Visiting my childhood playground, Labrador Beach, was somewhat a disappointment. The place i once knew that was so full of life, hidden within the moist sand and drifting in the clear waters were gone. What faced me was a barren land which bore the desolate remains of what life there was ages ago.the ghost shells of the Common Local Oysters (Saccostrea cuccullata) and barnacles (Balanus sp.) which once ruled the walls of the jetty.
skeletons and empty homes...
the shore was littered with hollow shells of snails and rubbish and blackish dirt...
the footprints of a Little Heron foraging for food
Little Heron (Butorides striatus). It is the most common and widespread of the herons found in Singapore.
Dark clouds looming; this added a touch of misery to this 'dead' beach. White-vented Mynas (Acridotheres cinereus) were gathering near the foreground.
And finally a sign of life! At a rock bunk. Bottom view of the snail.
Top view
All of them, of the same species which i'm not sure of which type, were congregating at the water's edge, unfazed by the perpetual currents
And another sign of life! Is it a coral?Close up of that bright pink living creature.
Pretty flowers at the wild patches of grasses.
The sky was threatening to pour, so i had to make my way back home, nevertheless i spotted some birds along the way:
1. Grey Heron (Ardea cinera)
2. Cattle Egret (Bubulcus ibis)
3. Collared Kingfisher (Todiramphus chloris) - it was perching steadily on one of the poles of the jetty despite the heavy raindrops that came crashing down
Well the presence of birds at least gives evidence that there is still life in the waters of Kallang River, and it isn't as desolate as i'd thought.
Nevertheless, although i'd plan to reach at the time at which there was supposed to be low tide, it was surprisingly high tide when i arrived. Maybe the sand was levelled off (i noticed that grass was growing at the area where i once played sand when i was younger), or that something was wrong. Maybe i didnt reach at the lowest of the low spring tide. Whatever it was, what lies on the lower shore remains a mystery to me, and perhaps i may one day be lucky to see it for myself the real wonders of Kallang River.