Chasing Lifers: The Baihualing Gold Mine Day 2

The bountiful harvest of Day 1 left us in very high spirits. For the second day, we were going to Hide #3 for a specific target, the Slender-billed Scimitar Babbler and the secondary target was the Streak-breasted Scimitar Babbler.  We had seen the Black-streaked Scimitar Babbler the day before.

When we arrived at said hide, half the seats, were already occupied and the photographers were already shooting.  We quickly and quietly squeezed into the remaining seats, set up our gear and fired away.  As expected there were birds common to the previous day.  Sharing the ones that we just saw that day.

Streak-breasted Scimitar Babbler, one of our targets

Slender-billed Scimitar Babbler, the main target of the day.

Apparently, this is a sought after bird.  The group of Singaporeans whom we shared the hide with that morning, came back to Baihualing with this bird as one of their main targets.  They had all been to Baihualing the previous year but missed this bird. 

Then we saw a familiar bird, Ashy Drongo, or Salang-ikog (forked tail), in Cuyonon. 

Ashy Drongo

The parade of birds continued... here are some lifers.

Rufous-bellied Niltava, male

Streak-bresated Scimitar Babblers

A closer shot of the male Rufous-bellied Niltava

Blue-fronted Redstart, female

Grey-winged Blackbird, female

Slender-billed Scimitar Babbler

Slender-billed Scimitar Babbler

Blue Whistling Thrush

Blue Whistling Thrush

Rufous-bellied Niltava, male

Mrs. Gould's Sunbird, female

Snowy-browed Flycatcher

Snowy-browed Flycatcher, (docu shot)

White-gorgeted Flycatcher

White-gorgeted Flycatcher

Black-throated Sunbird, male

Grey-winged Blackbird, male

This is the shooting area of this hide...

Our lunch arrived promptly at noon and it was consumed quickly lest a new bird arrive while one is not in a position to shoot.  After eating, we packed our gear and transferred to a new hide (this was really our plan for the day).   

We were busy shooting something, when our host/landlord, Jeremy Yip arrived at the hide.  Then he pointed at something on one of the trees.  It took me a couple of minutes to see the bird because it blended so well with the tree trunk.  At it was perpetually moving so getting a decent shot was difficult.

Eurasian Tree Creeper

After the Brown Tree Creeper left, we continued look at the main shooting area.  The next bird was something I saw for a split second the day before - Long-tailed Sibia.

Long-tailed Sibia

Birds continued to come in waves as the afternoon wore on.  But many of them were species that we had already seen.  Still it gave us a chance to get better shots. Towards late afternoon, we got excited because a cute little bird arrived for the first time.

Scarlet Finch, female

We were getting ready to pack our gear when somebody, probably Raymond, blurted, Blue something and we all pointed our cameras at the newcomer and the familiar staccato of shutters filled the air. 

Blue-winged Laughing Thrush

Some photos of the afternoon shoot...

The hide and shooting area

Keith climbing up the steep trail

Our porter for the day, which turned out to be the owner of the 48-room "home-stay" we stayed in. He was also our driver that day.

A selfie while taking a breather

The hide keeper with the thermos of hot water and the remnants of lunch

The days haul was forty three (43) species with twelve (12) lifers to add to my previous day's tally, bringing the lifer count to 49.  

The Tubbataha Expedition: Cavili, Calusa, and Cagayancillo

Cavili (or Cawili)

After our brief sojourn at the South Atoll, the ship sailed for Cavili (or Cawili) Island, one of Cagayancillo's island barangays.  When I woke up early the following morning, this is what I saw from my cabin window.

Cavili Island

By agreement the night before, Martin had requested to be brought to the island much earlier so he could do some exploring.  After a quick breakfast, we were off.  I already had plenty of shots of the Brown Boobies, Brown Noddies, and Crested Terns at the North Atoll.  I was hoping for the Black Noddies and Red-footed Boobies at the South Atoll but the ongoing construction prevented that.  So for this day, I was hoping for these but Rommel told me that Black Noddies were not expected in these islands.  On the other hand, Frigate Birds were expected at Cavili so the hope for a Christmas Island Frigate Bird was still alive.

Upon landing, we immediately saw that the trees along the beach were dotted, with many white birds which turned out to be Red-footed Boobies!  And as we neared the trees, there were other birds as well - a few juvenile Brown Boobies and Frigate Birds.  

Red-footed Boobies

Greater Frigate Bird

Greater Frigate Bird

Red-footed Booby unloading in mid-air

Red-footed Booby

Red-footed Booby

Greater Frigate Bird, juvenile

A nesting Red-footed Booby

Red-footed Booby

Red-footed Booby

Four Frigate Birds in one frame

Aside from the Frigate Birds and Boobies, there were not many other birds in the island.  We ended up in the barrio of Cavili.  Strangely all the signs in the buildings said Bgy Cawili. But Rommel kept referring to the island as Cavili saying Cavili and Cawili were one and the same.  Anyway, the village reminded be of some of our barrios in Coron.

We took this opportunity to take a group photo (minus Martin, who was somewhere ahead of us).

While we were at this plaza, two young girls passed by selling buche (or was it maruya?), in any case I was so hungry that I bought some.  Soon everybody was buying.  For the foreigners in the group, it was the first time they tasted this Pinoy delicacy.  I wanted to buy Coke to go with it but the village had no ice so I decided against it (I was not even sure if they had Coke).  Anyway, we headed back to the beach and boarded the speedboat back to Narayana.  The ship pulled anchor while we were having lunch and was soon headed to Calusa Island. I managed a quick nap before I was woken up to say that we were leaving for Calusa Island.  

Calusa

We did not really see much birds at Calusa.  There was a distant Grey Imperial Pigeon which is quite a rare bird, though it was not a lifer for me as I had already seen it at Ursula Island a year ago (also from afar).    

The view from Calusa.  That's our ship, the MY Narayana in the distance.

 Cagayancillo town

We sailed again during the night and when we woke up, we were anchored off the town of Cagayancillo.  Birding wise, we had one target here - the so-called Cagayancillo White Eye which is actually a sub-species of a Yellowish White Eye found only in Cagayancillo.  This is the richmondi sub-species which may (or may not) be declared a separate species in the coming years. We boarded the speedboat for a twenty-five minute ride to town. Cagayancillo reminded me of Coron in the mid-70's - small narrow pier, few vehicles, few people, quiet town where everybody knew everybody else (how I miss that Coron).

Cagayancillo pantalan area

Upon disembarking, we immediately saw a tree filled with a flock of Grey-imperial Pigeons.  But it was quite far to get a good shot.  But to see this many Grey Imperial Pigeons in one tree was a delight.

There were no tricycles to be found.  And the one or two that passed us were loaded with cargoes and people from the newly arrived ''Batil" (wooden boat).  So we walked the narrow streets until we reached an area with trees.  There we found the Yellowish White-eye but it was forever moving so no good shots.  I realized that we were now close to the tree with the Grey Imperial Pigeons.  We found the tree but it was back-lit and most of the birds have left, except for two.  Sharing a closer but somewhat docu shot of this pair.

Grey Imperial Pigeons

One of the tricycles that we previously flagged returned and half of the group went with it leaving Rommel, Alan and me.  We decided to just follow the road leading out of the town in search of our target.  Several minutes later, our efforts paid off...

Yellowish White-eye, Zosterops nigrorum, richmondi ssp.

Though not considered a lifer since it is after all a Yellowish White-eye, (which I have seen elsewhere), the fact that this sub-species is found only on this tiny island in the middle of Sulu Sea, is pretty amazing.

By pre-arrangement, we took our lunch at the Cagayancillo wharf  and was back at Narayana early afternoon.  That night we had our final dinner aboard the ship as we sailed for Puerto Princessa.  

Puerto Princessa Bay

Our ETA at PPC was noontime so after breakfast, we spent time on deck watching for far off birds - mostly terns.  I was secretly hoping to see dolphins.   Fortunately, just as we were about to enter Puerto Princessa Bay, my prayers were answered.   I was told that these photos show Fraser's Dolphins. 

Fraser's Dolphin

Before long, we were docking at the Puerto Princessa port and saying our goodbyes.  I was dropped at the airport for my 4pm flight back to Manila.  It was almost 8pm when I reached our home in Quezon City and the first thing I did was to take a long shower and enjoyed the right temperature and pressure! (the shower at Narayana was often too hot).

Final Notes...

Tubbataha for me, is a special and magical place.  I enjoyed my trip immensely.  I am glad I did it and I have no regrets whatsoever.  Well, there is one, I wanted to experience it with my son Luis, but it was not possible (pretty sure the rest of my family wouldn't have enjoyed it).   However, I do not think it is for everybody.   Long boat trip, spartan conditions, no cell signal, less than ideal shooting conditions, cost, length of the trip, low number of species (as compared to other birding sites), are reasons that come to mind.  But as I said, for me, it was pure bliss...

For those who wish to bird at Tubbataha, please get in touch with Rommel Cruz at Wild Expeditions Palawan at https://www.facebook.com/wildexpeditionspalawan/