One long morning we (Richard and Florian) went to the outer island, the rest we birded around the shrimp ponds and the dike.
The tide was low on the morning but Truong had the very good idea not to land at the usual spot on the island but on the southern tip instead, which saved us a lot of wading and made things very comfortable, just 50 m through knee deep water. The island has changed drastically again, the long southern part that used to be a sparsely vegetated sand bank is now densely covered with man-high Casuarina trees. On the northern part, most of the tall trees have been cut and the northern tip is being quite eroded now. Reassuringly, the styrofoam and light-bulb cover of the island is still there.
Throughout the whole morning there was a constant flow of Black Drongos (certainly more than 2000), hundreds of Japanese Sparrowhawks and Barn Swallows drifting southwards. Very impressive. Otherwise we saw 2 Slaty-legged Crake, 1 Oriental Scops Owls, a few Pied Harriers, Oriental and Eurasian Hobby, 3 Wrynecks, 1 Siberian Thrush, lots of Oriental Cuckoos, Chestnut-winged Cuckoos and Koels, Dusky Warbler, Radde's Warbler, Oriental Reed Warbler, Grey-crowned Warbler, lots of Yellow-browed Warbler, a few Siberian Blue Robins, Asian Brown and Hainan Blue Flycatcher. Not too many smaller passerines yet, but also the extensive and very dense Casuarina growth made it difficult to find them.
The shrimps ponds had 10 Painted storks, 7 Black-faced Spoonbills, Spot-billed Ducks and Garganys. One morning there were several huge flocks of Black-crowned Night-herons circling above, undecided where to roost.
The mudflats in the ponds just opposite to the headquarter head a nice selection of waders, among the usual ones there where 2 Common Ringed Plover. 3 birds were Long-billed Dowitchers, we thought, but not 100% sure now that we learned that it would be only the 2nd record there.
The evening of 5th had big influx of Black-naped Orioles, quite a few roosted just around the accommodation at the headquarters
An Orange-headed Thrush was seen on the way back under some Casuarina trees along the dike.
Full list here.
Birding trash island
The backs of Richard and Truong (Xuan Thuy NP staff)
Oriental Scops Owl watching us
I'm presuming you saw Asian Dowitchers and Little Ringed Plovers rather than the extreme vagrants to Vietnam that you've listed?
ReplyDeleteJP
Hi JP. We are sure about the Common Ringed Plovers. Less sure about the Dowitchers, now that we are aware of that it would be a very rare record.
ReplyDeleteI added the full list.
ReplyDeleteHi Florian,
ReplyDeleteAlthough it is not impossible that they were three Long-billed Dowitcher, I am not sure of any records of three vagrant Long-billed Dowitcher together, even in places like the UK and Ireland where singles and even very occasionally twos are an annual occurrence. In addition, I understand that the birds were with Godwits, which are the usual carrier species for Asiatic Dowitcher, whilst a Long-billed would more likely be feeding alone since they prefer a different foraging substrate.
Cheers
Simon
Hi Simon,
ReplyDeleteafter all what you and JP say, I guess Asian D. is indeed more likely then. We went for Long-billed mainly for plumage following the drawings in the Robson.
The 3 birds did not mix with the Godwits, but used the same area for feeding at different times.
Common Ringed Plover would also be a second record for Vietnam. Certainly not impossible, but could you share your field notes (or photos?) for these as they are such a rare record?
ReplyDelete