We landed in Luang Prabang at around 1:30PM on Oct 11. I was surprised at how birdless the town was. Most of the urban bird life consisted of eurasian tree sparrows. A hike up Phou Si hill produced only common tailorbirds.
On Oct. 12 we went on a boat tour to Pak Ou caves on the way I saw a white-throated kingfisher with its brilliant turquoise back and wings. Although, no single species would be considered common on this tour I did see a hand full of chinese pond-herons, common sandpipers and white wagtails. I got a good look at 6 or 7 river lapwings on a muddy "island" near the bank of the river. Once we got to the caves there were several birds singing but impossible to see. I was able to spot a moustached barbet. On the way back we spent most of the time in the middle of the river giving me little chance to spot anything in the adjacent forest. Only the occasional white wagtail would fly by.
Oct. 13 I took a walk to a soccer field early and saw a few brown shrikes, paddyfield pipits, asian palm swifts and a lone immature blue rock thrush. Later, we went south to Kuang Si (some times spelled Kuang Xi) Falls. This excursion proved to be much more successful than the caves. On the way up our driver let us out to stretch our legs. While my mother took some pictures of the surrounding rice fields, I spotted two zitting cisticolas (fan-tailed warblers) among the reeds. When we got there we walked on a trail parallel to the creek being fed by the waterfall. The birds seen on this walk were: red-throated flycatcher, asian brown flycatcher, a foraging flock of 2 striped tit-babblers, brown-cheeked fulvetta, 2 gray-headed canary flycatchers, white-bellied yuhina, and crimson sunbird, more birds were 3 or 4 red-whiskered bulbuls another gray-headed canary flycatcher and 3 ashy drongos at the top of the main falls.
Oct. 14 we travelled from Luang Prabang by van for 5 hours to Vang Vieng. We stayed at the Riverside bungalow which proved good for birding. A flock of 6 or 7 sooty-headed bulbuls were common residents. Other birds in the area included siberian stonechat, blue rock thrush, red throated flycatcher, several brown shrikes and one burmese shrike plus the occasional white wagtail.
Oct. 15 We took a guide to explore some nearby caves. On the way I spotted a black-capped kingfisher flying down the river. Later White-rumped Munias, 3 Green-billed Malkohas, several black drongos, a large tree with a pair of blue-winged leafbirds.
Oct. 16 We took a 3 hour van ride Vientiane and another 90 minute bus ride to a town called Somsamai where we to a 1 hour boat ride to the Ban Pako Lodge. On the boat ride I saw two black-capped kingfishers and a shikra which is a type of accipiter. The lodge was pretty rugged. I expect in a year or two it will be much nicer. The birding was pretty nice though. My bird list while I was there included: hainan blue flycatcher, puff-throated babbler, black-crested bulbul which has an almost human-like whistle white-rumped shama, asian barred owlet, stripe-throated bulbul and across the river I saw Indian Roller and Black Baza.
On the 17th we went into the Phou Kao Khuay National Park with a guide in search of elephants. We saw tracks, droppings, damaged vegetation and even heard the trumpeting, but did not see the large mammals. The birds were much more visible. They included: ruby-cheeked sunbird, black-crested bulbul, ashy minivet and drongo, spotted dove, asian paradise flycatcher and rufous-winged hawk.
Oct 18 to 20 we spent the last few days in Vientiane. The only new birds seen were flocks of fork-tailed swifts and purple-backed starling.
Eurasian Tree Sparrow - many everywhere
Common Tailorbird - common forest skulker
White-throated Kingfisher - One on Mekong
Chinese Pond-heron - common near water sources
Brown Shrike - common in rural areas
Asian Palm Swift - common in urban areas
Common Myna - common in urban area (not Luang Prabang)
White Wagtail - fairly common near water
Paddyfield Pipit - Common near cultivation
Red-throated Flycatcher - common in gardens and parks
Asian Brown Flycatcher - common in open forests
Blue Rock thrush - fairly common in urban areas and wats but very skiddish
Moustached Barbet - near Pak Ou caves
River Lapwing - 6 or 7 on Mekong
Striped Tit - babbler - a few in Kuang Si falls park
Gray-headed Canary Flycatcher - 3 near falls
Brown-cheeked Fulvetta - KS Falls
White-bellied Yuhina - KS Falls
Crimson Sunbird - KS Falls
Red-whiskered Bulbul - 5 or 6 in KS Falls
Ashy Drongo - common in open areas
Black Drongo - same as ashy
Sooty-headed Bulbul - common near Vang Vieng
Siberian Stonechat - common near VV
Burmese Shrike - one near VV
Green-billed Malkoha - fairly common north of VV
White-rumped Munia - small flock near VV
Blue-winged Leafbird - one pair near VV
Hainan Blue Flycatcher - most frequently seen bird at Ban Pako
Puff-throated Babbler- common in undergrowth at Ban Pako
Black-crested Bulbul - common in Ban Pako and Phou Kao Khuay NP
White-rumped Shama - seen twice at Ban Pako
Asian Barred Owlet - One seen at Ban Pako during day heard all night long has eery call.
Stripe-throated Bulbul - one seen at Ban Pako
Ruby-cheeked Sunbird - One female seen at PKK
Ashy Minivet - fairly common at PKK several seen from elephant tower
Spotted Dove - same as minivet
Asian Paradise Flycatcher - One male seen at PKK
Rufous-winged Hawk - one on the way out of PKK
Indian Roller - two calling and flying around dead tree across river at Ban Pako
Black Baza - four seen flying and perched near rollers
Fork-tailed Swift - common in Vientiane
Purple-backed Starling - large flock at large wat