November in the park

View of Zone E facing north. Taken in the early morning light.

 Early November was a transitional period of the yearly monsoon season.  Soon, perhaps towards the middle of the month, the real North-east monsoon will arrive Bintulu's shores. From what I see so far, this end of year monsoon is arriving according to textbook timing, though its real impact and true story is yet to be unfolded in the coming days and months. All over the park the red ants (Kerengga) are seen busy building nests and after a light rain, I walked around the park to stumble upon the 'Kulat Jelutong' which is edible. I look forward to more rains in November and December.

Red ants (Kerengga - Malay) building nest at the 'Miding' fern

Edible "Kulat Jelutong" growing on a rotting 'Pong-Pong stump.

"Kulat Jelutong"

The food web

Botanic Island One - view from mid-hill footpath looking south

 In the tropical rainforest, there is a complex web of food chain.  Like today I noticed one carpenter bee that got trapped in the spider web.  It was slowly being devoured by the spider. The leaves in a forest capture solar energy and they contribute to the supply of food to various insects and caterpillars. As  herbivores,  caterpillars and grasshoppers are in turn eaten by carnivores like spiders and other birds.  These carnivores in turn die and decay providing food for earthworms and all other life in the soil.  The process of decay includes decomposition work by bacteria.  Fungi invade a fallen dead tree from the outside .  Some of these fungi are edible.  The 'Kulat Perut Manok' or Clitocybe fragrans is a popular fungi that is taken by many people in Sarawak.  It is my wish the the park retain as much of this complexity in order to sustain a better future for the wildlife and nature in this tiny spot on planet Earth.

Carpenter bee devoured by a spider.

Dragonfly feeds on mosquito larvae

Edible mushroom locally known as 'Kulat Perut Manok' (Clitocybe fragrans) harvested from a fallen dead tree.

Kulat Perut Manok (Iban) - Clitocybe fragrans growing on a dead ficus trunk.