A Recent Trip To Pulau Ubin
Recently, my social media feed has been filled with sightings of a rare female winged visitor, likely from Indonesia or Malaysia due to deforestation. She is listed as an endangered bird and landed possibly on the early days of April on an island situated at the northeastern part of Singapore, known as Pulau Ubin.
My interest was aroused as I have never seen the White-crowned Hornbill in my life and honestly, I didn't even know about the existence of this species until a couple of weeks ago. So, two reasons - one to see this rare bird and the other is making the trip to Pulau Ubin as I have not been there since 2016 - fuelled my determination to wake up earlier than usual for this excursion. A little secret about me is I love to sleep and don't usually wake up early on public holidays or weekends.
A short bumboat ride is needed to travel from Changi Point Ferry Terminal (located at Changi Village) to Pulau Ubin. I don't know why but the short boat ride across the sea is the most exciting part of the journey for me as this 15-minute voyage makes me feel like there are surprises awaiting on the island.
Setting foot on Pulau Ubin is like traveling back in time to the 80s. The atmosphere is much different from mainland Singapore, with a touch of nostalgia as I was born in the 70s. Life here seems to be more laid-back and there are no modern structures or roads; making Pulau Ubin one of the last "kampongs" - which means "village" in Malay - left in Singapore.
There are several ways to get around the island:-
1) By foot - This is my most preferred choice because walking gives one the chance to observe the little details this island has to offer. However its the most time consuming.
2) By bicycle - There are several shops around where one can rent a bicycle to explore the island. I chose this option figuring that I may make stops along the way occasionally if I come across any wildlife. Of course, bringing your bicycle to the island is also possible.
3) By island taxi - This is a taxi service which visitors are transported to Chek Jawa Wetlands (where the White-crowned Hornbill was spotted) by a passenger van.
It took me about 20 minutes to arrive Chek Jawa Wetlands on a bicycle from the jetty. By then, I was already perspiring from the humid weather and leg exercise. The boardwalk surrounding Chek Jawa was already flocked with bird enthusiasts and photographers. Everyone's gaze was just focused on one direction where the bird was seen perching. About 10 minutes after arriving at the spot, the majestic bird left the tree branches and circled around before returning to the shade again. Murmur of excitement can be heard among the crowd, just like watching a live bird show at the zoo or bird park, except this one here is natural. Further to this, the last sighting of a White-crowned Hornbill here back in 1987 adds to the splendour.
Due to the distance from the boardwalk to the trees - with the sea in between - I was not able to capture clear photos of the bird perched on a branch so the shots I could take are of her in flight.
After circling around for a few times, she went into hiding among the trees probably due to to the scorching heat and never came out again. At this time, I left the area to explore other locations and have lunch at a restaurant on the island.
Photos of other wildlife I have encountered during this trip are:-
After being baked under the heat for 6 hours, I decided to call it a day and headed home. It was very satisfying though I was not able to explore the other parts of the island. Looking at the map, the area I covered is just the southeastern part of Pulau Ubin. Definitely it will be worth visiting this little island again in the future.
I hope Pulau Ubin will be preserved as it is and not transformed into some modern or urban development, due to its high biodiversity. It is both delightful and heartwarming to witness wildlife living in their own natural habitat without disturbance caused by human beings. Just like us, they deserve a home on this planet as well.
Have a nice weekend ahead!
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