Photography Tours

Myanmar 2020

Myanmar certainly is an interesting country to visit. For bird lovers, it is relatively new and not very much explored so far but it really has great potential.

We started our birding tour with a visit to the Hlawga Park on the outskirts of the city, to look for the Davison’s Bulbul, which actually is just a Stripe-throated Bulbul. From here we drove to the Irrawaddy Delta. I found this a very interesting place where all the transport is going over water. Surprisingly, being in a remote place, we even stayed in a very acceptable hotel in a small town Wakhema. Birding by boat was productive and we were happy to find Sarus Cranes and we had good options to photograph Jerdon’s Babbler. After a couple of days, we went back to Yangon and from there to Moe Yin Gyi Wetland Resort. Many tourists here to have a weekend out, but in spite of this, we had some interesting and productive days with a lot of Photographic opportunities.

We had a 4-night stay in Bagan, which is one of the most frequented tourist places in Myanmar. A famous place, because of its more than 2000 temples. We did not know what to expect, but certainly, tourist activity was not disturbing at all our attempts to photograph birds. A nice stay with a boat-ride on the Irrawaddy River and visits to several places around the city. We photographed all “specialties”.

The next 4 nights we stayed at Mount Victoria at an altitude of 1.400 m. Typically forest birding, dense vegetation and small birds far away. Altogether we did not do that bad, but getting quality photographs was a real struggle. Although the temperature went down in the evening to levels below 10 ºC, no heating systems were in place to keep us warm in the restaurant or in the bedroom. The first time I experienced being served by waiters with gloves and a warm scarf and hat.

We drove back to Bagan and flew to Heho, the gateway to Shan State. We stayed in Pindaya, Kalaw and at the Inle Lake. An interesting area with a lot of agriculture activities. Although the Inle lake is another major tourist center, it did not disturb us when we were looking for birds. It is very interesting to see how the local people are living, with their houses built on posts over the water. Even the agriculture is done on small floating islands built up with aquatic plants.

Altogether Myanmar was a very pleasant experience, extremely helpful and friendly people, superb food, very good infrastructure, and very nice hotels. I can really recommend a visit to everyone.

Below a selection of photographs taken during this trip. Hovering over the image you will see a toolbar at the bottom where you can start a slideshow if you wish to do so.

If you want to see more photographs have a look on the following pages

Temples of Bagan Ashy Drongo - Dicrurus leucophaeus Asian Barred Owlet - Glaucidium cuculoides Asian Openbill (j) - Anastomus oscitans Baer's Pochard - Aythya baeri Bar-tailed Treecreeper - Certhia himalayana Baya Weaver - Ploceus philippinus Black-collared Starling - Gracupica nigricollis Black-crested Bulbul - Pycnonotus flaviventris Batan2.jpg Black-throated Prinia - Prinia atrogularis Black-throated Sunbird - Aethopyga saturata Blue-bearded Bee-eater - Nyctyornis athertoni Blue Rock Thrush - Monticola solitarius Blyth's Shrike-babbler - Pteruthius aeralatus Blyth's Shrike-babbler (f) - Pteruthius aeralatus Brown-headed Gull - Chroicocephalus brunnicephalus Buff-barred Warbler - Phylloscopus pulcher Burmese Bushtit - Aegithalos sharpei Burmese Collared Dove - Streptopelia xanthocycla Burmese Shrike - Lanius collurioides Burmese Yuhina - Yuhina humilis Chestnut-bellied Rock Thrush (f) - Monticola rufiventris Chestnut-capped Babbler - Timalia pileata Chestnut-vented Nuthatch - Sitta nagaensis Chin Hills Wren-Babbler - Spelaeornis oatesi Chinese Grassbird - Graminicola striatus Chinese Pond Heron - Ardeola bacchus Clamorous Reed Warbler - Acrocephalus stentoreus Collared Scops Owl - Otus lettia Common Iora - Aegithina tiphia Common Kingfisher - Alcedo atthis Coppersmith Barbet - Psilopogon haemacephalus Daurian Redstart - Phoenicurus auroreus Dusky Warbler - Phylloscopus fuscatus Eastern Spot-billed Duck - Anas zonorhyncha Eurasian Coot - Fulica atra Eurasian Tree Sparrow - Passer montanus Eastern Marsh Harrier - Circus spilonotus Eyebrowed Thrush - Turdus obscurus Ferruginous Duck - Aythya nyroca Fire-breasted Flowerpecker - Dicaeum ignipectus Fire-tailed Sunbird - Aethopyga ignicauda Flavescent Bulbul - Pycnonotus flavescens Batan3.jpg Glossy Ibis - Plegadis falcinellus Great Myna - Acridotheres grandis Green Bee-eater - Merops orientalis Green Shrike-babbler - Pteruthius xanthochlorus Grey Bush Chat - Saxicola ferreus Grey Sibia - Heterophasia gracilis Grey-backed Shrike - Lanius tephronotus Grey-headed Canary-flycatcher - Culicicapa ceylonensis Grey-headed Lapwing - Vanellus cinereus Grey-headed Parakeet - Psittacula finschii Grey-headed Parrotbill - Psittiparus gularis Grey-headed Swamphen - Porphyrio poliocephalus Harvesting Peanuts Himalayan Buzzard - Buteo burmanicus Hooded Treepie - Crypsirina cucullata Indochinese Roller - Coracias affinis Intermediate Egret - Ardea intermedia Japanese White-eye - Zosterops Japoñicus Jerdon's Babbler - Chrysomma altirostre Jerdon's Bush Chat - Saxicola jerdoni Jungle Myna - Acridotheres fuscus Laggar Falcon - Falco jugger Long-tailed Shrike - Lanius schach Olive-backed Pipit - Anthus hodgsoni Pacific Golden Plover - Pluvialis fulva Pheasant-tailed Jacana - Hydrophasianus chirurgus Plain-backed Sparrow - Passer flaveolus Plaintive Cuckoo - Cacomantis merulinus Puff-throated Babbler - Pellorneum ruficeps Purple Heron - Ardea purpurea Pygmy Striped Squirrel Red Avadavat - Amandava amandava Red-billed Blue Magpie - Urocissa erythroryncha Red-vented Bulbul - Pycnonotus cafer Scenery2.jpg Red-wattled Lapwing - Vanellus indicus Red-whiskered Bulbul - Pycnonotus jocosus River Lapwing - Vanellus duvaucelii Ruddy Shelduck - Tadorna ferruginea Rufous Treepie - Dendrocitta vagabunda Rufous-gorgeted Flycatcher - Ficedula strophiata Rusty-fronted Barwing - Actinodura egertoni Sand Lark - Alaudala raytal Sarus Crane - Antigone antigone Scaly-breasted Munia - Lonchura punctulata Scarlet Minivet - Pericrocotus speciosus Washing in the river Goats Siberian Stonechat - Saxicola maurus Slender-billed Oriole - Oriolus tenuirostris Spotted Owlet - Athene brama Streak-throated Woodpecker - Picus xanthopygaeus Streaked Spiderhunter - Arachnothera magna Striated Babbler - Argya earlei Stripe-breasted Woodpecker - Dendrocopos atratus Striped Laughingthrush - Trochalopteron virgatum Vinous-breasted Starling - Acridotheres burmannicus Violet Cuckoo - Chrysococcyx xanthorhynchus Whiskered Tern - Chlidonias hybrida Whiskered Yuhina - Yuhina flavicollis White-browed Fulvetta - Fulvetta vinipectus White-browed Laughingthrush - Pterorhinus sannio White-browed Nuthatch - Sitta victoriae White-tailed Stonechat - Saxicola leucurus White-throated Babbler - Argya gularis White-throated Fantail - Rhipidura albicollis Ye Min Aung - Guide Yellow Bittern - Ixobrychus sinensis Yellow-billed Blue Magpie - Urocissa flavirostris Squirrel on Temple Yellow-breasted Bunting - Emberiza aureola Yellow-eyed Babbler - Chrysomma sinense

Myanmar 2020