Owl, snakes and spiders at Pasir Ris Mangrove Boardwalk

It was a great trip with the Naked Hermit Crabs at Pasir Ris Mangrove Boardwalk. After a long break from Pasir Ris, the guided decided to conduct a free guided walk during this September school holidays. Despite a small group everyone saw amazing animals in this short 1 hour walk.

Located with a short walk for Pasir Ris Park Carpark C is a patch of replanted mangrove that has flourished along the banks of Sungei Tampines, and even on the coastline near the river mouth.

The visitors were looking forward to spotting animals as they entered the nearest entrance to the mangrove boardwalk. Little did they know that an golden orb spider is looming just above their parents' head.

Golden orb spider

I pointed out this rather large spider and almost gave everyone a fright. Alyce shared with the group that the supporting silk by the sides are not sticky and requires the least amount of energy from the spider to be produced. She also show us how taut the silk is and you can actually gently feel how firm the silk thread is.

Even before the walk started, the visitors has a warm up treat of seeing a flying lizard on the tree trunk next to the meeting point.

Flying lizard

Along the boardwalk, it was the first time for many of our visitors seeing a cicada. Many people often confuse the sound cicadas produce with crickets. The cicada was within comfortable eye viewing for the adults while the children needed a hand to get a good look at it.

Cicada

On another branch, there were clusters of mealy bug.

Mealy bug - white and fluffy

Not sure what these insects next to the mealy bugs are. Sean did mention something about them being matured form of the mealy bug? Looks like they are carrying a sap like bubble.

Matured mealy bug?

Then Sean, our ladybird expert, spots a 'white cow' ladybird which has yet to be identified. He has created A Picture Guide to Ladybird Beetles of Singapore with amazing drawings and great photos.

'White cow' ladybird

Earlier before the walk, I came early to check out the mangrove and this spider that I saw before the walk was still at the same location. I showed it to the visitors who were interested about spiders.

Spider

After the walk, I check the same tree trunk and it was still there! Sean took photos of it only find that it is a mama spider as she is now guarding her newly hatched baby spiders. (Sorry, by that time I had kept my camera.)

Sean and I spotted a few of these insects and he thinks that they are some kind of fly. We managed to see them at different angles.

Side profile

Overview

It was rather tricky to lean against the boardwalk railing today. The weaver ants were running around along the railing. These ants can inflict a nasty pain when they bite and they do not easily let go.

Weaver ant

How can I forget about the mangrove animals when doing a guided walk on the mangrove boardwalk?
Squirrels are not true mangrove animals but they do forage in the mangrove for food. The children are excellent at spotting squirrels and are very excited about them.

Squirrel feeding

The giant mudskippers (Periophthalmodon schlosseri) looked less lively today and there were fewer of them seen. What has happened? However our visitors were still very excited to see the giant mudskippers moving around in the mangrove. A few of them were seen in pairs. Possible mates?

Giant mudskipper

Toward the end of the walk, we spotted two dog-faced watersnake (Cerberus rynchops) at the water's edge. They look slightly bigger than a juvenile size. It a good sign for Pasir Ris mangrove.

Dog-faced watersnake 1

Dog-faced watersnake 2

Suddenly, a large flying animal caught my attention as it landed on a tree branch. It was an owl, the Buffy fish owl. This shy bird stayed long enough for everyone to admire it.

Buffy fish owl turning its head to have a look.

As we end our walk at the lookout hut to Sungei Tampines, one of our alert mummies spotted a juvenile water monitor lizard and... we finally witnessed how the water monitor appeared in the hole of the tree trunk. For the many trip we have done we always encounter the juvenile water monitor lizard's head taking a peek from the tree trunk's hole.

Moving to the hole.

Checking out the hole first

First half of lizard in

Almost there...

Just a bit more

Now to move the tail in

Sean has a wonderful video of the lizard moving into the hole and listen to the interesting comments in the background.

 

As we head back to the starting point with the setting sun, the guides got to witness a bit more action along the boardwalk.

I pointed out an interesting spider on a tree trunk that I spotted before the walk that is still at the same spot. Then Sean commented that the spider now seems to be guarding her babies that looked recently hatched. I only managed to take pictures of the mother spider.

Taken before the walk.

Taken after the walk.

At the orb spider's web, we were treated to some prey catching action as a dragonfly flew into the orb spider's web. Sean managed to capture it on video.

The Pasir Ris Park mangrove boardwalk is opened all day and it is very interested to visit the mangrove after sunset. 

Running allowed at Chek Jawa?

While waiting for the monthly Naked Hermit Crabs guided walk to begin at Chek Jawa's information kiosk, some of us noticed runners donned in lime green t-shirts running into Chek Jawa Wetlands. They turned into the steep down sloped gravel terrain, which leads them towards the Tg Chek Jawa Muslim Cemetery and the back mangrove.

Running down the gravel slope.

Some runners were blasting music away as they entered Chek Jawa and running pass right in front of us. They took it as a joke when told to off the blasting music.

Runners running into Chek Jawa

There were some directional makers tied to trees to indicate the running route. The logo reads "K5 Kampung Run".

Directional signage.

It was simple to do a search and obtain information about this race. A search on Google brings me to a Facebook page for this event. You can read more about the event here.

Print screen of the page.

Here's a quote from the page about the event:

Back by popular demand, K5 KampungRun (Pulau Ubin) is a road and trail run specially designed to promote the love of kampung life, community bonding and runners who want a city getaway to experience the lost nature of Singapore. 
Proudly organized and guided by Team Kikikukiki, the route will bring participants thru the time tunnel into the 60’s where Atap houses are powered by diesel operated generators and drinking water from the wells. Paved forest trails at certain point of the run where you may see school of wild boars lazing around and through Chek Jawa’s boardwalk, Ubin’s enchanted mangrove swamp.

Do join us and invite your friends to enjoy the lush greeneries and freshness of the nature while running it Kampung style! 
Do join us and invite your friends to enjoy the lush greeneries and freshness of the nature while running it Kampung style! 

A photo posted on the page shows the route covers a loop round Chek Jawa, entering from the mangrove boardwalk and out the coastal boardwalk.

Running route.

Chek Jawa may not be a nature reserve, but it is one of the places where visitors come to enjoy and appreciate the flora and fauna of the place.

There are some points which I wish to highlight and question:

1. With runners running through Chek Jawa, they frightened many animals away and some animals may not come out of their hiding place for a long time. 
2. Will the boardwalk able to withstand such impacts from the runners running on them?
3. What about the safety of the visitors along the boarwalk? The mangrove section of the boardwalk do no have railings and I have experience how aggressive runners can be when you get in their way.
4. Do the organisers have the permission to allow this event to take place in Chek Jawa?
5. Have the organisers thought of the possibility of disturbing the animals in Chek Jawa?
6. Were there measures to educate runners of proper running etiquette (e.g. blasting of music, talking loudly... etc)?

Even at this very moment on Facebook, there is a group of concern people raising issues regarding The North Face 100 Singapore Run, which passes through the central catchment nature reserve with an overnight running event. 

Here's the screen shot of the feedback raised by the concerned people.

From TnF100 Facebook page

There have been 31 shares of this image to raise the awareness among friends how destructive to the environment this race can be. It was this very image and hit the nail on my head and made me thinking how destructive running events can be. Thinking about the trampling of soil (which is compacts the soil and stops vegetation from growing), littering along the route, loud music and shouting pass the animals quiet home, and many more. I hope you can help to spread the awareness too.

Do we want to continue having such activities in our precious nature?

Anniversary walk at Chek Jawa

Today marks a special milestone for the Naked Hermit Crabs. The volunteer group is celebrating 6 years of guided walk at Chek Jawa! I may not be a 6 years old nature guide with them but I'm glad to be part of this "celebration" right here at Chek Jawa.

I'm the crazy person looking into the binoculars on the extreme left.
[Photo by Ria Tan]

We did not have a large group of visitors today. On average, the visitor to guide ratio is estimated to be about 4 to 1. Visitors were separated into 3 groups and were privileged to have at least 2 experienced guides with each group. The guides in each group took turns to speak so what we would not tired ourselves along the walk.

Today was my first time seeing the back mangrove filled with water, probably through the combination of in-coming tide and the heavy morning downpours these few days. Just before we reached the Jejawi tower, the usually dry patch of mud nearby was flooded and I noticed many groups of tiny dots on the water surface.

Possible frog eggs

They could be the eggs of the crab-eating frog (Rana cancrivora). The crab-eating frog is an exception of the amphibians as it is among the few that is tolerant of salt water conditions.

Up on the Jejawi tower, I spotted a Crimson sunbird next to the Jejawi tree just before I was about to make my way down. However the bird was perched rather far away for my lens.

Crimson sunbird

Back on the mangrove boardwalk, it was rather quiet apart from the large swarms of mosquitoes pestering me throughout the boardwalk. Both my arms provide evidence that I have done my part in blood donation to nature.

The group came across may tree-climbing crabs, a few spiders, mudskippers and mangrove fiddler crabs.

Tree-climbing crab

Spider

The highlight of the whole guided walk for me was to see a white-bellied sea eagle landing on a dead mangrove tree along the coastal boardwalk. Just nice, there was good clearing view for the group to view this majestic bird perched on the tree. My 105mm lens could not get a decent shot of this bird so I roped in my binoculars and compact camera instead.

White-bellied sea eagle

We were fortunate to have great weather today. The sky was cloudy with slight breeze and a bit of sun.

On the not-so-happy side, Ria and I noticed that the mangrove fern at the base of Jejawi tower has been deliberately cut. The cut leaves were thrown and scattered around that area. What is going on?

Yellow oval shows where the mangrove ferns used to be growing. On the left are some of the cut ferns,

To the right where the ferns were growing, the scattering of cut ferns.

We also notice cutting of trees along the mangrove boardwalk, resulting in some small sections of the boardwalk to be brighter than the whole mangrove.

On the shore side of Chek Jawa, there were 3 fishing boats spotted within the boundary of Chek Jawa and a speedboat was passing through between the coastal boardwalk and the Chek Jawa front beacon. On the NParks' website, there is a "Notice to Vessels" link which downloads a letter informing the shipping community on the boundary of Chek Jawa Wetlands and practices to be observed. 

Fishing boat neat the Chek Jawa beacon

Speedboat passing behind the beacon, in front of boardwalk.

Another fishing boat neat the beacon

Fish boat some distances from the pontoon.

One of the practices not allowed states "There shall be no collection of any organism (including remains of an organism) or use of rods, lines, hooks, nets and traps within Chek Jawa Wetlands".

Sigh...

I'm glad the visitors had enjoyed themselves throughout the walk despite the ferocious attacking mozzies along the mangrove section. I don't even want to count the number of marks I have on both my arms. There's just too many to count.

Happy 6th anniversary to the Naked Hermit Crabs and wishing many more years to come!

Other posts about this trip:

Ria - 6 years of nakedness at chek jawa

Shield bugs, and Monkey and Wild Boar business at Chek Jawa

After a busy series of biodiversity event happening around Singapore in June and July, I am back guiding with the Naked Hermit Crabs at Chek Jawa for the month of August.

As usual, the wild boar troop graciously welcome visitors to Chek Jawa.

Wild boar piglets have grown so big.

Wow! The wild boar piglets have grown so big. I still fondly remember them small and cute with watermelon stripes on their body.
Here is a video of the piglets I took in March this year. (Select HD option to get a clearer video image.)
I

I had the privilege to have Isabelle, 6, and her mother in my group. Though Isabelle is only 6 years old, she is very sociable and speaks well. She could even manage to get everyone to have a group photo in front of the Chek Jawa gate.

Isabell, 6, gathering everyone for a group photo for her camera.

Joining us on this guided walk are 4 students from RJC and 8 of my students from CHIJ Katong Convent. My students are under my initiation of training program to be a nature guide.

Before the walk began, we took a group photo of all the visitors. The visitor kiosk at Chek Jawa is decorated with banners to celebrate Singapore's National Day!

Group photo

My visitors are rather good at spotting animals, though it took them some time to get use to seeing well camouflaged animals. Some of the animals we saw in the mangrove area are Giant mudskipper (Periophthalmodon schlosseri), Tree climbing crab (Episesarma sp.) and Stout pincered fiddler crab.

Giant mudskipper

Tree climbing crab

Stout pincered fiddler crab

Sharp eyed Isabelle could even spot the pretty male magrove dwarf dragonfly. Dragonflies are important in our ecosystem as it helps to control the insect populations such as mosquitos in the environment. They are our natural mosquito controllers.

Mangrove dwarf (male)

Oh look, a bunch of hoya flowers. This bunch of hoya flower has not bloom, and it is my first time noticing the hoya plant at Chek Jawa.

Hoya flower

The group in front of us spotted something very shiny on the underside of a leaf. It is a group of Mangrove stink bugs (Calliphara nobilis) gathering together. 

Mangrove stink bug

They have a pretty golden sheen on their body. Even the underside of the mangrove stink bug is as pretty as the overview.

Mangrove stink bug, underside

As we ended the walk, the NParks staff on duty alerted us to the troop of macaques hanging out near the visitors' kiosk. They are here to feed as there was a fruiting rambutan tree at that spot. It was raining rambutan shells and seeds as the macaques feed on the fruit. A small group of wild boar was also around to feed on the remains on the ground.

Macaque sitting on a log

A young macaque getting close to humans to feed on the grains of the plant.

We were blessed with good weather and great lunch at Ubin town.

Read out the black spitting cobra that Ria and her group saw from her blog post: 

Crab meets cobra at Chek Jawa