Egrets return to their roosting site.
TAPAH town, situated about 38km from Kuching along the main road to Serian, is the jumping-off point for Kampung Skuduk and Kampung Chupak.
Just after Tapah town, turn right onto a small winding road that seems to lead to nowhere.
Next turn right just after the water pump house and go along an even smaller winding road to the villages.
Paddy fields (one of the many varieties of wetlands) in various sizes and shape totalling about 1,000ha cluster around both villages.
The privately-owned paddy fields range in size from less than 1ha to a few hectares.
Most farmers practise double cultivation a year and have water irrigation systems of varying degrees of efficiency.
Just before planting fresh crops, the bushes and grass are cleared revealing flocks and flocks of resident and migrant birds.
Common Moorhen
The bird-watching window remains open for a month or so until the freshly planted rice shield the birds from sight.
The next window is at harvesting when bird-watching becomes possible for another month or so until the bushy growth once again shields the birds.
These bird-watching windows have produced one of the most spectacular periods for bird lovers.
One can witness hundreds of birds descending the fields just as dawn breaks, where they remain throughout the day before heading for their roosting sites as night falls.
Most birds, however, remain in the field throughout the night as well.
These rice fields, a favourite location for many birders from the Malaysian Nature Society in Kuching, have yielded many ‘Lifers’. (Lifer is a term used by birders when a new bird species for an area is sighted for the first time).
Cinnamon Bittern
Most bird-watching seasons will record new species and these have attracted birders from as far as Miri to visit.
Bird species recorded include Quail, Whistling Ducks, Garganey, a few species of Egrets, Herons, Bittern, Darters, Raptors, Crakes, Rails, Swamphen, Moorhen, Waterhen, Plovers, Snipes, Sandpipers, Cuckoos, Coucals, Malkohas, Owls, Swift/Swiflets, Kingfishers, Munias, Parrotfinch, Sparrow, Wagtail, Mynas and Bulbuls.
The recent sightings of the Pin-Tailed Parrotfinch, White Bellied Munia, Baya Weaver and Purple Swamphen created quite a buzz among the birding fraternity.
Quite a number of migrant birds have taken up residency in the rice fields, instead of flying north to the summer breeding grounds probably due to the favourable conditions.
These birds come to our shores to escape the bitter winter.
Most farmers are friendly to the birds opting for netting for their crops, scarecrows or long lines of improvised bells to scare away seed-loving birds, such as Sparrows and Munias, instead of killing or poisoning them.
Even though some birds eat the padi, most farmers remain committed to their belief that birds are important for environmental health.
We at the Malaysian Nature Society salute and thank the people of Kampung Skuduk, Kampung Chupak and the surrounding areas for their hospitality towards birds, birders and nature lovers who visit their farms.
Buff Banded Rail
The Malaysian Nature Society
Established in 1940, the Malaysian Nature Society is the oldest scientific and non-governmental organisation in Malaysia. Our mission is to promote the study, appreciation conservation and protection of Malaysia’s nature heritage. Our 5,000-strong membership, spread across 12 branches nationwide, come from all walks of life, bound by a comment interest in nature. For further information on membership or our activities in Kuching contact us at mnskuchinggmail.com. For information on our activities in Miri contact Musa Musbah ([email protected]). You can also visit www.mns.org.my,
http://[email protected] or www.facebook.com/mnskb.