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Vietnam in October (1 Viewer)

dalat

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Switzerland
Had a nice trip to Vietnam in October. Starting in the South in Can Gio near Saigon, Cat Tien National Park, Dalat, Kontum (Mang Den and Ngoc Linh, where I dipped on the Golden-winged Laughingthrush), Cuc Phuong and finishing in Hanoi.

A bit too lazy to write a full report, so I just link a short compilation of video clips I could take during the trip: https://youtu.be/AsFT4ptKF04

Hope you enjoy it!

And five nice birds below:
- Oriental Hobby
- Pygmy Wren Babbler
- Black-crowned Fulvetta
- Rufous-gorgeted Flycatcher
- Bar-bellied Pitta, my first Pittaphoto ever 3:)
 

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:-O:-O:-O

Ok guys, some more pics then...

First day after arriving in Saigon was a short trip to the coast, at Can Gio, where there are some salt pans and shrimp ponds. The tide was not optimal, and I did not find an early Spooner or Nordmann's Greenshank, but a nice selection of birds anyway.

- A Yellow-vented Bulbul says hi
- Redhshank and Greater Sand Plover (right?)
- Terek Sandpiper
- Asian Dowitcher and Germain's Swiftlet
- Whiskered Tern
 

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Cat Tien was nice as always, although I could already feel that October is certainly not the best season. Everything was pretty slow and often extremly quiet, but after 3 days, still got a decent list. Highlight was good views of German's Peackock Pheasant and a glimpse of a Bar-bellied Pitta crossing the trail. Primates seem doing well, lots of Gibbons singing and the Black-shanked Doucs seem to get more numerous and less shy at every visit.

- Unknown Turtle
- Ruby-cheeked Sunbird
- Black-shanked Douc (big male)
- Black-browed Piculet
- Laced Woodpecker
 

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Thanks James!

Next location was Dalat. I used to live there a couple of years, and actually, the birding bug got me here, 10 years ago. So it was nice to celebrate that anniversary with plenty of birding.

Two full days spent on Tuyen Lam lake, first on the Western side, checking out the parts that are now easier accesible than during my time, because of a new road constructed.

And the second day I went to my former favorite patch on the eastern side. I still prefer this, although its a much longer walk until reaching the broad leaved forest. But because it has a a good part of walking through pine forest and mixed pine and broadleaved patches, and then quite good broadleaved forest, a day there always produces 60 to 70 species. Which is quite good for a day in a Vietnamese forest. I described the trails in this map, a lot around the lake has changed, but the main trail described (1 to 4) is still correct.

From Dalat in the first post: Oriental Hobby, Pygmy Wren Babbler and Black-crowned Fulvetta (endemic)

- Yellow-billed Nuthatch
- Vietnamese Cutia (endemic)
- Grey-crowned Crocias (endemic)
- Mrs. Gould's Sunbird
- Cool Lizard
 

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- Maroon Oriole
- Slender-billed Oriole
- Large Niltava
- Bunch of Grey-crowned Tits
- Clicking Shrike-Babbler
 

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Glenn, it works for me, not sure what is wrong with the link. But I attach the map here. Beware that I made this map almost 10 years ago, and the new roads around the lake and to Pinhat are not yet included. The trail 1-3 is still there and good, I walked it this October. The trailhead around the Phuong Nam restaurant is now confusing because of some construction, but you just have to walk through along the lake until you hit the old trail.
 

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Florian, I tried to follow the trail from Da Tien in the summer of 2016 and couldn't find it. I remember seeing the streams. I had to content myself with birding the pines around the resort and found several of the species you mentioned in the PDF. This year, with my guide, we birded the forest on the other side and found all the specialities, including Indochinese Green Magpie :) -)) except for the Nuthatch, which I still need, and Silver Pheasant. This was near a place called Secret Garden, I think, at the extreme end of the lake. I remember turning off the tarmacked road for a little while.
 
Hi Andy, yes, the trails are not always easy to find, it may need some time for searing around sometimes. But the trails are still there. Certainly easier now to access the broad leaved forest on the other (western) side now.
 
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In Kontum, I first went to Mang Den. Quite some change since my last visit, new roads, new logging trails, more people, bird trappers...
Still some birds to see though. With a lot of effort, found the Chestnut-eared Laughingthrush. Black-hooded were calling frequently, but not easy to see. One time heared Langur noises quite closely, but did not manage to see them. A shame, as they are Grey-shanked Doucs here, I've not yet seen those yet.

The main goal was of course the new road crossing near Ngoc Linh, an area long inaccessible for foreigners. The road now gives access to the Golden-winged Laughingthrush. The first morning I was lucky with relatively good weather and we got close to a bird. Actually it was about 5 m away calling in the vegetation, but refused to show. Bugger! By mid-day it started to rain and next day was even worse, with zero visability. So this one has to wait for another time.

Pics:
- Nice forest at Ngoc Linh
- The best I could get of a Black-hooded Laughingthrush
- Rufous-faced Warbler
- Black-throated Sunbird
- Collared Owlet
 

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- Crested Serpent Eagle
- Blue Rock Thrush
- Long-tailed Shrike
- Blakccrowned Barwing at Lo Xo on the way to Danang (but also common at Ngoc Linh)
 

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Florian, I tried to follow the trail from Da Tien in the summer of 2016 and couldn't find it. I remember seeing the streams. I had to content myself with birding the pines around the resort and found several of the species you mentioned in the PDF. This year, with my guide, we birded the forest on the other side and found all the specialities, including Indochinese Green Magpie :) -)) except for the Nuthatch, which I still need, and Silver Pheasant. This was near a place called Secret Garden, I think, at the extreme end of the lake. I remember turning off the tarmacked road for a little while.

Sam Woods and I visited Ho Toyen Lam in 2002 and never found any trails or the Nuthatch, one area was recenly burned and we actually got very lost at one point.
 
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