Finally figured out a way to get to the back back back mangroves at Lim Chu Kang!
After several false starts, driving round and round, stomping up and down drains, getting lost in belukar, barked at by dogs. How lovely to finally set foot on a great stretch of mangroves to explore!
As usual, I follow tracks made ostensibly by fisherfolk. This one through a ferny glade under tall trees finally led me to the mangroves.
The trail leads through some stretches of fresh low undergrowth. I don't like to bash through tall undergrowth or literally creepy areas, which I always imagine to be teeming with cobras, hornets and other nasties.
After a bit of a walk, it was nice to finally see the back mangroves! Although it was from a rather steep hill, and the track led almost vertically down. I slid most of the way to the bottom, on my bottom. Good thing there were no poky rocks or sticks. It was a struggle to get back up!
The mangroves are delightful! With some parts full of tangled vegetation and intriguing pools, no doubt full of fishies and other mangrove critters.
Other parts with tall trees with bare mud under them.
In some parts there were understorey plants.
These turned out to be thick stands of Sea holly or
Jeruju (
Acanthus sp.).
The stream winding among the mangroves wasn't very wide or deep. On the other side, MORE mangroves!
I only had a quick look around. As usual, with very tall mangrove trees, I look mostly down instead of up, to find out what they are. There were lots and lots of
Api-api putih propagules (
Avicennia alba).
Also a sprinkling of tiny Api-api putih flowers, and a few larger possibly
Api-api ludat (
Avicennia officinalis) flowers. There were also some
Buta-buta bits (
Excoecaria algallocha). There were also many shorter
Bakau putih (
Bruguiera cylindrica) and some
Nyireh bunga (
Xylocarpus granatum) trees. Among the usual wall of Sea hibiscus that ringed the mangroves, were some
Portia trees (
Thespesia polpunea).
Among the curious sightings were lots of these tiny snails. I'm not really sure what they are.
A little away from the mangroves, there was this short tree in full bloom with sprays of tiny white flowers. I saw more of these blooming even along the roadside. I'm being lazy here and hoping for a kind soul to let me know what it is. Thank you!
 |
| Mystery plant A |
Much further away from the mangroves, was this other tall shrub with pretty flowers.
 |
| Mystery plant B |
Alas, near the entrance there were huge piles of trash. Although much of it doesn't seem to be very recently dumped. It seems mostly to be construction debris.
As usual, being alone, I didn't do heroic stuff and basically just took note of the route in. Besides which, the weather suddenly turned ominous. I'll come back again for a closer look at these mangroves! Who knows what we might find here?!
After several false starts, driving round and round, stomping up and down drains, getting lost in belukar, barked at by dogs. How lovely to finally set foot on a great stretch of mangroves to explore!
The trail leads through some stretches of fresh low undergrowth. I don't like to bash through tall undergrowth or literally creepy areas, which I always imagine to be teeming with cobras, hornets and other nasties.
After a bit of a walk, it was nice to finally see the back mangroves! Although it was from a rather steep hill, and the track led almost vertically down. I slid most of the way to the bottom, on my bottom. Good thing there were no poky rocks or sticks. It was a struggle to get back up!
The mangroves are delightful! With some parts full of tangled vegetation and intriguing pools, no doubt full of fishies and other mangrove critters.
Other parts with tall trees with bare mud under them.
In some parts there were understorey plants.
These turned out to be thick stands of Sea holly or Jeruju (Acanthus sp.).
The stream winding among the mangroves wasn't very wide or deep. On the other side, MORE mangroves!
I only had a quick look around. As usual, with very tall mangrove trees, I look mostly down instead of up, to find out what they are. There were lots and lots of Api-api putih propagules (Avicennia alba).
Also a sprinkling of tiny Api-api putih flowers, and a few larger possibly Api-api ludat (Avicennia officinalis) flowers. There were also some Buta-buta bits (Excoecaria algallocha). There were also many shorter Bakau putih (Bruguiera cylindrica) and some Nyireh bunga (Xylocarpus granatum) trees. Among the usual wall of Sea hibiscus that ringed the mangroves, were some Portia trees (Thespesia polpunea).
Among the curious sightings were lots of these tiny snails. I'm not really sure what they are.
A little away from the mangroves, there was this short tree in full bloom with sprays of tiny white flowers. I saw more of these blooming even along the roadside. I'm being lazy here and hoping for a kind soul to let me know what it is. Thank you!
As usual, being alone, I didn't do heroic stuff and basically just took note of the route in. Besides which, the weather suddenly turned ominous. I'll come back again for a closer look at these mangroves! Who knows what we might find here?!
