The Ox-Bow Lake - Chapter II

On June 18 I made a second visit to the Ox-Bow Lake near the town of Sg. Mati, Johore. This time I have the company of the President of  the Malaysian Nature Society (MNS) Prof Dr. Maketab Mohamed. Prof had made a special stop-over to see and hear the feedbacks from Mrs. Yong and other long time residents there, first hand. I believe he was convinced that this humble lake could be developed as part of an eco-tourism project which will benefit this small town and the village folks. Agriculture and planting of paddy are the main activities which form the back bone of the smallish economy in Pekan Sg. Mati. 

The President went away with an assurance to the village community leaders that he will seek out the relevant government officers and departments in charge of tourism located in the state capital of Johore Bahru. MNS have the expertise to provide assistance in areas of  conservation, the selection of the appropriate specie of fruit trees which will attract birds during the fruiting season. The abundance of bird life will certainly serve as a big draw and attract bird watchers, both local and from overseas. Birding and other related activities will help to liven up this otherwise sedate village.


During the tour around the lake I took the opportunity to 'capture' and record the birds along the way. Here are some of the photos taken in under 2 hours.

            Google map of the Ox-Bow Lake 

             Common Iora 

               
              Greater Coucal

           
                 Purple Heron

Sunda Pygmy Woodpecker

          
               Red-wattled Lapwing

             
             Cinnamon Bittern (non breeding)

             
             Lesser Whistling Ducks

MNS Photogroup Trip to Muar, Pt.. Jawa & Sg. Balang - April 30 - May 2 2011.

In the early hour of 6 am of Apr 30th a group of 21 enthusiastic photographers, all members of the Malaysian Nature Society (MNS) set out for their meeting point - the Seremban R & R. The outing was organized by the MNS Selangor Branch Special Interest Photogroup. The locations to visit were Muar, Pt. Jawa and Sg Balang. All three locations offered diverse subjects and settings to stimulate the creative juices of the group. 

  Photos listed below are my photo 'contribution' to document the trip. Hope you like what you see.

     Although without the anticipated red sky it was still glorious sunset over Tanjong Emas, Muar

      Muar river scene in the late evening

    Muar river scene just after dusk.

Muar river was a hive of activities ranging from canoeing, river cruising or local folks having a leisurely stroll along the pavement lining the Muar river. Also a good location for photographers to capture all the action!

      Masjid Jamek @ Tanjong Agas, opposite Tanjong Emas

We came upon a wedding outdoor shoot in progress at Tanjong Emas, Muar and decided we should also join in.  :-)

 

Sunset over Pt. Jawa. Pix was taken during my trip in Dec '09. 
This time around we were not so lucky. The sun had shifted and set over a cluster of mangrove trees effectively blocking out the horizon. 

Sharing another photo taken from the earlier trip of a fishing boat returning after an overnight fishing trip.

Here are the birds of Muar, Pt. Jawa & Sg. Balang which were sighted and/or photographed - listed by alphabetical order of the birds' name. 

         Asian Koel (Male), Sg Balang

          Baya Weavers building new nests, Sg Balang

        Black Kite flying over the paddy fields of Sg Balang

         White-winged Tern traversing the waterway along the jetty in Pt Jawa

    

         Black-shouldered Kites, Sg Balang

        Common Sandpipers, Pt Jawa

       Lesser Adjutant, Pt Jawa

    

        Little Egrets, Pt Jawa

     

        Lesser Coucal (Juv), Sg. Balang

         Lesser Whistling Ducks - Sg Mati, Muar

         Little Heron, Pt. Jawa

        Little Heron - Tanjong Emas, Muar

           Common Iora, Sg Mati, Muar

       Moorhen swimming in the rain, Sg. Mati, Muar

         Mud-skipper, Pt. Jawa

         Pacific Swallows, Pt Jawa

     

        Yellow-bellied Prina, Sg Balang

         Peaceful Dove

        Common Red Shanks, Sg Balang

         Red-wattled Lapwing, Sg Balang

           Spectacled Spiderhunter, Sg Mati

    

          White-headed Munia, Sg Balang

        Group photo of the trippers at the doorsteps of heritage house. Owner : MB of Johore.

    Thanks for dropping by and all comments would be most welcomed. Cheers!