Wings of Vietnam

Sapa is a small hill station, located in the Hoang Lien Son Mountains of Vietnam, in the north of the country. This small town is located at 1600 metres above sea level and surrounded by hills. The small lake at the centre of the town, the pavement laid around the lake for people to walk, beautiful gardens around the town, soaring trees, misty evenings, busy tourists enjoying their shopping on the streets, and the chirping of small birds all resemble Kodaikanal, which is located in the southern part of India. I visited Sapa for a few days and got to experience the nature around this place. 

Ham Rong Hillock

Ham Rong Garden is a hillock located very close to the town, with trees, shrubs, orchid gardens and other ornamental plants. In Vietnamese, Ham Rong means Dragon’s Jaw, and the botanical garden gets its name as the rock on top of this hill resembles one. The hillock has steep stones, making it difficult to trek; however, I felt it was worth climbing as I found many bird species, some of which are found only in the Himalayas. I had gone through the list of bird species recorded in Sapa during spring and prepared my own wish list to find them. I visited this place early one morning during my stay in Sapa. It was misty, and I could hardly see anything beyond a hundred meters. Hoping that the clouds would clear, I started walking up the hill. Around 7.00 a.m, the mists were gone, but still there was not enough sunlight to see the small birds hanging around the canopies. All I could hear were their songs and the silhouette of the fast-moving passerines. With less opportunity to see the birds at eye level in good light, I was patiently looking for a suitable open area where I could get better light. The trunks of the trees and rock surfaces were covered with lichens. 

Ham Rong Garden

I reached the centre of the garden, where many vibrant-coloured flowering plants were cultivated. The flower garden was surrounded by trees and shrubs. The more light in the open helped me to find the bird species around that area. There are several Tit species found in these mountains, and I was fortunate to see three of them: Asian Tit, Green-backed Tit and Black-throated Tit. The gregarious Black-throated Tits were eye-catching with their attractive, colourful feathers. Those tiny birds were foraging on the barren branches of a small tree and hanging around acrobatically. One of the Tit’s brought a caterpillar from somewhere to the branch. It held one end of the caterpillar tightly in it’s beak and pounded it on the branch multiple times before eating it. The Tits ignored my presence and continued their activities on that busy morning.

Black-throated Tit

After a while, along with the Tits, I found a Rufous-capped Babbler busy building its nest. It was building its nest with the hanging mosses from the tree, rolling it over on the thin branch. I was hoping to see more birds in that location, so I decided to stick around that place and started looking for more species. A bird slightly larger than a Tit grabbed my attention on the same tree where the Tits were foraging. It was a beautiful Blue-winged Minla. 

Blue-winged Minla

I was able to take pictures of all these small birds. Thanks to the clear sky, there was more visibility on one side of the densely forested hillock. I heard a call from there, something new, but also something familiar, as I had heard that call before. It piqued my curiosity, and I keenly searched the vegetation. I was paid for my patience: I saw a stunning blue bird with a long tail and a scarlet bill come out of the thicket and fly to the other side of the hillock. It was followed by another one, and they both vanished from sight. They were Red-billed Blue-Magpies, whose calls are similar to the Rufous Treepie.  

Rufous-capped Babbler

After watching all these spectacular birds, I roamed around the garden for a few more hours and observed 20 species. A pair of Rusty-capped Fulvetta, a lone Hill Prinia and many other birds showered me with lifers that day. On the same day, I visited a village called Cat-Cat. This village is one of the tourist attractions, exhibiting cultural values of Vietnam with traditional costumes, handicrafts and food, etc. Nevertheless, the location of the village inspired me, as there is a river flowing through the place with dense vegetation and waterfalls alongside. 

Rusty-capped Fulvetta

Hill Prinia

Plumbeous Redstart

I was targeting two bird species, the Little forktail and the Plumbeous Redstart, as both were recorded in this village. After an hour of walking along the river, I found a Plumbeous Redstart swaying its tail, perched atop a rock. A pair of Stately Nawab butterflies were mud puddling on the bank of the river. While climbing back up the valley to the main road, I noticed that the path was planted with Queen's Wreath and Princess Flower plants. 

Princess Flower

Queen's Wreath

Stately Nawab

Despite the evidence of nature's beauty through the birds, butterflies and flowers, this tourist place is rapidly getting commercialised. The construction of new buildings, roads, and new tourist attractions, are destroying these beautiful landscapes. 

After going through the complete list of bird sightings in Vietnam, there is one common bird that I missed, which I see the world over. 

It was the crow!