CUC PHUONG NATIONAL PARK

Birding Report

18-23 December 2006

Alan OwYong

Day 1 Hanoi

Doris and I decided to bird in North Vietnam mainly because of the cool and dry weather at this time of the year. Also this will be our first visit to Hanoi and there are a few rare species that I did not see during my last birding trip to the south in 1999. After several email exchanges with Hung Le, President Vietnam Birdwatching Club and Richard Craik, Marketing Director of Exotissimo

Tours, we decided to skip Tam Dao and spend all our four days at Cuc Phuong National Park, an evergreen lowland and limestone hill forest. This turned out to be the right decision.

Hung Le was kind enough to make all the arrangement and show us around the park. Thanks to his local knowledge and bird calls, we will able to see many of the park specialties.

Pah Liang and Kenneth were to join us, but unfortunately had to cancel at the last moment due to personal reasons.

Compared to my last visit to HCM City, this was a hassle free breeze through at the Hanoi airport. No visas for Asean member tourists staying less than 30 days. Hung Le and Tuyen, the most helpful Mandarin speaking driver met and drove us into town barely 30 minutes after we got off the plane. We highly recommend hiring a car with driver and an experienced guide if you wish to maximize your stay at the park.

The first part of the road south of Hanoi was a wide and smooth tolled highway. This soon became a two lane national road where lorries were king of the road.

There was even a one way steel bridge made worse with no traffic light control. It was a free for all at this bridge. I would have been stuck there the whole day if I was driving. Because of the dry weather, it was dusty all the way. Look out for Black Drongos on the wires above the paddy fields. We had a Eurasian Kestrel hovering over open fields just outside Hanoi.

We arrived at the Park just after 5 pm, with a lunch break in between. It was bright enough for us to check in at the Mac Lake Chalets, just a few kilometers inside the Park. I must say that I was uncomfortable with the retention of our passports at the reception but was told that this was the regulation here.

Mac Lake Chalets near HQ.

The chalets were clean with attached bathroom and hot water and looked into a man made lake.

This is the favorite place for birders to stay as it is surrounded by hills and forests on all sides and chances of seeing birds are better. This proved to be true. Also the power supply here is on all day. The food here was fine and usually more than enough and you can also get cold local beers from the fridge.

Day 2 Mac Lake/Bong

The night temperature must have dropped quite a bit and as we woke up to a brring cold morning. Hung wanted to start before day break to look for the Japanese Thrush. Thankfully, we just have to sit in the car and drive along the road to spot the Thrush. But because of the low light, it was not easy to make out it’s features. But the road seemed to be full of them looking for their early worms. We even had a Blue Whistling Thrush standing on a roadside milestone.

The Japanese Thrush was later seen behind the restaurant and near the watch tower in the following days. We walked the back to the chalets to catch the mini bird waves along roadside. This was the most productive time of the day here. The Yellow-browed Warblers and Red-whiskered Bulbuls were everywhere, but not the 5 Black Bulbuls as it was the only sighting during our visit. We had the Green-eared Barbet along this road on both days.

After a quick bowl of hot noodle for breakfast, it was back to the trails near the HQ. The sun was out and it was nice and cool. Just what we came here for.

This is where we had my first target bird, the Pied Falconet, a hard to see scarce resident. As usual it was perched on the tip of a tall dead tree flying off for food every now and then. Hung was delighted to get some shots of it through his Swarovski/Nikon digiscope. The Striped Tit-babblers here does not look like the ones back in Singapore. It has fewer streaks on its breast and generally more golden in colour.

The first flock of three White-winged Magpies flew across the lake when we were walking back for lunch. I was a few minutes late and missed my second target species. My wife tried to hide her glee and gave me her best description of the Magpies. Hung assured me that he will get them for me in the coming days. I had full faith in him.

Rustic chalets surrounded by trees at Bong.

We checked out after lunch and drove 18 km to the Bong Station, at the center of the park. The chalets here were more rustic and surrounded by inviting greenery. Only set back was the restricted power supply - from 6-10 pm. We enjoyed the more delicious food here, especially the tough but tasty kampong chicken prepared by very friendly young lady cooks. The Valley and Loop trails were just few minutes walk away from the chalets.

Grey-backed Shrike, very similar to our Long-tailed.

We wasted no time to check out the cemented easy Valley trail in the late afternoon. This is the hangout for the famous Ratchet-tailed Treepies, but we dipped on this during our two days here. The many close sightings of the Grey-backed Shrikes along the way were of no consolation. Just about a kilometer in, Hung heard the call of the Eared Pitta very close to the trail. Our hearts started pounding. I must get this Pitta, if it was to shut Pah Liang’s account of his sighting in Khao Yai. Again it was Doris’s sharp eyes that picked out the Pitta in the dark undergrowth. Bomb no 2 for me. My consolation was two lifers, the Black-winged Cuckoo shrike and the Grey-eyed Bulbuls, both common residents. The valley is the home of many of the majestic Black Eagles.

Day 3 Bong

We spend the third day walking down the Valley trail, up the Loop trail and checked out the “ Botanic Gardens” next to the restaurant.
The highlight of the day was a perched Mountain Hawk Eagle, a pleasant surprise for us, at the Valley Trail. It was later seen flying across the valley but no calls were heard. We tried the Eared Pitta again but instead got to get a glimpse of it at another spot ( near the exit of the loop trial) This is also where Hung saw the Blue-rumped Pitta, but I was too slow. It came agonizing close but refused to show. We only heard the Bar-bellied once, but as I had seen it at Cat Tien, we decided not to waste time looking for it.

The Park is a haven for butterfly lovers

But I was compensated by lifers like the scarce visiting White-spectacled Warbler and the resident Rufous-throated Fuvettas, one of the most colorful Fuvettas for me. Hung got excited when he noticed few Limestone Wren Babblers were hopping among the stone outcrops at the top of the Loop trail. I did not get a good look, much to Hung’s despair. Luckily, we all were able to get excellent close views of five of this must see Wren-babbler at the trail to the Prehistoric Man Cave on the way out on the last day. This seemed to be the best spot for this Wren-babbler.

Day 4. Bong/Mac Lake.

The morning started with much promise and excitement. Hung saw the White-winged Magpies again flying across the valley and heard the call of the Grey Peacock Pheasant near the watch tower. But we could not find any tracks in to get close to the Pheasant.
While waiting for us Doris was treated to a grand stand view of the Fork-tailed Sunbird in all its iridescent glory at the trail junction.
Hung and I were just as happy as we flushed out a visiting male Fujian Niltava, a brilliant tick for me and a third sighting for Hung Le. It reminded me of the Rufous-bellied behind Deng’s restaurant at Doi Inthanon. Both are very similar, but for its distribution.
We tackled the easy loop trail from the entrance in the late morning. The cemented path is an easy walk even for the kids. The spared forest at the start of the trail was ideal for birdwatching. So when a small flock of Black-browed Fulvettas joined a birdwave, we were able to get good long views of them. Puff-throated Bulbuls and Red-headed Trogon came with the wave.
We drove out back to Mac Lake after lunch, which turned out to be an inspired move. While resting in the Chalets there, Hung heard the calls of the White-winged Magpies. In my hurry, I rushed out without my glasses and bins and miss them again. Ehh! But this time we were chased them as they flew across the face of the hills. Our tenacity paid off when all five of them flew across. I had the sun behind me and it lit up the flying Magpies for mouthwatering views. At least I don’t have to live with the teasing from my wife. What a splendid end to the trip.

Day 5 Hanoi

We left Cuc Phuong this morning and stopped over at the Van Long Nature Reserve 18 km from of the park.

Rafting at Van Long NR.

This is a shallow fresh water lake ringed by limestone hills. The women from the village took the tourists out in bamboo rafts for a very relaxing tour of the lake. The water is surprising clear, allowing various weeds and lilies to grow. Reed beds covered most of the surface giving refuge to many of the waterbirds like Black-winged Stilts, Eurasian Coots and the White-browed Crake, the only place to see this crake.

This is also the place to see the critical endangered primate Delacour’s Langurs, best in the early morning.

Grotto at Van Long NR.

Grey Herons seemed to be the predominate species here numbering in the hundred. I expected to see thousand of waterbirds in a habitat like this but I think over fishing may have depleted the food source for them. Hung took us to a nearby local delicious noodles soup for lunch.

Hung booked the Army Hotel in Hanoi for our last night stay here. The hotel was just right for us. Comfortable, clean, big grounds, next to Hilton, within walking distance to the Old City and reasonably priced. Hung told us that this is also the safest hotel in Hanoi with full protection from the army. The old city is a must see tourist attraction and Tuyen drove us around after dinner. We still had time to tour the bigger Tay Lake and the Tran Quoc Pagoda on the way to the airport for our 1.30 pm flight.

Observations:

Surprisingly there were not many visitors to the park when we were there. But I was told that it gets crowded during weekends. Most tourists come to the park for the Caves, Primate Center and a walk to the ancient and 1,000 years old trees. There is still poaching in the park mainly for herbs and the occasional mammals. We did not see any traps or locals out to shoot the birds. The supervision in the park was slack and we did not come across any uniform rangers while we were there.

We did not see any aerial feeders like swiftlets, swallows or martins at the Park but was told that there are bats that come out in the evenings to feed. I was sad to hear that very little coordinated bird surveys and studies were carried out at the park, due to shortage of experienced local birders. That is why Hung set up the Vietnam Birdwatching Club to get more Vietnamese interested in birds and train them. It was great to be able to experience another part of Vietnam, see the special birds in the north and walk in its evergreen forests. We are very grateful to Hung Le for introducing and sharing with us the natural heritage of his country

Acknowledgements:

Hung Le, President Vietnam Birdwatching Club for the guiding and friendship.

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Tuyen, our driver for the safe journey.

Richard Craik Marketing Director Exotissimo Tours for his advice.

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Contacts:

Cuc Phuong Tel +84-30-848006

www.cucphuongtourism.com

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Army Hotel. Tel +84-4-8252896

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Reference:

The Guide to Birds of Thailand and South-east Asia by Craig Robson

Anotated Checklist 18-23 Dec 2006

Cuc Phuong and Van Long.