IPOH: BIRDERS and nature enthusiasts can register for the “Taiping Raptor Festival 2014” which will be held from Nov 1 to 2.
It is organised by the Malaysian Nature Society (MNS) (Ipoh branch) and supported by the Perak NonIslamic Affairs unit.
Participants have to be present at 9am to register for the outing at Taiping Sentral Mall in Taiping.
There would also be a mini exhibition, audio video presentation on raptors, birds and nature as well as merchandise for sale.
Participants would travel in the society’s van to watch migratory birds at the top of Scott’s Hill from 9.30am to 2pm.
For those who wish to go for a mangrove guided tour at Matang, they can sign up for a short educational walk to the mangrove park.
Participants would have a hands on experience in planting seedlings during the visit.
The tour of Matang would also include a visit to a charcoal factory, nearby.
The Matang tour would take an hour beginning at 4pm. Each participant will receive a certificate of participation.
There will also be a special firefly tour at Matang for those who wish to see the insects at night.
The firefly tour involves a 45-minute boat ride and the tours are scheduled at 7.30pm, 8.30pm and 9.30pm.
MNS birdwatching group leader Dr Chan Kai Soon said this was the fourth time the society organised the nature trip with a mission to create public awareness of the yearly migration.
He said thousands of raptors fly over the Taiping skyline during their annual autumn migration from the northern hemisphere to the south.
“The event promotes nature education and appreciation of eagles and their migratory patterns among the public,” he said, adding students and the younger generation should enrol for an experience of a lifetime.
“We expect to accommodate about 50 participants on a first come, first-served basis to watch raptors, which is free of charge.”
He said this time around, participants may get to see migratory eagle species such as Black baza, Oriental honey-buzzard, Grey-faced buzzard, Chinese sparrowhawk and Japanese sparrowhawk.
“We have recorded some 63,000 migratory birds flying over Taiping for a month in past years.
“There was a significant drop to just 7,000 birds last year.
“Many species of birds migrate because of their natural instinct to survive by moving to regions with better food sources and to avoid places that are low in food source or too cold, especially from September to December,” said Dr Chan.
Meanwhile, Perak Non-Islamic Affairs unit administrator Choong Shin Heng said the state government decided to work with MNS to promote a “green culture” and to encourage students and the youngsters to take part in more nature related activities.