Blessing in disguise...

Ever since fellow bird photographer, neighbor, and friend, Bob Kaufman (and his party of 5), photographed the Changeable Hawk Eagle up close, I have been "obsessed" with getting similar photos.  Especially since it looked like they got an adult bird in its "light" phase (I already have photos of the dark and intermediate phases).  So when I came back to Coron eleven days ago, I would go birding in the mornings in search of the Changeable Hawk Eagle.  Out of five sorties, I saw it only once (Sunday, December 11), and got close captures of what appears to be a juvenile.  Rodel, our driver, says that the bird that Bob's party got was bigger.  But this close encounter with the CHE will be the subject of another post.

What I am writing about today is my short birding sortie yesterday morning, December 16.  I had to take a 7:50am flight to Manila so that meant I should be at the airport at 5:50am.  So after Simbang Gabi (Dawn Novena Masses), our van brought me to the airport.  I was the first to check in, and was told that boarding time will be at 7:20am. As per my practice in Coron, I go out of the terminal after checking in, so I can bird in the area.  We immediately went back to the CHE area.  On the way, we saw a bare tree laden with birds which I first dismissed as Starlings.  Rodel commented that they looked to big to be Starlings.  But since it was against the sun, all we could see were silhouettes. When the van drew abreast, Rodel blurted, "Kilit sir!  Lahat sila!".  (Blue Headed Racquet Tails sir, all of them).  So we stopped, parked and I took several shots.  I had to zoom out my lens to 150mm to fit the entire scene in one frame.

A flock of about 23 Kilits or Blue-headed Racquet Tails

Soon the Kilits flew to anther tree except for two pairs that stayed behind.  We left them to search for the CHE.  On the way, we saw a Crested Goshawk perched on a bare branch but it was too far away. After a few minutes, we reached the CHE area but as (bad) luck would have it, it was nowhere to found.  I told Rodel to drive to a tree where I saw some Red-headed Flameback Woodpeckers a couple of days earlier.

Though not a lifer, I still don't have a decent photo of the Red-headed Flameback.  It is a lot harder to find than its "cousin" the Spot-throated Flameback.  Two days earlier, while waiting for the CHE, I parked on the roadside and saw on a nearby tree what I assumed were two Spot-throated Flamebacks.  It was only when they flew away that I noticed they were Red-headed Flameback. And they were four (!) not two.   I managed a "docu" shot of one of them.  Anyway, it was this tree that I wanted to check out.  True enough, as we approached the tree, we saw a woodpecker silhouette up high.  I went down the van to go to a better vantage point.  Perhaps sensing our presence, the bird flew to the tree where I saw them two days prior.  I didn't have my tripod so I had to lean on the barbed wire fence post for support. At one point there were two of them. Here is one of the images I managed to create.

Red-headed Flameback Woodpecker

After the Flamebacks flew away, I glanced at my watch and saw that it was already 7:05am.  So we went back to the airport.  As soon as I alighted from the van, I hear the PA announcement that my flight is delayed and that the new boarding time is 7:45am.  So I went back to the van and we sped off to another area to check out the Stork-billed Kingfisher.  Again it was a now show.  But Rodel's sharp eyes saw a bird that he thought was a dove. It was cleaning itself so the head was not visible.  It was perched on a leafy part of a tree that it took me awhile before I could see it. I snapped a blurry photo and saw that the breast had horizontal barring!  I immediately knew it was not a dove.  My first guess was a Crested Goshawk. Got out of the van and using the cover of trees and bushes, tried to get nearer.  I was stopping to take a few insurance shots every few meters.  At one point, I was standing in the open. As soon as I got a close enough look, my heart started beating fast because I knew it was not a Crested Goshawk.  I thought it may be a Peregrine Falcon (but the barring seemed different), or maybe a Chinese Goshawk. Anyway, I took as much shots as I could knowing that since I was shooting handheld, many will be blurred.  After a while, the bird flew to another tree.  At the same time, we heard the plane approaching.  So I rushed to the van, snapped a photo from my camera LCD and sent it to Desmond Allen, Bob Kaufman and Rommel Cruz for ID.  Rommel immediately replied that it looked like a Japanese Sparrow Hawk.  Desmond replied in the afternoon and asked for better shots which I was able to send last night.  He confirmed that it was indeed a Japanese Sparrow Hawk (female). Lifer #263 for me.  

Japanese Sparrow Hawk, female, #263

Sometimes, getting delayed can be a blessing....this is actually the second time I got a lifer in YKR due to a flight delay.

      

The Chronicles of Nar-cissus: Chapter 4 - A Gift from God

Chapter 4 - A Gift from God

I should mention here that there was a sighting of a male NFC at the Baclaran Church grounds on Friday afternoon.  A photo was posted in the WBPP page on Friday night, Oct 28.  

On Sunday, October 30th, the day after our bittersweet BK sortie, while downloading the photos, I was browsing through FB.  I came upon a post by Mark that he went to Baclaran church to check out the male NFC.  But he did not see it.  Later that day, Dong Gales also posted that he waited for it but he also did not see it.  But since Baclaran seemed the only chance left for me, I resolved that I will visit the place either on October 31st or November 1st.

On October 31st, we went to Kawit to pay our respects to our departed relatives from my wife's side of the family. When we reached my in-laws house, I took out my cellphone and I saw a message from Maia alerting me to the fact that Steve Albano and Win Paler saw and photographed the male Narcissus in the Baclaran church grounds. She also sent me Steve's detailed directions.  I immediately asked Lorna, (my dear wife), what time we were going to visit the cemetery.  She said 5-ish. I said, can I go birding?  She said okay... and without further ado, I was off to Baclaran. 

I left Kawit at 2:09 and was parked at the Roxas Blvd service road by 2:35pm.  I walked to the church compound and found myself in the small courtyard in no time (Thank you Steve!). I walked on the path slowly and when I reached the semi-circular area, the bird was there on one of the concrete benches. My camera was still in my backpack. I froze. The bird transferred to another perch. I slowly unslung the bag, got the camera, slung the bag again, and started firing away, handheld.  Fortunately, the bird stayed a bit and allowed me several decent captures.

Presenting the male Narcissus Flycatcher.

Thank you Lord for making such a beautiful creature!  

After getting several photos, the bird disappeared as if to say, you have enough.  I walked to the Church and thanked the Lord for all HIS Blessing including but not limited to the beautiful bird I just saw.  

Afterwards, I went to Siniringan Cafe and had a cup to celebrate my good fortune. Before i left, I took one last look at the courtyard and saw the bird again but it was time for me to go.  

Mission accomplished. Again, thank you Lord!

     

The Chronicles of Nar-cissus: Chapter 3 - "Bittern"-sweet in BK

Chapter 3: "Bittern"-sweet in BK

With the long weekend coming up, I was thinking of going back to LPPCHEA or risking a BK trip in my antique car.  Sometime in the afternoon of Friday, Prof. Bert Madrigal posted a photo taken in UP-Diliman of what appeared to be a Flycatcher.  He was asking for ID.  I sent him a message asking for the exact area where he saw the bird.  At about the same time, Dong Gales, my birding-mate at Arroceros posted on FB that they were going to LPPCHEA the following morning.  While I was deciding between UP-D and LPPCHEA, Prof. Bert sent me a message asking if I wanted to go with him and Roy de Guzman to BK! Yahoo!!!  I immediately secured my visa and once granted confirmed with Prof. Bert. 

We set out at 4am - Bert, Roy and me in Bert's car and Jonn Salvador and his brother in Jonn's car. It was raining... which was not a good sign.  By the time we reached San Pablo, Laguna, traffic along the highway was crawling.  So instead of reaching BK before 7am, we got there almost 8am (or was it past 8?).  Cris Ceriban, BK's resident bird whisperer had in fact sent a message to Roy saying that it was raining in BK.  But our hopes soared when Dion Pullan, BK's capo di capi tutti, said that two birders got photos of the male Narcissus while having coffee at his restaurant (a few minutes after arriving!).

BK Valley

After a sumptuous and healthy breakfast of Salabat, Tuyo, Veggies, and Brown Rice, we went to the pond where the Von Schrenk's Bittern was a "sure thing". Upon arriving at the pond, the Common Kingfisher was flying around and it entertained us for the next two hours.  

Common Kingfisher

The Pond at BK

Shortly before noon, Cris came back to fetch us because he had already seen the female Narcissus. We immediately followed Cris and waited. After a while the female NFC darted but only Bert saw it. I was standing beside him when he bended his knees to get a better look and was soon clicking away. But I couldn't see the bird.  I stood beside him and looked at the direction of his lens and nada. Then we waited again. This pattern was repeated several times. At one point Bert saw both the male and female dart into the brush.  After about thirty minutes, the female perched in an open vine.    

"Narcisa" #262

Then it disappeared into the trees and we all headed back to the pond area. When we got there, fellow WBPP birder Deo Hernandez was waiting for us.  After "hi's" and "hello's", we all settled to wait for the CKF (which was Deo's target for the day) and the Bittern.  A few minutes later, our guide (Cris' brother), pointed to a Cinnamon Bittern perched nearby. 

Cinnamon Bittern

After lunch, we ordered coffee because the previous group got NFC while sipping coffee. (Is it obvious that we were getting desperate?).  As soon as we sat down to enjoy our piping hot coffee, Cris emerges from the trees and says he found a Crested Cuckoo (?).  So we all rushed and left our coffees behind.  And of course by the time we got to where the bird was spotted, it had already left.  After some time we trudged back to Dion's restaurant. And after finishing our lukewarm coffee, we headed back to the pond.  Cris, who was walking ahead with Roy, saw the Schrenk's Bittern as we were approaching.  But it darted away as soon as it sensed us.  Never to return for the day. 

With a heavy heart, we reluctantly went back to the restaurant where the delicious merienda of Mushroom Burgers and ice cold Raspberry Shake helped ease the disappointment.

Just as we were finishing our meal, the female NFC appeared on the tree beside the restaurant.  We lingered hoping that the male would show up.  But it never did.

A bittersweet sortie because technically I saw the Narcissus Flycatcher and got a decent photo of it. I could already include it in my lifelist.  But I really wanted to see the male...  As to the Bittern... bittern luck next time I guess.

I was already worried that it might also take me eight years before I see this bird.  

The Chronicles of Nar-cissus: Chapter 2 - LPPCHEA Bonanza

Chapter 2: LPPCHEA Bonanza

Maia and I agreed to visit LPPCHEA on Thursday, October 27.  To make sure I didn't have to use the mugshot of a certain birder to gain entry (name withheld, hehehe), I secured a permit at the LPPCHEA office along North Avenue. The following day, Maia and I, along with Mark Jason Villa, whom I just met, went to LPPCHEA. Our main targets for the day were the NFC and the Chinese Egret.  I felt that Mark being a professional bird guide increased our chances dramatically.

Aided by Dan's detailed directions, we scoured the wooded area on the right of Pond 1.  We saw and heard a number of birds, the most significant of which were: an Oriental/Himalayan Cuckoo and a Blue and White Flycatcher.

Oriental/Himalayan Cuckoo

Blue and White Flycatcher, #257

We circled the pond and soon we were back where we started.  We decided to look at the beach area instead. Here Mark's spotting scope really helped a lot.  We saw several waders, three of which were lifers for me namely, Marsh Sandpiper, Bar-tailed Godwit, and Sanderling.    

Bar-tailed Godwit, #259 (258 is the Marsh Sandpiper. Unfortunately, no photos).

Just as we were about to leave the beach, an Egret landed a bit further and Mark who was looking through his scope blurted, Chinese! But it was so far. Still it's lifer #261 and one of our primary targets for the day.

Docu shot of a Chinese Egret, # 261, with photobombers (Terek Sandpiper and Bar-tailed Godwit)

After sometime, we went back to the forest area on the right of Pond 1 to look for the Narcissus one more time.  But as again we failed to see it...

On the bright side, we did see more than thirty species, five of which were lifers for me. 

Pero bigo pa rin kay Narci...

The Chronicles of Nar-cissus: Chapter 1 - Zero in Arroceros

I do not normally go out of my way to chase birds. Of course if there is a sighting of a rare migrant or a bird that I still have not seen, I will normally go and try to see and photograph it.  But if I come back empty handed, I do not lose sleep over it. I just shrug my shoulders and move on.  Until I became aware of the Narcissus Flycatcher (NFC).

Reports of sightings in Bangkong Kahoy and Camp John Hay and generated a buzz in the Manila birding community.  Being nearer, WBPP denizens began trooping to BK. Others were planning Baguio trips for the "Undas" long weekend.  Soon photos of this beautiful black and yellow bird began flooding facebook and drawing ooohs and aaahs (actually more like "wow" and "ganda"). And stories on how long they have waited to catch this bird surfaced.  Bong Nabong waited 8 long years! Maia Tanedo, 5 years (or was it 6)?, Bob Kaufman, also 5 years that he even made a video (with Adolf Hitler as his guest star) of his frustrations with this bird, etc.  However, instead of being discouraged, it just got me more hooked in the "Narci" fever. 

Chapter 1: Zero in Arroceros 

I started to seriously consider the Hunt for Narci on Friday, October 21. My problem was my ancient car is probably not fit for BK and Baguio was too far (I didn't have two days to take off). I had earlier posted a question in FB (WBPP and in Tropang Birders), asking who was going up to BK but there were no responses.   As I was debating, Dan posted a photo of the male NFC taken that afternoon (Oct 21) at LPPCHEA! My hopes jumped and I began planning my trip for either Saturday or Sunday. But disaster struck when I had a really bad vertigo attack on Saturday morning which confined me in bed for most of the day. That night, still feeling woozy, I saw an FB post by Joselito  Arceta and Ed Gapal posted a photo of the male NFC taken that afternoon at Arocerros Forest Park!  Boom!  I knew that's in Manila.  My fingers trembled with excitement as I googled the location of Arocerros Park while chatting with Dong Gales and arranging our trip the following morning.

Still feeling a bit woozy, I decided to take Grab the following morning.  I met Dong at the park gate and spent the next four hours looking at...nothing!  All we saw were a couple of Brown Shrikes, a few Zebra Doves, some Arctic Warblers, some Yellow-vented Bulbuls, one Collared Kingfisher, a couple of Crows (!), several Terns and Egrets diving in Pasig River and of course the ever present ETS!  

By 11am, I gave up.  Sa madaling salita, umuwi kaming luhaan... 

In the meantime, people who went to BK were posting beautiful photos...

Whimbrel...finally

Two years ago, October 29, 2014, to be exact, I was invited by fellow bird photographerand friend, Prof. Reuel Aguila to do some birding in the Las Pinas-Paranaque Critical Habitat and Ecotourism Area or LPPCHEA. To the non-birders, this is the coastal area along the Coastal Road leading to Cavite and Las Pinas. For reference, here is a map that I copied from Google Maps.

Aerial Map of LLPCHEA. The left "wing" is called Long Island while the right "wing" is Freedom Island. 

Anyway, back to the story.  About a week or so prior to this Oct 29 sortie, another fellow bird photographer friend, Capt. Floyd Bermejo posted a photo of a Whimbrel taken at LPPCHEA.  This bird was the reason I went with Prof. Reuel.  Unfortunately, we didn't see the bird that day.  I can't recall if there were any sightings of it in 2015.  But I don't recall any photos posted on Facebook.  

Fast forward to early September 2016. Another friend Pastor Tony Lim posted a photo of a Whimbrel taken at LPPCHEA on August 29, 2016.  I immediately messaged him asking where in LPPCHEA was he able to photograph said bird. But as (bad)luck would have it, (or perhaps it's fate?), I never got to go to LPPCHEA the whole time I was in Manila. I went back to Coron and stayed for quite sometime and got back only on the 7th of October. I was not hopeful about seeing the Whimbrel anymore (for this year), but I decided to try my luck on the 9th.  My birding companion that day was another birder-friend, Ed Santos.

We got to the site around 6am and proceeded to the end of the abandoned pier area at the end of the center road.  We were greeted by the usual suspects - Collared Kingfishers on the big rocks, Little Heron, Black-crowned Night Heron, Egrets and Whiskered Terns, flying about.  Plus the ever present Eurasian Tree Sparrows, Yellow-vented Bulbuls, and a couple of Brown Shrikes. Here are some of our early captures:

Little or Striated Heron

Immature Rufous Night Heron

After about twenty minutes at the pier and no sign of the Whimbrel, we decided to transfer to the "beach" area to the left of the abandoned pier.  When we got there, we were dismayed at the amount of garbage. We already knew that there was a lot but seeing it up close just disgusts you.

Again, no sign of the target bird.  We did see some juvenile Black-crowned Night Herons on the rocks:

Immature Black-crowned Night Heron

Immature Black-crowned Night Heron showing already the black crown.

And a Grey-tailed Tattler...

Grey-tailed Tattled in a beach full of trash

Another bird scavenging in the trash, a Rock Dove (most likely, a domesticated pigeon)

Rock Dove

And some Sandpipers...

Common Sandpipers flying low over a sea of garbage

A fisherman came in from the sea and I showed him a photo of the Whimbrel on my phone.  He said it frequents the rocks along the shore of Long Island. So after a few more minutes, we decided to use our cars and bird along the road on Long Island. Driving slowly, I saw a Collared Kingfisher on one of the rocks but it flew away as soon as I stopped the car.  Further down the road, we saw a couple of Common Sandpipers on the rocks.

Common Sandpiper

A pair of Common Sandpipers

The area was not that birdy that day.   I had sent a message to another birder-friend, Caloy Pangilinan who was at LPPCHEA earlier in the week, asking for the location of the Whimbrel.  He finally answered that it was in "Stinky Island", referring to the garbage ridden part of Freedom Island.  So off we went to the other "wing".  After parking near the DENR station, I went to the bird watching "hide" in front of Pond 1 and saw a couple of birds hidden in the tall grass.  I took a couple of shots and when enlarged, it showed two Purple Swamphens which was later corrected by Maia Tanedo as a Common Moorhen (it looked purple to me! hehehe).

Common Moorhen

The DENR personnel stationed in the area greeted us and after logging in, I showed the Whimbrel photo to the guys there and they said that it was just there at the beach along Freedom Island flying back and forth.  So off we went to the beach area.   Again we saw the usual suspects. A few minutes later two large brownish birds came flying from our right.  It was only when they were near that I saw the long beak pointing down.  I blurted Whimbrel! But they were gone before we were able to take any shots. So we waited again. 

Ed watched a Little Egret for some time while I got bored so I started fiddling with my tripod.  Soon the Egret started catching something from the sea and in one of its "dips" it caught a fish and the bird sort of juggled it with its beak before swallowing it.  I was not able to capture the special moment because I was fumbling with my tripod and camera. All the while, Ed's shutter was clicking and clacking like a machine gun. Haaaaay....

A Little Egret, juggling the fish in its beak.  Awesome photo by Ed Santos. 

After some time, a lone Whimbrel came flying in.  This time, I was able to get some shots. 

Whimbrel, lifer # 255. 

The Whimbrel landed on a spot on the dirty beach too far for us too shoot.  After several minutes of waiting for it to comeback, I decided to go nearer.   

Me, walking amidst Metro Manila's garbage.  Photo courtesy of Ed Santos.

After walking about fifty meters, the bird flew and landed on a spot nearer to Ed. So I slowly walked back careful not to spook the bird. Stopping every few meters to take shots.  One of the shots showed another bird in the foreground.  It was later ID'ed by birder friends Bob Kaufman and Jose Limbaga as a Terek Sandpiper, another lifer!

Whimbrel with Terek Sandpiper, a bonus lifer!, #256. 

Whimbrel

Whimbrel in flight once again

After sometime, we decided to go to the foresty area near Pond 1.   

An adult Black-crowned Night Heron at Pond 1

After several minutes of not seeing much bird activity in the forested area (save for a couple of Fantails), we decided to call it a day.

A satisfactory morning of birding.

Close Encounters with Woody

A wild bird photographer's dream setting is probably:  a wild and colorful bird, (preferably endemic, and hopefully a lifer), perched in the open, (in a natural perch), with great bokeh (green being the preferred color), a distance of ten meters or less, in the soft and gentle light of the early morning hours, and the bird unmindful of the photographer. The problem is, more often than not, such shooting conditions remain in our dreams.  However, last September 28 and and again on October 1st, I was blessed with these conditions.

On the afternoon of September 27, I decided to go birding the following morning. But our Front Desk informed me that the van had to pick up guests arriving on a 7:30am flight.  It meant I can only bird for about an hour to an hour and a half.  Deep breath...and make do with the situation.  

So we, (our driver and I) were in the airport area before 7am but I had low expectations given the short time.  However the birding gods smiled at me that morning and gifted me with the endemic Spot-throated Flameback in ideal shooting conditions.  

Mr. & Mrs. Flameback

Spot-throated Flameback Woodpecker, male.

I was very very happy with these shots. I would have been perfectly contented with them. But on the morning of October 1st was again blessed with the same scenario.  Although this time, the female was a no show.

Spot-throated Flameback, male.

I was even able to shoot a video of it.

Needless to say, I was (still am), in seventh heaven after these two encounters. If only all birds behaved like this :-).  But that is probably asking too much :-)

Thank you Lord for the beauty of your creation!