Sarawak Waterbirds Survey Mukah 26th Feb

Our track along the beach during the coverage of the Mukah sectors.

Participants : Musa, Nazeri, Liza, Daniel, Rose, (Anura, Duffy)
Location : Matading-Mukah-Oya
Date : 26th Feb 2011


A lone Little Egret seen at one of the little estuary north of Mukah.

Mukah sector 18-21 would the last sectors to be surveyed by the SWS Team for the Waterbirds and Wetland Habitats Survey for the Sarawak Coast, having completed all the other sectors earlier. What's left are Mukah and a few other hotpots that needed revisiting.

Musa and Nazeri flew to Mukah on Friday 25th Feb and joined Daniel, Rose and Liza (SFC Mukah) to survey the sectors already identified on the 26th Feb. We travelled in two cars, one a 4WD driven by Daniel for those hard to reach places and the other Liza's Viva for more conventional roads. Our rented car meant for this operation didn't turn up as planned. It's good to note that rental options in Mukah is less than limited.

Our involvement started from Matading all the way to Kuala Oya. Rose and Daniel has started a day earlier covering areas south of Oya. When we parted towards the end of the day Saturday (for our CFZ Sg Mukah), the two committed members of SWS surveyed another stretch of beach near the Mukah waterfront (Sg Jelang).

There weren't many waders sighted in general along the beaches at Mukah other than sporadic presence of Great Egret (a number of them at Kuala Mukah), Little Egret, and Kentish Plovers. No wader roost sites were discovered.

Rose and Daniel scanning the horizon at one of our stops.


Our stop at the estuary of Sg Mukah.


Rest stop close to the estuary of Sg Oya.

The Coal Powerplant ashponds near Matading seems to have ideal conditions for roosting waders but access to the public was limited. Enquiries by Rose with the local security guard stationed at the gate revealed the possible presence of several waders but the team was not allowed entry without prior written permission from the authorities.

Closer to town, just across Sg Mukah, our CFZ team recorded an egret roosting site. Observations close to the site just before sundown saw close to 500 mixed flock egrets roosting for the nite. They consist of Cattle Egret, Little Egret, Intermediate Egret and Great Egret. By nitefall the area was full with egrets perhaps exceeding our original estimates.

We left the SWS team to complete their remaining sectors south of Oya.

We'd like to thank Liza of SFC Mukah Office for taking part in the survey and letting us use her Viva to cover the sectors.

Enjoying the commotion made by egrets near a roosting site across from Mukah market along Sg Mukah.

Write-up and pictures by Nazeri Abghani/MNS Miri