Avian Bird Trip Jan 2020 - SiemReap Cambodia in search of Malaysian lifers (Part1)

As you may note in  my blog I am into Malaysia birds only and when my fellow birder Dennis Sim invited me to join him on a dedicated birding  trip to  Cambodia;  I did not hesitate much as I always wanted to get the Sarus Crane. SiemReap have a Bird Sanctuary called Ang Trapaeng Thmor that protect these  birds where they can live freely and safely. The bird is formerly recorded in peninsula which I will tick it as a Malaysian lifer if I get see it.  Any other Malaysian migrant birds will be a bonus like Manchurian Reedwarbler. Then the Blyth's Frogmouth which have eluded me for years is in the itinerary.

It will be a 5 days trip which we budgetted about US900 (RM3,600) per pax for the ground arrangement guide transport for 4 pax including accommodation and makan-makan. The Airasia return ticket was booked much earlier which cost me RM480 only with meal and 20kg luggage fees.

Day1 Arrived at KLIA 2 at 4am on the dot . As usual AA self-check in luggage was a breeze at KLIA2 and Den was already waiting for breakfast together. Usually i will use Plaza Lounge Level 2B facility for free but Den has to pay RM80+  per hour. So we adjourned to the food court for some light noodle instead. Cost  us RM36.

The AirAsia flight AK423 was on schedule as we took off past 6.45am. The flight was only half full so the plane was flying faster. There is a time difference of 1hr so we will touchdown 5 mins earlier at 7.40am local time. Weather is sunny with temperature 32 degree celsius. Upon meeting up our guide and Richard and Noreen who arrive much earlier to visit AngkorWat first we went straight to our first birding outing.

Day 1 itinerary was Ang Trapeang Thmor wet land with our luggage in tow. We reach the turn off at about an hour plus.  Along the bund laterite road, we stop by a lily patch pond and we spotted many ducks of whistling duck, pygmy cotton goose then later the local community guide spotted my first lifer the Bronze-winged Jacana.

It was to be a record shot as it was foraging across the pond I would say about 120m afar. 













ATT also act as a water reservoir to supply water to the city. We took our early lunch at the community village at usd36. 

Fruit dessert with belacan 

Tomato Chicken

Pumpkin  

Johnny and Den chatting over beer again lol

Past 12 noon we were at bund to take the motorized sampan into the middle of the marshland. It was a big issue to have any big lenses with tall tripod onboard because the sampan are a bit narrow and can be tipsy turvy. Den almost topple over when he was sitting high on his stool. Johnny call back the sampan to the bund and seated him at the front. And then they were off safely. I suggested that a stabilising float- bar be incorporated like catamaran which they say will consider.

The water depth is about 2-3 ft only as dry weather had just begun which may last right up to March. They say it was much easier to see the Sarus Cranes then when the water patches are limited where they will congregate to feed.

Back to our ride. The bad point is that the low water level has render the reeds protruding high above the water line which hinders the sighting of our target bird - Sarus Crane and rare ducks. Richard managed some duck which includes the likes of  Comb duck I think I myself got  the Spot-billed a Malaysian migrant @ Sabah but only BIF shot ie in flight. No good photos though.

Still searching for the Sarus Cranes we walk on the trench bund of a dung out waterway. we hit the drier patch of the sanctuary as our community guide tried looking for our target birds. At the far side we spotted a watershed with plenty of birds. 

Here we spotted the Spot-billed Pelican which was a lifer for Richard and it was an easy shoot. The Spot-billed Pelican is a Malaysian bird- vagrant.

 Earlier I managed to get my third lifer of the Glossy Ibis at a far distance of 1 km. There s a colony of 10-15 birds there. Well a lifer is a lifer for me.

 There were too many local people around on the day of our excursion mostly were fishing and herding their buffalos. This probably discourages Sarus Crane to come by.

Here are some of their catch with their net trap all over the embankment and earth barriers.

It was quite sad our target Sarus Crane were absent we left the place at about 5pm for our boutique hotel Sonalong Village in Siem Reap (Usd35 per nite). We have our late dinner at Urban Hut walking distance for some authentic Khmer food. Everyone enjoyed our first dinner.  We spend in total Usd 42 for 5 pax.

Day 2 - We were up and ready to move out at 6.00 am. It is a 1.5 hours away to a nearby grassland near SiemReap to flush out the Bengal Francolin but unfortunately another disappointment for Den. Here I managed to see my fourth lifer of a Dusky Warbler. By late noon as we gave up hope and were moving out back to our 4X4; the community guide sighted 2 pairs of Sarus Crane at the horizon The birds were just too far for us to shoot or see. 

My ole Timberland boots were so soaking wet after the 3 hours plunging the vast and wet  grassland. I have to be "kaki ayam" during our 3 hours journey to the next itinerary. Luckily it was not smelly lol. We went for our late lunch before moving to our next stop 

Plain Sparrow. A lifer for Richard?

 These are some of the birds we shot at the grassland. The other lifers (4 & 5) I got after confirmation from Johnny are the Pied Bushchat and Lanceolated Warbler. The Plain Prinia is not recorded in Malaysia thus far.

Zitting

A simple noodle lunch on the road  at the nearest town and we were on the road again to next stop at TmatBoey. It was going to be the longest road ride of 3.5 hours on different road terrain. A Safari. It was tough to nap in the car with the undulation roads and earthen track.

On the last stretch of the route  Rana our guide call out Woolly-necked Stork! Excitement was all around as I look out from my side of the car as I shoot first before the guys disembark. This was the highlight for me as we missed the bird in Muar Johor just a month back. For the find, I personally tipped our guide as promised.

Rufous-winged Buzzard was a frequent encounter here

This end part 1/2 of my Cambodia oversea birding trip.........................