Indochinese Green Magie (1 Viewer)

[dalat]

Today I was out in the forest for a good day's birding at my favorite site (http://www.birdforum.net/showthread.php?p=1478452#post1478452) here in Dalat, Vietnam.

I had a really fantastic encounter with a stunning Indochinese Green Magpie, easily one of the most beautiful birds to be found here (http://orientalbirdimages.org/searc...esult&Bird_ID=2378&Bird_Family_ID=&pagesize=1).
Usually these birds are very shy, you get a quick look and gone they are. This time, and this is the first time this happend, one came to check me out, came close to about 3 m to me, and hopped around me for almost a minute, before deciding to do the usual caw and disappear. Absolutely amazing!

Otherwise seen 3 out of the 6 Dalat endemics, Collared Laughingthrushes (good views as well, which is not so frequent neither for this skulker), Grey-crowned Crocias and Vietnamese Greenfinches. Silver Pheasant was also nice, less nice the snares at the exact same location, had to collect a good dozen of them...

No Pittas today, only heard Blue Pitta at one instance, but impossible to locate. I guess they're not very vocal at this time of the year. But still plenty of other good birds like Black-hooded and White-cheeked Laughingthrushes, Silver-eared Mesias, Black-crowned Parrotbills, and many others. And got home before the rain. So definitely a good day!

Florian

 

[halftwo]

Excellent, Florian, a lovely bird. A good list too.
And very well done on collecting those snares - keep up the good work.

H

 

[Marmot]

Did you manage to get any photos of the Indochinese Green Magpie as it is one that we do not have any photos of.

Sounds like a great day

 

[Hanno]

Hi Florian, good stuff. Had excellent views of IGM at Di Linh just before leaving for Cambodia, alas no photos. Maybe they are less shy in Summer?

 

[dalat]

Hi!
Don't know why they seem less shy now. But it was almost strange, this bird coming so close, eye to eye...

Sorry, no photo, as I am not photographing, only watching (sth. which is quite hard to explain to the average Vietnamese ).

For the snares, yes, this is the sadder part of birding here. Seeing animal trapping and habitat destruction is always part of it. Collecting the snares is probably more a kind of symbolic act to myself than that it would change much...

Florian

 

[Blutarski]

We don't have anything like that magpie here! Cardinals are pretty tho...

Is it risky to collect the snares? Will the hunter be angry enough to retaliate against you for taking his traps?

 

[dalat]

Is it risky to collect the snares?

No idea, I've wondered that myself. Violence against foreigners is not a common thing here, but I still try not to be seen collecting snares... (anyway I don't do that every day).

 

[halftwo]

No idea, I've wondered that myself. Violence against foreigners is not a common thing here, but I still try not to be seen collecting snares... (anyway I don't do that every day).

I've collected a few in Thailand which I'd seen being layed. The man later came looking for me while I still in the area - I don't know what he would have done if he'd found me - I stayed hidden until he left!

 

[Hanno]

It is true that there is little violence against foreigners, but I'd still be careful. The poachers have no qualms attacking policemen and wardens, not sure how far they'd go.