Rainy Day

My experience of Sungei Buloh Mangroves as a whole was limited, until a few weeks ago, to a field trip in sixth grade (which, incidentally, was involved with an intra-school photography competition which I never got around to entering because I took too many photographs to process), and a cursory walk with my family.

But being stuck in one place for an hour does help you get to know a place better.

I wanted to try a long exposure shot of the currents in the mangroves, but couldn’t do it as I envioned it as it was too bright, and anyways, I didn’t have my tripod and had to rely on the ledge. The behavior of the birds as the rain intensified was interesting. One Stork-billed Kingfisher kept right on with what it was doing, whereas a flock of Common Redshanks ceased all foraging and huddled together under some foliage (can you spot them? Comment if you can!). Another flock in another place kept right on with their feeding, not bothering the slightest about the rain. The mudskippers skipped. The dragonflies disappeared. And the humans whined from the shelter of the birding hide, complaining about the waste of time while all the while being afforded a unique glance of what happens in the mangroves.