News from the

Panaga

Natural History

Society

Volume 3 August 1998 ________________________________________________________ Contents of this issue: Notes from the Committee ............................................................... 1 A trip to Temburong .......................................................................... 2 Green Waste Recycling ...................................................................... 6 Sabah Travel Update ......................................................................... 7 Brunei At Night (back to astronomy) ............................................. 10 The Seasons and Wader Migration ............................................... 13

NOTES FROM THE COMMITTEE: The last few post haze months have been a busy period with the very succesfull release of the Wildlife watch of Brunei Darussalam, two trips to Temburong national park, one walk to the Belait 4 well, two sales mornings, a joined video evening together with the Panaga Photographic society and a

presentation on crocodiles in Sabah. The wildlife watch book sold 300 copies on the first day and six weeks later the count has almost reached 1500. Reactions are favourable all around and judging by the amount of extra prints requested by local staff the book reaches well outside the Shell

community. Proceeds of the sales are going to a special account, which will be used to promote environmental awareness in Brunei and possibly help in the funding of other publications. At the moment limited additional copies of the book are being sold at B$15.- and can be requested using the original chit or directly from Martin or Hans. A TRIP TO TEMBURONG BY ANNEMARIE/MARTIN When the PNHS decided to organize a weekend trip to Temburong, little did we realize that the trip would be so popular. At least 50 people wanted to come along, so we had to split up the group over two weekends. One group went on 6/7 June under the leadership of Robert and Annemarie Kooper, and another group went on 13/14 June with Martin Storey. From the moment we arrived in Bandar, however, Alan Riches, the tour operator from Trandie Marine Resorts took charge, to everybody's satisfaction.

At six o'clock in the morning we left Kuala Belait and arrived in Bandar where we regrouped. At eight we took the speedboat from Bandar to Bangar, the main town in Temburong. The boat ride takes about 1 hour and even if you don't go to the National Park, I can recommend the boat ride itself, especially if you are sitting on top of the boat, assuming when you are not afraid of the speeding. You can enjoy the meandering river and the mangrove forests that surround it. Bangar itself not very exciting but small restaurants sell very good roti and murtabak.

From Bangar the trip continued by bus to Batang Duri where the road ends. Along the Temburong river there are several gravel

pits and the river water has a muddy yellow-brown color, but as soon as you

have passed these, the water becomes clear.

Near Batang Duri was Trandie's Terminal where we were provided with a rucksack containing a waterbottle,a helmet and a lifejacket. Around one o'clock we took off in the (motorized)

long boats, each taking 6-8 people, sitting on the bottom of the boats. It took little time for all of us to become quite wet and I think we stayed wet during the whole stay in Temburong. The trip upriver took about one hour. It was a bright sunny day. Along the river the orange-reddish Bauhinia kockiana - a giant forest liana- was blooming abundantly. It provided a very nice contrast against the different shades of green of the rainforest. The further we traveled upriver, the taller the trees and the steeper the mountains. The boatsmen showed their skill in boathandling amidst the rapids. Luckily there was enough water in the river, so we did not have to walk or push the boat. We just sat there and enjoyed the scenery, the sun and the water. A few times we saw a beautiful colored kingfisher crossing the river and throughout the weekend, we were accompanied by large numbers of bright colored butterflies. Did you know that they feed on ashes, taking the minerals out? Finally we arrived at the

Park headquarters where we registered, and received an entry pass for the Ulu Temburong National Park. It was at the headquarters that we stayed overnight. Some of us took a swim in the river (the same river where a crocodile was spotted the weekend 13/14 June) and others experienced already the most difficult part of our trip: THE STAIRS. Wanted to go to your cabin….stairs, have lunch….stairs, go for a walk…..stairs, enjoy the views? …. Stairs etc The accommodation was simple, the food was good and everybody enjoyed the quietness of the forest. Was that a wild boar I just heard? No, just somebody was snoring. After lunch we went by boat to the UBD (University of Brunei Darussalam) Research Center, which was built with a BSP grant. We were shown around the center, and its purpose was explained. Have you ever seen the head of a seven-meter long python? Well it is huge, but luckily it was only the head - in a bottle. Educational aspects were emphasized: there are frequent visits of schoolchildren coming for a few days, to experience the forest and its inhabitants, and to learn the significance of the rainforest.

It was a pity that the canopy walk (a suspension bridge between the treetops 40 meter above the forest floor) was out of order, but we were none the less allowed to climb to the research platforms. These also went high up in the trees - a real stairway to heaven. We had marvellous views standing from up there, but since a thunderstorm was picking up, the tree started swaying and we started to feel quite uncomfortable. We decided to go down as quick as we could, which is not that quick because the open iron stairs are winding. Back in the camp, we had aswim and a nap.

Dinner was at eight. The food still tasted delicious. At 22.30 hrs the electricity was shutdown and silence fell, except for the sound of the cicadas, the wild cats and other indefinable sources.

A small group of us rose in the early morning around 5 o'clock and went up the observation trees again. On our way up we were surrounded by the sounds of the gibbons (the second group even saw the gibbons). We also heard a most impressive sound: that of the barking deer. We returned in time for breakfast, then the whole group went upriver by boat. We had a shortwalk but everyone was looking forward to the most thrilling part of our trip: going down the river on inflatable rafts called “lilos”. We received our instructions, put on our lifejackets and helmets, and off we went through the rapids, paddling with our arms. Quite a strenuous experience but great fun. After lunch we learned about basic rafting. 4-to-5 people could board a raft to travel downriver from the park headquarters to Trandie’s Terminal. I always thought that rafting was a relaxed way of transport but it was hard work. Sometimes we were involved in a waterfight with an other raft Bothering about getting wet? The rain came pouring down, we were sweating and when we went through the rapids we were almost drowning… After 1 hour we reached Trandie’s Terminal, where we had a chance to slip into dry clothes, and have a nice cup of tea. It was then time to go on the journey back home and by 19.30 hrs we were back in Kuala Belait, with a rucksack full of wet laundry and a mind full of nice memories and impressions of Temburong, a really beautiful part of Brunei.

GREEN WASTE RECYCLING BY ANITA Every month about 20 tons of organic waste (e.g. tree-trunks, branches, brushwood, leafs etc.) is send to the K-37 landfill at Anduki. This organic waste is approximately 30% of the total

waste generated by the BSP Panaga camp population. Some of these green wastes are chipped to reduce its volume prior to landfill. However, these wood chips

could also be recycled and for example being used in the garden for composting purposes or pathway decorations. The major advantages to recycle wood chips in the garden are: - to reduce weeds - to reduce evaporation - It just looks nice

We would like to give you the opportunity to obtain free wood chips for your garden, as an environmentally friendly compost. In addition, recycling will result in a cost reduction for BSP.

If you are interested to get wood chips for gardening, you are most welcome to collect them from the K-37 Anduki landfill site (see schematic map for the location of the K-37 site).

It is recommended however to verify the availability of wood chips. You can call the site supervisor under telephone number 08-826039. However, interested parties have to provide their own bags to collect the chips. For information call Anita Konert at telephone number 333766

Or send an e-mail to the BSP waste management adviser Rosman B Hj Abd-Rahman (Rosman B. Abd-Rahman@OPENMAIL.hse53. bspser.simis.com).

One of our keenest Bruneian members (Adimas in XGP/3) has suggested to revive the PNHS Astronomy section. A similar section

was very active during the first few years of PNHS's existence and each newsletter contained at least some astronomy information. Shortly we will put something on the web site but just to wet your appetites read the story below and lets help Adie to get the show on the road. (Hans) BRUNEI AT NIGHT BYADIE Brunei at night can be more than just wasted time in front of TV or excessive sleep. There is more to see up there provided you know where to look. All that you need is a mug of tea (or coffee whatever you prefer), and willingness to spend some time outside to see what the sky can offer us. A good tool will be to have a mat to lie on and perhaps a binocular (but it’s not a necessity!). Grab the map included with this newsletter and you’re off to see what our ancestors have been fussing about this last few thousand years. Oh yes, you might also need a very dim torchlight to see the map (preferably red LED or just a normal torchlight with plastered red tapes).

A few interesting things can be observed this month. One is the Delta Aquarids meteor shower stretching from July 15th to August 29th. This shower is considered ‘the greatest’ in total numbers and concentrated mainly between July 23rd to August 1st and peaked on July 28th. Usually, an average of 20/hr can be expected. A nice activity might be to plot the meteor tracks around the constellation Aquarius. The star map on the July 15th also showed some wonderful constellations that can be observed directly above us. The stars tell us of the myth of Perseus saving the lovely Princess Andromeda from the clutches of Cetus the sea monster. According to the legend, the human-god Perseus had to kill Medusa the gorgon in order to fullfill his destiny with the help of his companion Pegasus, the winged horse. A gorgon is a creature with hair made up of snakes and anybody that see them directly in the eyes will turn into stones. Also can be seen is Queen Cassiopeia and King Cepheus, Andromeda parents sitting next to Andromeda to witness her execution as they angered the gods before that. Needless to say, Perseus succeeded in killing Medusa.

He showed the head to Cetus and turned him to stone thus saving Andromeda to become his bride. As a token of his bravery, his body is preserved in the heavens holding the head of Medusa, with Algol marking one eye reminding mortals of her curse and her fate.

With an aid of binoculars (and a very steady hand), it is also possible to observe the Jovian moons. Perhaps it is not very clear as the glare from the Moon might hinder our visibility. However, we can also switch to see Moon’s many interesting features such as the famous crater just at the brink of its disk called the Sea of of Tranquility. Anyway, around midnight, four moons can be seen and try to see Jupiter again every half and hour to see the movement of the moons from four visible to three.

Well, that’s it for this month. Happy observing and give it a try. You might surprise yourself and I don’t know, you might even spot a UFO…

Adimas B. Mohd-Salleh/XGP31/OPEN-MAIL/BRUNEI SHELL PETROLEUM CO.Tel : 03-224425(H) 03-374155(O)

SABAH TRAVEL UPDATE. BY MARTIN Members of my European and Malaysian family recently visited Borneo,and I wanted to treat them to the best of the region. After touring North Sarawak and Brunei, we went to Sabah in early April, and briefly, here are a few things we noted which you may find of interest if you are planning to go there soon. Firstly, this is the year of El Nino and the haze, and Sabah has been particularly hit by the climatic extremes. Virtually everywhere, the forest has burned, and the drought has devastated the traditional economy. We found that in early April: the Padas River, famous for its wild water rafting, was reduced to a trickle and a few water pools; the famous hill-farming Kedazan-Dusun region of Kiulu and Pukak, which normally has lush green rice padi terraces reminiscent of Bali countrysides is dry as a bone, and the local economy is in dire straits; The Rafflesia Center, South East of KK and high up the Crocker Range mountains between Gunong Emas and Tambunan, has no rafflesia and is very dry too. When we visited, the Center was completely closed for business. More tips, in no particular order:

If you plan to visit the Gomantong caves, located on the dirt road going to Sukau, note that a permit is now required to enter the area, and that it has to be obtained somewhere in Sandakan. We were informed too late and tried to talk our way in; we eventually succeeded, but it turned out to be very hard. The simplest option is probably to ask a travel agent to arrange it ahead of time.

The area between Sandakan and the lower slopes of the Kinabalu range, which was previously covered with palm oil plantations and teeming with Irian Jayese workers is now barren and desert, as the palm trees reached their economic lifespan and have been cut down. Replanting is going ahead, mainly with more palm trees but also with macarangas, for the paper and pulp industry. We hired a glass-bottom boat in Kota Kinabalu and spent a

whole day exploring the corals of the Tungku Abdul Rahman Natural Park, i.e. the islands in front of KK. We went to Sapi, Manukan, Mamutik, and Gaya. Sadly, there is no coral left to speak of anywhere. The local guides told us that the last patches of coral had been destroyed by the typhoon of December 1996. We asked the guides to take us snorkelling to the very best places, but none was really worth much. The only place where we had an enjoyable snorkeling hour was off Gaya, the largest island; there was a whole lot more fish there than anywhere else, although still not as many as one would expect from a coral reef environment. If you want to see lots of colorful fish, then the place to go is the landing pier in Manukan - bring a bag of bread or chips to attract them. Sad.

Near Tenom, in the heart of the Murut region, we visited the Orchid Center, which is mentioned in numerous guides. What is not mentioned though, is that the Center is still under construction, and with the current economic crisis, it is not clear whether the ambitious plan for a Agricultural Research Station cum tourist resort will be completed anytime soon. Once again, we talked our way in, and were eventually guided by a young and friendly Dusun director of the Orchid Center, called Jahine. On the way to the center, you may want to stop and look at the numerous cocoa plantations, abandoned after the trees were struck by a disease.

If you plan to go from Tenom to Beaufort through the magnificent Padas river valley, there is no road, only the train, but it is possible to put your vehicle on a flat wagon. You need to book in advance by phoning the station master.

We followed our guidebook and went to visit a traditional bajau village on stilts North of KK called Kampong Penambawan. It's worth a visit, to see a truly traditional sea dwelling people and, incidentally, get a feel of what Brunei's own Kampong Ayer must have looked like to the first Western visitors a few centuries ago. To go there, you must first go to Surusup, then try to rent a boat to take you there (and bring you back).

In spite of the drought and the areas devastated by fire, Sabah is still a beautiful and hospitable land, and we had a memorable trip, with a naturalist highlight: a clear sighting of a wild orangutan feeding in a tree, in the forest around Gomantong. (FROM THE ARCHIVE) THE SEASONS AND WADER MIGRATION BY D.G.WATTERS

I presume you have all noticed the change of seasons here in Brunei. Not a change in temperature as in Europe between summer and winter but a change with the onset of the Northeast Monsoon and the wetter season. Brunei has a tropical climate with plenty of hot sunshine and lots of rain that can be extremely variable in terms of monthly rainfall totals throughout the year. However, the region is affected by two monsoon seasons, the result of movement of the Inter Tropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ), and an area of low pressure over the equatorial region where opposing air masses converge. The ITCZ is not a stationary feature, its position oscillating with respect to the zenith position of the sun. The annual movements of the ITCZ and the associated Trade Wind fields produce two main seasons in Ikiunei separated by two transitional periods (ref.1). The Southwest Monsoon causes slightly heavier rainfall between May and July whereas the Northeast Monsoon affects Brunei between November and March with the associated main wet season between September and January (mean rainfall in December of 370 mm.). The February to May period tends to be predominantly dry though rain can fall at any time of the year (mean rainfall in February of 150 mm.). The NE Monsoon corresponds with severe winter weather in the Northern Hemisphere and waders migrate from their summer breeding area in Siberia to spend the winter period in Borneo in a more comfortable climate where there is plenty of food for the waders. The waders start to arrive in Brunei early in August and continue to arrive over the next few months. As the wind

systems change at the end of the NE Monsoon in April, the waders start their migration northwards to reach their summer breeding areas again. In Europe waders migrate also from Siberia to spend the winter in Britain and further south where though still relatively cold winter is still more hospitable than winter in Siberia. The same species of wader, for instance a Knot or a Common Sandpiper, could be spending the winter in either cold Britain or tropically hot Brunei. Therefore the birds have to be able to withstand considerably different climatic conditions; how do they do it? A wader in the tropics has to keep cool whereas one in Europe needs to keep warm. The same bird can regulate its temperature to the external conditions by adapting its posture and where it rests its feet. Most heat loss is through the bird's feet, therefore to keep cool in the tropics the wader stretches itself and Pumps hot blood into its legs and towards the skin surface and to allow heat loss tends to stand in seawater whereas to keep warm in Europe the bird tends to have thicker plumage, fluffs its feathers up to cover its feet and prevents blood from flowing into exposed skin and legs (ref.2). The coast of Brunei especially the area between Seria and Anduki is ideal for studying and watching waders. The best time to visit the mudflats, especially at Anduki, is at a relatively low tide where there are plenty of exposed mudflats on which the waders feed. Many species of wader can be watched at the Kingfisher hide at Anduki, for example Common Sandpiper, Wood Sandpiper, Grey and Golden Plover, Ringed Plovers, Stints and Redshanks and also many other species such as Egrets and Kingfishers. In the secondary bush next to the mudflats can be seen many other species of birds. The area is especially rewarding in the early evening just prior to sunset. This small story hopefully gets you acquainted with the seasons and birdwatching in general but especially so of waders. Ref.1.: The Geology and Hydrocarbon Resources of Negara Brunei Darussalam. Ed. D.M.D.James.1984. Ref.2.: Magazine of the RSPB, "Birds". Autumn 1994. The above is a reprint of an earlier (approx 1994) article

AGENDA: Oncoming Events Panaga:

.

august Next month Marina Wong from the Brunei Museum is planning to give a talk, on the Blackwater lakes of Tasik Merimbun. The talk will be followed at a later date by a field excursion to the lakes.

august Walk to the Belait-4 well (Kampung labi)

September Badas pitcher plant walk and Badas night walk

Oncoming Events Miri:

See the regular e-mail list or contact: “mnsmiri@yahoo.com”

Last Miri news; Miri released a Lambir Hills National park Trail Guide for sale via MNS Miri

Sadly we will have to bid farewell to 3 comitte or ex comitte members within one month. Both Natalie Braakman and Francis Kutschruiter have left leaving us with a vacancy for the organisation of childrens activities

Victor Stanger has been very active as our PNHS bird watcher .He has carried on the PNHS birdwatching tradition and was involved in several excercises with the Brunei Museum. We are looking for someone to take over Victors position.

Any  volunteers??

Committee PHNS per 1-07-1998

Chairman Hans Dols 333734(H) 4207(O)

Travel, reptiles

Secretary Annemarie Kooper

332152(H) 4901(O)

Nature walks Newsletter

Treasurer Linda Gluth 332251(H) Invertebrates Idris M.Said 236710(O) Forestry Jackie Maskall 332575(H) Seashells Martin Storey 226831(H)

2738(O) Conservation wildlife

Ingrid v. Houwelingen

333798(H) Fish

Robert & Anita Konert

3193(O) General / recycling

Kwie Hiang van de de Graaf

General

Jan Willem van de Graaf

General

Nathalie Braakman (vacant from 08/98)

334973(H) Children activities

Novi Yus 333734(H) Marine life Muraly Nair 2198 (O) Environment

Victor Stanger (vacant from 08/98)

330457(H) 332858(O)

Birds