The hectic pace of 2018 has carried on to the first month of 2019. It is good for business but bad for birding (hahaha). Aside from the January 5th sortie to the Pampanga River Delta, and a thirty minute trip to Noveleta (to look for the Peregrine Falcon), I have had no birding trips at all. I had hoped to squeeze in a trip to Batanes to have a look at the Spoonbills and the Avocet but of course that did not happen. So when Mhark Gee posted a photo of a Savanna Nightjar somewhere in Montalban, I asked him about it. But before I could find the time to go, it was time for me to head back to Coron. After my five-day trip, my only chance was on the morning of February 7. Mhark told me that it is best if I am at the site before 7AM because the bird leaves when it gets hot around 9AM. But I had to first drive my son to UST so it was impossible for me to be there before 7AM. The best I could hope for was to arrive before 8AM. True enough I arrived a few minutes before 8AM. Atty. Ramon Quisumbing, whom we jokingly refer to as the fastest Philippine Birder was already there happily clicking away (he is usually the first Manila-based birder to visit sites where a rare bird has been spotted). The bird was a bit skittish and there was only one vantage point. True to WBPP's unspoken rules on gentleman birding conduct , Ramon graciously gave up his spot so I could take my shots.
Presenting the Savanna Nightjar, Lifer #2 for 2019.
Savanna Nightjar (male)
Thank you Mhark Gee for this lifer.
Oh in case you are wondering about the title of this blog post, you may read about it here: https://chiwitchronicles.blogspot.com/2018/05/chasing-lifers-trip-to-white-mountain.html
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