Lawas Trip to see birds and then some

The view north from our boat towards landmass while navigating the shallows just before the day's lowest tidemark.

We were in Lawas the weekend before Valentine's Day to check-out the birds of Trusan-Sundar Bay together with our SWS (Sarawak Waterbird Survey for Waterbirds and Wetland Habitats Survey for the Sarawak Coast) team Daniel and Rose as well as MNS Miri birding stalwarts Anura, Sara, Bor Seng, Musa, Majelah and Remli.

Our biggest set-back (if you were to look at it negatively) was the Lawas Festival! We didn't know it was taking place over the same weekend, so we weren't prepared with any advance room bookings, up till then comfortable with the assumption ("falsely" I might add) : "how many people could there be in Lawas?"

We ended up frantically searching for a place to sleep the first night and finally ended up on the porch of Kuala Lawas Field Station operated by Sarawak Forestry Corporation, sleeping on the hard cement (thanks to sleeping bags), constant humming of mozzies and aircond compressor unit as well as sharing bathroom facilities with probably close to 15 other SFC people who were also in town that weekend. Lucky we even had that, otherwise we'd probably all end up cramped at the back of Anura's 4WD.

The birding was great though. Together with Daniel and Rose, we scoured the Sundar-Trusan Bay from our boatman Ismail Ahmad's house at Pulau Sari in two boats. The birds at the coast of Lawas to this date have received scant attention if any. SFC has been conducting sea grass, turtle, dolphins and dugong studies in the area over many years. Fisheries Department also has a firm presence. Not many has done bird work there since NWPO commissioned work back in the mid 80s and MNS IBA work in the early part of this decade.

On a previous trip here Feb 2010 during AWC, we counted 20+ Chinese Egret, Godwits, Far Eastern Curlew, Eurasian Curlew, Whimbrel and 2 Lesser Adjutant in the same vicinity. AWC work by UBD and PNHS over the adjacent Brunei Bay yielded similar high number of migrants over the years.

The highlight on this trip had to be the three Black-headed Gull we recorded on a sandbar located 5 meters away from a marked border of the sovereign state of Brunei. Other birds seen were White-bellied Sea Eagle, Long-tailed Parakeet, Blue-crowned Hanging Parrot, Brahminy Kite, Great Egret, Godwits, Broad-billed Sandpiper, Plovers, Eurasian Curlew, Whiskered Tern, Great Crested Tern, Lesser Crested Tern, Gull-billed Terns. An undisturbed sandbar towards the middle of the bay formed a perfect roosting haven for the waders.

A proboscis monkey was also seen lurking around near the bay, but it was too fast and too far to photograph.

Our survey was cut short when we aborted an attempt to continue our survey of the Bengkulit area in the north (Kuala Lawas, north of Pulau Sari) due to high seas. We made it back safely to Ismail Ahmad's house just in time for a late lunch and a bit of catching up with the SFC-UMS-UMT team involved in a turtle study in the area.

The second night, we decided to hang in Lawas town exploring the myriad (170 in total) booths set-up specifically for the Lawas crowd that weekend. We visited probably all the booths, Anura even managed a duet of "Awan Biru by Amy Search" with an obliging Immigration officer at one of the booths.

We visited a Recoda's SCORE booth with graphic images of the Sarawak Dams in progress; NREB booth's asking about Peter Sawal's fate post "Sg Sarawak heavily polluted" front pager; DID booth to engage them on their flood mitigation efforts "via clearing the banks of rivers of vegetation" and a few others. Did you know that we have an "Integrity Institute Malaysia", interesting to know who goes there.

We wasted the rest of the evening people watching at Hotel Sri Malaysia coffee house and enjoying the hustle bustle in it's lobby. There were many fasionable, colorful and infuential folks in town that weekend including our CM; and they were all mostly based out of Hotel Sri Malaysia. Who's who in Lawas and afield went through the same lobby we did.

The most expensive room in the hotel were reserved for the VVIPs, so when we finally secured a room, we ended up only in a run of the mill room. It was already 10pm then and all four of us (Musa, Majelah and Remli left earlier by car) crashed in one room, the softies got the bed.

Our Lawas birding trip turned out to be more than just a birding trip thankfuly. Not having been a regular in Lawas, only passing through most times either through the airport or the border crossing, we found Lawas to be a charming small town with big ambitions. Like all small towns in Sarawak, the slower pace, friendly folks, chaotic set-up, added significantly to it's draw. Hopefully when the town gets bigger, it'll retain some of it's small town quaint-ness.

We left Lawas via MASWINGS the next day on the last fight to Miri.

Birds :

Birds of a feather perched all together on wires in Lawas city center ... they were all over the place, and very chirpy too.

More bird images from Lawas can be viewed at Miri Birding.

Folks in Lawas:

Twins, two of Ismail Ahmad's sons, photo taken at the front porch. The kids have got Kuala Lawas as their backyard, Bukit Sari on the side, raptors and otters a daily sight.


Another one of Ismail Ahmad's boys (right) with his visiting cousin from Merapok. That weekend there we 24 people in the stilted house over the water and one bathroom, couldn't be worst than our one nite stay at the field station.


Nor Akhalily, one of Ismail Ahmad's two daughters. Lily is less shy compared to her elder sister who was much more elusive on the morning of our visit.


A refined front desk personality always make check-in a breeze.


An attractively accessoried statuesque lass sulking one late evening at the lobby of our hotel.


An out of town gentleman attending the Lawas Festival that weekend whiling the morning away after breakfast. All the government officers seemed to be stationed at the newly opened Hotel Sri Malaysia walking distance from the center of town.


A stylish young lady waiting for mommy for breakfast at the hotel.


Our warm and friendly hostess at the Coffee House at breakfast. It's amazing how cheery one be so early in the morning, she must be a morning person. Wait a minute, she's also cheery the previous evening at tea.


A distinguished gentleman reviewing the day's images at the lobby, must an amusing photo he's looking at.


The gentleman whose pictures are being reviewed by the distinguished gentleman.

Others:

The spectators at the Lawas longboat race, part of the main event at Lawas Festival.


Two winning boats dashing to the finishing line. Brute force definitely a requirmenet in this sport, they were quite a number of burly males on the boat.

A little lass amusing herself under the shade, filling up the water container with mommy's long-beans.


Datuk Amar Awang Tengah riling up the crowd close to the conclusion of the 30 man long-boat race.


Two gentlemen who are a part of Datuk Amar's VIP entourage over the weekend.


Groupie in the VIP tent, high fashion has cometh Lawas. Paris-New York-Tokyo-Los Angeles-Lawas ... one day! We couldn't get in our first try but managed to slither ourselves past the uniformed sentry while the crowd was pre-occupied with the speech.

Images and Words by Nazeri Abghani
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Kuala Selangor over the Weekend with Family

I always thought all kids love monkeys, I did when I was a kid ... had several as pets. Different with little Vanessa, she's just petrified. Perhaps she's was overwhelmed by their numbers at the park.

Eight of us including 4 little children (eldest 10, youngest 4 years old) checked-in to MNS managed Kuala Selangor Nature Park for an overnight stay to check out the monkeys, egrets and possibly fireflies and owls.

After the 'townies' overcame their initial shock of the spartan condition of our 7 single bed room, we headed to town for lunch at Kuala Selangor's best lunch place as far as I'm concerned. There's about 40 ala-carte dishes to choose from for your lunch including obscure items such as kerabu paku, keli gulai masak lemak to sotong sumbat kukus. Seven plateful of rice filled to the rim with delectable local delights and individual drinks totalled a princely sum of $38, tough to beat if you are outside of Kuala Selangor.

After lunch we took a romp on the Majlis Perbandaran Kuala Selangor train ride up Bukit Melawati and looped back to KSNP for a well-deserved afternoon seista.

All were fresh-eyed at the start of our late afternoon walk around the park. The littlest one was excited and scared at the same time at the prospect of meeting up with real live famous monkeys of KSNP. The furry creatures were out in full force as they always do ... from flabby macho males to the tiniest little runt. The kids had a blast viewing them up close, little Vanessa decided right there and then that she didn't like monkeys.

The kids made all the way up the viewing tower (2nd) and round the loop of the mangrove boardwalk. If it weren't for Grandpa and Grandma, they would've gone further, excited by the encounters with waving fiddler crabs, mud-crabs, buggy-eyed mudskippers, wood-peckers (they've all this while were only familiar with Woody Woodpecker) and other birds. Both Alyssa and Vanessa were conversant enough to point to and call out Brahminy Kite by the time we ended the trail.


Silver leaf monkey.


The girls at Bukit Melawati, it was almost 2pm by the time we reached the top so please excuse the squinting.


Grandma and little Vanessa negotiating the trails at KSNP, the canopy around the trail has grown rather nicely to provide a cool shade to visitors. Extensive maintenance work are carried out on a regular basis especially to tame the growth of shrubs along the walking path.


The girls at bird tower No. 2, Alyssa, Vanessa and Aisya.

Our nitewalk wasn't too popular, we didn't spot any owls but managed to pick out several firefly larvae and two adult rover fireflies for show and tell the next day. The kids and both grandparents stayed in.

It's limitless to what young children can absorb about fascinating nature around them, if only we adults were interested enough to guide them through the mysteries of life at our own doorsteps. Deny them this simple opportunity for bonding, they'd happily resort to computer games other less fulfilling indoor pursuits.

Young Alyssa was persistent about why a firefly only lives for a few days even after Aisya's repeated attempt to explain to her that the larvae actually lives longer and is a major component of a fireflies' life. Ali, eldest in the group, proudly showed the earthworm that going to be the foodsource for our captured larvae. Both Ali and Aisya pretty much remembered in whole what Uncle Musa told them about fireflies many moons back.

"Uncle Nazeri, Uncle Nazeri! Brahminy Kite!", hollered little Vanessa as we ushered grandpa and grandma into the car on our way home the next day.

And for birding parents, you never need an excuse to do KSNP:


Grey Heron by the main lake.


Brahminy Kite by the main lake.


Black-crown Night Heron by the rookery, inner lake.


Purple Heron, by the rookery, inner lake.


Grey Heron, by the rookery, inner lake. Birders contemplating a trip to photograph the egrets and herons of Everglades ala Arthur Morris can flock over to KSNP to make the same genre of bird images at a fraction of the cost.

The Raven

THE RAVEN BY EDGAR ALLEN POE

Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered weak and weary, Over many a quaint and curious volume of forgotten lore, While I nodded, nearly napping, suddenly there came a tapping, As of some one gently rapping, rapping at my chamber door. `'Tis some visitor,' I muttered, `tapping at my chamber door - Only this, and nothing more.' Ah, distinctly I remember it was in the bleak December, And each separate dying ember wrought its ghost upon the floor. Eagerly I wished the morrow; - vainly I had sought to borrow From my books surcease of sorrow - sorrow for the lost Lenore - For the rare and radiant maiden whom the angels named Lenore - Nameless here for evermore. And the silken sad uncertain rustling of each purple curtain Thrilled me - filled me with fantastic terrors never felt before; So that now, to still the beating of my heart, I stood repeating `'Tis some visitor entreating entrance at my chamber door - Some late visitor entreating entrance at my chamber door; - This it is, and nothing more,' Presently my soul grew stronger; hesitating then no longer, `Sir,' said I, `or Madam, truly your forgiveness I implore; But the fact is I was napping, and so gently you came rapping, And so faintly you came tapping, tapping at my chamber door, That I scarce was sure I heard you' - here I opened wide the door; - Darkness there, and nothing more. Deep into that darkness peering, long I stood there wondering, fearing, Doubting, dreaming dreams no mortal ever dared to dream before; But the silence was unbroken, and the darkness gave no token, And the only word there spoken was the whispered word, `Lenore!' This I whispered, and an echo murmured back the word, `Lenore!' Merely this and nothing more. Back into the chamber turning, all my soul within me burning, Soon again I heard a tapping somewhat louder than before. `Surely,' said I, `surely that is something at my window lattice; Let me see then, what thereat is, and this mystery explore - Let my heart be still a moment and this mystery explore; - 'Tis the wind and nothing more!' Open here I flung the shutter, when, with many a flirt and flutter, In there stepped a stately raven of the saintly days of yore. Not the least obeisance made he; not a minute stopped or stayed he; But, with mien of lord or lady, perched above my chamber door - Perched upon a bust of Pallas just above my chamber door - Perched, and sat, and nothing more. Then this ebony bird beguiling my sad fancy into smiling, By the grave and stern decorum of the countenance it wore, `Though thy crest be shorn and shaven, thou,' I said, `art sure no craven. Ghastly grim and ancient raven wandering from the nightly shore - Tell me what thy lordly name is on the Night's Plutonian shore!' Quoth the raven, `Nevermore.' Much I marvelled this ungainly fowl to hear discourse so plainly, Though its answer little meaning - little relevancy bore; For we cannot help agreeing that no living human being Ever yet was blessed with seeing bird above his chamber door - Bird or beast above the sculptured bust above his chamber door, With such name as `Nevermore.' But the raven, sitting lonely on the placid bust, spoke only, That one word, as if his soul in that one word he did outpour. Nothing further then he uttered - not a feather then he fluttered - Till I scarcely more than muttered `Other friends have flown before - On the morrow he will leave me, as my hopes have flown before.' Then the bird said, `Nevermore.' Startled at the stillness broken by reply so aptly spoken, `Doubtless,' said I, `what it utters is its only stock and store, Caught from some unhappy master whom unmerciful disaster Followed fast and followed faster till his songs one burden bore - Till the dirges of his hope that melancholy burden bore Of "Never-nevermore."' But the raven still beguiling all my sad soul into smiling, Straight I wheeled a cushioned seat in front of bird and bust and door; Then, upon the velvet sinking, I betook myself to linking Fancy unto fancy, thinking what this ominous bird of yore - What this grim, ungainly, ghastly, gaunt, and ominous bird of yore Meant in croaking `Nevermore.' This I sat engaged in guessing, but no syllable expressing To the fowl whose fiery eyes now burned into my bosom's core; This and more I sat divining, with my head at ease reclining On the cushion's velvet lining that the lamp-light gloated o'er, But whose velvet violet lining with the lamp-light gloating o'er, She shall press, ah, nevermore! Then, methought, the air grew denser, perfumed from an unseen censer Swung by Seraphim whose foot-falls tinkled on the tufted floor. `Wretch,' I cried, `thy God hath lent thee - by these angels he has sent thee Respite - respite and nepenthe from thy memories of Lenore! Quaff, oh quaff this kind nepenthe, and forget this lost Lenore!' Quoth the raven, `Nevermore.' `Prophet!' said I, `thing of evil! - prophet still, if bird or devil! - Whether tempter sent, or whether tempest tossed thee here ashore, Desolate yet all undaunted, on this desert land enchanted - On this home by horror haunted - tell me truly, I implore - Is there - is there balm in Gilead? - tell me - tell me, I implore!' Quoth the raven, `Nevermore.' `Prophet!' said I, `thing of evil! - prophet still, if bird or devil! By that Heaven that bends above us - by that God we both adore - Tell this soul with sorrow laden if, within the distant Aidenn, It shall clasp a sainted maiden whom the angels named Lenore - Clasp a rare and radiant maiden, whom the angels named Lenore?' Quoth the raven, `Nevermore.' `Be that word our sign of parting, bird or fiend!' I shrieked upstarting - `Get thee back into the tempest and the Night's Plutonian shore! Leave no black plume as a token of that lie thy soul hath spoken! Leave my loneliness unbroken! - quit the bust above my door! Take thy beak from out my heart, and take thy form from off my door!' Quoth the raven, `Nevermore.' And the raven, never flitting, still is sitting, still is sitting On the pallid bust of Pallas just above my chamber door; And his eyes have all the seeming of a demon's that is dreaming, And the lamp-light o'er him streaming throws his shadow on the floor; And my soul from out that shadow that lies floating on the floor Shall be lifted - nevermore!

A few keepers from the last couple of mornings ...

Chinese Egret


Chinese Egret


Chinese Egret


Kentish Plover


Kentish Plover

Quote of the week:

"There are some concerns among the leads that you are not exhibiting as much passion about your work as you do about your NGO activities!"