Route to Roost Site Pasir Puteh

Returning to roost.

Saturday, 1st day:

I stumbled upon a route to a roosting site somewhere around Taman Bukit Gedombak, Pasir Puteh yesterday. There were waves upon waves of egrets (mixed flock) flying south towards Tok Bali/Semerak area to their roosting site for at least an hour between 6:30-7:15pm. It was an amazing sight to behold especially when you're looking up from underneath them.

The 400mm kit was ideal to get the egrets as they flew by up above. The 11-16mm on the 7D was too wide, the birds were too small. The kits lens would have ideal to record the whole event on video and of course I didn't have it with me. The typical "should've"s!

There were literally thousands of birds streaming overhead continuously till sundown.

Sunday, 2nd day:

It was literally in the thousands again today. It all started at 1800hrs and didn't stop till sundown which is 1930hrs in these parts. The call to prayer for Maghrib was well underway as I made my way back to the car which was parked 800m away.

Today unfortunately I heard several shotguns blasted from a location further away, likely targetting these birds but I can't be sure. Pond Heron are known to be seasonally taken for the pot in this area but recently I have heard of egrets suffering the same fate.

Pictures to follow.

The few making it's way to the roost site. The spectacle continued until the sun was well over the horizon.

The egrets streaming overhead shot from my hiding spot below some leafy trees.

A flock making their way south. The streaming flocks started from 1800hrs and continued all the way to 1930hrs non-stop. The flocks originated from their feeding ground in the paddyfields around Jelor, Merkang and the surroundings.

The egrets' approach was via Bukit Gedombak (from both sides of the hill) in the North and flying South towards Tok Bali. The roosting site is likely to be situated in the last final stands of kayu gelam after Bukit Gedomdak before Tok Bali. The red-star marked the location I was at while making these record shots.

The zoomed out area. A significant portion of the countryside in these parts has been opened up for new roads and flood mitigation measures over the years with Bachok/Tok Bali/Pasir Puteh seeing the most change in landscape. With these activities old inaccessible roost sites were most probably destroyed and access made much easier for hunters on motobike through the newly built mudtracks.

Sunny Sunday Cruising with the Batavus Lente

27 kms from Tg Lobang and back.

Didn't notice this guy's T-shirt until I got home.

Miri's very own marina, I still remembered a remark by one federal minister made during a meeting with Miri Municipal Council, "Why would a place like Miri need a marina?" This was way back in 1998.

Samling's multi-level apartment coming up next to Miri Marriot Resort and Spa. My own remark when I first step foot in Miri from KL, "Why would anyone want to live in an apartment in Miri?"

The Batavus Lente made a good fit at the back of the Pajero.

Sibuti Wildlife Sanctuary by bike

The 18km return route to Sibuti Wildlife Sanctuary from SK Kpg Masjid.

We drove out at 4:30pm after ding-dong-ing at home the whole day. By the time we reached SK Kpg Masjid's jetty it was already a few minutes past 5pm.

The two MTBs were quickly offloaded and biking we went. This was supposed to be a short ride to refamiliarise ourselves with these nifty human powered two-wheelers. Clare last cycled probably way back in the summer of 2004, our last Dutch summer before we returned to Miri. I've been cycling a hybrid-roadbike occasionally for exercise since June 2011, so by right my biking is less rusty than Clare's.

The first segment of the road is surfaced, the second segment is also surfaced but with compacted medium sized gravel, the last stretch to the Sanctuary is still hardened fine mud. In many places there were potholes and wet muddy patches. Ideal for fat tires with multiple gear options.

One could make it fun by sprinting through the muddy patches but since it's our first ride, it was much more fun riding quietly and getting as close as we can to the roosting macaques and pigeons along the route. The time as well as just about settling down time for these critters with sunset only an hour away. There were several troops of monkeys all along the path, some were busily crossing the path to get to their favorite branches, the kids would definitely have loved it.

We arrived at the office just as Suni was finishing up his grasscutting chores. Suni is one of the four rangers stationed at the sanctuary. His family took up residence at the double storey wooden building that also couples as the Sanctuary office. They venture to town only for kids' schooling and getting supplies for the family. It seemed an ideal life surrounded by nature all day and nights, Suni's children seemed to love it most.

This sanctuary provides ideal habitat for crocodiles, but crocodiles are not popular subjects around here. Suni mentioned two recent cases of crocodile attack nearby. Though in both cases, the victims survived the separate attacks, the manner of which the attack occurred dismayed the locals. It took place near the village and not some quiet spot away from human habitation. The cases definitely didn't improve people's views on crocodiles around the sanctuary. Somehow the myth that "crocodiles don't attack villagers" is getting eroded quicker by each attack.

We left Suni and his family just as the sun was diving beneath the horizon. We promised to be back with the children next time around, perhaps maybe camp overnite to spy on the Buffy Fish Owl that has a favorite perch right in front of the park office. And of course to check out the eyeshine if any local crocs in nearby canals and small rivers.

Soon enough we'll be biking the 18km return trip with plenty of things to see along the way.

Leisurely ride, you'll never forget how to cycle, it might be wobbly at first but once it sinks in, it quickly becomes an automatic reaction.

The swamp getting ready to receive sunset. Sibuti Wildlife Sanctuary is not yet open to the public, SFC has an office at the Sanctuary to keep things in order. BTW, there are crocodiles in them there canals.

The sun setting as we cycled back to our waiting car.

Batavus Lente is Back!

There should be no other word to describe it other than utter callousness. I'm not quite sure how it happened either.

This was a well-beloved bike, my Batavus Lente, bought in 2001 back in the village bike-shop in Rolde. It cost a pretty penny even then but most of the bikes at the shop were meant to serve a lifetime. This bike was a constant companion of mine: weekday commuting, weekend shopping, excursions with the kids when Ali was a toddler and Aisya was still a baby.

It served well ... rain or shine, windy or sunny, weekdays and weekend. We were very close to signing up for the Dutch summer cross country national cycling event, but decided against it in the end after some consideration mostly the time commitment required, and the two little ones that would have to tag along.

Then we came back and settled at 582 Hilltop. The Lente was left aside, parked idle ... day-in and day-out. Present but unused. For 7 years it sat there untouched and not cared for. Bikes became almost non-existent in our family, almost foreign. They were at one time a big part of our daily lives. Then busy took over ...

With almost seven year under the bridge, Ali and Aisya are both bigger now. And they started to get interested in cycling. It started with two bike purchases (Nexus BMX) for the kids, the hybrid-roadie (Specialised Sirrus) for me to burn some fat with, later two hardtail mtbs (Specialised Myka and Scott Aspect 40) for Clare and I. There's also the folding bike for Clare's anticipated emergency dash to the grocery store for milk or bread.

The Batavus Lente has risen again, how apt. A short sojourn at the local bikeshop, and a few minor reburfishments (most of the major parts are not available in Miri) later, the Lente is now back ... aged slighty but fully functioning as it should. It will feature regularly in our family once more.

2011 will be marked by the revival of the Batavus Lente into our family and 2012 the start of our family cycling forays. Bicycles will definitely return to be a big part of our family activities again just like the Rolde days. Busy safely locked up, keys thrown away for good.

PS:

Now let's see how I'm gonna lug the 600mm onto the Lente for biking-birding excursions in the countryside.