CFZ Bakong River

The map showing the area we were in the nite of March 04th. The little square marked our traverse, zoom-in section below.

Nighttime Assessment of Fireflies at Sg Bakong
4th Mar 2010

Observers :
Sara, Joyce, Musa, Nazeri (MNS Miri) , Samantha, Remli, Kamil (SFC Miri)


Detailed map of our 7.5 km track along what seemed to be very interesting segment of riparian forest along Sg Bakong.

Field work
START Time: 19:40
Field work FINISH Time: 20:51
Survey length 7.5 km

PHYSICAL CONDITION:

a. MoonPhase : New moon
100% cloud covered sky. Dark night sky. No star seen.

b. Weather: Calm

A digital thermometer reading every minutes and giving an average

readings of the whole trip.
Minimum Average Relative Humidity: 68%
Minimum Average Air temperature 26.2 ° C
Minimum Average water temperature 26.4 ° C

Maximum Average Relative Humidity: 89%
Maximum Average Air temperature 32.0 ° C
Maximum Average water temperature 27.0 ° C


Water pH : 6
Specific gravity: is 1.000


c. River Condition Current: Not moving, Slightly sediment water.

Outboard engine used: Yamaha 40 hp
Survey Average Speed 8.0 Km/hr.
Tide: Not moving

Only one single roving firefly was seen on the left side of the river high at a tree top at location 20:03 N3 57 36.6 E114 06 54.7. Throughout the night, there was no any indication of fireflies along this river.

We recorded 39 Black-crown Night Heron along our boat traverse that night, they were still actively hunting by the river's at the time.

Typical vegetation at the banks.

View towards where we came from, a small jetty by a kampong in Beluru. There were rows of riverside houses on stilts, jetties, toilets on pontoons as well several longhouse throughout the first part of the traverse.

Sara, Musa, Samantha and Kamil at the back. Joyce and Remli are hidden somewhere on the boat.

Our survey would not have been possible without dedicated effort from Remli and Kamil who towed a boat all the way from Sibuti Wildlife Sanctuary to do this survey, and back after that. Many thanks guys!

Report by Musa Musbah/MNS Miri
Images and additional words by Nazeri Abghani/MNS Miri