White-eared Night Heron, Ba Be NP (1 Viewer)

I see that the latest BirdQuest Vietnam tour report / itinerary states that they no longer visit Ba Be NP:

"...in 2016 and 2017 we did not go to the site (despite it being in the itinerary) as there were no breeding locations known any longer. The local farmers destroyed the nest in 2016 and it has not been relocated, so seeing the bird became very difficult again."

Anybody have idea what happened? Was this a deliberate act by the local farmers to target the birds, and if so - why? Or was it just routine uncaring land-clearance? Sad and pointless either way.

Also, slightly puzzling wording as seeing birds on the nest was never the only way to see WENH at Ba Be - they could be straightforwardly seen leaving their day-roosts at dusk, and at known daytime roosts. Is this no longer the case?

I hope to be in Ba Be in 2½ weeks, so let's see...

Hope you have good luck. I guess you have gen, but Mr Chat was the boatman we used in 2015. He kept tabs on roosting herons so may know the score. It's a nice place in any event.

The Birdfinders group with Vaughan Ashby saw it on their recent trip.

Steve

I've had a PM explaining the situation. Seems it's perhaps a subject best not discussed further on a public forum.

I think there is a 50/50 chance of a tickable view being available later this year. We got night heron shapes flying back to roost calling; I assume 4 birds in total. Maybe an evening fly by would have happened in sufficient light for tickable views, but we had time constraints.
For better views without a known roost site you need to find one feeding --- which is a lottery.