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Mixed bits of birding in Vietnam (Oct 2015)
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<blockquote data-quote="dalat" data-source="post: 3314484" data-attributes="member: 65207"><p><strong><u>Hanoi </u></strong> is normally not very exiting for a birder. Most of Vietnam's rural landscape is devoid of birds and more so is Hanoi. <strong>Red-whiskered Bulbuls, Japanese White-eyes, Common Tailorbirds and Tree Sparrows </strong>is more less all you can expect to see.</p><p></p><p>Different in migration season. Hanoi, located at the Red River, lies along a major flyway, and the few green areas in the vast urban desert often yield good birds. Amazing sights are possible. In the last couple of years, the few resident birders in Hanoi have made quite some discoveries, including a good list of firsts for Vietnam. Last spring, I've seen a Silver Oriole there! Of course this time I also used the days in Hanoi to get out for birds in the morning. No spectacular sightings this time, so much already, but still very enjoyable...</p><p></p><p>When I lived in Hanoi, the places to go were the Botanical Gardens and the large Lenin Park in central Hanoi. They had a few untidy areas with scrub and some shitty places behind the toilets attracting Flycatchers and the like. They've cleaned up the parks a bit more and they seem less interesting now. Another interesting place is the large Island in the Red River, which can be accessed from the old Railway bridge (Long Bien). Lots of cultivations there, but also some swampy bits, scrub, grass and small groups of trees. A good mix of habitats and many birds can be found. The negative thing is that you have to share the fun with guys with guns who enjoy shooting at Sparrows, Flycatchers and anything else :C So the last few times I mainly went to Bai Da, a place near the northern tip of the Red River Island, where they have turned the river shore into a kitschy flowery place, very popular with young people for shooting fotos. The advantage is that you can park your motorbike there safely (against a fee) and they seem to keep the hunters out of the little forest there. The crowds rarely go that far (it's not far at all, but still), so an enjoyable place for a birding morning. Things change fast in Vietnam and alreay next spring, the forested area could be turned into a banana plantation or a rose garden decorated with concret micky mice, but for now it's a place to recommend for anyone having a morning to spare in spring or automn. It's here: <a href="https://www.google.ch/maps/place/21%C2%B004'50.5%22N+105%C2%B050'05.3%22E/@21.0789415,105.8346772,1059m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m2!3m1!1s0x0:0x0" target="_blank">https://www.google.ch/maps/place/21°04'50.5"N+105°50'05.3"E/@21.0789415,105.8346772,1059m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m2!3m1!1s0x0:0x0</a></p><p></p><p>I went there maybe three mornings. It seems I was too late for Flycatchers, apart from a lone <strong>Asian Paradise Flycatcher</strong> and lots of <strong>Grey-headed Canary Flycatcher,</strong> there weren't any. Yes, a <strong>Hainan Blue </strong>was there as well. The main attraction was warbler hunting. Quite a few different ones, and both identifying Phyllos and Seicercus Warblers is a bit above my skill level. I always learn a lot, and next time I go there, I've forgotten most of it. On top they keep splitting these birds, and usually in a way that even the pros can't ID them any more on migration. But somehow I still like Warblers... At least more than Gulls :-O</p><p></p><p>Assisted by the <a href="http://www.birdforum.net/showthread.php?t=314510&highlight=Vietnam" target="_blank">ID forum</a>, I found <strong>Claudia's Leaf Warbler, Arctic Warbler</strong> (probably nominate borealis), <strong><strong>Yellow-browed Warbler, Dusky Warbler, Radde's Warbler, Grey-crowned Warbler</strong> and <strong>Bianci's Warbler.</strong></strong> Here a video of the Claudia's Leaf Warbler: <a href="https://youtu.be/eNeBASbL8UI" target="_blank">https://youtu.be/eNeBASbL8UI</a></p><p></p><p>Most conspicuous were a number of D<strong>rongos, mostly Black and Hair-crested</strong>. A few female Orioles, but I could not see them well (no Silver anyway). Quite a few <strong>Asian Koel</strong> as well. In one dense bit of brush, there were quite distinct calls to hear. It sounded a bit like Laughingthushes, and after a while I remembered that a friend had seen <strong>Masked Laughingthrush</strong> here several times. As I've missed that one last year in Bach Ma, I put in some effort and eventually got onto them. Yes, a nice lifer! Apparently they are breeding here, the friend had seen young birds at one occasion. </p><p></p><p>What else? <strong>Ashy Minivert, Black-winged</strong> and <strong>Great Cuckooshrikes</strong> in the canopy. <strong>Sib Stonechat </strong>, <strong>Grey Bushchat, Brown Shrike </strong>and <strong>Blue Rockthrush</strong> in the open areas, and <strong>Grey-throated Martins</strong> along the river (they seem to breed there).</p><p></p><p>But the big Hanoi highlight came at a different place, where this friend helped me to see a pair of <strong>Grassowls</strong>. Awesome!</p><p></p><p>Photos:</p><p>- Red River</p><p>- Siberian Stonechat</p><p>- Blue Rockthrush</p><p>- Grey-throated Martins</p><p>- Eastern Grassowl</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="dalat, post: 3314484, member: 65207"] [B][U]Hanoi [/U][/B] is normally not very exiting for a birder. Most of Vietnam's rural landscape is devoid of birds and more so is Hanoi. [B]Red-whiskered Bulbuls, Japanese White-eyes, Common Tailorbirds and Tree Sparrows [/B]is more less all you can expect to see. Different in migration season. Hanoi, located at the Red River, lies along a major flyway, and the few green areas in the vast urban desert often yield good birds. Amazing sights are possible. In the last couple of years, the few resident birders in Hanoi have made quite some discoveries, including a good list of firsts for Vietnam. Last spring, I've seen a Silver Oriole there! Of course this time I also used the days in Hanoi to get out for birds in the morning. No spectacular sightings this time, so much already, but still very enjoyable... When I lived in Hanoi, the places to go were the Botanical Gardens and the large Lenin Park in central Hanoi. They had a few untidy areas with scrub and some shitty places behind the toilets attracting Flycatchers and the like. They've cleaned up the parks a bit more and they seem less interesting now. Another interesting place is the large Island in the Red River, which can be accessed from the old Railway bridge (Long Bien). Lots of cultivations there, but also some swampy bits, scrub, grass and small groups of trees. A good mix of habitats and many birds can be found. The negative thing is that you have to share the fun with guys with guns who enjoy shooting at Sparrows, Flycatchers and anything else :C So the last few times I mainly went to Bai Da, a place near the northern tip of the Red River Island, where they have turned the river shore into a kitschy flowery place, very popular with young people for shooting fotos. The advantage is that you can park your motorbike there safely (against a fee) and they seem to keep the hunters out of the little forest there. The crowds rarely go that far (it's not far at all, but still), so an enjoyable place for a birding morning. Things change fast in Vietnam and alreay next spring, the forested area could be turned into a banana plantation or a rose garden decorated with concret micky mice, but for now it's a place to recommend for anyone having a morning to spare in spring or automn. It's here: [url]https://www.google.ch/maps/place/21%C2%B004'50.5%22N+105%C2%B050'05.3%22E/@21.0789415,105.8346772,1059m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m2!3m1!1s0x0:0x0[/url] I went there maybe three mornings. It seems I was too late for Flycatchers, apart from a lone [B]Asian Paradise Flycatcher[/B] and lots of [B]Grey-headed Canary Flycatcher,[/B] there weren't any. Yes, a [B]Hainan Blue [/B]was there as well. The main attraction was warbler hunting. Quite a few different ones, and both identifying Phyllos and Seicercus Warblers is a bit above my skill level. I always learn a lot, and next time I go there, I've forgotten most of it. On top they keep splitting these birds, and usually in a way that even the pros can't ID them any more on migration. But somehow I still like Warblers... At least more than Gulls :-O Assisted by the [URL="http://www.birdforum.net/showthread.php?t=314510&highlight=Vietnam"]ID forum[/URL], I found [B]Claudia's Leaf Warbler, Arctic Warbler[/B] (probably nominate borealis), [B][B]Yellow-browed Warbler, Dusky Warbler, Radde's Warbler, Grey-crowned Warbler[/B] and [B]Bianci's Warbler.[/B][/B] Here a video of the Claudia's Leaf Warbler: [url]https://youtu.be/eNeBASbL8UI[/url] Most conspicuous were a number of D[B]rongos, mostly Black and Hair-crested[/B]. A few female Orioles, but I could not see them well (no Silver anyway). Quite a few [B]Asian Koel[/B] as well. In one dense bit of brush, there were quite distinct calls to hear. It sounded a bit like Laughingthushes, and after a while I remembered that a friend had seen [B]Masked Laughingthrush[/B] here several times. As I've missed that one last year in Bach Ma, I put in some effort and eventually got onto them. Yes, a nice lifer! Apparently they are breeding here, the friend had seen young birds at one occasion. What else? [B]Ashy Minivert, Black-winged[/B] and [B]Great Cuckooshrikes[/B] in the canopy. [B]Sib Stonechat [/B], [B]Grey Bushchat, Brown Shrike [/B]and [B]Blue Rockthrush[/B] in the open areas, and [B]Grey-throated Martins[/B] along the river (they seem to breed there). But the big Hanoi highlight came at a different place, where this friend helped me to see a pair of [B]Grassowls[/B]. Awesome! Photos: - Red River - Siberian Stonechat - Blue Rockthrush - Grey-throated Martins - Eastern Grassowl [/QUOTE]
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