The Faunacator has seen within the past few days at first hand the appalling forest fire-induced haze over Batam and Singapore. Whoever coined the phrase ‘Ignorance is Bliss’ cannot have had this in mind, believe me.
The haze appears at its most intense at a very bad time for the annual migration of raptors (birds of prey) through Southeast Asia. They come down from mainland Asia and head through the Malay Peninsula and Java and on out eastwards. They are best seen locally in the Puncak. If you want to witness magnificent birds of prey soaring on the thermals as they wend their way east Contact Birdlife International Indonesia or simply google in ‘Puncak Raptor Watch’ for more information. Another excellent website for birde watching in Indonesia is SurfBirds.com