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| The Liew brothers in action at Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve. |
Sungei
Buloh Wetland Reserve (located off Neo Tiew Crescent in Singapore) is home to migratory birds and many other species of
plants, animals and as we were to discover, lots of insects! We set off early
on a cloudy morning on 3 February 2013 with a group of about 20 children and
adults.
The
mangrove swamp is a harsh environment that is boggy, oxygen-depleted and high
in salt content. Mangrove roots have special adaptations. The Avicennia mangroves have pencil-like pneumatophores
or air-breathing roots poking out of the mud to allow the direct absorption of
oxygen. Prop roots in Rhizophora trees
provide strong anchors in the mushy mud, preventing them from collapsing when
the tide ebbs. These mangroves cope with the excess salt by secreting them on
the underside of their leaves.
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| A Water Monitor Lizard well camouflaged in the mudflats. |
Although
we were too noisy and probably scared off the tree-climbing Vinegar Crabs, we
had a monitor lizard that posed obligingly for photographs. We also saw cute mudskippers.
One of the highlights was encountering the rarely-seen Mangrove Stingray. We
counted five of them ‘flapping’ gently in the shallow brackish waters.
A
little bird tweeted a secret in our ears: the best place to see the magnificent
Oriental Pied Hornbill is by the men’s toilet! This is because the janitor
feeds them papaya. We also spotted both Common and Collared Kingfishers, Little
Egret, Grey Heron and even the Great-billed Heron, Singapore’s largest bird.
Along
our hike, we caught sight of many magnificent spiders and their webs. The Orb Web
Spiders weave huge, intricate webs that catch not only prey but even unwanted
leaves and twigs. Sometimes the spiders have no choice but to abandon their
homes when they become too cluttered with ‘rubbish’. The female Orb Web Spider
rules the roost as it is many times larger than the male. Sometimes, she even cannibalises
her mates after mating. We also spotted the St Andrew’s Cross spider, named for
its geometric cross-like formation or stabilimentum through the centre of its
web. The web reflects ultraviolet light, which in turn attracts insects to fall
into the deadly trap.
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| We were delighted to see a feeding Oriental Pied Hornbill at close range. Photo courtesy of Dr Tan Kong Chong. |
Katydids
or bush crickets are related to grasshoppers and crickets. They are nocturnal.
Perhaps that is why we found one hiding between the wooden floorboards in one
of the observation hides. We then photographed what we thought was a Shield Bug
with a beautiful cross on its reddish back. It turned out to be the Cotton
Stainer Bug. We found out that the Cotton Stainer feeds on the seeds of the Sea
Hibiscus growing by the seashore. It is considered a pest as it stains cotton
red.
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| A Cotton Stainer Bug perched on the Sea Hibiscus. |
Do
not be fooled by the cute, fluffy ‘cotton balls’ bunched up in a row on the
branches of shrubs. These are Mealy Bugs, destructive pests that suck plant
juices and can destroy crops. We thought that they resembled the Lallang when
clustered together on a twig. We were surprised to
see a plant with glossy, serrated leaves that looked just like the
Christmas Holly growing right here in Singapore. It is actually
called the Sea Holly and it flourishes by the mangroves, lobster mounds and
river banks. But it is not related to the Holly used overseas as Christmas
decorations, which has dark green leaves and red berries.
Our
walk ended with the sighting of a superb Oriental Whip Snake. Mildly venomous,
this fluorescent green serpent feeds on lizards, frogs and birds. Many of us
exclaimed that it was a great start to the Year of the Snake!
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| Our Oriental Whip Snake resembled a green vine, blending perfectly into its surroundings. |
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