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Bird news from Vietnam, from Vietnam's resident and visiting birders.

20 November 2011

An owly day / 19-11-2011

Hi all,

Last weekend, I explored a new patch (look here) along the Red River, located approximately 20km upstream of Hanoi. A wonderful area, hundreds of hectares of grasslands, reeds, sandbars, mudflats, ponds… with no hunters, no 4x4…. I didn’t see much birds at this time (it was at noon) but I promised myself to come back. It is just the kind of place where you feel there is something great to find…

So yesterday I came back there. First, I was very happy to spot 2 Pied Avocets. I haven’t seen one for a fairly long time. It was the only good wader I found there. Four Pied Harriers were hanging around. I observed also 10 Black Kites resting on the sand and sun bathing with open wings, some Black-shouldered Kites…

The place where I flushed 3+1 Short-eared Owls.

The first three ones were near the clump of grass located exactly in the centre of the image

As I was walking between the soft sand and the grassy terrace, I bumped into 3 Short-eared Owls that were roosting at the feet of a clump of grass. I flushed them at very close distance (10m). I managed to get some shots, but all - except one - are blurry !


Very excited, I decided to check the nearby thick grass terrace. After 200-300m walking through high blade grass, I flushed 2 other owls at a very very short distance (3m!), in a patch with sparse bushes.
They flew up from a bush in which I found, on the ground, a nest with 7 eggs! The birds flew a short distance ahead (ca 50) and put down again in the thick vegetation. I noticed that the face was very like Barn Owl. I phoned immediately to Falk, who was busy with his bears. “ Does the Barn Owl nests sometimes on the ground ?”, I asked stupidly. ”No, but the Grass Owl does”; he answered. Grass Owl ? I must confess that it was the first time I heard about this species.


100 meters from the nest, in this small area without vegetation, I found many pellets



Let’s hope this disturbance will not have bad consequences on the success of this pair. In one month, I will check the nest… if I can find it again, it’s not guaranteed at all !

One hour after, I went back to the area where I saw the 3 Short-eared Owls to take a photo of the habitat. I flushed again an individual, of course not at the same clump of grass but not far away.




Sébastien Delonglée

8 comments:

  1. This looks like a great new site Sebastian! You're unstoppable this autumn!

    Simon

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  2. That's just awesome - how could someone possibly post after these records?!
    We should go there in 2 weeks or so!
    Cheers
    Falk

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  3. yes Simon it is a great site. An area of wide open spaces where you can walk hours and meet no one.
    What about the Pied Avocet ? This species is considered as vagrant in E Tonkin, but recorded every year or not ?
    Sebastien

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  4. I'm not sure if they're recorded every year - I certainly have never seen them in Vietnam but maybe some of the more experienced VN-birders can say something, Richard, Jonathan?

    Seb, are you free to visit Vinh Tuy on Tuesday some time?

    Cheers
    Falk

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  5. Tuesday, I am free at noon, which is not the best time because of heat haze in the scope.
    But wednesday, four o'clock, I am ok if you want.

    Sebastien

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  6. excuse moi, i have to work on wednesday. i'll check it out on tuesday anyway. let's see what's around.
    cheers
    Falk

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  7. Three more fantastic records of three very scarce birds in Vietnam. Brilliant stuff Sebastien! I wouldn't think there are too many records of Pied Avocet, Short-eared Owl or Grass Owl from Vietnam. I certainly haven't heard of any recent sightings myself although they are all recorded in Robson for East Tonkin of course. I have yet to see any of those three species in Vietnam! To record all three at one site in one day is pretty amazing. Well done again Sebastien ... I need to book that flight to Hanoi ASAP ...

    Cheers,

    Richard

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  8. Avocet is less than annual in Vietnam (I seem to recall that Jack Tordoff had the last record a good few years back) and there aren't many records of SEO either, although of course the lack of people checking suitable habitat in winter is certainly a factor here, at least for the owl.

    Grass Owl is a scarce resident, probably not as scarce as we think - who regularly checks grassy areas at night (not me at least). The only one I saw was not countable - it had been recently captured by kids in Ha Giang Province. Although I was traveling with the head of the Provincial Forest Department and the capture of any species of owl is illegal in VN, he did not believe me when I told him this and he refused to confiscate and release it. I was disappointed rather than surprised.

    I'd wait for a month or so Richard before booking those flights - as the winter progresses that site will surely only get better!

    Simon

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