Nordmann's Greenshank at Can Gio 12 & 13 Nov 2011

It's been a good weekend for Nordmann's Greenshank down at Can Gio. Jonathan Eames found five birds among a flock of c.400 Great Knot at a high tide roost at a location we hadn't visited before on Saturday afternoon. Then on Sunday afternoon I had wonderful scope views from a distance of around 25 metres of six birds settling down to roost at the same location. I was able to observe them for an hour or so before I had to head back to Saigon. The 400 Great Knot where still around along with c.50 Bar-tailed Godwit, a dozen Eurasian Curlew and small numbers of Common Greenshank, Marsh Sandpiper, Black-winged Stilt, etc. There were the usual zillions of Lesser Sand-plovers on the drier pans along with Greater Sand-plovers and White-faced Plovers. All photos by Jonathan C. Eames.




Cheers,

Richard Craik

Spoon-billed Sandpiper at Can Gio / 02-11-2011

Hi all,

Jonathan Eames and I found a Spoon-billed Sandpiper feeding among the Red-necked Stints on the salt pans down at Can Gio yesterday afternoon. Not sure if this is first record from Can Gio but it is certainly the first time we have recorded the species there on our regular visits. Photos by Jonathan.

Cheers,

Richard Craik

Can Gio Biosphere Reserve / Can Thanh, 29-4-11

Hi all,

A great afternoon was spent along the road (Rung Sac) that leads through Can Gio Biosphere Reserve, and along the coastline southwest of Can Thanh (at the roundabout south of the reserve follow Duyen Hai to the southwest, and take any path that leads south to the coast OR take Thanh Thoi straight south, see here:

http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&biw=1280&bih=610&q=vietnam+map&um=1&ie=UTF-8&hq=&hnear=Vietnam&gl=vn&ei=wvnATbD6H5CkuAPEl5mbBA&sa=X&oi=geocode_result&ct=image&resnum=1&ved=0CCMQ8gEwAA

Interesting birds seen included:
- 1 2nd cy Heuglin's Gull
- at least 6 White-faced Plovers
- at least 3 Grey-tailed Tattlers
- plenty of Whiskered, White-winged Black and Common Terns, as well as 1 Little Tern and 1 probable Swift Tern
- Great Knot, Lesser and Greater Sand Plover, Terek Sandpiper, Turnstone, Pacific Golden Plovers (some of them in stunning breeding plumage) + lots of Bar-tailed Godwits and Whimbrels
- a few Indian Cormorants along the Mangroves
- Collared Kingfishers everywhere
- Ashy Tailorbird
- Golden-bellied Gerygone
- Racket-tailed Treepie

Cheers,
Daniel, Simon, Falk

Terns and Knots in Can Gio 10th February 2011

I don't know what are "normal" numbers of these species in the Can Gio area, but here are my sighting on the beach this morning. At least for me the number of terns was high. All the terns were resting together on the beach. I guess the Great Knot is not a common species here. The photo has an unusual format, but I try to include it. 150 Great Knot (forground, right-hand side); 110 Caspian Tern; 200+ Little Tern; 80+ Whiskered Tern Arild