Myanmar July – August 2013, Kalaw

Famous amongst birders for being the best place in the world to see Burmese Yuhina, Kalaw is on the itinary of most birding crews visiting this country. Besides this it is also possible to see the very rarely observed Olive Bulbul. Mostly they stay here only one or two days, but we decided to give the forest some more time. First we did a two day trek into the lush evergreen forest surrounding Ye-Aye-Kan reservoir. We organised this trek through the Golden Lily Guesthouse, who can arrange a lot for everyone, but I would not recommend them, for they pay their guides less than the minimum wage… We first wanted a bird guide (Ko Pan, based in Kalaw. kopanornithologist15@gmail.com), but apparently he asked $100 per day per person (or so we were told by the Golden Lily Guesthouse). Therefore we hired Sunny (sunnypanday@gmail.com, if this doesn´t work try his sister´s e-mail address: vidiyarpanday@gmail.com), a regular but very enthusiastic young guide, with excellent knowledge of the forest paths.

We birded the forests around Ye-Aye-Kan reservoir, mainly on smaller tracks, for two full days and this resulted in a reasonable 70 or 80 species including Long-tailed and Silver-breasted Broadbill, Cook´s Swift, Scarlet-faced Liocichla, Red-headed Trogon, Greater Yellow-nape, Greater Flameback, Common Green Magpie, Dark-backed Sibia, Yunnan Fulvetta, Puff-throated Babbler, Chinese Francolin, Orange-bellied Leafbird, Spectacled Barwing and Large Hawk Cuckoo. Unfortunately we did not find the much wanted Burmese Yuhina or the Olive Bulbul.

Grey-capped Pygmy Woodpecker (Dendrocopus canicapillus)

Spectacled Barwing (Actinodura ramsayi)

Greater Flameback (Chrysocolaptes guttacristatus)

Scarlet-faced Liocichla (Liocichla ripponi)

Male Red-headed Trogon (Harpactes erythrocephalus)

Therefore we did another one-day hike to the reservoir and focused only on the jeep track leading to the reservoir and not on the small paths, for it is much easier birding, less muddy and very good forest here. This proved to be an outstanding idea, for after an hour we were rewarded with quick views of a pair of Olive Bulbuls. Seeing Burmese Yuhina took more effort, but after five hours of searching we finally found a pair, which unfortunately disappeared just as quickly as the Olive Bulbuls. We found that most birds in Myanmar are rather furtive and hard to observe or approach. Other species observed along the jeep track included Grey-headed Parrotbill, White-crowned Forktail, Blue-bearded Bee-eater, Asian Paradise Flycatcher, Hill Blue Flycatcher, Asian Emerald Cuckoo and Stripe-breasted Woodpecker, White-browed Shortwing, Rufous-necked Laughingthrush and White-tailed Robin.

I liked birding the forests around Ye-Aye-Kan reservoir a lot, but Palearctic winter is definitely a better time. When going in Palearctic summer you miss a lot of migrants and you should expect (very) muddy conditions and leaches, although the jeep track is ok. However, if you just go for the Yuhina and the Bulbul you might as well go in summer, for it is perfectly possible to see them.

Myanmar July – August 2013, Inle Lake

This site is another major touristic attraction that is also on the birding radar. Access to the gate-way town of the lake, Nyaung Shwe, is vere easy. Here accommodation can be found for every budget. We stayed in the Four Sisters Guest House, which can highly recommend for its cheap, but nice rooms, with views over the rice paddies that might yield Sarus Cranes. However best of all are the reliable and very tame Collared Scops Owls which show up in the tiny garden everyday around 20:00. For birders this site is known for its healthy population of Jerdon´s Bushchat and for being a reliable site for Collared Myna. In 2012 two other key species were added in the form of Sarus Crane and Chinese Grass Babbler, which were discovered in the North-eastern edge of the lake. Chinese Grass Babbler is the striata subspecies and a potential split form the Rufous-rumped Grass Babbler complex (formerly Rufous-rumped Grassbird). If being split, Inle Lake would be the sole place to see this species!

Collared Scops Owl (Otus lettia)

We first did the standard touristic boat ride every tourist does on the lake, visiting local shops and monasteries with the thought: what birds can we see on this tour? This turned out to be a good idea for we managed to see two male Jerdon´s Bushchats on the eastern side of the main channel connecting Nyaung Shwe with the lake and around ten Collared Myna´s on the floating gardens in the middle of the lake! Other interesting birds included Yellow and Cinnamon Bittern, many Blue-tailed Bee-eaters, Striated and Wire-tailed Swallow, Yellow-bellied Prinia and Clamorous Reed Warbler.

The next day we walked into the fields and marshes South-east of Nyaung Shwe, mainly in search for Sarus Crane. We did not the cranes, but we did find a pair of Jerdon´s Bushchats with juveniles east of the side channels of the main channel. More surprisingly and excitingly: we found two Chinese Grass Babblers a bit north of this site. This species was only seen from boat rides before! Other good birds included Lineated Barbet, Plaintive Cuckoo, Blue-tailed Bee-eater, Chestnut-capped and Yellow-eyed Babbler, Paddyfield Pipit, Crested Bunting and Black-tailed Crake.

Female Jerdon´s Bushcat  (Saxicola jerdoni)

Male Jerdon´s Bushcat (Saxicola jerdoni)

Plaintive Cuckoo (Cacomantis merulinus) 

Blue-tailed Bee-eater (Merops philippinus)

Yellow-bellied Prinia (Prinia flaviventris)

Although this is a highly touristic site, visited heavily by birders and non-birders, there is still a lot to be discovered. Therefore I recommend looking on different spots than just the main spots the birding tours always visit (Bushchat site on the main channel and the “birding platform”). We did not go to any of these and still saw almost all key species. 

Myanmar July – August 2013, Bagan

Bagan is The place in the world to see the four dry zone endemics of Myanmar (Burma). There are some less well known alternative sites like Mount Popa, but why skip this site when it can be combined with one of the finest archaeological wonders of Southeast Asia? The site can be easily accessed by bus from Yangon and most of them are even air-conditioned! In Bagan accommodation can be found in Nyaung U, Old Bagan and New Bagan. Nyaung U offers the budget choices, but we stayed in New Bagan, for Nyaung U is more than 15 km away from the best bird watching site. When staying in New Bagan however, it is only a ten minute bicycle ride. The best spot for bird watching is located South of New Bagan. The fields around the Sitsana Pagoda and especially the area around the small temple complex North of the Sitsana Pagoda can be very productive. It is good idea to buy a map (1.000 Kyat) to make sure you find this site.

We birded this area for one afternoon and two consecutive mornings. Two of the four endemics, White-throated Babbler and Burmese Bush Lark, are common and easy to find. They can be seen at most places in Bagan. The reasons for going to the Sitsana Pagoda area are the other two endemics: Jerdon´s Minivet and Hooded Treepie. I found the Minivet a lot easier than the Treepie and scored around 20 individuals in the fields directly around the Sitsana Pagoda. The Treepie however is a bitch and it took me three days to find a single one in the fields around the small temple complex North of the Sitsana Pagoda. Other birds of interest observed around the Sitsana Pagoda included: Laggar Falcon, Rain Quail (heard only), Barred Buttonquail, Plain-backed Sparrow, Streaked Weaver, Collared Dove (ssp. xanthocyclus which is almost definitely its own species and thus an endemic), Indian Nightjar (three flushed individuals from the rubbish dump north of the Sitsana Pagoda), Vinous-breasted Starling (ssp. burmannicus), Common Iora, Pied Stonechat and Spotted Owlet. Mammals observed around here were several Irrawaddy Squirrels and a single Burmese Hare next to many unidentified Free-tailed Bats.
  

Indian Nightjar (Caprimulgus asiaticus)

Spotted Owlet (Athene brama)

White-throated Babbler (Turdoides gularis)

Jerdon´s Minivet (Pericrocotus albifrons)

The distinctive xanthocyclus subspecies of Collared Dove (Streptopelia decaocto) that is most likely its own species

Burmese Bushlark (Mirafra microptera)

Another key birding area is an island in the Irrawaddy river, which holds White-tailed Stonechats. We tried to get to the island, but failed completely due to a lack of local knowledge and a boatman familiar with the site. We did not try again, for the river was very high and therefor rather uninteresting from a birding perspective. We did not even see a single Small Pratincole even though we were on the river for more than an hour!

The rest of the time was spent enjoying the magnificent stupa´s and pagoda´s around Old and New Bagan which are an archaeological spectacle. Our bike tours to various temples even resulted in a White-eyed Buzzard next to many White-throated Babblers and Burmese Bush Larks. It is rare that such a touristic attraction can be combined so easily with high quality birding. So I think that Bagan for the birding and the pagoda´s is an experience not to be missed.

Blue-crested Lizard (Calotes mystaceus)

Thailand July 2013, Bangkok

Before heading to Myanmar we spent a few days in the Thai capital, Bangkok, because we had to arrange our visas for Myanmar here. This posed no problems at all and we had the visas within a few days. The necessary information on the visa business can be found here. While we were waiting for the visas we did a small amount of birding within the city. We focused on some small parks (mainly the Lumbini Park) within the city. We did not see anything special, as the migratory season had not started yet, but the resident Shikra's, Plaintive Cuckoos, Asian Koels, Streak-eared Bulbuls, Common Ioras, Malaysian Pied Fantails, Black-collared Starlings, Scarlet-backed Flowerpeckers and Olive-backed Sunbirds were entertaining. The herpetofauna of Bangkok is also rather interesting, as we observed several turtles, including Yellow-headed Temple-turtle, next to the ever present Water Monitors in the ponds and Channels of Bangkok. However I guess most or all of these are escaped or released pets.

On our we from and to the airport we also saw several Asian Openbills amongst more common herons, while the airport itself proved good for some Black-winged Stilts and Red-wattled Lapwings. Obviously this is all not very spectacular, but during the migratory season a fair amount of good birds can be observed just within the city. For more information on birding in Bangkok see this excellent blog by David Gandy.

Réunion July 2013, La Roche Ecrite

This is The site in Réunion for birders, for it is the only place in the world, where all land endemics of Réunion can be seen. Most of these can be seen throughout the entire island, but Reunion Cuckooshrike is confined to this single mountain and therefore the site is a must for birders. Most birders state that it is necessary to start the trail in the first light, because otherwise it will be rainy or misty or busy with hikers or all three of them. We however visited the island in July, so in winter, which turned out to be perfect. We started at 8:00 leisurely with researcher from SEOR, the weather was perfect all day, there were a few hikers, but not much and best of all: the cuckooshrike is not breeding. This means that tape can be used (in decent quantities) without disturbing this critically endangered species too much. Around 11:00 we found a responsive male near the first area that has been completely cleared of Cryptomeria japonica, an invasive tree species. There is a small sign next to the area stating that rats are the biggest threat to the cuckooshrike. We stood next to the sign and after a while a male Reunion Cuckooshrike preformed marvelously around us. We also saw all other land endemics at this site with ease, including a displaying male Reunion Harrier.

Male Reunion Cuckooshrike (Coracina newtoni)

Male Reunion Cuckooshrike (Coracina newtoni)

Even though I used tape to see the main attraction here, I would definitely refrain from using it in the breeding season, for there are only 33 pairs in the world and there are already enough factors interfering with their breeding success. With the last land endemic seen we finished our birding on this special island resulting in list of a staggering 13 species. When visiting Mauritius, which seems to be more well-known with birders, I highly recommend including Réunion into your itinerary. To be honest, I like Réunion more than Mauritius.

Réunion July 2013, Dimitile

This is another site off the birder radar, but also well worth a visit. We were invited by the SEOR staff to stay a night here and help them with their predator control on this site to protect tubenose colonies. Unfortunately all tubenoses were gone when we were here (from May to August almost all tubenoses that breed at Réunion are at sea). However it might be interesting to listen during a night in this area in the right time of the year. We stayed at Gite Emile, which is a very nice place, with an amazing view, if it is not cloudy. Actually, the entire Dimitile area is very photogenic and most views are simply breath-taking, especially the one into Cirque de Cilaos. Off course there are birds here as well. We observed all land endemics here except the cuckooshrike, which is confined to La Roche Ecrite (see next post). Surprisingly encountered several Reunion Harriers again, some of them in the spectacular display flight and calling out loud! I expected them to be much harder to find and much less common. The dimitile area can be reached only by foot. The tracks start around Entre Deux. We especially enjoyed the track that starts at Zebre. Entre Deux can be reached by bus from Saint Pierre. 

 Male Reunion Stonechat (Saxicola tectes)

Female Reunion Stonechat (Saxicola tectes)

Reunion Bulbul (Hypsipetes borbonicus)

Réunion July 2013, Saint André

Saint André is not particularly on the birders radar when it comes to Reunion. We however spend our first days on La Reunion here, for we were invited by the Société d´Études Ornithologiques de la Réunion (SEOR) to visit their office and their rescue centre, which is located near Saint André in Cambuston. We stayed just north of Saint André and we saw surprisingly quite a few endemics already: Reunion Grey White-eye (it is noticeably diffirent from its sister species on Mauritius), Reunion Olive White-eye, Mascarene Flycatcher (ssp. borbonnicus which has apparently been split from the subspecies on Mauritius) and most surprising several pairs of Reunion Harrier (a reliable site is the barren field next to the SEOR office).

Male Mascarene Paradise Flycatcher (Terpsiphone (borbonnensis) borbonnensis)

Male Mascarene Paradise Flycatcher (Terpsiphone (borbonnensis) borbonnensis)

Reunion Olive White-eye (Zosterops olivaceus)

Reunion Grey White-eye (Zosterops borbonicus)

Mascarene Swiftlet (Aerodramus francicus)

Reunion Harrier (Male) (Circus maillairdi)

Reunion Harrier (male) (Circus maillairdi)

The office and the rescue centre are also well worth a visit, for the staff is very helpful, knowledgeable and friendly and were very willing to show us around. We even got to release two Tropical Shearwaters! The rescue centre takes care of up to 2000 birds each year and 80% of them are petrels or shearwaters. Therefore, if visiting Réunion in March or April, when the peak season for the crashed birds is, I highly recommend swinging by in Saint André, for with a bit of luck you might even see a Mascarene Black Petrel up close! (they get one or two crashed juveniles each year. For more information on Mascarene Black Petrel, see this former post) Just make sure you contact the staff in advance. This can be done through their website: http://www.seor.fr/ The office can be reached by the bus from Saint André to Cambuston. 

Crashed Tropical Shearwater (Puffinus bailloni), ready for release

Mauritius January – July 2013, Rodrigues, Ile Aux Cocos

The other major place of interest for birders in Rodrigues is Iles aux Cocos, not because it hosts any endemics, but because several thousand terns breed here. The current estimate lies around 45.000. Sooty Terns, Common White Terns, Common Noddies and Lesser Noddies use this island and the neighbouring Iles aux Sables year round to breed and rest. Although they have a peak from September to November. We however visited in June and still saw plenty of individuals of both species with ease. When visiting in the arctic winter however, much more waders will be around than the single Whimbrel we observed.

Sooty Tern (Onychoprion fuscatus)

Adult Lesser Noddy (Anous tenuirostris)

Juvenile Lesser Noddy (Anous tenuirostris)

Adult Brown Noddy (Anous stolidus)

Juvenile Brown Noddy (Anous stolidus)

Lesser Noddies  (Anous tenuirostris) and one Brown Noddy  (Anous stolidus) allowing good comparison

Adult Common White (or Fairy) Tern (Gygis alba)

Juvenile Common White Tern (Gygis alba) (note the dark spot behind the eye)

Video of a inquisitive juvenile Common White Tern (Gygis alba) (made by Anna van der Kaaden)

Iles aux Cocos is open for public and can be reached by a one hour boat ride from Baie du Nord. Be prepared to wade the last few km to the islet, for the waters are very shallow around it. Several boat men and tour packages are available and a list of all boat men can be obtained in the tourist office in Port Mathurin. We used James (002308750557) from Rodrigues Vacances and paid 1.000 MRU including landing fee, lunch, drinks, pick-up and drop-off. We found this to be a fair price and were happy to pay this for the tern spectacle, which I didn´t want to miss. 

Mauritius January – July 2013, Rodrigues, Grande Montagne Nature Reserve

The Island of Rodrigues, roughly 600 km east of Mauritius, once hosted a myriad of endemics. Unfortunately these all suffered the same fate as most birds on Mauritius. There however more birds survived, barely, than in Rodrigues. Currently four native land vertebrates are left: Rodrigues Fruit Bat, Rodrigues Warbler, Rodrigues Fody and Mourning Gecko. The last one is the only species that is not endemic. The three endemic species can be seen in the forested valleys in the centre of the island, although the fruit bat wanders during the night and can also be observed near the coast.

One of those valleys is Grande Montagne Nature Reserve. MWF Rodrigues has done a marvellous job here in replanting rare and endemic plants to recreate the original forests. The forest looks so good that you can imagine Rodrigues Solitaires walking around here in past times. During our two hour visit to this nature reserve we managed to see both endemic bird species with ease. It was a shame though that the male fodies were in the non-breeding plumage and not in the bright yellow breeding plumage (they are in non-breeding plumage from March to August). On the other hand it was a much more interesting identification challenge. The Rodrigues Fodies have a subtle yellowish wash on their throat and breast and their mantle and scapulars have a chestnut tinge. They also have a shorter tail. Off course their behaviour is very different from the Madagascar Fodies, but I found that the non-breeding Rodrigues Fodies are definitely identifiable on plumage as well. Next to the birds, we saw several Rodrigues Fruit Bats flapping over near Solitude at the MWF Office.

Juvenile Rodrigues Fody (Foudia flavicans)

Rodrigues Warbler (Acrocephalus rodericanus)

Rodrigues Warbler (Acrocephalus rodericanus)

Rodrigues Fruit Bat (Pteropus rodricensis)

The Grande Montagne Nature Reserve is open and free for public and all trails start at the Louis Dominique Farla Information Centre. Here you can also have a look at the bones of the extinct Rodrigues Solitaire and Doomed Tortoise. The information centre can be reached by the Port Mathurin – Point Coton or the Port Mathurin – Grande Montagne bus. Just ask the drivers to drop you there, it is just next to the road. Guides are not necessary, but it might be interesting to phone the MWF Rodrigues (002308314558) in advance, for they are happy to show you around and they have vast knowledge about the local fauna and flora. They might also show you their plant nursery in Solitude where they propagate rare and endemic plants. We enjoyed their company and their knowledge a lot and highly recommend them.