Thursday, June 27, 2013

Bedok Reservoir

This trip is chosen for a first "nature walk". It means more attention is paid to the flora of the area. I am not a botanist and thus the flora names I found may not be correct. At least I put an effort to find it. Will correct the wrong name as I get more familiar in future trips. As the saying 万事起头难 indicates, it is always difficult to start something new especially when there is no guidance available. All my life I did a lot of learning without helps (not even going for courses). This is just another challenge I am taking up.

The trip starts from Tanah Merah MRT. This is not the MRT that is closest to the reservoir. It is chosen because it has a PCN that runs along a river. Tampines MRT is the nearest one that has PCN link all the way. From Google Map street view, the PCN may not have much vegetation.

The actual route starts at Bedok PC. A faded sign board shows you the location.
At the time when I started, the river is at its low tide. I can see only mud.


Along this stretch of the PC, there is not much vegetation. However, if you look down on the floor beside the track, there are grass growing and tiny flowers are available. The first one I took a picture of is Creeping Rulellia.
Looking backwards, I found a Coat button flower.
These two are very common flowers. You probably seen Touch-me-not flower (Mimosa). The leaves will fold up if you touch it.
This one looks similar like one but I don't think it is Mimosa.
Katumbi Jantan is another flower that lies on the floor in this area.
Further down, I found some grass that is slightly taller. It is probably called Piedmont Flatsedge.
Chinese Violet is a very tiny flower. Too me a long time to find the correct focus. Previous efforts in other trips all fail to focus properly.
Elephant Creeper is also a common flower. 
Wild Water Lemon flower looks nice. Unfortunately, this picture seems to have over exposure on the flower. Its a purplish flower.
Another Mimosa look alike. It is called Wild Tamarind.
I found a Bangalow palm between two streets. There will be some more picture of the same palm tree.
This plant is so similar to other plants so much so that I really not sure if this is a Golden trumpet tree.
This fruit tree is the most difficult to name. I am yet to find a match for its name. Many tree fruits look like this one. It is just too difficult finding the correct one from pictures. Possibly called Rukam.
I have seen this Rumput Tembaga Jantan plant since I am young. Never knew its name till now.
Creeping Ruelli is another creeper whose flower is tiny.
Yet another Mimosa look alike plant although the flower is yellow color. It is called Mimosa punctata. The Chinese name 假含羞草 is literally "false Mimosa".
Hairy Spurge is a common plants also but like others above, it may be unnoticed.
Thai Pea Eggplant is not that common.
Navua Sedge is another grass plant that is largely ignored. This one grows besides a fence.
A few more Balglow Palm picture shows its flower, fruit and pod. It grows beside the pedestrian bridge thus I could take the pictures from up close.
Another Golden Trumpet. This one is a shrub that grows on the pedestrian bridge itself.
Kelat Nasi Nasi flower looks so unique but took a long time to find the name. It is a tree. Again took it at close range.
Red Powderpuff tree flower is so hard to take. This one is at ground level. Focusing is slightly out.
I like to eat Kangkong but have never seen the flower. I hope the name is correct for this flower.
This plant's name elude me all the way. Probably called Copper plant but Copper plant are large shrubs. This one is is just about 30cm tall. Similar color plants have this name Purpleleaf Sand Cherry. Currently it is too small to guage.
Another shrub also eludes my name search effort. Just too many similar looking leaves around. Possibly a Charlotte Shefflera.
Water Jasmine is a nice plant with quite small flower.
The Tampines PC ends here.
Fire Bush flower looks like cigar flower. I am not very sure if this is the correct name.
Caricature plant name is so hard to find till I found one with the same kind of flower.
Finally reached the reservoir.
Forget-Me-Not flower looked so nice. No wonder its name is such. This is the clearest picture I ever took of the same flower.
Pink bindweed flower is big. Still not very sure of the name as I did not take the plant leaf at close up to match.
Licuala peltata var. sumawongii is probably called Fan Palm. I am not sure neither name match.
Maidenhair Fern is quite nice. Unfortunately the focus is out. Probably due to shaky hand.
Scarlet Spiral Flag plant has so many look alikes. I really am not sure.
This pebble path leads to a fence with no walk around path. Wonder why NPark had such poorly designed PCN path.
There is a netting all along this side of the reservoir. Probably put up to give the private condos some privacy. This is the inner path which is not PCN.
Tembusu, Ironwood tree flower is also one confusing name to find. Its one of the 10 most common trees in Singapore.
Kanari Nut Tree fruit looks like any other fruit. I am really not sure of its name correctness.
Orange Jasmine flower looks nice.
There is a bridged path over the water.
Handkerchief Tree really look like one.
Saw the efforts to go green. This one uses solar panel to assist in lighting.
How nice if the whole path looks like this.
A panoramic view of part of the reservoir.
I was wondering what is this thing doing in here. Till I walked further down.
They are created for tree climbing sport called "Forest Adventure". You need to pay to play with it.


A long panoramic view of the lake again. This time looking across the river.
This tree is called Blue juniper tree or is it.
I am really not sure of most of the names that I found. After all, it is a layman's effort to find the name of the fauna. Anyhow, it is fun looking up names. In the process, I really come to know so many plants and flowers.

On the way back, saw this black snake. By the time I took the picture, the snake's head is already inside the drain. Dare not get closer as it might be poisonous. Can't match its name against the fauna list of NParks. 
One last picture I took is the Egyptian Finger Grass. The picture is taken near a fence.
As I go along the PC, it starts to drizzle, then getting heavier and heavier. I had to take shelter at a bus stop along Upper Changi Road. Waited for the rain to stop for almost one hour. Finally gave up and call it quits. Took bus service No 10 to Tampines MRT to close the event.

The recorded GPS track is as follows.

http://www.wikiloc.com/wikiloc/view.do?id=4738258

I would suggest you use the map view of Picasa Web Album to find the exact location of the plants and flowers here.

https://picasaweb.google.com/106611639464075912591/BedokReservoir#