Wednesday, March 31, 2010

British WW2 Pillboxes in Kuantan (Part 2)

These four pillbox in front of Kuantan RMAF Airbase
are actually build after the war,probably during the Malayan Emergency.
The first Pillbox at the airbase(as you are coming from Kuantan)




The second Pillbox.




The third is just beside the parking of the standby Nuri(Sikorsky S-61A-4) helicopter.







The fourth is between the entrance of the Airbase and the mosque.









Japanese Invasion Of Malaya




This hidden and sand covered pillbox on the third beach of Teluk Chempedak
is one which nearly got away thanks to a tip from my brother who have heard of it
but have not seen it even after having a picnic on that very beach.
I think it must be fully covered by sand then.





Nice place to put a permanent marking,
a Survey Department marking on top of the pillbox
something which withstood 70 years
of pounding by the encroaching sea waves.



A small fresh water lake behind the pillbox.






View Teluk Chempedak 3rd beach Pillbox in a larger map

British WW2 Pillboxes in Kuantan(Part 1)

Saturday, March 27, 2010

Innovative White-bellied Sea-Eagle

This pair of innovative Sea Eagle was found to be nesting on a transmission pylon
not far from the sea due to lost of habitat in the form of large trees
with not much jungle left especially by the coast.
Unlike the crows of Klang Valley which uses all sorts of material including wires for their nest,
this pair of eagle still keep to the conventional wooden branches and sticks.
















Sea Eagles

Tuesday, March 23, 2010

Morning walk at Kuala Selangor Nature Park

It was one early weekday when i decided to pay a short visit to this park
established and managed by MNS since 1987.
I would say that this is one very nicely planned and very informative educational park
with so many signages that will put to shame some national parks and tourist sites
which badly needs signboards like those found here to get people around.

They called it conservation fees here and this is nothing compared to the effort by the MNS guys and gals who mostly are volunteers.
















This quiet and shady road is full of mosquitos maybe because i am the early bird
and not equiped with any cream or repellent and i have to run the whole stretch while being in hot pursuit by a big swarm of mosquitos.













Crabs and mudskippers














This is where a bird watcher is supposed to sit
while waiting to snap a photo of their favourite bird.

or you can wait up here on the watch tower.




I think this is the mengkudu fruit.



and these are mangrove seedlings.








Newly planted seedlings.


This is as far as my 105mm lens can get me
birds here are very cunning, a slight prick of a branch will sent them flying away
so in order to get a photo we have to be sitting and hiding, sort of ambush
while waiting for it to come and an expensive lens of at least 300mm with
a tele-converter is a minimum.


this photo after some tweet with nikon NX2 looks like a HDR now.














View Kuala Selangor Nature Park in a larger map

Birding in Malaysia

Friday, March 19, 2010

Crystal House of Sungai Lembing

The Crystal House at Kampung Sungai Limau,Sungai Lembing
is a collection of about 3,000 pieces of beautiful crystalline stones
collected over a period of 19 years
by an ex-miner Mr Lee Yon from the quarry he works with at Panching
after the closure of the Sg Lembing tin mine.
The quarry had since also closed because the whole limestone hill have already been flatten
but thanks to him we can still see some of the beautiful stones
which onces filled the caves of the hill.

Mr Lee's house where the collection is displayed.



It is open daily from 10am to 6pm
with an entrance fee of rm2 for adult and rm1 for children.


The Quarry where Mr Lee collected the crystalline stones.


View Panching Quarry in a larger map


Mr Lee chatting with my brother Anthony.



















An old goods trishaw.


A fish pond in the house.




There are two tunnel Mr Lee dug out himself to show how the old mines tunnel
was to visitors,one is already completed and another is still in progress.







The completed tunnel houses a praying altar inside.





Coins left by visitors on the wall of the tunnel maybe for a good wish.

The yet to be completed tunnel



Digging tools by the side.


An old water cooled jackhammer
which was onces used to break tin ore stones in the underground tunnels.




A stone sample from the old mine,this one is mostly copper.





This one is mostly tin ore.


And the crystal collections,some are place in display cupboards to avoid being touch
by our hands which can damage the stones through chemical reactions.


This piece of crystal is so fine.










View Crystal House in a larger map