When birder friends continue to post beautiful photos one is encouraged to go. So another trip to Baras was proposed, discussed, planned, re-scheduled (twice), and finally pushed through on December 28. Main target for this day was a close capture of the Naked Spiderhunter which was supposed to be at the area of the water tank. I was the first one at the site and since it was still dark, I parked at the rotunda area. Before long, Ed Santos arrived and we proceeded to the hilltop site hoping to see the Northern Philippine Hawk Eagle. The were no raptors on the big balete but we saw a couple of Philippine Cuckoo Doves fly past and perch on a Malapapaya tree.
Philippine Cuckoo Dove
Other birds we saw in the area were:
Philippine Bulbul
The ever present Yellow-vented Bulbul
Pied Buschat, female
We were later joined by Joel Dayao and Wins Tornado aka Win Paler aka WBPP President.
Since the raptors were a no show and we suspected that the Cuckoo doves weren't going to return soon because of a construction crew in the area, we decided to move to the water tank area. Along the way, we saw a Philippine Coucal drying its feathers.
Philippine Coucal
When we got to the water tank area, the first bird we were able to photograph was also a Philippine Coucal. 
Philippine Coucal
While Ed and Wins were still shooting the Coucal, I walked down the road and waited for whatever bird. I saw a Grey Wagtail on the road, a Balicassio but quite far, a Brown-breasted Kingfisher, also quite far. Then a White-eared Brown Dove, landed on the road about fifteen meters away.
White-eared Brown Dove
I was hoping it would come nearer but it flew away. So I walked back to where the others were. A swarm of Lowland White-eyes arrived and for lack of other birds, we began shooting. Here are a couple of shots.
Lowland White-eyes
Then I got a message from Joel Dayao that he he saw the Cuckoo Doves at a site he earlier described to me. We scrambled to our cars and rushed to Joel only to receive a second message a few minutes later that the Doves had left. So we proceeded to the Clubhouse for our rendezvous with the Colasisi. And as sure as the sun rises, they were there...
Philippine Hanging Parrot aka Colasisi
After getting our fill with these beautiful birds, we went back to the hilltop to see if the Hawk Eagle is there. Again, it was a no show. We did see a Blue Rock Thrush and a Philippine Serpent Eagle.
Blue Rock Thrush
Philippine Serpent Eagle
After this we had our picnic lunch, and as were were finishing our meal, the "Official Bird" of Baras made its appearance.
Brown-breasted Kingfisher, so common in Baras yet I don't have a "to die for" shot (yet).
We then went back to the water-tank area and found a White-eared Brown Dove in a cage and a guy cutting bamboos in one area. Apparently, the caged bird was meant to lure more doves in order to be captured. Ever the responsible birder, Wins, called the management of the subdivision to report the incident. The admin guy and one security guard promptly arrived and confiscated the bird (to be released later) and a report to the barangay was going to be filed. Capturing wild life is a violation of RA9147, the Wildlife Act.
When asked why he trapped the bird, the reply of the trapper was because life was hard and they do not have anything to eat (as expected). Showing his compassionate side and kind heart, Wins, gave the guy some money for him to buy food for his family. Along with a soft spoken reminder not to do it again. They guy at first refused but he eventually accepted Wins' offer. One can only hope that he will listen to Wins' words but when its a question of hunger versus wildlife protection, hunger usually wins out. Still we were able to rescue one dove who will live another day. Who knows, maybe it was the one I photographed earlier.
After the trapper incident, a swarm of White-eyes arrived again but not other birds except a couple of Yellow-vented Bulbuls. So we went back to the clubhouse for one last look before calling it a day. As expected the Colasisi's and YVB's were still there but no other birds. By three o'çlock, we decided to pack up and head for home ending our rendezvous with the Colasisi.
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