{"id":3328,"date":"2017-01-21T19:52:46","date_gmt":"2017-01-21T11:52:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/fryap.wordpress.com\/?p=3328"},"modified":"2024-08-04T07:58:39","modified_gmt":"2024-08-04T07:58:39","slug":"special-ks","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/fryap.com\/blog\/2017\/01\/21\/special-ks\/","title":{"rendered":"Special Ks"},"content":{"rendered":"

It’s been almost nine years since I was diagnosed with keratoconus<\/a>, a degenerative eye condition that result in blurred vision and acute astigmatism. Both my eyes are affected, with my left eye having a severe case that cannot be corrected by eyeglasses. That left me with my right eye (with a milder form that is correctable to a greater degree) to take care of all this vision thing that almost everyone else take for granted.<\/p>\n

A recent check in November with an eye specialist revealed no substantial worsening or improvement on the condition. What prompted the visit was however more interesting, as I had a lump growing rapidly at the corner of my left eye. That resulted in a visit to the hospital and hence the check with eye specialists, and subsequently a day surgery. After the removal of the lump, histopathology test revealed that I have another condition called Kimura’s disease<\/a>, a rare but benign chronic inflammatory disorder. There are still remnants of the lump after surgery but for now, the proliferation of the cells have abated. I should be thankful that things are what they are, and I can continue to go about my life somewhat normally. Not having good eyesight certainly have not stopped me from indulging in birding as a hobby, but getting a health scare does make one evaluate things a bit.<\/p>\n

2016 was a relatively relaxed year for birding, similar to what it was in 2015. I’ve settled on routine weekly walkabouts at my regular birding spots, a few overseas jaunt, and the occasional scrambling when a local bird rarity appears. Since my last post a few months back, I’ve photographed a couple of new birds. The count is now 318 bird species photographed in Singapore. I reckon if I keep at this pace, 330 birds should not be a problem in the next few years. The goal now have shifted to getting better photographs of existing birds.<\/p>\n

Last year, together with some birding friends, we started a community project to better document the bird species found in Singapore. The Singapore Bird Project<\/a> website was launched with write-ups and photos of birds from a bunch of top bird photographers in Singapore. This informal group also went on to organize a few pelagic trips, resulting in the addition of a new bird species for the Singapore checklist, the Bulwer’s Petrel<\/a>. The website itself is growing stronger with increased monthly readership over time.<\/p>\n

Another new initiative in 2016 was to set up a new Facebook Group, Wildlife of MacRitchie & Central Catchment<\/a> to showcase and raise awareness of the diversity of wildlife at MacRitchie and the Central Catchment Nature Reserve in Singapore.<\/p>\n

To complement my existing personal Facebook Page<\/a>, I have also set up an Instagram account<\/a> to post photos of birds I have seen along the way. So all in all, it has been a very busy and productive year despite the special Ks getting in the way.<\/p>\n

Let me end by posting a few photos taken in 2016. Here’s hoping 2017 will be an even more eventful year!<\/p>\n\n\t\t