Today has been rather productive for me. I was at the Malaysian Nature Society headquarters earlier to help out with the preparation for Raptor Watch 2007. If you have not known yet, Raptor Watch is one of the largest birdwatching events in Malaysia. According to BirdLife International (formerly International Council for Bird Preservation), it is the only large scale nature-related public event in Malaysia.
Around early March every year when winter starts to give way to spring in the north, large scale bird migrations occur. Tanjung Tuan, Malaysia is one of several places in the region where one could observe the migration. The birds are birds of prey; they are called raptors. Hence, the name, Raptor Watch.
I will coming down to Tanjung Tuan, Malacca from March 9 till 11 with the good folks at MNS. And that is next week! You should come too! This is a once a year event.
Tanjung Tuan is an important stopover for migratory birds. In fact, it has been listed by BirdLife International, a worldwide conservation organization as such. Despite that, the area is under threat. From BirdLife International:
Despite being an IBA, Tanjung Tuan faces very real threats from development. The sea front of Tanjung Tuan is expensive real estate, and as Tanjung Tuan is an extension of the Port Dickson holiday coasts, its value for tourism is high. For many years local authorities have been drawing up plans to develop the area, with the Malaysian Nature Society in turn working hard to keep Tanjung Tuan intact.
IBA is Important Bird Area.
Regardless, this is where the Raptor Watch is important. It informs the public of the importance of Tanjung Tuan in term of conservation:
One of the main objectives of Raptor Watch is to ensure the continued conservation of Tanjung Tuan Forest Reserve by promoting Raptor Watch as a national eco-tourism event.
There will also be recording activities, I would presume, for scientific purpose.
In the previous years, veterans told me that more than a thousand people attended the event. This year, nearly 4,000 people are expected to join MNS in celebrating the migration. Further, the 2007 edition will be the eight Raptor Watch.
And if you are coming down for the Raptor Watch, watch out for the guy that will be solicitating people to join the MNS. That would be me!
Finally, the TV spot for Raptor Watch:
Cool, ain’t it?
6 replies on “[1121] Of Raptor Watch 2007”
[…] I long for my bed. Still, somehow, I could not shut my eyes until I blogged on something from the Raptor Watch. […]
[…] Sun burn is really a tough thing to live with. Going through the day with it is discomforting to say the least. I have only myself to blame however. I should have applied sun screen on myself before standing under the almost merciless sun, increasing the chance of me getting skin cancer. But in term of cost and benefit, the fun I had is enough to not make me regret what I had done over the weekend; I spent the it with people from the Malaysian Nature Society. It was Raptor Watch 2007! […]
Hey Hafiz!
Just found out about your blog today. Great job on the membership at RWW.
Hope to see you at other events and of course next year’s RWW!
Hope Sunburn is gone… :)
Greetings, Hafiz!
Yes, you did a great job at the membership booth. Well done, my friend! We hope to have you back at each RWW.
This is a very good blog entry, as it introduces non-birders to Raptor Watch, arguably the biggest MNS annual event.
Thank you for spreading the word.
Hope to see you at all future MNS events. Keep up the good work!
Best regards,
Ee Lynn.
I believe you will be helping out at the membership booth. Members are the core of a membership-based society like MNS. The funds raised thru membership allows the society to embark on various conservation projects to ensure the protection of our flora and fauna. So go get them!!
Hi Hafiz, thank you for promoting Raptor Watch. I believe this year’s event will be the biggest in 8 years. It is very rewarding as a volunteer to participate in such conservation efforts. It is even more rewarding when you see these magnificent raptors fly in by the hundreds around noon. Keep up the good work. See you there this weekend.