Cambodia and Vietnam
Liberty-bird tour
7th - 30th March 2008
Leader: James Eaton & Mario Camici
Blue-rumped Pitta, Cat Tien National Park © James Eaton/Birdtour Asia
This 3-week tour blended culture with birds, of which there are plenty of both in these wonderful countries. We recorded a total of 374 species during the tour. Our first week in Cambodia produced an array of avian highlights – wonderful looks at both Giant and White-shouldered Ibis, dashing White-rumped Falcons, Oriental Plover swooping in to feed next to us while we watched a displaying Bengal Florican, gaudy Asian Golden Weavers and as usual we finishing off with the Mekong Wagtails. Our week in South Vietnam was hugely successful – Bar-bellied, Blue-rumped and Blue Pittas all performed exceeding well. At Cat Tien Germain’s Peacock Pheasant, Blyth’s Frogmouth, Black-and-Buff Woodpecker and 3 species of broadbill behaved impeccably. The vast majority of Dalat specialities also revealed themselves, including incredible looks at Orange-breasted Laughingthrush, Vietnamese Cutia and Grey-crowned Crocias though the star of the show was the awesome Spot-bellied Eagle Owl that repeatedly showed himself. Finally, a visit to North Vietnam concentrated more on the scenery and culture with visits to Halong Bay, Cat Ba Island and Tam Coc though a short visit to Cuc Phuong had some great specialities; Ratchet-tailed Treepies, Limestone Wren Babblers and feisty Pied Falconets being the most notable.
Despite coming off the back of a long haul flight from Switzerland everyone was keen to start; so after a quick shower and with packed lunch in-hand we took off to explore our first temple within the Angkor complex – Bayon Temple. It took us a long time to get from bus to temple due to canopy activity, a party of Swinhoe’s and Ashy Minivets fluttered overhead giving great looks at both species; Spangled, Ashy and Greater Racket-tailed Drongos led the party and a co-operative Pale-legged Leaf Warbler gave signs of things to come.
Much time was spent here, looking into each delicate carving and marvelled at the complexity of this and the next temple – Ta Prohm, the jungle temple. Spending the late afternoon here also put the binoculars into use as the Alexandrine Parakeets had successfully fledged at least 2 nests, with the youngsters busy flapping about crying for food from the parents. We completed the temple complex with a visit to the mighty Angkor Wat early the next morning in the persistent rain. As usual, a visit here is a mind blowing experience and we took our time to enjoy the structure. Finally the sun pushed its way to the fore and the birds soon soaked up the sun, drying out on the open snags, including some fine Black Baza, super views of a male Hainan Blue Flycatcher that silently came into view, and fabulous looks at some vocal Asian Barred Owlets.
Spotted Wood Owl, Tmat Boey Bayon Temple, Angkor Wat
After our lunchtime feast we headed into the wilderness of Preah Vihear Province, reaching Tmat Boey Village before nightfall ready for our first mornings birding in this wonderful area which is fast becoming one of Asia’s top birding sites. For the second tour running our first bird at Tmat Boey was the main target and the reason why this area has become so famous – a pair of stately Giant Ibis calling out from the open tree tops at dawn, We had plenty of fine views of this critically endangered species, seeing no less than 7 birds, possible even 9 during our two days on site. The rest of the morning saw us slowly walking through the open dipterocarp forest enjoying the view,-hearing about how the locals go about their lives, and learning the intricacies of how the people live off the forest. Obviously the birds kept us busy as usual, a female White-rumped Falcon put on a fine performance flying and perching around us – a species we have not yet missed on a Cambodia tour, a rather more subtle Brown Prinia sat motionless for several minutes, a Spot-breasted Woodpecker, Great Slaty Woodpeckers raucously flew in – the largest of the 10 species of woodpecker seen here, a party of White-crested Laughingthrushes came to investigate, and a White-shouldered Ibis flew-by, this would have wait for later. Following a welcome siesta we headed back to the forest for more ibis-action. The female White-shouldered Ibis was still sitting on eggs allowing us to see her panting in the mid-afternoon heat, a great feeding flock brought great looks at several species including Common Iora, Small Minivets, White-browed Fantail, Velvet-fronted and Chestnut-bellied Nuthatch and a smart Yellow-crowned Woodpecker. As dusk began arrived we sat patiently by an area of grassland. An Indian Cuckoo responded to our calls, flying in then flying on, then another White-shouldered Ibis circled us before landing on his roosting tree right next to us, filling the scopes. Just as the light faded the distinctive calls of Savanna Nightjars echoed around us giving some great views as one circled us in our spotlight and Large-tailed Nightjars performing low fly-pasts.
With the ibis under our belt we spent the following morning in a different, greener, area. Walking towards our destination proved more than a little productive, a pair of Pale-capped Pigeons flew-by giving great, close looks of this scarce late season visitor, this was shortly followed by a male White-rumped Falcon and great views of another pair of Giant Ibis feeding on a roadside Trapeang, then a woodpecker extravaganza as a manic party of the gorgeous Black-headed Woodpecker flew in giving exceptional views as they sat motionless. With these still in view 3 White-bellied and 3 Great Slaty produced equally good, close performances, leaving us overwhelmed as to which woodpecker to watch next! Typically we encountered a new set of species in the lush forest; Scarlet Minivets, Ruby-cheeked Sunbird, Radde’s Warbler, Black-naped Monarch and Striped Tit Babblers all showed themselves along with another Pale-capped Pigeon. Eventually our eagle-eyed guides summoned us over, via a Large-tailed Nightjar, peering down at us was a lazy, beautifully patterned Spotted Wood Owl. On our return a distant Aquila eventually circled low just in front of us, examining a combination of features left us with only one option – an immature Indian Spotted Eagle, a species long thought to occur in Cambodia.
In the afternoon some of us visited Tmat Boey village and enjoyed a pleasant afternoon observing everyday life, seeing why the village is justly famous for its ox-cart wheels! A late afternoon walk around our chalets produced a few nice species, more views of both Indochinese and Large Cuckooshrikes, Blossom-headed and Alexandrine Parakeets, Black-headed Woodpecker, Large Woodshrike and Yellow-footed Green Pigeon. As the sun dropped an Oriental Scops Owl began calling though only allowing us several tantalising glimpses this time around. A pleasant final morning was just rewarded with the previously absent Indochinese Bushlark and some great looks at Chestnut-tailed and Vinous-breasted Starlings.
The afternoon saw us reach an area of grasslands skirting the northern edge of the Tonle Sap. Waiting for the sun to lower we enjoyed the newly arrived Oriental Pratincoles buzzing all around us with a fine male Pied Harrier putting in an appearance. A quick run through the grasslands by a couple of us soon flushed up the hoped-for Bengal Florican, surprisingly he landed just 50 metres from us. He then had the courtesy to wait for the rest of the group to arrive before posing on a vantage point, puffing his neck feathers out and jumping into the air, calling as he put on one of his famed displays, quite wonderful in the late afternoon red skies. As he landed to our amazement a flock of Oriental Plovers dropped from the skies and plonked themselves in the same field we were standing in, talk about being in the right place at the right time!
White-rumped Falcon, Tmat Boey Black-headed Woodpecker, Tmat Boey
A different area of the grasslands the following morning produced another Bengal Florican, once again performing his wonderful display flight. We concentrated our time around the seasonal trapeangs that attract a number of wintering passerines. Dusky, Black-browed and Oriental Reed Warblers all revealed their presence with their continuous chacking while Red-throated Pipits, Bluethroats and Eastern Yellow Wagtails fed by the water margins. Other species of note included Striated Grassbird, typically singing loudly from his favoured perch, Cinnamon Bittern shooting past and Eastern Marsh Harriers patrolling the surroundings. As the sun began to rise it was time to head east over the Mekong, then taking our usual route north along the mighty rivers eastern shoreline to the charming town of Kratie. With a couple of hours to spare we visited a nearby marsh and soon found a gaudy male Asian Golden Weaver perched in the same area as on our tour just 3 weeks previous. Birding the marshy edges and ripe, golden rice fields turned up more weavers, including several breeding males in close attendance to the more subtle females. As dusk approached several Pallas’s Grasshopper Warblers played hide-and-seek and Black-backed Swamphens, Cinnamon Bitterns and Lesser Coucal all gave themselves up as a number of Small Pratincoles flew in to feed around the waters edge.
Our final highlight of Cambodia was a leisurely boat ride onto the Mekong River With some skilful manoeuvring by boatman we soon placed ourselves against a bundle of bushes in the river with a pair of Mekong Wagtails in close residence, doing ‘their thing’ by walking up, down and into the partially submerged bushes that makes these ‘pied’ wagtails so unique. A slow paddle back, via quirky Small Pratincoles and Burmese Spot-bills saw us riding alongside a small pod of gentle Irrawaddy River Dolphins, always a highlight on a tour to this wonderfully enchanting country. After a drive through the dusty local towns we reached Phnom Penh with (some!) time to spare before taking the short flight over to Saigon, our gateway to an exciting 2 weeks in Vietnam.
Asian Golden Weaver, Kratie Mekong Wagtail, Kratie
Our pleasant first day in Saigon allowed time around the city for an insight into its colonial past, visits were made to the rather dour-looking Presidential Palace, Thien Hau Pagoda, the Old Post Office and of most interest the graphically detailed War Museum, a sombre experience for all of us. Later we had a wonderful dinner at Indochine, with fine Vietnamese cuisine accompanied by the enchanting music provided by the talented Dan Bau musician.
Before heading back into nature we drove north of Saigon to the Cu Chi Tunnels, an extensive underground tunnel system built by the Vietnamese to fight against the French, but most famously used in their battle during the American War. After our riverside lunch we arrived at Nam Cat Tien National Park in the late afternoon with plenty of time to spare before enjoying ‘the harriers of the night’, the Great Eared Nightjars that patrolled the skies at dusk and a bonus Brown Boobook calling in the spotlight, perched on top of the television aerial!
We spent 3 full days exploring the trails and tracks that dissect a small part of this huge national park, covering a variety of habitats and forest types. Our favoured area was the tall forest further afield from the usual sites. An array of spectacular species followed our tracks, a pair of Germain’s Peacock-Pheasant scurried across the wide track on our first morning although the ground birds took second stage as we slowly walked through this wonderful forest; Banded Kingfisher, Banded and Dusky Broadbills and Red-vented Barbet all manically flew in calling at various points of the day. Other scarce species included Ashy-headed Green Pigeons, Black-and-Buff Woodpecker, Golden-crested Myna, Banded Bay Cuckoo and Greater Yellownape. Further birding along the roadside was in and out of birds though the pleasures of watching a pair of Black-and-Red Broadbill outweighed any dry periods We again saw Dusky Broadbill, this time a raucous family party, a perched Violet Cuckoo showed unusually well, Oriental Pied Hornbills flew –by, and a cute pair of Heart-spotted Woodpeckers flew back and forth to each other, though the obvious highlight was the regular encounters with beautiful Siamese Firebacks, I have never come across them being so numerous here, as we regularly had birds feeding by the roadside, including several males together, displaying with their rapid wing-beats. Another amazing delight came in the form of a wonderful group of endangered Black-shanked Douc Langurs as they settled down to roost, viewable in the telescope, unusually showy for this typically shy species.
Unfortunately a trip out to the grasslands in search of Green Peafowl could only produce the wailing cries of a male as he roosted out of sight, though of greater significance was the sighting of an immature Black-necked Stork, presumably a stray over from the tiny Cambodian population as this species long vanished as a Cochinchina resident. This wonderful bird circled round us being mobbed by an irate Osprey before roosting on the Ospreys favoured perch. Birding from the back of our pick-ups made for an enjoyable alternative to forest trekking; as an Orange-breasted Trogon sat motionless when we parked beside him while Laced Woodpeckers favoured the bamboo and Chestnut-capped Babblers attempted to skulk in the grass. Plenty of colourful common birds sunned themselves – White-breasted Kingfisher, Indian Roller and a quartering Eastern Marsh Harrier.
We only really ventured onto the forest trails once, though fortunately this was all we needed for the parks star prize – emerald Bar-bellied Pitta dazzling in the undergrowth. We had superb views of one particular bird, although 3 birds were seen in all. There was also a quite ridiculously tame Blue-rumped Pitta that kept hopping in circles around us completely oblivious to our presence. Scaly-breasted Partridges put in appearances several times as did Tickell’s Blue Flycatcher, and some wonderful White-rumped Shama’s singing over the trail, as magnificent Great Hornbills whooshed overhead.
Our night-time excursions, though limited, were fruitful – Asian Palm Civet and regular encounters with Large-tailed and Great Eared Nightjars were eclipsed by the Blyth’s Frogmouth that called head-on at super close range in the spotlight one evening, perhaps the highlight of our wonderful stay at Cat Tien.
Dusky Broadbill, Cat Tien Black-and-Red Broadbill, Cat Tien
Heading for the cooler climate of the Dalat Plateau via tasting some foul-smelling yet delicious Durian and Jack fruits, continued our success with the birding. Even before reaching town we had notched up a pair of Vietnamese Cutia, White-cheeked Laughingthrush, Chestnut-fronted Shrike Babbler, Slender-billed Oriole, ‘Vietnamese’ Black-browed Barbet and inquisitive Grey-crowned Tits. Our first day saw us head for the hills and a visit to Mt Lang Bian. An enjoyable morning took us first through the open pine forest where Vietnamese Greenfinches sang from the tree pinnacles and pesky Hill Prinia sung from the trackside scrub. We then ventured into the lush submontane forest that surrounds the peak. White-tailed Robin and a particularly showy Lesser Shortwing started proceedings as the Collared Laughingthrushes evaded detection before feeding flocks took over the rest of the morning. ‘Annam’ Mountain Fulvettas dominated but super cute Black-crowned Fulvettas continually popped up, creeping along the mossy vines. Manipur Treecreeper put in a single, prolonged appearance, White-browed Scimitar Babblers attempted to lurk, and the three higher elevation warblers were eventually found singing to their hearts content; Blyth’s Leaf, Ashy-throated and ocularis White-spectacled Warblers. Gaining in height the familiar, distinctive song of Vietnamese Cutia was soon ringing in our ears, once more revealing 2 fine males singing and feeding in the mid-morning sunshine just above us. They were soon joined by a pair of Black-headed Sibia, another one of our targets.
Our two trips to Ta Nung Valley were both superb, brimming with birds busy feeding in the trackside flowers and bushes. Splashes of colour came more from the birds than the buds as Vietnamese Greenfinches, Streaked Spiderhunters, ‘Vietnamese’ Black-browed Barbets, Black-throated and Mrs Gould’s Sunbirds, Grey-cheeked Warbler and Grey-crowned Tits all buried themselves in the scrub. Concentrating on the forest edge reaped rewards – a small party of Grey-crowned Crocias seemingly hadn’t moved since last months tour, Black-winged Cuckooshrike, Rufous-backed and Black-headed Sibias and Red-headed Trogons popped out of the forest depths. Male Large Niltava chased each other, White-browed Piculet busily knocked away on the rotting stalks and a superb Mountain Hawk Eagle perched close-by surveying the activity all around us in the mid-morning sun. However the wonderful fruity whistles of the Orange-breasted Laughingthrush remained just that for now. Pride of place, and bird of the trip had been calling for 30 minutes by the time we entered into the forest. An impatient wait followed before the huge silhouette of a Spot-bellied Eagle Owl flew out of the forest, glided over before perching behind us, then moved the other side of us before perching right overhead in the telescope. He then flew back and forth throughout the morning, sometimes covering huge distances guarding his territory deep in the valley.
Vietnamese Greenfinch, Ta Nung Spot-bellied Eagle Owl, Ta Nung
Our final site on the plateau was Tuyen Lam Lake, birding among the pines that dominate the area which were planted during French colonial times. Here the early morning buzzes with migrant Yellow-browed Warblers, Chestnut-vented Nuthatches, White-cheeked Laughingthrushes and Black-collared Starlings. A pair of Grey Bushchat guarded their territory under the watchful eye of Burmese Shrikes as we walked through the lakeside resort. Slender-billed Orioles were vocal and conspicuous along with Indochinese Cuckooshrikes and annamensis Long-tailed Minivets. Closer scrutiny of the pines found a family of ‘Vietnamese’ Crossbill feeding quietly along a ridge-top along with yet more Vietnamese Greenfinches. Both Oriental and Indian Cuckoos sat out prominently and some gentle coaxing brought out a party of strikingly marked Chestnut-capped Babblers.
To seek out the remaining Dalat endemics we spent an afternoon and morning at the wonderful Dui Neo San, a forested pass with great birding. Though the afternoon was rather quiet with just a brief Blue Pitta being notable the following morning was a hive of activity. Our first birds were a flock of clown-like Black-crowned Parrotbills amongst a feeding flock that also contained Chestnut-fronted Shrike Babbler and Blue-winged Minla was quickly followed by some beautiful Maroon Orioles, a pair of Red-headed Trogon and a wonderful Great Hornbill flying overhead. As the sun attempted to slow down activity a random stop surprised us with the duetting of a close pair of Orange-breasted Laughingthrushes. Getting into a strategic position enabled all 11 of us to get mind-blowing views as they obliged by jumping onto an open roadside branch and singing their hearts out and giving us ample time to soak in one of Vietnams most gorgeous and difficult endemics. Overjoyed with our success we attempted to continue our luck with a calling Blue Pitta. At first he wouldn’t move from the dense understory, but after clambering through the undergrowth - attempting not to sound like a heard of Elephants - we stopped, waited listened, and much to our surprise he sounded very close. Fortunately some of us were standing in just the right spot and we could see him perched on a sunlit boulder, then after a short tense wait and scramble we were all watching this glowing sapphire in the lush gulley allowing us as much time as we wanted as he attempted to defend his territory; a great way to finish our time in South Vietnam.
Hanoi was noticeably cooler as we headed south from the city after another scrumptious lunch, surveying the never-ending lush rice fields beneath the jagged backdrop of limestone karst characteristic of this region. It was a big contrast to the sun-drenched fruit and coffee growing region of the south we had been travelling through in preceding days. Our only stop, in the late afternoon was at the scenic marsh of Van Long, north Vietnams largest freshwater marsh. It wasn’t long before the wintering flock of Grey-headed Lapwings gave themselves up, flashing their ‘Sabine’s’ upperwing as they flushed from the intrusion of a traditional fishing boat. The clear skies allowed us to scan the karst outcrops opposite, a known area for one of the worlds rarest and most gorgeous primates – Delacour’s Langur, of which as few as 100 now survive in heavily fragmented populations. Fortunately they had choose to fed just where we wanted them to, and we were able to get wonderful scope views of a group of these ‘short-wearing’ monkeys as they played and rested on the small limestone outcrops. A moment to treasure as they face a very real possibility of extinction as numbers continue to decline due to hunting.
At nightfall we rolled into Vietnam’s oldest national park, Cuc Phuong, inaugurated by Ho Chi Minh himself. We had 2 full days to enjoy one of Vietnams flagship reserves, though the winter Vietnam has suffered was one of the coldest ever on record with large numbers of birds and domestic livestock dying off due to the bitter weather, and it showed. Birding was hard during our stay, and the heavy rain on our second morning didn’t help. We saw most of the parks specialities; Limestone Wren Babblers scurried about over the limestone at arms reach offering several amazing looks, a party of Ratchet-tailed Treepie put in a welcome, prolonged appearance by our accommodation and a feisty party of head-bobbing Pied Falconets – a personal favourite – hunted over a forest clearing. Around our accommodation wintering Japanese Thrushes fed and sat quietly nearby, huge numbers of Red-whiskered Bulbuls were occasionally joined by Black, Chinese, Grey-eyed, Sooty-headed and Black-crested Bulbuls, Plain and Yellow-vented Flowerpeckers gave themselves up in the telescope, wonderful views of a close pair of Banded Bay Cuckoo and finally a Puff-throated Babbler flew out from the darkness to sing on open perches.
Deeper inside the national park we concentrated our time along the road and trails. Buff-breasted Babblers aggressively chattered at the trailside though the Rufous-throated Fulvettas added more colour to the understory. Rufous male Asian Paradise Flycatchers danced around us in the midstorey feeding flocks, along with glowing Fork-tailed and Crimson Sunbirds, Sulphur-breasted Warbler, Bianchi’s Warbler, Hainan Blue Flycatchers and Black-browed Fulvetta while gaudy-looking Sultan Tits favoured the canopy.
Once our birding exploits were completed we headed to Tam Coc for our leisurely boat cruise along the small river that cuts through the glowing rice fields through the long, winding limestone gorge in traditional sampans paddled by the locals using their legs and feet. Visits to Bich Dong Pagoda and the Temples of the Dinh and Le Dynasties dating back to the 10th century were of particular interest; the tranquil setting inside the temples complimented the wonderful surroundings.
Tam Coc Monastery Temple of Literature
After a night in Hanoi, the capital of Vietnam we sped along the highway to visit Halong Bay, a UNESCO world heritage site, and one of the new 7 wonders of the world. Unfortunately for us the weather had different ideas as the odd drop from the skies turned into persistent drizzling in a thick swirl of mist, certainly not ideal weather for scenery-viewing! We enjoyed a splendid lunch inside our boat until the sky opened slightly, mist swirling around the vast array of nearly 2000 limestone outcrops that spectacularly rise from the deep green sea. A highlight was a visit to Hang Đầu Gỗ, (Wooden Stalks Cave), exploring the amazing moon-like landscape inside this huge 3 cave complex. Riding through the variety of different rock formations we finally docked on Cat Ba Island for an overnight stay. Rising early for our walk through an area of limestone forest that makes Cat Ba justly famous produced little in the way of birds and the mist prevented us from obtaining any kind of a view across the bay! Returning with tails between legs we eventually scored as Grey-faced Buzzards had been pushed down by the weather. As the heat spilled over to the late morning we watch the spectacle of hundreds, well over 500, of these migrating raptors drifting north back to their breeding grounds having spent the winter in Indonesia. Flocks of Pacific Swifts occasionally joined the mass of buzzards as they circled low overhead. Bidding farewell we arrived back in Hanoi for a final taste of Vietnamese cuisine (though we all preferred the culinary talents of the Khmer!). The evening culminated with front row seats for the show at the famous Thang Long Water Puppet Theatre. Water puppetry is a traditional art form with distinctive culture identity of Vietnam. it came to existence, developed and diversified over a thousand years ago in the Red River Delta; a wonderful occasion to finish off our final night of the tour.
With a day in Hanoi we dabbled in the culture once more. No visit to Hanoi would be complete without a visit to the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum and his wonderful house and gardens, though it was the Temple of Literature that stole our hearts with the chance performance of a traditional Vietnamese folk band playing under the red lights of the temple and a fitting way to complete this splendid tour of birds, wildlife and culture, and we even managed to fit in a final couple of hours of shopping!
Halong Bay © James Eaton/Birdtour Asia
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