible. As nectaring plants are not as widespread, it is challenging to photograph butterflies that are actively flying about. Nevertheless, it is a good place to do butterfly-watching, due to its variety of habitats and environments.


A map of Telok Blangah Hill Park

How to Get There :

By bus :

(57, 145, 175, 176, 195, 195a, 272, 273) stop at Bus stop 14241, along Henderson Road and walk up along Telok Blangah Green.

(120, 124) stop at Bus stop 14331, along Telok Blangah Heights.

By car :

Drive along Henderson Green and turn into Telok Blangah Green. There are three carparks 1, 2 and 3, but on weekends, it may be challenging to find carpark lots during the peak hours. Parking is free.

Note that, due to the terrain, accessibility is challenging and there is no wheelchair access to many of the attractions mentioned above.

Text and Photos by Khew SK

References : NParks Website : Telok Blangah Hill Park

A New Discovery for 2020!

A New Discovery for 2020!
Featuring the Swamp Tiger (Danaus affinis malayanus)


A new discovery to Singapore, the Swamp Tiger

Our Saturday morning outing to Ubin started rather gloomily. The weather, that is. Even at breakfast before the boat ride over to Pulau Ubin, the skies looked threatening and the forecast predicted rain in the late morning and early afternoon. But not to disappoint our two newbies in the group, we decided to take the risk and headed off to our favourite biodiversity-rich idyllic island.

The overcast morning from Pulau Ubin Jetty

View to Pekan Quarry from Butterfly Hill - dark clouds above!

Perhaps it was due to the weather, but at least there wasn't a long queue at the ferry terminal and we made it to our boat ride after a short wait. We headed straight to Butterfly Hill, as it did not look as though the weather would stay rain-free for too long. Butterfly activity was low, and we did not see too many of the familiar species that usually roam freely on Butterfly Hill.

At the Leea shrubs, I spotted something that initially looked like a Black Veined Tiger, but it looked strange. It flew away before I could take a shot of it, and I thought that it looked like something that I had seen many years ago up north in Malaysia, but I left it as another unsolved mystery as it disappeared over the tree tops and out of sight.

The female Swamp Tiger perches on a leaf

The group went chasing after another new species that was recently re-discovered on Ubin, the Orange Gull (Cepora iudith malaya). Our newbie butterfly shooter, Gavin, had spotted something different, and called out to the rest to wait for the elusive butterfly to come down lower for a better shot. It appeared that there was more than one individual of the Orange Gull, and the overcast weather appeared to make it more lethargic than usual, and it stopped to rest more often.

We then met our prolific butterfly shooter, Michael Soh, who was, coincidentally one of those who shot the Orange Gull some months back, also on Ubin. Our "butterfly whisperer" who has been discovering rather interesting and rare species, I saw Michael shooting something amongst the bushes and joined him. It was then I instantly recalled the Danainae that I had seen earlier in the morning. This time, it was perched on a vine and readily recognisable as the Swamp Tiger (Danaus affinis malayanus)!

The Swamp Tiger (sometimes also called the Mangrove Tiger or Malay Tiger) is very restricted in distribution, and is limited to coastal areas and associated with mangrove swamps where its caterpillar host plant, a milkweed vine, Ischnostemma selangorica grows. The nature park at Kuala Selangor in Malaysia (which is more well known for its fireflies), is the place to go to see this species. There are a few other locations in Malaysia where it may be locally common, primarily near mangrove habitats. It has not been recorded from Singapore before.





The Swamp Tiger superficially resembles the Common Tiger and Black Veined Tiger of the same genus, but is generally smaller in size. It is readily distinguished by the dark orange wedge-shaped post-discal spots on the underside of the hindwing, giving it a different appearance from its other two cousins. Where it is found in Malaysia, the species is rather fast-flying and alert, and usually staying close to the ground, feeding on flowering plants like Sea Ox-Eye and Indian Camphor Weed.


A upperside shot of the Swamp Tiger


The Swamp Tiger that we spotted today was a female, and was earlier feeding at almost tree-top level, on the flowers of the Bandicoot Berry (Leea indica). It somehow came down to rest with its wings folded, and perched for a while before flying up and disappearing over the treetops again. A chance shot showing the side profile of the abdomen of this female indicated that she is likely carrying eggs. Hopefully, she is able to find a suitable host plant to lay her eggs on.



The rather large abdomen on this female Swamp Tiger suggests fertile eggs that will hopefully yield a next generation of this species on Ubin?

It is not often that we get to add one of the larger and conspicuous species of butterflies to our Singapore Butterfly checklist. The Swamp Tiger we spotted today, was probably a stray from somewhere in the mangroves of Johor, but we hope that with better conservation of the nature areas in Singapore, there will be an opportunity for more species from neighbouring countries to colonise and breed successfully.


An article on the Swamp Tiger in the Malaysian Naturalist, the newsletter of the Malaysian Nature Society

The National Parks Board's nature conservation initiatives on Pulau Ubin, with an objective of enhancing Singapore's biodiversity is reaping some success with the appearance of interesting species like the Angled Castor, Common Jay, Orange Gull, Yellow Streak Darter, Wanderer and many more. And today, we welcome one more species to Singapore - the Swamp Tiger!

Text by Khew SK : Photos by Gavin Chan, Federick Ho, Khew SK, Lim CA, Loh MY, Low SC and Michael Soh

Three Eggflies

Three Eggflies
Featuring the Eggfly butterflies in Singapore


A typical male Great Eggfly (Hypolimnas bolina bolina)

The genus Hypolimnas is represented by three species in Singapore. Called by their curious English common name of "Eggfly", it would be interesting to find out how this common name was coined by the early collectors in the region. A quick search on the internet offers one possible suggestion - that the name refers to the white egg-shaped circles on the wings of the males of the species.

A male Danaid Eggfly (Hypolimnas misippus misippus) shot in Taiwan

A male Jacintha Eggfly (Hypolimnas bolina jacintha). Note the row of submarginal white spots on the wings

The species of this genus are known to be highly variable and even amongst some of the named forms, there is a wide range of intermediates across the individuals. Of the three species, two are relatively common and widely distributed across different habitats in Singapore, whilst one is very rare and, thus far, only makes its appearance, at the Southern Ridges Parks. Each of the species has unique characteristics and behaviour, and this will be discussed below.

1) The Malayan Eggfly (Hypolimnas anomala anomala)


A typical f-anomala Malayan Eggfly uppersides

The Malayan Eggfly can be considered common, although usually encountered singly and is widely distributed in Singapore across various habitats. It is often mistaken for one of the Danainae "Crows" of the Euploea genus. However its flight characteristics and habit of returning to its favourite perch after being disturbed, would give a clue as to its identity.


A form-anomala variant with blue-shot forewings

A typical form-anomala with all-brown wings

A typical form-nivas Malayan Eggfly with whitened hindwings

Malayan Eggfly form-nivas with broad white streaks on the hindwings

An intermediate Malayan Eggfly form-anomala with reduced white streaks on the hindwings

Malayan Eggfly form-anomala with all-brown hindwings

The Malayan Eggfly is dark reddish brown above, with a series of post-discal and sub-marginal white spots on both wings. The underside is darker and has similar markings as its upperside. The species is quite variable and there are two main forms flying in Singapore - the typical (and more common) form-anomala and the rarer form-nivas which has diffused white post-discal streaks on its hindwing. Occasionally, examples with a prominent blue gloss on the upperside of the forewings occur, which resembles the male Striped Blue Crow.


A female Malayan Eggfly stands guard over her clutch of eggs

One of the interesting observation of this species is that a female can lay in excess of a hundred eggs on a single leaf of its host plant. It is then observed to stand guard over the eggs until the end of her life. There was a report of a sighting of a dead female still standing guard over her eggs even after the caterpillars hatched and moved away - a very bizarre behaviour for a butterfly!

2a) The Great Eggfly (Hypolimnas bolina bolina)


A typical male Great Eggfly puddling

The species Hypolimnas bolina occurs in Singapore and Malaysia in two subspecies - the Great Eggfly (ssp bolina) and Jacintha Eggfly (ssp jacintha). The males of both subspecies look very much alike, except perhaps the underside hindwing submarginal white spots are very much reduced in ssp bolina but is wider and more distinct in ssp jacintha. Both subspecies are considered common and are widely distributed in Singapore.


Great Eggfly female form-nerina

Great Eggfly female form-alcmene

Typical underside view of a Great Eggfly.  Note the submarginal crescentic white markings

There are several named female forms of the Great Eggfly, of which the most typical form is nerina with its orange dorsal patch on the forewing above. However, the various forms are so variable and connected by a spectrum of intermediates, it is often difficult to classify the forms definitively from the physical attributes of the individuals.


A mating pair of Great Eggfly, shot at Pulau Ubin in Singapore

From field observations, although the two subspecies are currently separated, it is stated in Butterflies of the Malay Peninsula 4th Edition that "from about 1970 onwards, subspecies jacintha has partially re-established itself, where it now interbreeds with subspecies bolina giving rise to adults showing a wide degree of intergradation, such that it is often not possible to assign specimens with one subspecies or the other."

2b) The Jacintha Eggfly (Hypolimnas bolina jacintha)


A female Jacintha Eggfly showing its uppersides

As mentioned above, the ssp jacintha has certain physical characteristics that was initially more distinctive where it could be separated from ssp bolina. The most diagnostic of which is the sub-marginal "M-shaped" white spots on the underside of the hindwing. In typical examples, these spots are larger and almost form a wide band on ssp jacintha whilst they are smaller and separated in ssp bolina. However, over the years, observations of individuals where these markings are somewhat in-between have occurred, making it difficult to decide which subspecies it is.



Various variants of the female Jacintha Eggfly.

Whilst the male has a similar appearance to ssp bolina, there are new forms of ssp jacintha that appear from time to time. These new forms have generally not been described, or, with the interbreeding with ssp bolina, they may form further intermediate forms that are so highly variable that it is not even assigned a name due to the irregularities of occurrence.




Different individuals of typical undersides of the Jacintha Eggfly. Note wider submarginal white spots

A unique variant of the Jacintha Eggfly without any post-discal white patch on the hindwing

Further research and observations are certainly required of these two subspecies. Evolution of the species/subspecies is certainly still very much in progress, and it may be a matter of time before one or the other subspecies may disappear. Having the reputation of being "the most variable butterfly in the world", it will not be surprising if the evolution continues and more interesting surprises abound in the future.

3) The Danaid Eggfly (Hypolimnas misippus misippus)


A male Danaid Eggfly photographed at Mt Faber Park in Singapore

The last of the Eggfly species is the very rare Danaid Eggfly. Although listed as "extant" in Singapore by the early authors (and hence is a native species), sightings of this species have been far and few in between. Where it has been spotted over the past two decades, only males have been seen. And they usually appear for a few days at the Southern Ridges parks like Mt Faber and Telok Blangah Hill Park and totally disappear for many years.


Another male Danaid Eggfly, also shot at Mt Faber Park

The upperside of the Danaid Eggfly somewhat resembles the Great Eggfly, but the white "egg" patches on the upperside of the wings are much larger in the male. On the underside, the white discal patch is more extensive and there is a black costal spot which is absent from the Great Eggfly.


A female Danaid Eggfly shot in Taiwan.  It mimics the Plain Tiger for protection

The most interesting aspect of this species is the female, which is almost an exact replica of the Plain Tiger and flies like the Danainae. In the field, it is often wise to take a second look at anything that looks like the Plain Tiger as the female of the Danaid Eggfly has not been reliably seen nor photographed in Singapore yet.

Text by Khew SK : Photos by Khew SK, Koh CH, Loh MY, Bobby Mun, Neo TP, Nelson Ong, Michael Soh, Jonathan Soong, Tan BJ and Horace Tan