Monday, February 9, 2015

World Wetlands Day celebration at Kuala Selangor Nature Park 2015

The first Waders Workshop in November 2014 was reported in my blog and you can read it HERE. Wai Pak from MNS summarized the Workshops through an interesting slide presentation with Mr Louis Amstrong crooning "What a Wonderful World" in the background (of the slide). MNS presented Certificate of Completion to those who attended the Waders Workshop 2014-2015.

Photos below from Mr Tang Tuck Hong's Facebook posting on the final Workshop that was held from 31 January to 1 February 2015. In conjunction with World Wetlands Day, MNS gave each member a T-shirt which we wore gladly to highlight the importance of the occasion. The vital role of the wetlands, its definition, the Ramsar Convention set up to protect this precious resource is explained in MNS Wetland Website.



MNS celebrated World Wetlands Day 2015 at the Kuala Selangor Nature Park. Below picture from MNS President Mr Henry Goh's Facebook page:-


Sekinchan and Tanjung Karang paddyfields

Ricefields of Sekinchan filled with Egrets and Purple Heron. Rice mill factory in Sekinchan had expanded since my last visit there with friends years ago.  PLS Marketing shared this premises with other Rice Cooperatives. Had a lovely lunch at their Cafe. Their rice-theme wall decor was cleverly made from rice husks.

Flock of Baya weavers made their nests along the perimeters of fence of this substation near the Sungai Burong Reservoir. There is a Peat Swamp forest and river which provide source of water for the paddyfields.
Tanjung Karang, Selangor paddyfields. Dusky Woodswallow was perched on a wire and endured the blistering mid-afternoon heat better than me. A lone eagle was circling high up on the sky, its piercing call was heard when I exited the ricefields into the main road leading towards Kuala Selangor.   








Monday, February 2, 2015

Siem Reap Cambodia and Angkorian Dynasty

Selected pictures from Banteay Srei, Angkor Thom, Ta Phrom and Angkor Wat below during a very short one day trip to this site located on outskirts of Siem Reap, Cambodia.

Elaborate carvings. Hot morning. Bought bananas from fruit vendors when exiting temple.

Gopura according to book "Stories in Stone" by Mr. John Burgess at John Burgess's blog. He writes so well in the book, explaining the Angkorian dynasty through the translation from an inscription in an ancient stone written by a Brahmin priest. The (stone) was discovered in a temple called Sdok Kok Thom, located along the borders of Thailand and Cambodia. It was amazing how Mr Burgess discovered this ancient temple, when he was a journalist who was at that time, reporting on the Khmer rouge civil war that was raging in Cambodia from 1975 to 1979.




Carving of a huge boat sailing on what looked like the Tonle Lap lake. Numerous fish and riverlife carvings surround the boat. 


Abundant Birdlife in Ta Phrom. Saw flocks of Red-breasted Parakeets, and Rose-Ringed as well.

Sunset at Angkor Wat.


Tropicbird versus Frigatebirds