Another 5.30am start for the lengthy drive to Ang Trapaeng Thmor. The first stop was at an area of burnt stubble fields. We scanned and walked a number of fields seeing a few Sarus Cranes, plenty of Oriental Pratincoles but unfortunately no Oriental Plovers. It also proved to be good area for wintering raptors with highlights being several Eastern Marsh Harriers, male Pied Harriers and a Short-toed Eagle. There were also wintering Red-throated Pipits in the fields. We then moved on to a huge dam. The area proved good for waterbirds with a large flock of Lesser Treeduck, good numbers of Cotton Pygmy-Geese, both species of Jacana and an overflying Spotted Eagle but a check of a colony of Streaked Weavers suggested the juveniles had fledged and the flock had left the immediate area. We then picked up a local guide from the reserve headquarters and were quickly shown a Spotted Owlet and a Spotted Wood Owl. We returned to the reserve building for lunch and were kept entertained by wintering Dusky Warblers and Taiga Flycatchers. The rice paddies opposite produced a pair of Painted Snipe and another look at the Weaver colony produced an obliging pair of White-browed Crakes. We then requested to return to the burnt fields for another look for Oriental Plovers. Our SVC guide told us that none had been seen in Cambodia last year and there had been no records yet this year so our expectations weren't high. However, as we pulled-up at a small pool of water, a glance at a flock of waders stood in the corner revealed them to be 19 Oriental Plovers, that being so elegant, proved one of the very best birds seen during the trip. As we then left the area a look at a similar pool produced another flock of 7 Oriental Plovers.
Little Grebe 10
Cormorant 2
Little Cormorant 1
Grey Heron 8
Purple Heron 2
Chinese Pond Heron 30
Eastern Cattle Egret 30
Intermediate Egret 2
Little Egret 20
Great Egret 20
Yellow Bittern 1
Painted Stork 30
Asian Openbill 10
Lesser Treeduck c.250
Comb Duck 6
Cotton Pygmy-Goose c.50
Indian Spot-billed Duck 12
Black-shouldered Kite 4
Black Kite 1
Eastern Marsh Harrier 6
Pied Harrier 3
Shikra 2
Rufous-winged Buzzard 1
Greater Spotted Eagle 1
Short-toed Eagle 1
Sarus Crane 4
White-browed Crake 2
Moorhen 2
Black-backed Purple Swamphen 6
Coot 10
Pintail Snipe 1
Common Snipe 1
Painted Snipe 2
Black-winged Stilt 20
Wood Sandpiper 1
Greenshank 6
ORIENTAL PLOVER 26
Red-wattled Lapwing 3
Oriental Pratincole c.80
Pheasant-tailed Jacana 4
Bronze-winged Jacana 8
Red Turtle Dove 40
Peaceful Dove 60
Plaintive Cuckoo 2
Barn Owl 1
Spotted Owlet 1
Spotted Wood Owl 2
Asian Palm-Swift c.100
Kingfisher 4
Pied Kingfisher 6
Green Bee-eater 1
Blue-tailed Bee-eater 8
Indian Roller 1
Wryneck 1
Sand Martin 6
Swallow 40
Yellow-vented Bulbul 6
Streak-eared Bulbul 6
Black Drongo c.100
Large-billed Crow 2
Oriental Magpie-Robin 2
Stejneger's Stonechat 20
Pied Bushchat 2
Dusky Warbler 6
Oriental Great Reed Warbler 6
Plain Prinia 4
Asian Brown Flycatcher 1
Taiga Flycatcher 3
Pied Fantail 10
Grey Wagtail 1
Paddyfield Pipit 10
Red-throated Pipit 6
Brown Shrike 10
Chestnut-tailed Starling 2
Black-collared Starling 2
Common Myna 20
White-vented Myna 10
Purple Sunbird 1
House Sparrow 20
Tree Sparrow 10
Plain-backed Sparrow 2
Baya Weaver 2
Burnt stubble fields at Ang Trapaeng Thmor
Short-toed Eagle at Ang Trapaeng Thmor
looking considerably more worn than the British & Irish Booted Eagle!
Male Eastern Marsh Harrier at Ang Trapaeng Thmor
Male Pied Harrier at Ang Trapaeng Thmor
Oriental Pratincole at Ang Trapaeng Thmor
road to the dam at Ang Trapaeng Thmor
road to the dam at Ang Trapaeng Thmor
Deserted Weaver Colony
Ang Trapaeng Thmor
Drake Cotton Pygmy-Goose at Ang Trapaeng Thmor
Pheasant-tailed Jacanas at Ang Trapaeng Thmor
Bronze-winged Jacana at Ang Trapaeng Thmor
Little Green Bee-eater at Ang Trapaeng Thmor
Spotted Owlet at Ang Trapaeng Thmor
Barn Owl and Black Drongo at Ang Trapaeng Thmor
Spotted Wood Owl at Ang Trapaeng Thmor
Lizard at Ang Trapaeng Thmor
Dusky Warbler at Ang Trapaeng Thmor
Taiga Flycatcher at Ang Trapaeng Thmor
Painted Snipe at Ang Trapaeng Thmor
Shikra at Ang Trapaeng Thmor
perhaps I wasn't the only one watching the Lizard at lunchtime!
Spotted Eagle at Ang Trapaeng Thmor
White-browed Crake at Ang Trapaeng Thmor
Pintail Snipe at Ang Trapaeng Thmor
Oriental Plovers at Ang Trapaeng Thmor
