Zebra Dove at Ho Tram Beach Resort

Hi All,

Further to Florian and Simon's reports of Zebra Doves in the vicinity of Vinh Cuu and Cat Tien last year I can now confirm that they have arrived at Ho Tram, 100km or so to the South-East of Saigon. During a pre-Tet beach break there with the family at the weekend I came across several Zebra Doves looking very at home in the casuarinas around the Ho Tram Beach Resort. Although much of the weekend was spent in the swimming pool and on the water slides rather than looking for birds there were plenty of birds around the resort with Plain-backed Sparrows and Grey-headed Greenfinches common in the casuarinas as usual. A list of birds seen on a pre-breakfast stroll around the resort, beachfront and neighbouring scrub and from my sun lounger follows:

Little Heron
Pond Heron species
Eastern Cattle Egret
Little Egret
Kentish Plover
Spotted Dove
Zebra Dove
Plaintive Cuckoo
Asian Koel
White-throated Kingfisher
Little Green Bee-Eater
Common Hoopoe
Golden-bellied Gerygone
Racket-tailed Treepie
Brown Shrike
Olive-backed Sunbird
Scarlet-backed Flowerpecker
White-rumped Munia
Plain-backed Sparrow
Grey-capped Greenfinch
Taiga Flycatcher
Sooty-headed Bulbul
Streak-eared Bulbul
Barn Swallow
Red-rumped Swallow
Common Tailorbird

All the best and chuc mung nam moi etc... to all,

Richard Craik