Fruit for the birds @ Piasau Camp, Miri

The Piasau Peninsular is a very interesting sand spit which became a housing estate in the 1950's. A concessionary land, it was given over to the Shell Company for the construction of tropical , one storyed colonial style bungalows suitable for expatriate employees of Shell Co.

House No.100 is the designated Managing Director's Quarters since the beginning.

The housing estate became known to locals as Piasau Camp from the beginning. It is neither a military camp, nor a fenced, barb wired camp. It is an open concept with no fences and small lanes criss cross the estate. Children play together in the well kept compounds, birds fly easily from tree to tree. A few monkeys have been known to play havoc in the gardens.

But nothing beats the presence of the Oriental Piped Hornbills and a few other beautiful birds. This is idyllic to everyone who has lived here. It is always sad for many of the "Piasau Campers" to leave when their contacts are completed.



If I were a bird, these beautiful red fruits, which could be a kind of oriental wild passion fruits



would be really good supper. Birds love to eat fruits and God has created special colourful fruits and seeds for them.

According to a cleaner in the Piasau camp, this fruit is also very edible by humans. A little bitter it can even be a good herbal cure for stomach ache.


She continued to say that it is a very good thirst quencher. When she has sore throat, she will take a few of these fruits, and suck the white little pips." Better than taking Panadol, which costs money." I like that.
We need to do more research into this claim. And why not? And this is not just one of the wild fruits available in this place. There are hundreds of fruits which have been attracting birds to this area.

Ancient Chinese medicine men had followed birds to see what they ate. And they found cures ...that's history for you to know.

All the more important to conserve Piasau Camp as a Bird Park.....