| In recent years, Kampung Kuala Parit Jawa, a nondescript fishing village
on the western coast of Johore, has been drawing a steady stream of visitors.
It does not have beautiful sandy beaches or five-star hotels, nightclubs
or any other entertainment establishments. Visitors, however, are entertained
in other ways and come away satisfied with their visits.
Parit Jawa is situated 30km south of Muar, not unlike the thousands of small fishing villages strung along the coastlines of Malaysia. What then is responsible for the crowds of nature lovers, weekend visitors and day-trippers flocking this tiny settlement? The attraction lies in Pantai Leka, a mere 2km from Parit Jawa.
The first drawing point is that hundreds of birds congregate daily on the mudflats adjoining the jetty of Kampung Kuala Parit Jawa and its beach, Pantai Leka. Rich in fish-life, crustaceans and small mammals, the muddy beach and adjacent mangrove forest attract a great number and variety of coastal birds, both resident and migratory. The most spectacular are the Lesser Adjutants (Leptoptilos javanicus), a rare and endangered species belonging to the stork family. Their sheer size of 1.14m, would attract even the most casual observer. Pantai Leka can confidently boast having the largest congregation of Lesser Adjutants (Burung Botak) in Malaysia. Where else can you see, 30 to 40 of these metre-high storks less than 50m from the coast? Here, at Pantai Leka, the Lesser Adjutants (LA) come daily to feed on fish rejected by the fishermen or caught from the shallow waters and exposed mudflats. During low tide, puddles of water trap marine life, attracting an array of sea birds. Visitors are thus treated to a wondrous display of storks, egrets, seagulls, sandpipers, kingfishers, terns and various other waders. These birds can be seen feeding and preening, fighting and in courtship dances, all very fascinating for nature lovers with binoculars. Sitting on the jetty and observing the LA for hours, I grow to admire these birds, grateful for this rare opportunity to study them. The LA is a big bird, the largest among the storks known to breed or be sighted in Peninsular Malaysia. The Milky, Pain-ted, Storm and Woolly-necked Storks (found in other parts of the country) are all smaller in size.
The LA displays a particular eating habit, interesting and quite amusing to watch. These birds usually continue walking slowly on the mudflats while swallowing a fish. Some toss the fish in the air and catch it with their beaks before gulping it headfirst. Still others look as if they are playing with their food. They will take a few minutes to swallow the fish they catch. Altogether, 44 species of coastal birds have been sighted, the noteworthy ones being the vulnerable and threatened LA, Chinese Egret, Grey-tailed Tattler and Asian Dowitcher. These rare birds have small global populations and some are near extinction. In recent years, the Malaysian and Singapore Nature Societies (MNS and NSS) birding groups have taken a particular interest in Parit Jawa, making frequent visits and field notes of their observations. The NSS members reported spotting a pair of Oriental Small-clawed Otters and 50 species of birds from around the village. In November and December last year, about 100 serious birders from all over Malaysia, Singapore, Europe and Japan came to observe and study these birds. Glenda Noramly and other birders from MNS Selangor have counted at least 500 waders (birds which hunt for food in shallow waters) from a single point on Pantai Leka during low tide. The locals told them that this was only a fraction of the thousands that have been sighted on the estimated 20ha of mudflats. Being situated along the migratory route of birds flying bet-ween Asia and Australia may account for this great number of winter visitors. A stopover of migratory raptors The fact that Kuala Parit Jawa is located on one of the narrowest parts of the Straits of Malacca makes it also a favourite stopover for many migratory raptors. In the nearby Sungai Balang, there is a large padi field ex-tending from the main road almost to the coast. Stories abound about eagles falling out of the sky on to this field! Retired police inspector Mansur Poh, a keen bird lover and local guide, told of a day when 30 or 40 eagles dropped from the sky. He was riding on his motorcycle carrying his young friend, Yunus Ishak, last October, when they both saw numerous eagles (Burung Lang) dropping onto the freshly harvested padi field. The raptors were stunned and appeared tired as they fluttered and struggled on the ground. Yunus alerted some friends and, using their T-shirts and using other pieces of cloth, tried to catch these fallen birds. Fortunately, they were not successful and the temporarily stunned birds soon flew away. A possible explanation is that perhaps these eagles were exhausted after crossing the Straits of Malacca on their way back to Eastern Asia and Russia. Confronting a strong head-on wind, these heavy-bodied birds may not have had the strength to maintain their flight and so collapsed onto the ground. On this tip-off from the local villagers, Perak and Selangor birders have recently managed to observe and photograph three types of Harriers and the rarely seen Greater Spotted Eagle and Imperial Eagle on that particular padi field. Seafood paradise and interesting history Other attractions in Kampung Parit Jawa include its delicious seafood and interesting history. There are six seafood restaurants in this small settlement. The fishing village was established 140 years ago by immigrant Chinese from Southern China. A temple was built on the waterfront, repu-tedly the oldest of the three Chor Ser Kong temples in Malaysia. At 127 years old, the Parit Jawa temple is the oldest, followed by the Snake Temple in Penang and the newest one in Genting Highlands. Next to the temple in Parit Jawa is Marina Lodging, the only hotel at Pantai Leka, It provides cheap, clean, air-conditioned accommodation, a stone’s throw from numerous eateries and bird watching spots. The seafood in Parit Jawa is good, fresh and delicious. Weekend visitors come for the well prepared restaurant seafood or the roadside barbecued fish (ikan bakar or ikan assam). The otak-otak, stingray steamed with carrots and preserved vegetables (a local recipe), curry fish head or prawns and squids cooked in plum sauce are highly recommended in restaurants. In Parit Jawa town, one can find foot-long bananas (pisang tanduk), half of which would serve as a substantial meal for an adult! The sundry shop which sells English newspapers also sells good prawn and fish crackers. There is also a noodles stall, near the traffic lights. It does not have any signboard, just a small RM2.50 placard displayed inside the glass showcase on the food counter. It serves delicious homemade noodles, fishballs and meatballs. The flat or string noodles are made using a secret family recipe. The founder member is Tze Chiang Moi, who came from China. Ask the locals for Tze Chiang’s Mee stall and they will direct you to the place. Conservation efforts
It is heartening to note that the Johor State Tourism Board is taking an interest in Parit Jawa’s eco-tourism potential. Tourism Committee chairman Datuk Chua Soi Lek said that the presence of the Lesser Adjutants, egrets and herons would draw many visitors to the area. He added that he would be recommending the building of a watch tower on the seafront to afford bird watchers a clearer view of the birds. Other suggestions included the setting up of public toilets, the increase of roadside lamps, the building of a concrete jetty and improvement to the access roads. Indeed, Kampong Parit Jawa can develop into a major eco-tourism spot but cooperation is needed from all quarters. There are still many conditions to be fulfilled before Parit Jawa can officially be declared a bird sanctuary. The local villagers must first be educated towards a conservation outlook and refrain from continuing with various practices detrimental to the birds. For example, surrounding mangrove trees should not be indiscriminately chopped down and the practice of using the rawai method of fishing with a long line of hooks should cease in the roosting and feeding areas of the coastal birds. The village boys should also be prohibited from throwing stones and firecrackers at the birds or harassing them in any way. And nearby factories should be banned from channelling toxic effluents into these bird sites. In the meantime, local and foreign visitors still find the birds and seafood good enough reasons to visit this unheralded fishing settlement. Enquiries:
Malaysian Nature Society
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