Trip at Cuc Phuong & Van Long

Been recently to Van Long and Cuc Phuong (respectively 90 and 120 km from Hanoi) for a 2 days trip with friends. I missed a shot of Red-headed Trogon in Cuc Phuong (awww so sad...). I saw it through the bins and carefully took my camera, but it flew off before I could press the shutter button. I also bumped into some Sunbirds included Olive-backed, Crimson and Fork-tailed, but couldn't get some clean shots.

In Van Long Nature Reserve, Common and White-throated Kingfishers, Pheasant-tailed Jacanas, Purple Swamphens, White-browed Crakes, and some other common birds played ball for the camera. Sadly, no Open-billed Storks, maybe they gone because of hunting pressure around. Van Long is a protected area, but some kilometers away, in the rice fields, that's another story. And the fact that Open-billed Stork is listed in Vietnam's Red Data Book (Vietnamese: Sách đỏ Việt Nam) makes very little difference... 

I also spotted Delacour's Langurs, but they were very high up in the rocks. Great looks but too far to get decent shots.

All in all it was a nice trip despite my disappointment with the Trogon, the Sunbirds and the Storks...But I will be back again soon !

Le Viet Tuan Hoang

Crimson Sunbird

White-browed Crake

White-throated Kingfisher

Purple Swamphen

Chinese Pond Heron

Delacour's Langurs

A very rare endemic Vietnamese primate listed as Critically Endangered (the total population is no more than 250 individuals). This species occurs in a very restricted area of north-central Vietnam, in limestone mountain ranges. Van Long is the best place to see Delacour's Langur in the wild.

Common Kingfisher

Pheasant-tailed Jacana