501 and going up: Dennis's Big Bird Year

Remember this?

Well, Dennis dropped by yesterday and we all had dinner together in a restaurant on the edge of the sea as the sun went down. Not that we could see much - the haze has arrived with a vengeance in this part of the world.

As usual, Indonesia says its not their fault, and Malaysia says it's not our fault as open burning is against the law and of course Malaysians don't do that sort of thing. Hah. Not even the photographic evidence bestirs a single Malaysian regulatory body into actually stopping anyone, let alone arresting them and charging them...year after hazy year after hazy year. Asthma patients die, cancers start as everyone breathes in tiny burnt particles so small you cannot see them. And it's nobody's fault. We are all smoking a pack a day at the moment...like it or not. And nobody is responsible. One if these days they'll catch this guy Nobody. In the meantime Malaysians ignore the problem with a shrug, indifferent even to the health of their children.

Anyway, back to Dennis. He has just seen his 501st Malaysian bird species for the year - a Barred Eagle Owl - and today he was off after the Blue-naped Parrot at Tanjung Rhu. Fantastic!