We left Siem Reap at 5.30am for the short drive to the quay on Tonle Sap where we took a boat across this huge lake passing a flock of Whiskered Terns. On reaching a channel at the far side we swapped into a small boat and started heading along the waterways seeing huge numbers of waterbirds probably vastly underestimated in the numbers below. We also saw several Grey-headed Fish-Eagles perched overlooking the waterways. We arrived at a Ranger tower from where we walked across an area devastated by fire last year to scan a colony of Painted Storks that includes a couple of pairs of Milky Storks. Almost immediately we saw a Greater Adjutant quickly followed by several more. After an hour or so of scanning the Painted Storks what we assume was a Painted x Milky Stork proved a massive anticlimax but soon after a pure Milky Stork appeared in the thermal above us and circled for some time. With both of our target species seen we returned to the boat seeing a large flock of Garganey along the way. Having an early lunch at the Ranger tower I found White-browed Crake, Ruddy-breasted Crake and Baillon's Crake in quick succession, the last being a new species for both of the SVC guides present. We made our way back along the narrow waterways and returned across a now choppy Tonle Sap and were back in Siem Reap by early afternoon.
Little Grebe 4
Cormorant c.50
Little Cormorant c.100
Indian Cormorant c.300
Oriental Darter c.100
Grey Heron c.30
Purple Heron c.50
Chinese Pond Heron c.500
Intermediate Egret c.100
Little Egret c.20
Great Egret c.50
Night Heron c.100
Yellow Bittern 6
Cinnamon Bittern 3
Black Bittern 3
MILKY STORK 1
Painted Stork c.300
Asian Openbill c.75
Lesser Adjutant 10
GREATER ADJUTANT 10
Glossy Ibis 6
Black-headed Ibis 10
Spot-billed Pelican c.100
Garganey 80
Comb Duck 25
Indian Spot-billed Duck 2
Grey-headed Fish-Eagle 7
Eastern Marsh Harrier 1
Baillon's Crake 1
Ruddy-breasted Crake 3
White-browed Crake 1
Black-backed Purple Swamphen 20
Black-winged Stilt 5
Wood Sandpiper 2
Greenshank 1
Oriental Pratincole 5
Whiskered Tern 100
Germain's Swiftlet 5
Kingfisher 10
Sand Martin c.20
Swallow c.100
Red-rumped Swallow 6
Black Drongo 6
Large-billed Crow 2
Oriental Magpie-Robin 2
Dusky Warbler h
Eastern Yellow Wagtail 10
Paddyfield Pipit 2
Olive-backed Sunbird 2
Fishermen from the floating villages on Tonle Sap Lake
Whiskered Terns at Tonle Sap Lake
Prek Toal
Night Heron at Prek Toal
Purple Herons at Prek Toal
Intermediate Egret at Prek Toal
Black Bittern at Prek Toal
Indian Cormorants, Cormorants and Oriental Darters at Prek Toal
Oriental Darter at Prek Toal
Black-backed Purple Swamphen at Prek Toal
Black-headed Ibis at Prek Toal
Asian Openbill at Prek Toal
Spot-billed Pelicans at Prek Toal
Painted Storks at Prek Toal
Eastern Marsh Harrier at Prek Toal
Grey-headed Fish-Eagle at Prek Toal
Lesser Adjutants at Prek Toal
Ranger Tower
Part of the sanctuary was unfortunately devastated by fire last year
Lesser Adjutant and Greater Adjutant at Prek Toal
Greater Adjutant at Prek Toal
Asiatic Red-rumped Swallow at Prek Toal
Presumed hybrid Milky x Painted Stork at Prek Toal
Milky Stork at Prek Toal
Mixed flock of Comb Duck and Garganey
Yellow Bittern at Prek Toal
White-browed Crake at Prek Toal
Floating village on Tonle Sap
Nearly back
the quay
Swallows at Tonle Sap Lake
