Cambodia 24-31Oct12

From Danny

Our trip was arranged by Sam Veasna Center, a non-profit NGO providing eco-tourism services, founded and supported by WCS and Birdlife for about ten years. Combination of geographical factor and rainy season, the country has a distinct wet and dry seasons. During the wet raining season, water from the Mekong flows into Tonle Sep, the largest fresh water lake in SE Asia, turning it into an enlarged body of water (including submerged forests around the lake) and during the dry season, water flows back into the Mekong, the lake return to its shrunken size. This unique season extends to its dipterocarp (quite a mouthful for me) forest to the northern plain of Camdodia where two uncommon Ibis species reside and breed. The fish eating Giant Ibis breeds during the flooded season and the White-shouldered Ibis which feeds on large worms during the dry season (evolution or mutual survival?).

White-shouldered Ibis

The farmers turned local guides had been educated/enticed with monetary rewards over time to observe and report nesting activities of the Ibises, most of them were traditional egg hunters and poachers (from our perspectives at least) not too long ago. We got to view and photograph the WS Ibises well from a distance as the local guides knew their roosting grounds. We did not expect to see the Giant Ibis as they had completed breeding and dispersed, however, we did try to look for them. During a breakfast break in the rice fields, three Giant Ibises flew past us, both of us were elated, busily trying to have good views and take some shots. When we turned around, the locals were crouching among the rice stalks so as not to distract the skittish and much loved Ibises. They were hunters/poachers not too long ago. Over at the flooded forest around Tonle Sap, local farmers/rangers have constructed more than twenty tree-houses or platforms where they stay overnight for a period of days (work in shifts during peak nesting period) to observe, record and protect breeding nests.

A typical nesting tree with breeding Oriental Darters occupying the top half of the crown and the Indian Cormorants the bottom half (size, evolution or height phobia?), in the background the Spot-billed Pelicans started gathering for their breeding cycles, with each passing day the numbers doubled !

A view from the tree-top house, notice those tree crowns above water, the depth of water can be as deep as 10 meters. We missed the chance to spend a night on the tree-top - I guess we city folks would love to sleep on a tree-house.