I am the type of birder that seldom chases specific birds. When I say chase, I mean a birder that repeatedly goes back to one location to get a good shot of a particular bird or goes to different sites in pursuit of one or two species. For instance, I know of one birder that kept going back to LMEP in order to get a good shot of the Indigo-banded Kingfisher because it was his spark bird. As for me, the first one that comes to mind is the Narcissus Flycatcher which I "chased" in four locations in 2016.
Another bird that I somewhat chased is the Falcated Wren Babbler, (Ptilocichla falcata), also called the Falcated Ground Babbler, it is endemic to Palawan. Being a forest ground dweller, it is a difficult subject to photograph. It skulks in the forest floor and is very shy and skittish. Making it more difficult for me is the fact that it is only seen in mainland Palawan. During the 3rd PPUR Bird Race in November 2017, several beautiful photos appeared and I learned that most of them were photographed with a certain Randy Tibur as guide. Randy, is a protege of Atty. Carlo Benitez Gomez, one of Palawan's foremost bird photographers and a WBPP founding member. So I made a mental note to go for the Falcated the next time I am in Puerto Princessa.
The first chance I got was in June 2018. I went to Puerto Princessa because CATE, our tourism association in Coron, received the Governor's Award for Tourism Development. Though the awarding was in the evening of June 20, I took the first flight out of Manila so I could bird the whole day. Unfortunately, I woke up late and missed my flight. I rushed to NAIA, took the next available flight and got landed at Puerto Princessa City at almost eleven o'clock in the morning. We got to the birding site noon. I quickly set up my camera and we waited. Soon Randy whispered that the bird was approaching. I could see movement in the grass and bushes on my left, then a blur of brown briefly perched on a tree trunk, I pressed the shutter and all I got was this:
After some time at this site, we moved to two other sites but the results were the same. In the last site, we had to run back to the van because the clouds suddenly turned so dark and we did not want to be caught in a downpour while inside the forest. Along the way, we saw two birds - Great Slaty Woodpecker and Velvet-fronted Nuthatch, which is a lifer. Here are docu shots of these two.
The First Attempt
We transferred to two more spots but the results were the same. The bird was around but it would not perch in the open. Soon, it was time to leave. Randy opined that next time, we should use a hide. The following day, my flight was still after lunch so I decided to bird in the morning. But since there site of the Babbler was quite far, I opted to go for one or hopefully two photo lifers. (To my non-birder friends, a lifer is the first time we see a particular bird. A photo-lifer is a term coined by the Filipino bird photographers to refer to the first time we get a good photo of a particular species). For this trip, I decided to try and get a better shot of the Palawan Flycatcher and if time permits, the Pale Spiderhunter. I have previously seen and photographed both birds but wanted to improve on my shots.
Randy brought me to a new site of Atty Carlo for the Palawan Flycatcher. And the site did not disappoint. Sharing some of the photos I was able to take in this site.
Palawan Flycatcher
After getting enough shots of the Palawan Flycatcher, we proceeded to the Crocodile Farm for the Spiderhunter. Randy brought me to a clump of flowers, Heliconias, if am not mistaken. After about twenty minutes, our second target for the day arrived and gave me enough good looks.
Pale Spiderhunter
After about an hour at the Crocodile Farm, it was time for me to go to the airport to catch my flight.
Second Encounter
My second chance to shoot the Falcated Wren Babbler came a month and a half later. I had a three day business trip at Puerto Princessa so again I took an early flight, (which I did not miss!). We had to do a bit more walking this time. But I was more prepared because I had a Madrigal hide with me. It is a photography hide designed by our friend and fellow birder Prof Bert Madrigal of UP. This is how I look under a Madrigal hide:
Me, while using a Madrigal hide, photo taken at Infanta, Quezon
And just like our previous attempt, the bird was skulking around the area and even made a very brief appearance in front of me. Unfortunately, these are the only shots I managed
Great Slaty Woodpecker
Velvet-fronted Nuthatch, a lifer
So for the second time, we dipped on the Falcated Wren Babbler. To make matters worse, when I got back to my hotel, I found a Leech on my lower leg.
Third Attempt
I was beginning to give up hope of being able to photograph this bird in 2018. But a sudden business trip in late November gave me a chance. Before leaving for Puerto Princessa, I asked my host, DOST Palawan for the schedule of meetings and presentations. After seeing the schedule, I was not sure if I was going to have time because of the number of meetings. But, I brought my gear anyway - camera, lens, tripod, folding stool and madrigal hide. Fortunately, we managed to finish all commitments by evening of the second day and since my flight was still at three in the afternoon (of day 3), it meant I had half a day to make another attempt. We were supposed to leave at three thirty in the morning because we were going all the way to Sabang. I woke up at two am, got dressed, but dozed off! And woke up at five!!! We reached our first site after one and half hours (almost at Sabang). But while Randy could hear the target bird, it did not show itself. I had a couple of consolations though.
Palawan Hornbill
Asian Fairy Bluebird
We stopped at two more sites but the bird was a nowhere to be found. On our final stop,we walked for about twenty minutes then we had to cross the river. Finally, we got to a spot that Randy felt good about. I set up my tripod and camera, sat on my stool and covered myself with the hide. After approximately fifteen minutes, Randy, who was crouching somewhere behind me whispered that the bird was approaching. And then it was there, perched in the open. Presenting, the Falcated Wren Babbler of Palawan...
Falcated Wren Babbler
As we say in Pilipino, sulit ang lahat ng pagod!
This is probably my last lifer for the year. Thank you 2018 for the many lifers you gave me.
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