apathetic fishermen III @ SBWR 15May2011

Here we go again...

The first half shows a young man well prepared for his poaching expedition on his kayak armed with a fishing rod, water, sunshades and visor (inter alia). He even had an air-filled plastic bag presumably containing some fish. He had found his way around Pulau Buloh within a stone's throw from Platform 2 and just outside of a sluice gate probably hoping to land a good catch. Instead he was caught by two park visitors who made prompt telephone calls to the park rangers which caused him to pack up and flee towards Platform 1. On seeing the ranger beckoning for him to come 'ashore', he quickly turned his kayak and paddled out towards Kranji.

The second half of the clip shows a yellow-shirted man ("YSM") with a cast net walking across the mouth of Sungei Buloh Besar. The tide was low enough for the walk but the YSM failed to net anything significant except some very small fish. (The bigger fish had probably already been prevented from coming in due to the long gill/drift nets placed a little further out by the other fishermen.) This YSM disappeared into the mangrove at the east bank. He would probably walk out towards the Kranji Nature Trail.

Let's have a look at relevant legislation :-

Parks and Trees Act

Restricted activities in respect of animals, etc., in national parks and nature reserves

9. —(1) No person shall, except with the approval of the Commissioner granted under section 12 and in accordance with the terms and conditions of such approval, carry out any of the following activities within any national park or nature reserve:

(a) capture, displace or feed any animal;

(b) disturb or take the nest of any animal;

(c) collect, remove or wilfully displace any other organism;

(d) use any animal, firearm, explosive, net, trap, hunting device or instrument or means whatever for the purpose of capturing any animal; or

(e) carry or have in the person’s possession any explosive, net, trap or hunting device.

(2) No person shall carry out any activity within any national park or nature reserve which he knows or ought reasonably to know causes or may cause injury to, or the death of, any animal or any other organism within the national park or nature reserve.

(3) No person shall, except with the approval of the Commissioner granted under section 12 and in accordance with the terms and conditions of such approval —

(a) bring or release or cause any animal to be brought or released into a nature reserve; or

(b) permit any domestic animal to stray into a nature reserve.

(4) Any person who contravenes subsection (1), (2) or (3) shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding $50,000 or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 6 months or to both and, in the case of a continuing offence, to a further fine of $500 for every day or part thereof during which the offence continues after conviction.

scarlet-backed flowerpecker@ SBWR - May2011

This lovely little bird was busy choosing cherries on an Indian Cherry (Muntingia calabura) tree. This tree is located near the path from the visitor centre leading to the main bridge. It was full of green berry-like fruit.

In spite of the ungainly bipedal lifeform observing it almost within arms reach, it merrily went about choosing fruit. Settling on one and despite dangling vertically, it first poked into it a few times with its sharp beak. Then it grabbed it within its beak and flew off to an adjacent branch for a more horizontal position whereupon it proceeded to squeeze out the juice into its beak. It also rolled the fruit around in its beak probably to get the best leverage for each remaining part of the berry. It took just over a minute and a half to juice a berry whereupon it promptly discarded it and wiped its beak against the branch it was on.


Find out more about the bird here :
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scarlet-backed_Flowerpecker
http://birdsoftheworldonline.com/scarlet-backed-flowerpecker-dicaeum-cruentatum
http://www.besgroup.org/2011/01/09/scarlet-backed-flowerpecker-eating-fruit-of-indian-cherry/

otter makantime II @ SBWR May2011

The resident wild otters at SBWR were out for some breakfast and made their way over to Sungei Billabong Buloh (dunno how Singapore got a 'billabong') which separates Pulau Buloh from the rest of SBWR. 

Platforms 1 and 2 are good vantage points to see the otters in action.

It was a low tide morning and all the fish were concentrated in a much shallower column of water. Schooling fish are already naturally jumpy and are more so when being chased by predatory mouths. 

The otters dived repeatedly looking for their prized fish species.... catfish. They did not seem very interested in the other fish schooling in the upper part of the water column but they seemed to dive to the bottom most of the time with their long tails occasionally showing above the water.

Soon enough, a catfish was found and the otter went about holding it with its hands whilst munching into the tail. Perhaps the otters bite into the tail first to disable the fish in case the fish does try to get away. However, it seems that the otters prefer mainly the tail region and any innards which can be pulled out from the rear of fish. This has been observed on other occasions. 

Strangely, despite there being a good meaty portion of freshly caught catfish left, the otters frequently abandon the fish and move on to look for other fish. They seem to do this over and over and can catch and 'tail' up to 2 or 3 catfish in an equivalent number of hours leaving easy leftovers for anything else that may come by (like the numerous monitor lizards which also inhabit the reserve).

otter makantime I @ SBWR 30Apr2011

This smooth otter was seen in the gallery pool at the SBWR visitor centre carrying what looked like a fish leftovers. It was a bony fish and it must have been rather large. The otter moved with it to the side where it was shallow enough for it to stand on its hind feet (and probably using its tail also as a third leg). It then proceeded to really bite into the bony fish carcass crunching into the bone.

Unfortunately, it looks as if it got a bone stuck in its teeth and it dropped the carcass to try to use its claws to dislodge the bone. Whilst it did so, it was distracted away from the approaching monitor lizards who could obviously smell the fish carcass. It soon dislodged whatever was causing it discomfort, looked around the murky green water for the fish and grabbed it before any lizard got to it. It then swam away with its catch to another part of the pool.

a selection of birds @ SBWR 08May2011

a selection of birds from Sungei Buloh

grey heron (Ardea cinerea)

grey heron (Ardea cinerea)

little heron (Butorides striatus) taking a bold step

oriental pied-hornbill (Anthracocerous albirostris) (at canteen pond)

unknown raptor flying overhead

plantain squirrel @ SBWR 30Apr2011

These squirrels are commonly found all over Singapore. This particular one was at the SBWR Mangrove Boardwalk at about 1pm actively biting into and eating the bark of what seems to be a Sea Hibiscus bush. Maybe it was looking for bugs below the bark but it sure seemed to bite deep into the branches.

Read more about this entertaining squirrel here :
http://www.wildsingapore.com/wildfacts/vertebrates/mammals/notatus.htm
http://www.ecologyasia.com/verts/mammals/plantain_squirrel.htm
http://www.wildsingapore.per.sg/discovery/factsheet/squirrelplantain.htm

oriental pied-hornbills @ SBWR 30Apr2011

A couple of birdwatchers looking up into the trees at the Mangrove Boardwalk piqued my interest as I could not make out what they were intently pointing and looking at. A change of viewpoint soon highlighted a pair of backlit birds with distinctive bills...hornbills!

The pair were grooming themselves on top of a mangrove tree. The bird on the left occasionally groomed the bird on the right. The bird on the right occasionally spread out its wings as if to give them a good stretch and even seemed to twist its neck.... It was as if the bird was doing some warm up exercises in preparation for some strenuous activity...or perhaps some confinement. Perhaps this was a mating pair with the female getting ready to be holed up somewhere close by.  The birds had disappeared when I next looked up.

Later, I had overheard a volunteer saying that the hornbills may have been introduced to the reserve from elsewhere in Singapore as part of a breeding/re-introduction project.

Read more about the hornbills here :
http://www.wildsingapore.com/wildfacts/vertebrates/birds/albirostris.htm
http://besgroup.talfrynature.com/index.php?s=Anthracoceros+albirostris
http://www.fortunecity.com/greenfield/ecolodge/58/oph/nesting.html

wolf snake @ KNT 30Apr2011

Came across Dr Chua EK and friends photographing a house wolf snake just outside the Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve carpark and where the Kranji Nature Trail begins. This snake is non-venemous and can be found all over Singapore, even in neighbourhood parks and it has also been seen on some of Singapore's Southern Islands. This particular specimen was about 40cm long.

wolf snake @ KNT 30Apr2011 from SgBeachBum on Vimeo.

Read more about this snake :
http://singaporesnakes.blogspot.com/2007/09/more-records-of-house-wolf-snake.html
http://singaporesnakes.blogspot.com/search/label/House%20Wolf%20Snake
http://www.wildsingapore.per.sg/discovery/factsheet/snakewolf.htm
http://www.naturemalaysia.com/house-wolf-snake.htm

black spitting cobra @ SBWR 30Apr2011

This 1.2m black beauty was trying to sun itself near the mangrove boardwalk when it got spooked by too many footsteps from the boardwalk. With a few flicks of its curves, it graciously slithered off into the safety of a nearby thicket.

equatorial spitting cobra @ SBWR 30Apr2011 from SgBeachBum on Vimeo.

It did not have the characteristic sharp narrow tail but a stubby thick one. Perhaps it had had a lucky escape but had to sacrifice its tail end.

Read more about this snake :
http://www.ecologyasia.com/verts/snakes/equatorial_spitting_cobra.htm

apathetic fisherman @ SBWR 01May2011

I had seen a very similar (probably the same) canoe with person paddling past the exit of Sungei Buloh Besar yesterday and thought it unusual that anyone would want to canoe in this area but thought nothing of it as the canoe was moving along quite well.

Saw the canoe again this afternoon but this time the occupant was checking a long gill net. The net was very long and it covered the entire river mouth at Sungei Buloh Besar.

apathetic fisherman #1 @ SBWR 01May2011 from SgBeachBum on Vimeo.

As I was shooting from the main bridge, i decided to move over to Platform 1 to get a closer look as the kayak seemed to be headed that way. When I got to Platform 1, it was obvious that the net stretched right across to the mudbank opposite Platform 1 and where the channel to Platform 2 starts.

apathetic fisherman #2 @ SBWR 01May2011 from SgBeachBum on Vimeo.

I waited for the kayaker to get to the end of his net. He went along the whole of what seemed about 200m of net checking for fish or clearing the net of flotsam. When he came within earshot, I called out to him saying that he could not put his net across the mouth of the river or within the reserve.

apathetic fisherman #3 @ SBWR 01May2011 from SgBeachBum on Vimeo.

He shouted back insisting that he was 'outside' of the reserve. Sensing his reluctance to retrive his net, I promptly revealed my camera and pointed it in his direction. He 'got the picture' real quick and turned around to where the start of his net was and started pulling it into his kayak.  He made quick work of retrieving the net whilst trying to keep his face away from the shore and away from the camera.

apathetic fisherman #4 @ SBWR 01May2011 from SgBeachBum on Vimeo.

I made my way back to the SBWR reception counter and informed the staff of the events. They promptly scrambled their team to intercept the kayaker whilst I made my way in advance to the Kranji Nature Trail bridge to see if I could get a clear shot of the kayaker. He paddled by making sure to avoid looking towards the camera and paddled his way in the direction of Kranji Dam.

apathetic fisherman #5 @ SBWR 01May2011 from SgBeachBum on Vimeo.

I met the SBWR team on their way out and informed them that the kayaker was already speedily moving towards Kranji. Not much point in tracking him down since his fishing sojourn had been abruptly ended. Plus the drizzle looked set to turn into a downpour. Upon looking at the pics (on the small camera LCD), it appears that this particular kayaker had put up nets before and the SBWR had taken action and removed the nets before.

Note to self : in case of intruding kayakers, fishermen, poachers - call the SBWR reception immediately so that they can activate their response team to intercept the intruders on the spot. By not informing at the earliest oppurtunity (whilst I was initially on the main bridge), I had inadvertently given the kayaker a lot of time to move around and eventually make his speedy kayak getaway.

Have a look at this post (and associated links) to see why these nets are are so dangerous : http://sgbeachbum.blogspot.com/2011/04/no-fishing-please-kranji-nature-trail.html

Sungei Buloh currently has 3 resident otters, a couple of crocodiles and many many monitor lizards. All of these can easily get caught in these gill nets and drown with the tides. Indeed, there is a recent record of a crocodile found dead caught up in a net. (See here.).

We should take better care of our Nature Reserves and their natural residents. Help SBWR effectively monitor intruding fishermen and nets! Inform the staff ASAP so that timely and effective action can be taken. The main line is +65 6794 1401.

Fishing enthusiasts should realise that leaving long gill nets unattended can result in inadvertent deaths of already critically endangered marine animals. This is especially so in critical areas near mangroves and on seagrass meadows. Setting up a net near such areas is inviting trouble and we cannot afford to lose even one such animal.

Please Mr. Fisherman! Help us save our endangered animals.

Update :
02May2011 - located the kayak at the Kranji Dam cove. Looks like there is a small fishing community there with some 'permanent' gear stored at the park. This is not mere recreational fishing as it looks as if there was some selling and buying going on. 

Note : 07May2011 - I've named this chap 'ciggyman' as he seems to like having a ciggarette in this mouth.

marvellous katydid @ Sg Buloh 23Apr2011

Shortly before the trainee volunteer group were captivated by the mad mud wrestling sunbirds, one of the trainees spotted this bright green bug on a sea hibiscus bush.

marvellous katydid @ Sg Buloh 23Apr2011 from SgBeachBum on Vimeo.


She had rightly identified it as a Katydid but we had no idea then that this was likely to be Phlugis thaumasia, otherwise known as the Marvellous Katydid. :It was highlighted as a 'Re-Discovery (2010)' at the 'A decade of biodiversity conservation and discoveries in Singapore' exhibition set up by NParks and RMBR.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
{Update 29Apr2011 - It's not a Phlugis thaumasia after all! - see following facebook comment by Tan Ming Kai}

Our bugs really do look very similar!
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
This is a snapshot of the exhibition panel on the katydid :

Here's a closer look at the note (click for bigger pic) :-

Although usually spotted at night, this specimen was seen at about 5pm near Observation Screen 1.12. Looks like we can add Sg Buloh to the list of places where this is known to be found.


Here is a short video clip and write-up about the exhibition :-

Check out this write-up about the exhibition :

http://iyb2010singapore.blogspot.com/2011/04/hundreds-of-new-singapore-biodiversity.html

pink-necked green pigeons @ Sg Buloh 10Apr2011

This pair of juvenile pink-necked green pigeons were happily eating their fill at about 1pm on a Singapore Rhododendron bush quite unperturbed by passing human visitors entering or leaving the park. As the bush was fruiting, the birds were gorging themselves almost non-stop. 

pink-necked green pigeons@ sg buloh 10Apr2011 from SgBeachBum on Vimeo.

Poachers @SgBulohWR 20Mar2011

Was at main bridge looking inland when I saw, at about 200m away, a yellow-booted man in shorts walking on the mudflat carrying what seemed to be a cast net. At first I thought he was one of the park workers or a researcher taking a sampling of the fish in the water. However, the man seemed nervous and his demeanour did not fit that of an authorised person.

The SBWR (Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve) park wardens were on top of things immediately and suspected that there were 2 or 3 others out of sight hidden in the adjacent mangrove. The wardens hatched a quick plan, coralling support from some of the park workers.

They swiftly hopped into the buggies and rode out to the access track close to where the poachers were. The mud was thick and soft and so made walking out difficult. Nevertheless, the poachers (3 of them) were flanked by two sets of pursuers. They were taken by surprise and did not make a fuss.

Bari had to walk across part of the estuary to get to an isle of mud and mangrove trees where the poachers had kept their loot in order to make sure that they gave up all of it including their nets. [Unfortunately, the water was deeper than expected and Bari later found out that his mobile phone in his pant pocket would not accept the salt water well at all. Indeed it looked like a mini-fishtank with water sloshing in it. Collateral damage in professionally answering the call of duty! Hope his boss will agree to replacing it without too much trouble (hint! hint!)].


The poachers were escorted back to the SBWR visitor's centre with their gear and loot. After their IDs were recorded, they were given a warning not to fish in the reserve again and let off. All this was done in a relaxed atmosphere and I was pleased to see that the park wardens handled the whole episode professionally. Good job!!

The nets (a cast net and also a long gill net) and a long pole with a metal hook were seized. The pole with hook was possibly for harvesting the tree-climbing crabs which are commonly found high on the wetland reserve's mangrove trees.

The poachers had filled an entire bag with snails. Looks like these snails were saved from becoming soup that evening!

There was also another bag with green clams and a rather large catfish. According to the wardens, the catfish and green clams had been taken from another poacher slightly before the gang of three were spotted.

All the rescued animals were quickly released into the water and the catfish casually swam off as if nothing had happened.

Here is a short clip unfolding the event :

poachers from SgBeachBum on Vimeo.


Kudos to the staff and workers at SBWR!
A difficult job done well! :)