It's the school holidays and the
Naked Hermit Crabs are glad to share Chek Jawa with families.
I had great fun with this enthusiastic group of keen-eyed kids! We saw lots of birds today: hornbills, eagles, jungle fowl and more!
We met up with them at Ubin Town and took the same van. So Ley Kun could explain more about
rubber trees when we arrived at Chek Jawa. One of the drivers used to be a rubber tapper and kindly taps a tree every day so visitors can see how rubber is tapped in the past.
The kids started spotting all kinds of wildlife even before we got to the Information Kiosk. There was a tiny spider hiding in a leaf in the middle of its tangled tent-shaped web.
And as we started the walk, they spotted the
Hornbill!
It was busy picking off fruits from a tree and didn't mind us watching closely but quietly.
While we usually look at the route map before we get on the boardwalk, today we are distracted by tiny termites building a nest at the base of the map. During our quick look from Jejawi Tower, the kids spotted a big eagle flying towards us!
On the boardwalk, we saw lots of
tiny colourful fiddler crabs, some small fishes and small
mudskippers. Strangely, there were few
tree climbing crabs today.
Where's the crab? There!! Exclaim the kids! They are very good at spotting stuff.
On the main boardwalk, a very long stretch was infested with fire ants! We had to stay away from the railings. This made it a little difficult to spot the mudskippers.
Although the tide was high and rising when we got to the Coastal boardwalk, we managed to spot a
Wild junglefowl at the water's edge.
This is not an escaped domesticated chicken. It is a true wild bird and the ancestor of our domesticated chickens. It is identified by the white feathers at the cheeks and the base of the tail. A little further along, a shorebird was also spotted by the kids.
Ley Kun caught up with us to show us the awesome photo she took of the Papa Hornbill feeding Mama and her chicks in the artificial nest box placed up in a tree. This programme by NParks has helped boost the population of hornbills on Pulau Ubin.
We then quietly had a look at the nest box on the tree. Unlike other birds that build nests out of sticks, hornbills usually nest inside a hole in a tree. The mother bird will seal herself up in the hole, with the help of the father bird, leaving only a narrow gap for her to stick out her huge bill. While papa feeds her, mama stays in the nest to lay eggs and raise her young. The seal is only broken when the babies are ready to fly.
One of the dads also noticed this pretty plant with blue fruits!
After the walk, the kids had a great time sharing what they felt about the trip. So did the visitors that Chay Hoon guided. We also met up with Tham Pui San at the Visitor Centre and he told us his group had a brief glimpse of an
otter! Otters have been seen at Chek Jawa and Pulau Ubin in the past too.
And just before we left Chek Jawa, we met with Mama
wild boar and her two piglets, which have grown quite large!
Here's a last look at Mama and her family before we left.
We had a brief stop to look at the beautiful water-filled quarry nearby. Before ending with another great home-cooked lunch at Ubin Town!
On the way to Chek Jawa, I noticed two people in sampans retrieving
driftnets just off Changi shore.
The FREE Chek Jawa boardwalk tours are held every second Saturday of the month. These walks are specially focused on families and kids, and I always look forward to doing them. Do join us if you can. Visit the
Naked Hermit Crabs blog for updates!
Phoebe and
Andy shared more great photos of our trip on facebook! And
Lee Peng shares on her blog.
