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...