Chasing Lifers: The Israeli National Bird

When I was a newbie birder back in 2012, Rap Garcia, one of my classmates in the just concluded Birdwatching training, posted a photo of an unusual looking bird. The photo was taken at the island resort where she was working at that time.  It was taken using an iphone. I remember Rommel Cruz of Birdwatch Palawan going gaga over the photo.  He even thought of going to Coron just to see the bird.  At that time, I marveled at his desire to do so. Little did I know...

Fast forward to September 28, 2018.  I woke up around 5am to go to the bathroom. After answering the call of nature, I went back to bed but not without checking my phone for messages (as I habitually do).  I saw a message from Anthony Araojo, our on-call in-house bird guide at My Blue Backpack.  He sent me a bird photo taken with a phone camera by another tour guide, Arius Fajura.

This was the photo:

My heart started beating faster and I had to contain myself because I did not want to wake up Lorna.  Even from a distance, it is evidently a Hoopoe.  The place looked familiar but I was not 100% sure which island it was, though I had my suspicions.  It was confirmed when Anthony said it was Banana Island (native name: Dicalabuan Island).  I then gave him background info about the bird and how rarely it is seen in the Philippines.  

I had no real scheduled trip to Coron yet.  Actually, I was still supposed to be in Coron because I had a group coming in that weekend (Sept 28-Oct 1), but had to rush back to Manila about five days earlier due my father-in-law was in the hospital.  However, the group of students (on a study tour), that was to arrive that weekend was booked by one of my long time regular clients, and this time he was bringing a new school (with an Assistant Dean in tow). So I was already debating whether I should make a quick trip just to be around to entertain them.  

When news of the Hoopoe came, it tipped the argument!  I booked a flight for Saturday, September 29, via Clark.  The earliest flight left at about 7:50am (thankfully, no delays in Clark!). Landed in Busuanga before 9am, boarded van, arrived wharf 9:20, (instructed Anthony to meet me there), boarded, reached the island by 10:30.  Disembark, set-up, wait nervously (it might have left the island already). First appearance by 10:45.  Two hour photo shoot ensues... sharing the photos... hope you enjoy them as much as I did in shooting them... 

Eurasian Hoopoe

We boarded the banca at 12:30pm, and was back in Coron town by 2pm.  Bath, download photos, post process, upload one to the WBPP Fun contest - Palawan Birds. The deadline of which was September 30.  

My guests arrived from their island tour at around 5pm.  We had a pleasant dinner and drinking session afterwards.  The following day, we all left for Manila, happy over the weekend events.

Hey, it's cheaper than going to Israel... 

And oh, my entry won first in the Best Migrant Category (and I got a birding shirt from Decathlon as prize) :-)