Sungei Buloh Wetland is our favorite place because of its serene hiking trails and abundant wildlife. On the morning of Sunday, September 10th, 2023, we returned to this natural haven once again, and this visit held a couple of delightful surprises in store.
As we wandered through the lush wilderness, fortune smiled upon us - we had the rare opportunity of spotting not one, but two owls! These enigmatic creatures are seldom seen, making this encounter all the more special. Nearby, a group of photographers had gathered beneath the trees where the owls perched. Our eyes followed their gaze, and there it was, an owl with its eyes wide open, and after a while, it closed them. Then, prompted by a photographer's alert, we noticed another owl perched on a higher branch nearby. To our amazement, these owls remained perfectly still, as if posing for an audience of admirers.
Although Sungei Buloh is home to some owl families, this marked only our second owl sighting, both occurring in the same location - a trailhead near the Neo Tiew Crescent Car Park. It seems that this tranquil spot holds a special allure for these mysterious birds.
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| an owl with eyes open - did we disturb it? |
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| The owl closed its eyes |
Before this owl encounter, we witnessed a delightful spectacle. A pair of ashtailors engaged in an exhilarating chase, darting through the trees near the fantail pod. Unfortunately, they vanished into the trees before I could capture them with my camera. While the ashtailor is a common sight at the reserve, witnessing a pair engaged in such spirited play was a first for us. It appears they've had a successful breeding season, as we later encountered several more of these lively birds along the trail.
Of course, the reserve's usual avian residents were still there. Egrets, herons, sandpipers, and plovers graced us with their presence at every turn. As we gazed up at the sky, a magnificent, large bird caught our attention. Swiftly, I aimed my camera and captured its graceful glide. To our delight, it turned out to be a painted stork, another of the reserve's usual inhabitants. Interestingly, I had taken an almost identical photograph of this bird during our very first visit to Sungei Buloh over two years ago, showcasing the timeless beauty of this sanctuary.
Adding to our day of surprises was an unexpected sighting of mudskippers locked in combat. These peculiar fishes are residents at the swamp, typically seen meandering solo. However, on this particular morning, we observed two mudskippers engaged in a fierce battle, their dorsal fins raised. After a brief but intense confrontation, one of the mudskippers relented, lowering its fin and retreating. It was a remarkable sight that I had coincidentally learned about from a TV documentary just days prior.
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| fighting mudskippers with fins on there back erected |
Our hike was further enriched by the presence of colorful fungi, vibrant green moss, and a striking green snake with a captivatingly colorful head, each contributing to the tapestry of biodiversity along the trail.
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| colorful fungi |
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| A large heron in the middle of Buloh Besar River |
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| A large monitor lizard walking at water's edge |
As we neared the visitor center on our return journey, a tinge of sadness hit me upon noticing the absence of a sea eagle's nest atop a towering tree near the center. However, my spirits were quickly lifted when Lily directed my gaze upward. Lo and behold, a sea eagle was perched near the former nesting spot! This unexpected sighting was the perfect finale to a day that had already exceeded our expectations at Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve.
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