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Report on a Bird and Mammal Watching Trip to Cambodia and Laos 07 – 26 April 2019

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Report on a Bird and Mammal Watching Trip to Cambodia and Laos 07 – 26 April 2019 1 Report on a Bird and Mammal Watching Trip to Cambodia and Laos 07 – 26 April 2019 Keith Millar [email protected] 2 In April 2019 I travelled with Chris Biles to Cambodia and Laos. We arrived at the end of the dry season when regional temperatures tend to be at their highest. Daytime temperatures hovered around the high 30s, with 42.6 Celsius recorded on one afternoon in north west Cambodia. Laos was cooler, still with high levels of humidity, and accompanied by heavy rain on the last two days. In Cambodia we utilised the services of the Sam Veasna Centre https://samveasna.org/ specialist birding and wildlife tours (but primarily birding!) to help with guiding and logistics. However, we began our trip independently, in Siem Reap, gateway to Angkor Wat (which environs offers good wildlife habitat). We then met our Sam Veasna guide – Mr Ladong – who knew his birds well and responded with characteristic good grace regarding my entreaties to focus also on the mammals. Beginning with a couple of day trips from Siem Reap, spent around Tonle Sap, we then headed to the northern plains, prior to driving south and to Kampi, in central Cambodia, home of Irrawaddy Dolphins. From there we travelled east to Seima Protected Forest, Mondulkiri province, adjoining Vietnam, with its largely intact ecosystem and high population of primates. We saw a total of 221 species of birds in Cambodia, including (sadly) two endangered and five critically endangered species and 15 species of mammal. Our reptile list was comparatively poor, with ten species seen. For Laos, we had booked a trip via Trailfinders, travelling from the northern city of Luang Prabang on a two day road journey north to Phet Et Lou National Park, close to the border with Vietnam. Our local guide was Mr Bounpanya (Phan) [email protected] who was not a wildlife expert, but proved the perfect facilitator for those who were. He can arrange car and van rental and all ground logistics in Laos and I would recommend him. Forewarned by the few available trip reports online (mostly on birds) it is not an easy country in which to spot wildlife. We saw only eighteen new birds for the trip and three species of mammal, plus two new reptiles. The local penchant for hunting, trapping and consuming much of what is visible has led to the appropriate evolutionary response! However, despite the shyness of the wildlife it is still present. Birdsong throughout the forests, namely Nam Et-Phou, attests to that (it was Cambodia that seemed silent in comparison). Mammal signs within Phet Et Lou were numerous and from a wide range of species, including apex predators. Hence, why I have included some suggestions for those wishing to visit for themselves. Regional Map: Cambodia and Laos 3 CAMBODIA Siem Reap and Angkor Wat A visit to the Royal Gardens (or to give them their full title, the Royal Crusade to Independence Gardens) was made to see the resident (and range-restricted) Lyle’s Flying Fox (Pteropus lylei). A parallel row of tall trees run in a north-south axis through the centre of the park and the colony (several hundred strong) is located here. We arrived late afternoon and several individuals were already active. The species is persecuted in neighbouring agricultural areas, and it isn’t altogether welcome in urban environments, given a predilection for noise, mess and partiality to fruit trees, but this roost in the centre of Siem Reap is still able to provide a degree of sanctuary. Less so for some birds, as underneath the trees traders sat amongst many small cages holding hundreds of trapped House Sparrows (Passer domesticus) and Tree Sparrows (Passer montanus) tightly packed together. An all-too frequent sight in SE Asia. Free-flying species included Germain's Swiftlet (Aerodramus germani) Red-breasted Parakeet (Psittacula alexandri) and Shikra (Accipiter badius). Lyle’s Flying Fox (Pteropus lylei) A short taxi (or longer tuk tuk) ride north from Siem Reap and one arrives at Angkor Wat. The forest surrounding the temple complex is some of the best protected in Cambodia, a country in which natural environments have tended to be viewed in terms of their economic, rather than biological value. Approaching Angkor Wat from the south, the forest trails alongside the eastern edge of the temple are rewarding. Notable birds spotted here included Hainan Blue Flycatcher (Cyornis hainanus) Taiga Flycatcher (Ficedula albicilla) and three Forest Wagtails (Dendronanthus indicus). Long-tailed (or Crab-eating) Macaques (Macaca fascicularis) were encountered here (but fittingly, at ease in the forest, rather than seen begging for scraps around the nearby food vendors). Variable (or Finlayson’s) Squirrels (Callosciurus finlaysonii) appeared to be common, with three sightings of individual animals. Other bird species included a showy Blue Rock Thrush (Monticola solitarius), Lineated Barbet (Psilopogon lineatus) Ashy Drongo (Dicrurus leucophaeus) Common Woodshrike (Tephrodornis pondicerianus) and, on the other, western side of Angkor Wat a Streak-eared Bulbul (Pycnonotus conradi) was a nice find. There are tracks here that lead off, close to one of which is a small pool. Unfortunately, the temperatures had climbed by the time we reached this point and bird activity had practically ceased, but it looked an interesting prospect. 4 Most of the larger mammals once found here were hunted out by the 1990’s, but aided by the security afforded to a site visited by a million tourists a year, the Wildlife Alliance, in partnership with the Cambodian Forestry Administration have reintroduced Pileated Gibbons (Hylobates pileatus) (three pairs) and Indochinese (or Germain’s) Silvered Langurs (Trachypithecus germaini). The vanguard in ambitious plans to reintroduce further species of endangered Cambodian wildlife. Long-tailed Macaques (Macaca fascicularis) To the north, beyond the environs of the Angkor Wat Temple, at the nearby Elephant Terrace we came across our only two Northern Pig-tailed Macaques (Macaca leonina) of the trip. Sadly, the species is declining in numbers throughout its range, both in SE Asia and the Indian sub-continent. Northern Pig-tailed Macaque (Macaca leonina) 5 A little to the east of Angkor Wat is Banteay Kdei (cover photo). It is less frequented by tourists than more famous neighbouring temples and has the added attraction of readily observable bats. The temple towers contained, in total, some 40 Theobald’s Tomb Bats (Taphozous theobaldi) and 50 plus Malayan Horseshoe Bats (Rhinolophus malayanus). Reptiles today included Bronze Grass Skink or Bronze Mabuya (Eutropis macularia) and an Oriental Garden Lizard (Calotes versicolor). Malayan Horseshoe Bats (Rhinolophus malayanus) Theobald’s Tomb Bats (Taphozous theobaldi) 6 Ang Trapaeng Thmor, Banteay Meanchey Province Four hour’s drive west of Siem Reap is Ang Trapaeng Thmor, a large reservoir constructed with slave labour during the Khmer Rogue regime, but now a veritable haven for vast numbers of ducks, waders, cormorants and herons. On the way there is a small pond on the left hand side of the road, just after a very old stone bridge. This area, together with the surrounding dry, open fields held a surprising number of birds, including Great Myna (Acridotheres grandis) Painted Stork (Mycteria leucocephala) Red Collared Dove (Streptopelia tranquebarica) Plain Prinia (Prinia inornata) Oriental Pratincole (Glareola maldivarum) Bronze-winged Jacana (Metopidius indicus) Cinnamon Bittern (Ixobrychus cinnamomeus) Pheasant-tailed Jacana (Hydrophasianus chirurgus) Malayan Pied Fantail (Rhipidura javanica) and Black-browed Warbler (Acrocephalus bistrigiceps). At the reservoir, the road runs along one side and one can stop anywhere to scan. Birds included a flock of 350 Garganey (Spatula querquedula) two Pintail Snipe (Gallinago stenura) Grey-headed Lapwing (Vanellus cinereus) three irregular White-headed Stilts (Himantopus leucocephalus) seen well in association with the resident Black-winged Stilts (Himantopus himantopus), six Long-toed Stints Calidris subminuta and, on the opposite side of the road, our only Racket-tailed Treepie (Crypsirina temia) of the trip. Beyond the reservoir one enters a large area of dry grassland, small pools and isolated stands of trees. This is a critically important habitat for Sarus Cranes (Antigone Antigone) at 1.8 metres the world’s tallest flying bird. Classified as vulnerable, only 1500-200 birds remain of the SE Asia subspecies. It took some searching to find them, but a fairly distant flock of thirty birds was a good number. On our return we walked towards a grove of tall trees, which happened to contain three species of owl (!) comprising six Barn Owls (Tyto alba) an Asian Barred Owlet (Glaucidium cuculoides) and a pair of young Spotted Wood Owls (Strix seloputo) in the nest. One mammal that I had hoped to see, the endangered Eld’s (or Brow-antlered) Deer (Panolia eldii) once migrated in some numbers from across the Thai border, but excessive hunting, plantations and other habitat modifications, including a newly constructed canal, has seen numbers fall from eleven in 2016, to two in 2017 and only one in February 2018, the last animal to be recorded here. Ang Trapaeng Thmor 7 Spotted Wood Owls (Strix seloputo) Barn Owl (Tyto alba) 8 Prek Toal, Batambang Province Prek Toal is a bird sanctuary on the southern shores of Tonle Sap. The lakeside journey begins at a jetty on the mainland and it’s not an encouraging start. Cambodia appears to be inundated with rubbish, particularly plastics and we witnessed little evidence of recycling anywhere we travelled. The long muddy channel leading from the jetty being a particular case in point, but two sightings of Small Asian (or Javan) Mongoose (Herpestes javanicus) attested to this adaptable creature still being able to make a living here. After an hour on the open water of Tonle Sap (which even at its centre is only a few feet deep) one enters Prek Toal Reserve.
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