Vietnam Bird News: Dalat and Cat Tien NP, 28.11. /1.12.-4.12.

5 December 2010

Dalat and Cat Tien NP, 28.11. /1.12.-4.12.

I made use of a work trip to the south to squeeze in quite some birding in Dalat (Tuyen Lam lake, 28.11.2010) and Cat Tien National Park (1.-4.12.2010). In Dalat I was with my colleague Nils. In Cat Tien I joined Swedish birder Peter for some of the time, he was on a tour organised by Richard and in Cat Tien guided by Mr. Duyen. Excellent birding throughout, below some of the highlights.

In Dalat, best bird was certainly the Blue Pitta that I was so lucky to spot for a second near the trail (very silent the Pittas otherwise at this time of the year). Also very nice were the Vietnamese Cutia and the Indochinese Green Magpie, favorite birds of mine, but not less nice the Rufous-browed and Snowy-browed Flycatcher found in the forest under-storey.

Plenty of birds in Cat Tien NP, including a few lifers for me:

A Lesser Fish Eagle not far from Ben Cu Rapids was one of the highlights.
A secretive Germain's Peacock Pheasant at the headquarters, 20 m from the bear enclosure, and Siamese Firebacks seen very well from the Crododile Lake trail.
Woodpeckers: Black-and-buff and Heart-spotted Woodpecker were new to me, also seen Bay, Rufous and Laced Woodpecker and Greater Yellownape. And a White-browed Piculet. Great Slaty Woodpecker was heard very close-by but remained invisible, still needing that one. Three Common Flamebacks were doing some Drongo-style insect hawking from a dead tree stump in the evening sunlight, an amazing sight.
Black-and-red Broadbill and the very funny looking Dusky Broadbill.
Orange-bellied Trogon was another long wanted lifer, also seen Red-headed Trogon.
Two Bar-bellied Pittas seen and many more heard but not found, no sound and sight of Blue-rumped Pitta, one more reason to come back....
Quite a few Hainan Blue and Tickell's Flycatchers, one Blue-throated Flycatcher.
A female and a stunning male Siberian Blue Robin and also a first winter male Siberian Thrush.
A nice selection of sunbirds including a party of the incredibly colourful Purple-throated Sunbirds.
One more bird very high on my wanted list, the Banded Kingfisher, was heard twice very close-by but kept hidden.
Very last bird before leaving was a Large Scimitar-Babbler, excellent finish!

Apart from birds, I was amazed by the number of primates seen. I saw Black-shanked Douc Langurs every day and they appear not to be very shy.

Finally a few clumsy snapshots, partly through the scope: Golden-crested Mynas, Lesser Fish Eagle, Bronzed Drongo, Pompadour Green Pigeon, Douc Langur and Siamese Crocodile.