Tuesday 21 February 2017

21st February 2017 Cat Tien NP

Our final full day at Cat Tien NP and a decision to make as to whether to take a jeep to the Bau Sau Trail or stay local to the HQ to continue searching for Blue-rumped Pitta. We chose the latter option and first walked the Museum Trail. We then walked to the Forest Floor Lodge enjoying an aerial display by two species of Needletails and then heard a Blue-rumped Pitta calling from a large stand of bamboo probably 200m short of the lodge. On trying to look for it, frustratingly, silence then prevailed. We returned to HQ seeing a small group of Black-and-red Broadbills at the edge of the clearing. We again walked the Museum Trail where at last we saw a pair of Grey-faced Tit-Babblers and the male Bar-bellied Pitta again before taking up residence in the fist photographic blind having been told that has been a favourite spot for Blue-rumped Pitta. We were joined by the Japanese birder hoping for the same species. Despite staying until dusk unfortunately no success.

Crested Serpent-Eagle 1
Scaly-breasted Partridge 2
Green-billed Malkoha 2
Great Eared Nightjar h
Brown-backed Needletail 2
Silver-backed Needletail 3
Asian Palm-Swift 1
Dollarbird 1
Black-and-red Broadbill 3
Bar-bellied Pitta 1
BLUE-RUMPED PITTA h
Swinhoe's Minivet 1
Common Iora 2
Great Iora 2
Golden-fronted Leafbird 2
Stripe-throated Bulbul 2
Bronzed Drongo 2
Greater Racket-tailed Drongo 2
Black-naped Oriole 2
Asian Fairy-Bluebird 1
Racket-tailed Treepie 2
Ashy Woodswallow 2
Abbott's Babbler 2
Pin-striped Tit-Babbler 1
GREY-FACED TIT-BABBLER 2
Siberian Blue Robin 3
Oriental Magpie-Robin 1
White-rumped Shama 2
Pale-legged/Sakhalin Leaf-Warbler 1
Common Tailorbird 1
Asian Brown Flycatcher 2
Tickell's Blue Flycatcher 2
Yellow-vented Flowerpecker 1

Adult Golden-fronted Leafbird at Cat Tien NP


Swinhoe's Minivet at Cat Tien NP
Whilst watching it I remained undecided whether it was an Ashy or Swinhoe's but the images compare rather favourably with the identification detailed here


Brown-backed Needletail at Cat Tien NP
Note the white supraloral and brownish saddle





Silver-backed Needletails at Cat Tien NP

Black-and-red Broadbill at Cat Tien NP


Abbott's Babbler at Cat Tien NP

Male Bar-bellied Pitta at Cat Tien NP