Bird's of a Feather - S.A.O.

 OK, we did state that we had ‘finalised’ the Southeast Asia Odyssey but with all that persistent precipitation continuing to rattle down on the deck-head there was little, or no chance, of getting out into the field. Not wishing to disappoint the ‘faithful’, we will add a few Birds seen across the 2 countries concerned.

Only c6 new species were added to the World List across Vietnam and will alternate the Countries as we proceed down the list.

STRIPE-THROATED BULBUL (V)

GREY-HEADED FISH EAGLE (C)

CHESTNUT-EARED BUNTING

GREEN-BILLED MALKOHA

BLACK BULBUL

LESSER ADJUTANT

PALE BLUE FLYCATCHER

RUFOUS-CAPPED BABBLER

SPOT-BILLED PELICAN

GREY BUSHCHAT

RED-BREASTED PARAKEET

ASHY DRONGO
MANANA!

January - Pilot

WELCOME TO FEBRUARY - NO RAIN SO FAR!

 Like any other Fanatic or Addict, for surely that is what we are, we Wildlifers have to get our fix, but then it’s true to say “the more you see the more you want to”! Additionally, and it is doubtful I’m alone in this, there are those moment when no matter how much you have recorded there is often that little moan which occasionally manifests itself through these pages.

As we arrived at the final day of the first month of 2021 it seemed little had happened until we took time to sit down and flick through the Log showing just a few of the Best thus far.

EGYPTIAN GOOSE 

 is no longer a fore-gone in this area between the Hampshire Avon and the Dorset Moors Rivers once 'the' Hot Spot for such a bird but seemingly no more? With 73 species in total throughout the month we have excelled, as during the years since records began here (2013) we have got nowhere near that number which is also well past the 'half way mark' of last years combined total. Sticking with the Waterfowl

TEAL
are well behind Mallard in abundance during these early weeks while

COOT
is certainly hit or miss and even more so

POCHARD
on the Main Pond of all places is a new one on us! Also something of a surprise

TUFTED DUCK
could fall under the heading of numerous as often daily so far theis year with a max of c7 together.

GREEN SANDPIPER
is a usual but sometime sporadic winter visitor, which always finds its way onto the January list but this year as only a 'fluke' heard on the video footage of an aircraft in flight.

KINGFISHER
is always hit or miss but always finds its way onto the early list, in fact we recorded a second, or revisit, on Saturday.

LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULL
only nest here with them being absent throughout the other months. However, not hard and fast as when the restrictions were moderated slightly, early month, our only visit inside the Airport turned one up which was only the second ever for a January.

If ever there were a 'right time, right place species the
TREE SPARROW 

is it as was proven on the 16th of the month.

CETTI'S WARBLER
appears to be totally dependant on water levels here, so with little or no rain in the early days of the month they were among the early risers and part of the 'dawn chorus'.

RAVEN
on the otherhand has been far less noticable but occasionally present while

WOODLARK
remain consigned to just the c9 individuals reported here a few days ago!

Add to that

WINTER MOTH

DECEMBER MOTH

EARLY MOTH
'first for the Recording Area' and

CHESTNUT
We promise NO complaints until tomorrow!
ATTENTION NOW TURNS TO THE USUALLY 'LESS PRODUCTIVE' FEBRUARY!

Cambodia - Kim Wilde

 To continue and finalise the

Southeast Asian Odyssey

from Ho Chi Minh City it is a relatively short flight to the capital of

CAMBODIA

Phnom Penn
and according to taste the best country Flag in the World.
Only time for one full day in the city it was then another distant Long-Fin Boat ride, via

The Killing Fields

to pay our  respects at the monument that is full of human skulls of those who dared to carry a Biro for instance, during the Pol Pot regime 1975 to 1979 - "When will we ever Learn"?

Then onward to the huge lake, that is the 

 Tonle Sap

(from which more fish are caugh annually than any other fresh watercourse in the world) 

and the small town of Seim Reap which is the delightful springboard for the mighty

ANGKOR WAT
1000 building across 400 acres which is only the 'tip of an Iceburg' yet to be discovered.

We had, neither of us, ever seen such magnificence

as every single rock and stone

is adorned by the Mason's / Carver's skills,

not even the riverbeds

which were dry at the time of our visit.

FIG

BANYAN
and

KAPOK TREEs

spread their gigantic roots over stones, probing walls and terraces apart, as their branches and leaves intertwine to form a roof over the structures.

Just one of dozen upon dozen of Deities which soon get you

puffed out under the relentless Sun so maybe time for

a 'couple' of these?

We also made time to savour

a local 'concoction' of a strong spiring enfussed with powdered deer antler

while admiring the
ELEPHANT TERRACE
never go home saying to yourself, "I wish I had"!

Over 2 full days we were certainly going to leave the
Best until Last
as there is nothing we could compare with the rest of the Complex or even across the World to the

MARBLE TABLEAU

that is
The Churning of the Ocean of Milk

Mount Mandarachala was used as the churning rod and Vasuki (King of the Serpents) became the churning rope. The asuras demanded to hold the head of the snake, while the devas, taking advice from Vishnu, agreed to hold its tail.

As a result the demons were poisoned by fumes emitted by the mouth of Vasuki while they churned his body. Despite this, the demigods and demons pulled back and forth on the snake’s body alternately, causing the mountain to rotate, which in turn would churn the ocean.

However, once the asuras carried the mountain and placed it in the ocean, it began to sink. Vishnu in his second incarnation, in the form of a turtle Kurma, came to their rescue and supported the mountain on his back. We had never before, or since, witnessed anything quite like this!!

/the-churning-of-the-ocean-of-milk/