Piasau Nature Reserve in Miri
If there is one place that offers a nature experience
close to a city, it is here at the Piasau Nature Reserve in Miri, Sarawak.
Once known as the home to the international oil
company Shell, Piasau was a private property that housed many of the oil and gas
high ranking staff.
This all was let go in early 2013, and all 93.65
hectares was taken over by the Sarawak Forestry Department.
Piasau Nature Reserve in Miri
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My bird guide checking for birds at the nature reserve |
The local Mirian’s call this place PNR and is highly
popular among those wanting to trek or jog around the reserve as facilities are
very up to date while the place is very safe.
You can the best of both worlds for vegetation in one place where you find a sandy beach vegetation area on the coast, and on the inner side, you experience a coastal forest.
However, one thing that stands out here is also bird
watching, which I personally have done numerous times at the Piasau Nature
Reserve.
I would easily say that the best time to come here for
bird watching is around 7.00 AM or around 4.00 PM to sunset.
In total, you can expect anywhere from 25 to 30
species of birds spotted on a good day.
To me, I managed to spot around 12 species in one hour of the morning.
Trails at Piasau Nature Reserve
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What one of the trails look like here |
There are only two main trails found here, and the
master is the Faridah Loop which goes around the park for 2.1km.
The second trail is called the Community Trail, 900 meters and goes into the light shrubs. One thing you need to look out
for is snakes along this trail.
Biodiversity at Piasau Nature Reserve
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The rangers station and other biodiversity project areas here |
PNR is actually located by the coastline of Miri and
there were studies and research done to find out that there is a total of 107
flora and 75 fauna species studied here.
For a nature reserve just 10 minutes from a city, this
was rather impressive and even gave more encouragement to promote this place
not only to locals but also to visitors to Miri.
Pied Hornbills Conservation at Piasau Nature Reserve
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The Piasau Nature Reserve Hornbill Project |
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One of the resident Oriental Pied Hornbills seen on a tree here |
The entire bird watching thing here kind of grew
because of thanks to the Oriental Pied Hornbill couples that have been roosting
here since 2005.
To date, there has been a total of seven pairs of Pied
Hornbills that have made PNR their home and successfully breeding offspring.
You can get more detailed information from this
official website about the Pied Hornbill Conservation at Piasau Nature Reserve.
Bird Watching at Piasau Nature Reserve
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One of the common birds spotted at Piasau |
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A Pink Neck Green Pigeon spotted in Piasau |
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An Asian Glossy Starling |
This is also one of the highlights for birders visiting Miri, as you can easily do some bird watching here in Piasau.
If you did not already know, this place has been a local favourite for bird watching for a long time now. And personally, I have been here three times to do bird watching.
On my last birding trip to Piasau, I managed to spot about 23 species of birds, including the local Pied Hornbills. Most of the birds are common to some uncommon local lowland birds.
Of course, the best time to do this would be in the mornings or evenings, and if you need a bird guide, you can always ask me, and I will recommend someone local here.
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A map showing where Piasau Nature Reserve is located at |
Where is Piasau Nature Reserve in Miri?
The surprising part is that PNR is located only 10
minutes north of the centre of Miri City and that is with mild traffic too.
It is truly the closest nature reserve in all of
Malaysia, where you have one in a city area. How cool is that?
For those without a vehicle, you can probably book a
Grab to the nature reserve and also back as it is in the city area.
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Directions to Piasau Nature Reserve in Miri, Sarawak |
How to go to Piasau Nature Reserve?
Basically, you can go on your own by taking Grab or
renting a car to self-drive around. This option is for those who want to go
jogging or running there.
However, if you are going purely for bird watching, I
would recommend you book up a bird guide that can lead you to the correct
spots.
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Some birds are spotted with the moon in the background |
Conclusion
For anyone visiting Miri, you should know that if you
are strapped for time, you can still take a couple of hours and visit this
nature reserve.
Piasau Nature Reserve in Miri is so close to the city
that you can be there and back before breakfast and the best part is that you
can go for your nature walks or grounding within a short time.
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