Birdies at Miri Marina Beach

Within the one hour slot when the kids were tied up with piano lessons, I sneaked out to Miri Marina Beach making my way through the bushes and storm drains behind the Park Everly Hotel.

Glad I did, pretty lively back there today:
1. Dusky Munia (2)
2. Chestnut Munia (6)
3. Common Tailorbird (1)
4. Common Sandpiper (5)
5. White-breasted Waterhen (4)
6. Yellow/Schrenck's Bittern (2)
7. Little Heron (6)
8. Pacific Reef Egret (both grey and white morph) (1 each)
9. Little Egret (2)
10. Chinese Egret (1)
11. Intermediate Egret (1)
12. Malaysian Plover (4)
13. Lesser/Greater Sandplover (30)
14. Kentish Plover (8)
15. Pacific Golden Plover (13)
16. Collared Kingfisher (2)
17. Zebra Dove (6)

Quite a promising site for some digiscoping work later ... no humans in the morning aside from pesky sandflies.

Lutong Beach Waders

In several ways Lutong beach is better than the expansive Kuala Baram mudflats for wader watching tough there aren't as many waders at Lutong Beach in terms of species and count. Especially at rising tide as the waders move in closer towards the sandy beach as the water slowly rises, affording greater close-ups than those possible in Kuala Baram. The morning sun also creates better front lit subjects. Though joggers, motorcyclists, pesky sandflies can be a bother once in a while. Half hour before work, an hour at lunch seems too good an opportunity to pass.

Greening the earth in Borneo, Malaysian style.

All photos taken 14th-16th November on our way to/from Bario, numerous other logging roads scarred the landscape except in Mulu NP and Brunei.

Daily lunch date at Kuala Baram

For high protein mid day intake of nutrients most waders flock to Kuala Baram, a non-descript hardly noticed piece of extensive mudflats whose other regulars are local small timer fishermen. And then there's the waders.

Most days they'd be Malaysian Plover, Lesser Sand Plover, Greater Sand Plover, Kentish Plover and Sanderling. Also bigger shorebirds like the Great Egret, Intermediate Egret, Little Egret, Purple Heron, Grey Heron, Striated Heron. Not so regular are Chinese Egret and Pacific Reef Egret. Other non-wader birds by the shoreline Chestnut Munia, Striated Grassbird, Collared Kingfisher, Common Kingfisher, Brahminy Kite and others.

But we are talking waders here: other waders that have been seen here are Pacific Golden Plover, Long-toed Stint, Red-necked Stint, Wood Sandpiper, Common Greenshank, Redshank, Terek Sandpiper, Red Knot and a few others waiting to be spotted.

Kuala Baram is packed with little crabs and polycheate worms, firm favorites of it's regulars. Just the other day a Grey-tailed Tatler had a hard time swallowing a little finger sized juvvy eel, it kept wiggling itself out of the tatler's throat several times before being swallowed full.

Sick of your regular lunch dates, pop over Kuala Baram and see these waders indulge in their daily protein feast. You can leave your napkins and cutlery behind.

Waders out, shoplots in ...

From the top (22nd Nov) : Little Ringed Plover, Common Sandpiper, Little Ringed Plover, Pacific Golden Plover.

I betcha with all the concrete canals, shoplots, exlusive bungalow lots coming up in the area, very soon there won't be many waders stopping over this once fertile mudflats (huge healthy polycheate worms) of old Miri river. We might catch one or two Common Sandpiper though. No more PGPs, no more WSPs, no more LRPs, no more KPs, no more LTSs, no more RNSs, no more CRSs, no more GSs and the WBWs (15-20 observed around here back in Feb-April 2008) will have to find a new place to hang out! All the egrets too ... and the SHs.

Evictees list:

PGP Pacific Golden Plover

WSP Wood Sandpiper

KP Kentish Plover

LRP Little Ringed Plover

CRS Common Redshanks
GS Common Greenshanks

LTS Long toed Stint

RNS Red-necked Stint
WBW White-breasted Waterhen

SH Striated Heron

Miri City Waders

Old Miri River, Mudflat no more ...

22nd November 2008 1130 hrs.

The final act of reclaimation of the Old Miri River! No more mudflats, no more waders here. Another one bites the dust! Today, there were 2 Little Egret, 2 White-breasted Waterhen, 2 Common Sandpiper, 1 Pacific Golden Plover, 4 Little Ringed Plover, 1 Striated Heron.

Let's bet on what's coming up next over this spot over the next few months, anyone? Anyone?

Infamous Malaysian quotes on Oil Palm.

“The best way to improve your golf is to chop down the rainforest…We get too much rain in Sarawak… it stops me from playing golf.”

James Wong, Sarawak’s Minister of Environment and Tourism (and at the time logging concession holder) on deforestation and climate disruption at a meeting between Wong and an international mission on native rights and rainforests (1988).

“Our efforts towards sustainable forest management have been on-going for 100 years since 1901. Since then, our forests have been managed in a sustainable manner (…)”.

Plantation, Industries and Commodities Minister Peter Chin, 4 January 2005

“In Malaysia, the expansion of oil palm plantations over the last decade came from conversion of other economic crops, i.e. rubber, cocoa and coconut, while the balance came from logged-over forests of areas zoned for agriculture.”

Yusof Basiron, director Malaysian Palm Oil Council, 2006.

"By 1990 we have stopped approving new jungle areas to becovered under plantations.”

Yusof Basiron, director Malaysian Palm Oil Council, 19 May 2006.

“We are not cutting down forests. Most plantations are in their second or third planting cycle, so we are planting on the same plot of land.”

Michael Dosim Lunjew, Ministry of Plantation Industries and Commodities Secretary-General, 15 May 2007.

“We will not use virgin jungle and forest reserves for oil palm cultivation. So the issues written by the foreign press and non-government organizations on deforestation are not occurring in Malaysia.”

Peter Chin, Minister of Plantation Industries and Commodities, 28August 2007.

“The government will not allow the clearing of forest areas for any new oil palm plantations. We don’t have to reduce the protected forests to increase new oil palm plantations.”

Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, 25 June 2008.

“Sarawak is not facing the destruction of its forests and ecosystem as a result of the cultivation of oil palm.”

Abdul Taib Mahmud, Sarawak’s Chief Minister, 26 June 2008.

Blatantly lifted from FOF Oil Palm 2008 Report.

Bario, The Kelabit Highlands

I am first to admit, I'm a sucker for out-in-the boonie places with colorful locals, fantastic scenery, copious amounts of fresh air, lack of tourists, obvious scarcity of the usual trappings of Paris-New York-London-Tokyo-Amtersdam type amenities. Dang, I do enjoy this lack of modern day ecoutrements (sic). And no phone coverage ... I am out of range!

What BLISS!

It was a first trip to Bario by MNS Miri and gang, and already we are conspiring a few more future trips to the famed Kelabit Highlands. Our short trip didn't do this place justice ... but hey, Bario ain't going nowhere too fast.

The view from the clouds as we crossed the countryside was depressing at first with thousands of hectares of cleared forests and oil palm plantations, some actively in progress. It gradually changed to primordial green again as we approached Mulu National Park, passed near Brunei border and zipped alongside Gunung Murud. These later sights from the air were most awe-inspiring.

The tiny De-Havilland Twin Otter flew like these small ungainly minibuses, landing on the small airstrip was itself an adventure. No lithe stewardesses on this flight! Outside tough, fresh oxygen-fortified mountain air! The freshness felt unreal, the light crisp and clear.

Birding was good ... a bit late for waders perhaps but we did flushed out a few Snipes sp., Wood Sandpipers in and along the paddy fields. Several montane species was heard and some seen: Bornean Treepie, Chestnut-capped Laughingthrush, Mountain Crested Serpent Eagle, Ochraceous Bulbul, Ruddy Cuckoo Dove and others. Black-headed Munia were seen aplenty and a couple of Dusky Munia too. Trogon was heard along the trails. Ashy Drongo and Golden-whiskered Barbet seen just alongside the road. Oh, yeah Bario is apparently Yellow-vented Bulbul central ... they were everywhere, almost omni-present!

The short visit didn't allow any prolonged excursions into the wilds of the forest but we did see the skin of a leopard cat of sorts, a trophy proudly hanging on the wall as part of a living room decoration. A little monkey kept as a pet provided comic relief for a short duration at one of our stops at Pa' Ukat.

There were plenty of local crafts to gawk at too. Bamboo-rattan backpacks, weaved artwork and glass beads. All definitely worth exploring in future visits.

Photography would definitely be something to do here. Other than the aereals on the way in and out, great winding treks with amazing vistas of paddy fields, longhouses and little huts surely suffice for some great landscapes. Interesting features of the Kelabits adorned with traditional costume and jewellery would be a subject in itself. Flora and fauna abound as ready subjects in and around jungle trails.

What else to do in Bario?

Mountain biking : the trails look most enticing, exploring the jungle single-tracks and ex-logging double tracks would be epic.

Camping, jungle trekking : enjoy nature at an even more basic level.

We stayed at De Plateau Lodge in Bario Baru, approximately 20 minutes ride on the back of a 4WD from the airport ... superb quiet place run by Douglas Bala and his family. Spacious house with several nook and crannies to soak in the Bario fresh air. The gazebo amidst the pitcher plants and various pitcher plants was heaven sent, you can sit there all day. We saw a nesting flowerpecker from there ... And did we mentioned the food? Simply gorgeous!!!

Rent a kerbau for a day or two and see where else Bario can take you!

More Bario pictures.

Our Rainforest Lose!

Native Customary Rights issue is a sensitive and complicated one. The way by which the State and various arms of the state dealt with the matter does not make it any clearer or more transparent. Sarawakians at least have NCRs, Orang Asal of West Malaysia has no such thing, they are merely squatters on their own home. Your backyard today, maybe a golf course tomorrow. Maybe even a SimeDarby Club House, for which you are not welcomed of course.

Today, I learnt something new. While trying to expose friends, colleagues and immediate community about the struggles of our Indigenous Community, I stumbled upon a CD What RainForest? by Hilary Chiew and Chit Too together with the various other OA articles on sale.

In the CD, an Iban community leader from Batu-Niah-Suai area made something crystal clear for me :

State recognises NCR as land as that land which is cultivated by the indigenous people on a regular and sustained basis.

Natives consider all land worked by their ancestors since time begin as NCR, which included land presently being worked on pemakai menoa, land left fallow, forests within their traditional domain, ancestral hunting ground, places held special as shrines and burial ground. The concept of pemakai menoa goes beyond mere agricultural use and extends to hunting, fishing and living off the produce of the jungle.

State "leases" NCR land (based on their narrow definition) to plantation companies to be developed ie. thru logging concessions, oil palm plantations. Many native communities in Sarawak have been displaced by this self-serving definition. Many a logging concessions and plantations have gone ahead, multi-millions made. Many more are in the pipelines.

Native communities then came back with a strategy to develop all the land that they've defined and recognised as their NCR land into plantations to avoid land grabs by State, agencies and companies given the concession, prompted by the narrow, self-serving NCR definition by the State. Through gotong-royong, communities are felling trees and planting them with oil palm.

Native communities clear lands they traditionally preserve for communal use pulau galau to prevent their land from being appropriated by the State. Only cultivated land is afterall NCR by the State's own definition.

There won't be much rainforest left in the years to come. At the rate both sides are going, "We green the earth with oil palm" may one day sadly be a reality. What rainforest?

Only our rainforests stand to lose, presently Sarawak already has the highest deforestation rate in the world. I've always thought that the dubious "honor" belonged to Kalimantan.

Seagull? Tern? Gull-billed tern non-breeding?

The minute I saw it on the bino, my heart raced. It's big, it's tall, it stood like a gull. Dang ... a seagull! I raced back to the car, told the kids to wait 15 more minutes while I scrambled to bring out the tripod and the scope.

A couple of lorry drivers piling sand onto flats looked as I was hurrying across the road towards a fallen tree, a cover. I looked back, smiled, executed a small half-hearted wave with my palm and continued my way to the spot.

No, it's not a seagull. It's a large tern. Black legs, black bill, preening. There's no black marking anywhere else on his mantle or head. White chest, light steel gray on the coverts and back of head ... the sloping of the headt to the bill looked weird. I think it's a Gull-billed Tern.

The Miri River Mudflat Buffett is gone!

Well, I stopped by after breakfast Nov 2nd to see our favorite spot for waders in Miri. Yep, that one across the road from HSBC. It's gone ... they've flattened both the northern and southern section of the river and the mudlats with it. Heavily loaded lorries filled with sand were going back and forth, several earth movers mopping up after them.

Other than the lorries and earthmovers, all I saw there that morning were 4 birds : 1xlittle ringed plover, 1xpacific golden plover, 1xlesser sandplover and 1xwhat I thought was a non-breeding gull-billed tern. It stood like a gull, heavyset black bill, black legs and stood quite tall, I thought initially it was a gull until I looked thru the scope. Will confirm which tern this is later.

THE MUDFLATS IS GONE! Plenty of waders sighted, recorded and photographed there back in February-April, the new season looked promising in August when we saw the little ringed plovers, stints, red-shanks and wood sandpipers with Karim Madoya. We were planning to follow-up with more obs in November and perhaps an AWC (first in the city) next year! I guess that is now completely out of the question, they beat us to it! By the time January AWC comes around again this site will be concrete canals.

BAG OF *^%&!!!

Miri Aereals, some you see, some you don't

And you thought the view was bad from the ground. These pictures were taken only a couple of weeks back on my return flight from Kuala Lumpur. All around Lambir NP you see systematic clearing of forests into terraces for what I suspect in the end will be planted with palm oil ... shocking! Don't recall seeing destruction of such scale when I first flew in here in 1990, still remembered someone on the same flight mumbling "Oh, my god ... it's all jungle!". Much has been cleared since.

These rampant clearing goes right to the coast up to the edge of the beach, they probably try growing them on the beach too if they can. Someone mumbled something about not clearing prime forests for plantations not long ago, but nobody cares what this guy thinks anyway. Looser!

One can imagine what would happen during the landas season or even during the occasional heavy rains we have here in Miri. The entire coast turns teh-tarik! We saw that firsthand during our beachwalk between Bungai and Tusan, 5500 hectares was just cleared there recently for a similar scheme.

How does this affect visibility in the water I wonder? All along the coast between Miri and Similajau, we have quite extensive complex of corals which are favs of local divers. The Miri-Sibuti Marine Park is not that far away from land. Gazetted and all.

I figure if we don't mind scraping up entire sections of our coasts for deep sea ports and polluting our air and seas with carcinogens, this we'd do with not so much as a blink! Sigh!

Kuala Niah to Kuala Suai Recce by the Guys 02nd Nov 08

The guys being : Musa Musbah, Kong Lih-Shan and Amer Matridi.

The objective :
To get the low down on the terrain between Kuala Niah - Kuala Suai in preparation for the December Long Walk taking place 25th Dec- 01st Jan.

They drove from the Sepupok Bridge Coastal Road junction to Kuala Niah and cycled to Kuala Suai and back on the beach, 60km in all! Where there's no beach (ie. river) they lugged their bikes with them and wade the waters. They started 0900 hrs and cambe drove back in dark around 1900 hrs.

These are Sarawakian Rivers mind you, where crocodile legends are made of! Brave lads! There are more than 20 small rivers to cross, and crossed them they did. No crocs, no seasnakes ... only pesky rays on the sandy river bottoms. They came back in one piece, albeit a bit tanned and slightly sore butts ... none worse for wear. Apparently the bikes are already rusting away at their respective homes.

What they found out:
1. A few river crossings, manageable at low tides. Unable to confirm presence of nasty crocs ...
2. First 15 kms is a bit monotonous being cultivated land.
3. There are villages (a few house) before Kuala Suai and across the river.
4. Several abandoned huts along the way. Temporary shelter for the farmers planting seasonal tembikais and the like.
5. There is a small grocery shop at Kuala Suai ... they carry Coca-cola and biscuits. The proprietor promised to stock up bottled water for us.
6. There's a Sarawak Forestry house being taken care of by one of the villagers, we have permission to use it if we need to.
7. They'll even supply us with home-cooked meals for a small fee.
8. Crossing Sungai Suai will not be a problem, they are boats at the far end of the jetty.
9. Second 15kms is a bit more forested, right up the beach.
10. The area is mostly Oil Palm plantations, plenty of Indonesians ... working the plantations most of the time. Picnicking on the beach on Sundays and off-days. According to a UNDP report, 21 % of the populations in the Niah-Suai area are Indonesian plantation workers.
11. Communications ... no coverage. Satellite phones needed.
12. Mozzies may be a problem at night.

Other interesting bits:
1. Cute smallish plovers seen on the beach ... Malaysian Plovers???
2. Fishing using plastics might be fun at the estuaries.
3. A large wader-type bird spotted near one estuary ... could be my dream bird : Beach Thick-knee??? Several other waders (types unknown) were also spotted.
4. A growling mammal was also heard near the forested area. Nobody went to check it out. Possibly a wild boar or clouded leopard (which have been reported by some villagers).

Last access point for support vehicle would be near the Kuala Niah point. Access to Suai from this route is strictly by foot, bicycle or 4WD at very low tides ... even then it'll involve several small river crossings.

Point to ponder : Emergency escape route, communications link, load to carry from Sibuti homestay.

Would a stout heart, great sense of adventure and a silent prayer be sufficient to get to Suai from Niah in one piece on foot?

Well done, boys! Anyone else feeling adventurous?

Gerai OA in Miri this weekend

What better way to help indigenous community realise the value of their traditional art work and crafts by directly supporting their work through your direct purchase.

Reita will be visiting with bundles of craftwork 7th, 8th and 9th November. This time she's bringing a friend, Ms Pinta Unyan who's a master weaver. Ms Pinta will be on hand to show us some nifty tricks at the Gerai OA stall demo hour.

Itenarary:
07th Nov Friday, Kelab Rekreasi Petroleum
Talk & slideshow 1930hrs, Exhibition, Sale, Demo from 0900 hrs.
08th Nov Saturday, Pustaka Miri
Talk & slideshow 1400 hrs, Exhibition, Sale, Demo from 0900 hrs.
09th Nov Sunday, Piasau Boat Club
Talk & slideshow 1930 hrs, Exhibition, Sale, Demo from 0900 hrs.

This event is being sponsored by MNS Miri to directly support Indigenous Communities' initiatives.

My view:

If you can't be at the coal face yourself, why not support those who are through other means ... this is one of the ways. Email me for more ways to help.

I blog

Dang ... I blog!

I figure at the very least it'll allow my feeble memory to remember what I'd done in the passing days, weeks and months. Just hoping that I'll remember this blog address in time.

Next time my curious kids and angry spouse ask where I'd been and done, I'll email them this blog address!

You blog, I blog, we blog!