Raptor Watch 2022 By Wong Li Li
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After a long unprecedented “cooped-up” Covid-19 lock down, finally a happening nature event by MNS: Raptor Watch at Hutan Rekreasi Tanjung Tuan, Port Dickson (12-13 March 2022).
As a photography enthusiast, I took a sudden interest in bird photography a year after the Covid-19 lockdown to partly ease the pandemic-anxiety. And so, after the “final lockups”, I came all the way from Shah Alam, hoping to catch a glimpse and perhaps photograph them. To my dismay, I did not see any migrant raptors in close range that day. Still, I am so glad I came.
On arrival, I headed for the pre-arranged nature walk at Dutch Well Trail guided by Azmir Mustapha. It is this guided walk I became a bit more informed why this forest matters to the migrating raptors. Each spring, the wintering raptors will return to their breeding site as far north to Thailand, Japan, China from Sumatra across the Straits of Malacca passing by Peninsular Malaysia. For a medium size bird to fly, they need rest area to enable them to continue their longer journey. Flying long crossings above the sea is not the best route for any kind of birds. But, somehow, these instinctive birds of prey sensed that the topography of Tanjung Tuan being a coastal headland that is closest to Sumatra will be easier for them to glide with the help of thermal lift across the Straits of Malacca in a favourable weather. One will surely ask how these birds of prey knew. I have no answer for that! Furthermore, Tanjung Tuan being a coastal forest provides the much needed “rest area” for these birds to seek for food.
Our Nature Guide Azmir and the participants at the 10 are, 12/3/2022 Nature Walk.
As we walked into the slightly winding and downward trail towards the direction of the beach, Azmir, our nature guide, explained the fun about the forest, some of its flora, fauna and fungi. Along the path, there was some mushroom growing by the side where there were lots of dried leaf litter. A lot has been said and wrote about the fungi being a very bizarre kind of organism. Other than its mushroom “fruit” which we commonly see above ground, the fungi forms a vast “connection” beneath the ground in a form of tiny threads spreading throughout the forest, where the trees and plants will use for “communication” on water and nutrients sharing. What is even more amazing is that the fungi took a percentage cut of the nutrients from the “users”. It is a “paid” service!
The mushroom grew among the leaf litter where the grounds are damp. Under our feet and beneath the forest ground are the fungi’s tiny threads, some called it “Woodwide Web”.
The Dutch Well Trail is mostly canopied by the towering trees, providing a cool and comfortable walk and a sanctuary for mosquitoes who simply adores me!
The Dutch Well (and so the name of the trail): Halfway as you veer downward the path, you will reach the forest floor. It is at this lower part of the trail where the Dutch Well is situated. The low lying of some U-shaped topography explains why water congregates here.
The Dutch Well (and so the name of the trail): Halfway as you veer downward the path, you will reach the forest floor. It is at this lower part of the trail where the Dutch Well is situated. The low lying of some U-shaped topography explains why water congregates here.
The good and bad about the forest vines. It serves as a highway for tree hopping wildlife like monkeys, squirrels without having to descent to the ground, risking being preyed by other ground animals. Unfortunately, disease may also be spread through these vines.
The good and bad about the forest vines. It serves as a highway for tree hopping wildlife like monkeys, squirrels without having to descent to the ground, risking being preyed by other ground animals. Unfortunately, disease may also be spread through these vines.
The Mengkuang Plant, resemble a huge pandan leaf plant, commonly found in the jungle.
Rattan Palm Tree
Rattan Palm Tree
Towards the beach side, Mengkuang Plant and Rattan Palms flourish among other trees and bushes. Leaves of the Mengkuang Plant can be weaved into baskets, trays, mats, whilst Rattan Palms’ into furniture and many other handicrafts which are a valuable source of income for the local communities. Also, I thought to myself this cool tip could be handy for “Robinson Crusoe” a.k.a. in a survival situation. Like a “supermarket” and Encik DIY. And for these jungle resources to continuously grow in abundance, it depended on various wildlife and even the insects in the forest.
The trail along the beach side of the Dutch Well Trail:
The bees,
butterflies, wildlife and even human are pollinators that spread the pollens
around, prospering the forest. The dry seed of the daisy flower kept sticking
onto my arm sleeve while I photograph them.
A huge throng of bees parking themselves in one of the trees not far from the Forest entrance.
The Leaf of the Sea Hibiscus plant by the beach side, considered as one of the most useful trees of the coastal region! Every parts of the plant are usable. Even the flowers are pretty and the leaf resembles a thoughtful heart!
We thanked Azmir for his fun walk and went further up the hill to the Cape Rachado Lighthouse for the raptors watch. As we waited at the shaded area, Nifa, whom I met at the Nature Walk, spoke about how immensely refreshing she felt, coming out to the nature, post Covid lock down. I was totally overwhelmed by her joy as she tried to convey her newfound experience of our country’s tropical rainforest and the green landscape! No amount of words can describe what the Covid-19 Pandemic has done to us in a mere two years! It has brought some of us pain, fear, misery but on the other hand, delightful new insights and appreciation of the natural landscapes and people closest to us.
A sunny day at the Cape Rachado Lighthouse. Clear sky but no birds, except for the occasional Myna!
Mesmerizing in front of the Migratory birds information board next to the Cape Rachado Lighthouse, in a No Bird Day!
No Bird Day.
The view from the Lighthouse.
No migratory raptors can be seen close to Cape Rachado Lighthouse on 12/3/2022. On the same day, a group of visiting birders shared that they saw migrating raptors circling on top of Talang-Langkap’s forest, some 80 km north-east of Tanjung Tuan. The wind might have brought them there.
The Raptors Watch on the 12/3/2022.
Towards the late afternoon, the day on 12 March 2022 has proven to be a no bird day, at least for me. So much lesser (89 migratory raptors per MNS Website), in comparison to a day before which recorded 940 (807 a day later as per MNS website), has come even close to the Lighthouse where I can see and photograph them. The Cape Rachado Lighthouse was open for public on the two days event. The public can also witness the raptor counting by MNS group using sophisticated binoculars. The raptors count has been undertaken for some 22 years for the purpose of conservation and research. Birds of prey are top-of-the-food chain predators and the data on the raptor counts can serve as an excellent health indicator of our forest in regard to environmental changes.
A White Bellied Sea Eagle (a resident) circling on top of the Lighthouse.
At the end of the day, I relate Hutan Rekreasi Tanjung Tuan as a “service provider”, much like the fungi providing the tiny thread underground “network” contributing to the survival of the trees and plants, this Hutan provides abundant food and resources to us, the Wildlife, and to these migrating raptors who pit-stop here. In turn, the wildlife prospers the forest in a very much mutual beneficial manner. In some unspoken way, the forest, the wildlife and we, the humans, have been co-existing since the beginning of time. To continue to be in existence, at the least what we can do is to conserve it that way.
References:
Why Raptors. https://hawkwatch.org/learn/why-raptors
Underground Networking: The Amazing Connections Beneath Your Feet. https://www.nationalforests.org/blog/underground-mycorrhizal-network
MNS Raptors Count 2022. https://www.mns.my/2022/03/07/raptor-watch-2022-daily-bird-counting-updates/
The Importance of Bees. https://www.worldbeeday.org/en/about/the-importance-of-bees.html
The adorable orangie baby Dusky-leaf clung tightly onto the mother.
Long-tailed macaque family near the entrance.
Long-tailed macaque family near the entrance.
An Abbott’s Babbler foraging among the Rattan Palm across the entrance of the Dutch Well Trail.
An Abbott’s Babbler foraging among the Rattan Palm across the entrance of the Dutch Well Trail.
This Greater Racket-tailed Drongo spotted around the forest edges one third of the way up to the Lighthouse from the entrance.
At the same spot, a common Flame-backed Woodpecker (Female) hoping from tree to tree picking up ants, larvae.
The Blue-throated Bee Eater taking a shade under the Macaranga leaf in a sunny day. It is also a migrant!
An Oriental Dollar Bird perching high up on a bare tree afar, three quarter of the way up from the Entrance.
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