Flowers in the rain

Cassia alata

Heliconia latispatha

Bamboo Orchid - Arundina graminifolia

Shrubby dillenia

NOTE: All images taken on 24 Nov'15, during light rain at the park.

A rainy Sunday

It's raining at the park
Zone B

Bamboo orchid

It has been raining on and off yesterday, a Sunday (30/8/15).    Even though I normally work on Sunday, it was just good that I called yesterday a holiday due to the rains. My holiday is once a week, a Friday.  Life is too short to have too many free days off in a week.  Life in the park is always occupied everyday, if not to see the plants and wildlife, it is about getting yourself up and kicking everyday and the older you get, the greater the need to be alive.  And the rains, they make you feel  even more energetic.  To capture what happens when it rains and what is the view after the rains.  A Bamboo orchid ( Arundina graminifolia) caught my eyes as I moved about the park in the rain.  The one hour heavy rains brought in a brief flash floods, a subject I love to photograph.  The light conditions are also good for photography.  

Stream overflowing after the heavy rain
Zone F

Clear stream revival, sounds familiar?

Location : Provinsi Carpentaria

Does it sounds familiar?  Clear stream revival! This is the phenomena after every major flash floods that happen in the park.  Follow the stream and you will discover its beauty after it is washed off all the unnecessary debris and murky water that abounds by its sides under normal conditions.  After every torrential rains the stream gets spring cleaned.and refreshed with cleaner water. Because the standards of development at the park are high, the water quality is very good.  In fact, you can bath using the stream water.  The stream is a reflection of life.  The only constant in life is change.  There  are always changes in  contemporary life, the changes are increasing accelerated and becoming more complex.  As the stream flows downriver and into the open sea, it slows down.  It faces friction, conflicts as it lands itself in more level-playing field.  Competition hots up.  What are we to do with life?  Two things I learned today by watching the stream.  Firstly, it is to accept change as part of life and complexity a challenge as we advance in years.  Secondly, what is more important is to understand the direction of change.  By having a good grasp of where we are going we are every ready to face life's complexities and opportunities.  Precisely at this point of writing these words somehow pop out of the blues ...Opportunity awaits the prepared mind.

Rain at the park

 It was a wet morning.  It had  rain very heavily since dawn till about  half of the morning. As usual when it rained in heavy downpours  even for about three hours a flash flood would normally ensues. Later the floods quickly subsided and the stream returned to its normal self. Despite the rain I walked about the park, sheltered by an umbrella to check out if anything abnormal happened.  Well, nothing extra ordinary took place.

The Punai Daun or Little Green Pigeon were seen perching at their favourite cempedak tree though at his time around  they were all drenched wet.   The Phalaenopsis orchid looked healthy in bright yellow and brown colours.  At Zone E I saw some oil palm fruits bearing  signs that they were being nimbled by the squirrel  It has not been raining even mildly for the last two weeks.  Today's rain was a real blessing to the park.

A little rain at the park

 A little rain at the park has brought much relief to the birds and plants.  The dry spell has been felt for more than a week already and this little rain means so much to residents of the park.  The Eurasian Tree Sparrow was slightly drenched.  The Drunken Sailor became an attractive plantlife study and so was the Tongkat Ali flowers and fruits.  The Tongkat Ali is a man's best friend.  To find out why check it out in my other blog here....>>>>http://myussop.blogspot.com/2009/09/tree-of-power-tongkat-ali.html

A small Tongkat Ali tree specimen
Location : Zone C

Tongkat Ali flowers and fruits.
The fruits are still very small.

Ong Lumok tree in the rain..

The stream overflows but the flash flood subsides quickly too

 Today at about 8.30 am it rained at the park.  Thus not much outside work can be done in the morning.  Time to rest from work.  When it rained heavily the Kambatik stream will get flooded very quickly.  This is because the park is located at the headland of the Kambatik stream.  At many locations along its 500 meters meandering route through the park there are blockages that slowed down the current and causing the stream to overflow.  This phenomena is however short-lived.  Once the heavy rains are over, the floods quickly subside.  Below are the images of the stream overflowing in a matter of minutes....

Kambatik stream, viewed from the 'Abaq' ( Bintulu Melanau for  verandah)
Time : 9.30 am

Kambatik stream, viewed from the 'Abaq' ( Bintulu Melanau for  verandah)
Time : 9.45 am

Kambatik stream, viewed from the 'Abaq' ( Bintulu Melanau for  verandah)
Time : 9.55 am

December rains

The park looking south-west from hill at Zone C

Zone F

 The Kambatik Park is right in the midst of the monsoon rains which is from the months of November to February every year.  As usual when the rains are heavy the stream waters will overflow and creating flash floods.  Here's some images of the park in the rain today.

Zone F, Provinsi Carpentaria

Zone F, Provinsi Carpentaria

The Kambatik stream overflows...

Zone D, near Heliconia Valley

Eugenia oleina fruits

 Despite the rains, the bulbuls came throughout the day to eat the Eugenia oleina fruits that are in abundance at the park at the moment. The presence of an old dead tree provided convenient perches  for them to rest amidst their flight  schedules.

Bulbuls rest at an old dead tree

Bulbuls rest at an old dead tree

Flowers in the rain (Dillenia suffructicosa)

Flowers in the rain

 In light rain  the little spiderhunter  took to  the brief opportunity to search for food.  While the bulbuls kept themselves busy at the Eugenia oleina fruits the little spiderhunter was hurrying in bewteen the ixora and cream fruit flowers for their nectar.

Little spiderhunter at the cream fruit lowers...(Strophantus gratus)

Red flowers of the Drunken Sailor (Quisqualis indica) in the rain...

Eugenia oleina branches bending over due to the combined weight of the fruits and rain..

Flowers in the rain

Strophantus gratus

Bignonia magnifica

 When its raining, there's not much field activity that one can do.  But life needs to go on.  So get a camera and shoot at the flowers in the rain.  Wear rain boots, carry an umbrella and dry towel.  Wear a cap or hat.  Then walk around the park and start shooting, and keep on shooting.  Here's some photoshoots of flowers in the rain at the park.

Heliconia 'Golden torch'

White flowers of the Pong-Pong

Furry Jasmine

A raging stream

Zone C, looking east...

The Kambatik stream starts here...

What's happening at the park?  Well, yesterday there was a very heavy downpour for about an hour at midday which was accompanied by loud thunderstorm and lightning.  When such a natural phenomena occurs, within about half an hour's time the stream would swell out and create flash floods on its banks.  The heavy rain was a much needed relief after a dry spell of about 2 weeks at the park.  Here's some pics of the stream that grew into a 'raging river' for about an hour's time and then quickly downsized itself later.....

Zone C, moving downstream...

Zone C ...

Zone C...

Zone D

Zone D , taken 24 Jun'13...