Homeward Bound

It was time to fly home. It is an inborn instinct to make the hazardous journey and follow their instincts and fly the path they know so well.

Yearly, many nature enthusiasts gather at the Tanjung Tuan Reserve, Melaka to look skyward as the migratory raptors (birds of prey) fly over this rest spot. They soar on the thermals to save on energy. Up, up and away to cries of oohhs and aahhs. The people down below 'inspect' them on their binoculars. Others shade off the sun's rays and scan the sky. Somewhere in the crowd are the bird counters. They keep a tally of the visitors and give us the grand total of our feathered friends. Facts and figures are important markers of conservation.

Welcome to our VIP visitors

My husband, daughter and I made this special trip to be at the 11th annual Raptors Watch (13 -15 March) jointly organised by the Malaysian Nature Soc (MNS) and the Malacca state government. Kudos to them for this eco event which is proving to be an event much awaited in raising awareness on the conservation of raptors and their habitats and at the same time encouraging nature -linked activities around Tanjung Tuan Reserve.

The importance of Tanjung Tuan cannot be overstated as the headland is the closest landmass to Indonesia and Sumatra. Tanjung Tuan is ideally situated for the birds to have a stop over for rest and food before flying off north to their breeding grounds in temperate Asia.

We timed ourselves to be in there around 10 am as the best time to watch the raptors is between 11am to 3 pm. Not only were the birds there to wow us but an old friend, affectionately called Uncle Foo who taught me the ropes of birding was also there. Not forgetting, Ee Lynn, who was the livewire emcee . Imagine, having the honour to shout ( yes, shout !) out the arrival of the raptors.

Other booths like the Perhilitan Melaka kept us engrossed . Again, the conservation message rings clear - vote in the Wildlife Conservation Act 2010 to replace the outdated Wildlife Protection Act 1972 for stiffer penalties to be enforced for poaching and wildlife crimes.

The spring raptor migration begins in mid February and lasts till April. So, come second week in March 2011, keep my fingers crossed, I'll be at Tanjung Tuan to see the birds homeward bound.

One of the' darlings' that visit us - Crested Honey Buzzard. Picture courtesy of Laurence Poh.

Other raptors include the brahminy kite, black baza, white -bellied sea-eagle, and more.

Celebrating birds on tee shirts

Take your pick - oriole, mynah, bulbul, sparrow

Let your spirit soar too!

There's a place in my heart for the birds

I bought a booklet on garden birds and am all the wiser knowing them now!

Volunteers with eager youths after the nature walk.

RAP it up! Birds rulz! We're backing you all the way!

Limbo low - it was also fun time. Good thing the birds don't fly so low as they are safer on higher ground !

Our beloved tapir - still going strong .

Our street names

When I became a member of the MNS (Malaysian Nature Society) some 17 years ago, on our way to an MNS outing, my MNS friend, affectionately called Uncle Foo, pointed to a road sign Jalan Beringin. ' Do you know beringin is the name of a tree? And there's more .' He proceeded to point out more names of trees as we drove along.

Uncle Foo is never short of stories or knowledge about nature , be it about birds ( an avid bird-watcher himself) or passing on general information. He taught me how to view through a pair of binoculars and I bought my first with his help. He shares whenever he can.

He brought my attention to the roads in Bukit Bandaraya , Bangsar Baru and Damansara Heights since he used to live there. The streets in these neighbourhoods abound with examples of tree themes.

How often do we just address an envelope and not give any thought to names. In some towns, street names follow the type of activity of the area like Jalan Masjid (mosque), Jalan Makhamah (court house), Jalan Panggung (cinema) , Jalan Hospital.

Thematic street names are also quite commonly named after prominent people . For example in the suburb of Taman Tun Dr Ismail names like like Athinappan, Leong Yew Kow, Tun Mohd Fuad, Burhanuddin Helmi, Abang Hj. Openg. These personalities are honoured for the services they rendered to the country. In some neighbourhoods the streets have flowers, colours etc as their themes.

Here's my jaunt around Bukit Bandaraya and Damansara Heights to highlight some tree street names. I had some fun and game, so to speak, clicking my camera on the street names. Just when I thought all was clear on the road and safe to stand back a little for the picture, around the corner zoomed vehicles. Then I thought , if only my friends could see me now - a 'zombie' zooming from road to road and clicking on oblong road signs! At several spots I had to park and walk to the junctions where the street signs are positioned.

Beringin ( ficus benjamina) is a specie of the fig tree which is native to South and South East Asia. One can never fail to see aerial roots descend from the branches to the ground and these form secondary trunks. The beringin has an invasive root system and the bark is is pale grey with large dark green leaves. It bears round, red berries.



Keruing ( dipterocarpus sp. ) is a medium hardwood and a dominant specie of the lowland primary forest. It is widely grown in the Indo- Malaysian region. It reaches up to a height of 45 metre. The tree is grown for its timber to make furniture, flooring and decking beams. The Orang Asli make jungle torch using the resin of the keruing tree.

Tualang ( Koompassia excelsa) or colloquially known as the honey bee tree, is a majestic emergent tree of South East Asia rainforest . It is one of the tallest tropical tree species and is a member of the legume family and related to peas . Huge buttress roots support its weight. Very often, large combs of wild bees are found on the branches.





Penaga ( Calopyyhllum inophyllum) is a slow - growing, beautiful tree with fragrant flowers. It is found in non -swampy , sandy beaches and rocky shores.

The picture was taken at the MNS Headquarters, Jalan Kelantan. The jelutong tree is part of the Nature Trail.

Jelutong (Dyera costulata), a hardwood tree with an unbuttressed trunk grows to 60 -80 metre tall in the tropical rainforest. Its straight grain, low density and fine texture properties are popular with model makers. Its roots are used as a cork substitute . Previously it was an important source of chewing gum.

Here are a few more street names as you drive along Bangsar Baru/ Bukit Bandaraya .Do look out for the names. Mind the traffic though!

bangkung ( Artocarous integer)

jejawi ( Ficus microcarpa)

tempinis (Streblus elongatus)

turi ( Sesbania grandiflora)


Many a tree is found in the wood

And every tree for its use is good

Some for the strength of the gnarled root

Some for the sweetness of flowers or fruit

-Henry Van Dyke ( 'Salute The Trees')