 wetlandsa publication of Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve |
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10 No 6 Surprise visit by a Very Important Pelican Birds of Wetland Project II Art in the Wetlands Celebrate Nature A 'Sungei' Runs Through It HSBC/NYAA Youth Environmental Award 2005 Bird Flu: Frequently Asked Questions |
 Hey,
what were you thinking of? Singapore River? Or the movie from Hollywood?I am referring to the river that connects the Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve Visitor Centre to the Reserve, which is Sungei Buloh Besar. I chose this title simply because I have come across feedback from local visitors lamenting that there is nothing to see here at the Reserve. Some have even asked if there are playgrounds here! Whatever the question may be, my point of view and answer is simple. If you are a nature lover and have the passion and time to explore the Reserve, please do so. By all means, come in the early morning and take a stroll here to enjoy and appreciate Mother Nature. You do not have to go too far. Just get comfortably seated at the main bridge and enjoy the tranquility that awaits you! I love having lunch breaks at the main bridge. Ten minutes or thirty minutes, high tide or low tide, there is always something happening along this river. During low tide, if chance may have it, I would be lucky enough to spot the crocodile, whom I have affectionately come to know as “Bob the Croc”. It will be basking itself along the mudflats under the mid-day strong sun. There will be times when you may even find it submerged in the water near the sluice gate just next to the main hide. Other common sights that await you would be our two-legged feathered friends such as a family of white-breasted water hens having a drink by the water edge. Camouflaged well amongst their habitat, a striated heron would be perching on the tree branch trying to catch its next meal. A dozen egrets, milky stocks and sometimes one or two grey herons would be waiting patiently for a good catch along the mudflats. Recently, a solitude pelican has made an unannounced appearance, much to the delight of our staff who had the opportunity to see it. One might be able to catch different schools of fish playing around and swimming past the bridge. If you looked down the bridge, you certainly would not miss the archerfish, half-beaks , milk fish and green chromides, to name a few. If luck is on your side, our resident otters may swim by with their curious gazes. Sometimes, you may even see a Malayan Water Monitor propelling itself across the river.  During
the migratory season, just about when the tide is rising, you just may be
able to see large groups of migratory birds flying in to feed! Some visitors
have had the privilege of this wonderful sight! The migratory birds which
are commonly seen would include the Whimbrels, Pacific Golden plovers, Common
Sandpipers, Red Shanks and Green Shanks. From time to time, one may chance
upon the resident stock-billed kingfisher perching on the tree branch, patiently
waiting for the next unsuspecting fish. With the cool northeast monsoon
winds blowing, sitting at the bridge can certainly make one feel relaxed
and even sleepy sometimes! So, I will state my case again - there is plenty to see at Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve! Sit at the bridge along the river and “open” your ears. You will perhaps hear the resident birds’ calls or the cicada hissing for its mate in the distance. Amazingly, you may also chance upon a solitude plantain squirrel attempting to cross the bridge! So, enjoy this peaceful scene of this last frontier of Singapore…  |
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