Another Unexpected Lifer

After a somewhat hectic and stressful week that included an aborted Tanza sortie, I felt the need to bird.  So I decided to go to Taytay last Sunday afternoon, September 19, (since it was the birding patch nearest to me).  However it was drizzling in San Juan the whole morning.  A message to Cainta residents, Brian Enriquez and Joel Dayao, revealed that it was also raining there.  But Joel kept urging me to go because "mahina lang naman ang ulan".  And by about 1:24pm, he joyously messaged,  "wala nang ulan, dito", followed by, "punta ka ng maaga at baka madilim na by 4pm".  A leisurely late Sunday lunch was hurriedly finished, dishes washed (that's my home chore 😀), dress up, and off I went.  I reached the site at exactly 3:08pm and there was no bird activity for the first half hour except for some Egrets ad Terns on the other side of the field.  But I quietly and patiently sat in my car, waited, and scanned the field as I contemplated the meaning of life, the pandemic, and the uncertain future.  

The first significant capture of the day was a quick fly-by of the Purple Heron.  This occurred about almost an hour after I arrived.  

Purple Heron

This was followed a few minutes later by the appearance of the main target bird.  Still not the shot I am aiming for but still grateful for this shot. 

Black Bittern

Meanwhile, the White-browed Crakes continued to pop out of the vegetation. 

White-browed Crake

Then I saw a bird with a different jizz fly from behind me going towards the field and in a matter of seconds, the same bird was heading back.  It was flying higher than the Herons and Bitterns, and was really just a dark shape.  I aimed as fast as I could and pressed the shutter, getting about five to six backlit and distant shots.  I quickly enlarged the largest of the bunch and immediately I recognized a raptor.  It looked like a Crested Goshawk.  I took a shot of my LCD screen and sent it to a couple of people.  Rob Hutchinson replied that it was a Chinese Sparrowhawk!  Lifer! Another unexpected one!

Chinese Sparrowhawk, Lifer!!!

After the appearance of the Sparrowhawk, the Black-crowned Night Herons came alive.  All of a sudden, several of them were flying about.  Perhaps they sensed the presence of a predator?  One of them even perched on top of one of the concrete posts as if to stand guard.  They were a bit too far for me to get good shots.  In any case I have plenty of good Heron shots.  The crakes were also starting to come out more and nearer to me. A larger bird also popped out of the vegetation.  From the head and the eyes, I knew it was a bittern.  At first, I thought, Yellow Bittern because one just flew by and landed somewhere to my right.  But when its body came out, it was too dark to be the Yellow but too brownish to be the Black Bittern.  That left Cinnamon but it did not seem "reddish" enough. I continued taking shots and had a sudden thought that it might be the rarer Schrenk's Bittern.  I quickly googled images of it and my heart started beating faster again at the possibility of another unexpected lifer.  Took a photo of my LCD and sent it again to Rob.  Who quickly answered back, Cinnamon. Not giving up on a potential lifer and that Rob may be wrong (hey, he is human ✌), I sent it to several others namely Djop Tabaranza, Rommel Cruz, Lisa Paguntalan, Cheta Chua, Anre Kuiz, even Desmond Allen. All of them eventually said Cinnamon. 😟😟😟.  Well Cheta was not sure because he said it was not his expertise.  So Cinnamon it is!

(My almost Schrenk) Cinnamon Bittern

My last shot of my almost lifer 😆

It was getting dark by 5:30pm so I decided to leave, content with the day's catch.  And on a whim, I decided to pass by Megamall to buy cupcakes for Lorna and the kids.  Got home a little after 7pm and had an enjoyable dinner with the family.  Thank you Lord for your blessings!