Violet and Grey

I went to La Mesa Ecopark last November 3rd hoping to see four birds which were seen and photographed there in the previous two weeks. These were the female Violet Cuckoo, a Grey-faced Buzzard,  the Oriental Honey Buzzard and a Black Bittern. While staking out the Cuckoo, I learned that the day before, Anthony Balbin, LMEP's resident birder was able to photograph the male Violet Cuckoo also within the park.  Unfortunately, I didn't see any of these birds that day. Zilch! 

To my chagrin, two other bird photographers, Nes Santiago and Virgilio Gales posted photos of the male Violet Cuckoo, a Rusty-breasted Cuckoo and the Grey-faced Buzzard - all taken at LMEP that very same day.  

Maia Tanedo, another  birder friend went to LMEP on November 4th and along with Nes Santiago, was also able to see and photograph the two Cuckoos.

I finally got a chance to go back to LMEP on the morning of November 6th. I dropped my son Leon at his school in Katipunan and was at the Ecopark by 7:25am. And discovered that I failed to bring my tripod. Wonderful.  

After getting out of the car, I made a quick pass at the spillway to see if there are any signs of the buzzard.  But there was no activity except for some Yellow-vented Bulbuls so I proceeded to the spot of the male Violet Cuckoo.  As soon as I got to the pond area, I saw the Common Kingfisher on the now familiar bamboo perch.  I took a few shots, handheld while leaning on a palm tree. Looking at my shots through the LCD screen, I again cursed myself for forgetting my tripod. Grrr...

I looked up at the Balete tree and saw a Zebra Dove way up and a few Yellow-vented Bulbuls darting about. Then my eyes landed on a darkish bird about a foot from the dove.  Male Violet Cuckoo! Aim, shoot, bird moves to another branch, shoot some more, bird moves again, partially hidden.  Alas all my shots were backlit and the bird is one dark silhouette.  The next few minutes was spent trying to shoot through a small gap in the leaves, handheld, and straining my neck in the process.  None of my shots are tack sharp since all were handheld and I do not have the steady hands of Anthony Balbin and Jonet Carpio.

Here are some of the better photos of the male Violet Cuckoo:

Violet Cuckoo,lifer # 40 for the year, #233 overall.

The rich violet plumage of this bird is so pretty, I wish I had a closer photo (with a tripod!). But nevertheless, I am happy with the docu shots that I got.

By 8:30am, the Violet was gone so I decided to go back to the spillway to look for the Grey-faced Buzzard.  I gave myself until 10:30am. 

But the spillway was quiet aside from the Bulbuls, Brown Shrikes and some Black-naped Orioles.  I borrowed the mono-bloc chair of the guard and sat down but continued to scan the trees for the raptor but nada.  After a while I decided to walk to the tree where the female Violet Cuckoo was previously spotted.  There I met fellow birder Conrad Olayres who was also looking for the same birds. After about an hour and a half, we saw it circling in the air but on the other side of the line of trees &%#@. 

I was about to leave, (it was 10:28 in my watch) when I decided to scan the trees once more with my bins. I saw some movement on a relatively low branch and blurted it to Conrad.  Aimed my camera and pressed the shutter.  Grey-faced Buzzard.  

Sharing a couple of not so sharp photos of the Grey-faced Buzzard.  

Grey-faced Buzzard, lifer #41 for the year; #234th overall.

It was already time for me to go (I had to drive for my mother and then accompany Lorna, my wife to Kawit), so I bade Conrad good bye and walked to my car and said a silent prayer of thanks to our Lord and my guardian angel for my two lifers.

 

Birding at the Boulevard - 2015 edition

Going home to Coron on a short trip, with a four-day training to oversee meant very little time to bird.  However, I was not to be denied.  On the afternoon of my third day, I went to the area that we Coronians call the Boulevard.  Actually it is a reclaimed area that was meant to have a seaside boulevard. A project of our former governor.  In 2012, Manila based birders Bob and Cynthia Kaufman, was able to photograph several species of waterbirds in the area.  At that time, the place was empty.  In 2013 and 2014, I was able to see and photograph several lifers.  Although due to the increasing human presence (the public market was transferred at this site sometime in 2014), there were less birds in 2014 as compared to the two previous years.  So I didn't expect much this year.  On my first foray into the area, I saw a couple of Asian Golden Plovers near a puddle, plus a few other smaller birds. But the big flock of terns that was present in the past three years was nowhere to be seen. I also saw fellow bird photographer Al Linsangan III trying out  his drone.  I stopped by to chat with him for a while before going back to Darayonan to get my gear.

After getting my camera, I decided to go to Villa Khadine but after a few minutes of not seeing anything except a couple of Bulbuls and Starlings, I decided to go back to the reclaimed area.  There were still not many birds but there were about eight terns perched on the zipline cables.  I walked near the puddle, leaned on a lamp post and aimed at the Asian Golden Plovers. There were two of them on the far side of the puddle and one nearer to me.  As soon as my camera focused on the nearer one, I noticed it was a larger bird and not an Asian Golden Plover. I was not sure what it was although the size was similar to a Wood Sandpiper and a Common Greenshank.   Since it was only about five to six meters away, I took lots of shots.  It was only later when I asked for the bird to be identified by experts that I found out that this was a Ruff (the female is called a Reeve).  I once saw this bird from afar (through a scope), in Candaba. But it was so far that even looking through a scope, it was not that easy to distinguish the features. 

Ruff

Ruff

After several bursts, I took a couple of photos of the Asian Golden Plover, an immature Yellow Wagtail and a Kentish Plover. 

Asian Golden Plover

Yellow Wagtail (imm)

Kentish Plover

Then I took several more photos of the Ruff...

Ruff

Not finding any other birds, I climbed on the van and was about to leave when a group of whitish birds landed on the ground and was making some noise.  White Wagtails!  There were seven or eight of them and another four to five Yellow Wagtails making noise and darting about.  I encountered a similar flock on November 28, 2014 but it was already dusk so all my photos then were poorly exposed.  The light today was a better but it was still a challenge because these birds are so active. 

White Wagtail

White Wagtail, immature

Then I saw a bird standing motionless on top of a mound.  I ignored thinking that it was one of the Yellow Wagtails.  When the White Wagtails flew away, I snapped several shots and realized that this was not a Wagtail.  I have posted this photo in facebook and have asked for identification from the experts.  According to Desmond Allen, a renowned Ornithologist, this is definitely a Pipit but he is not sure if it is a Paddyfield or Richard's Pipit.  My friend Bob Kaufman has ID'ed it as a Paddyfield. But I am asking how come it is shorter and fatter than the Paddyfield Pipit that I normally see at YKR. 

A Pipit - either Paddyfield of Richard's

The White Wagtails came back and I was able to get a closer photo.

White Wagtail

I wanted to go back the following morning to get more shots of the unidentified Pipit but I was not able to (at this point, I still didn't know that I photographed a Ruff). Neither was I able to that afternoon as we had a staff meeting.  But the following morning, which was my last for the trip, I made a short trip to the boulevard.  By this time I already knew about the Ruff so I was hoping to see more of it.

The first bird I saw was a Scaly-breasted Munia taking a bath.

Scaly-breasted Munia sunning itself after a dip in the puddle

Then a group of noisy Eurasian Tree Sparrows dove into the puddle.

Group bath, ETS style

And the Asian Golden Plover followed took its turn.

Asian Golden Plover freshening up

Asian Golden Plover

I saw some birds perched on the zipline cables so I made my way to the water's edge and snapped a few photos.

Barn Swallows

Barn Swallow about to take-off

Before leaving, I made a couple of turns around the area and saw a Paddyfield Pipit on one of the mounds.  This is the Paddyfield Pipit that I am used to seeing. 

Paddyfield Pipit

I also managed a few pictures of the few terns.  I am assuming that this is a Whiskered Tern.

Whiskered Tern

On my last go around, I saw one bird that was different from Paddyfield Pipits scurrying about in the ground.  I noticed that it was slightly larger. At the time I took the photo, I thought it was an Oriental Skylark but Desmond Allen later identified it as a Ruby-throated Pipit on its first winter. According to the Kennedy Guide, it is generally rare. And of course it is a lifer for me.  My 39th for the year and 232nd overall. 

Ruby-throated Pipit on its first winter (per Desmond Allen)

I ended my birding trip on that positive note. 

This was my eighth (8th) lifer in this reclaimed area. Perhaps my last because according to the scuttlebut, the provincial government is looking for investors to develop said area.