Birding birding din pag may time...

I have not been doing much birding lately. But I have been itching to do so because I wanted to try my new Tamron 150-600mm lens.  A week before, I was able to take a few shots with it while waiting for my son at UP Diliman.  I had hoped that I will get to really try out the lens during WBPP's 2nd Anniversary at Bangkong Kahoy but the Philippine Travelmart and the hospitalization (and subsequent death) of my father, did not allow me to go to Bangkong Kahoy or even to LMEP.  So on Friday, September 12th, when I drove my son Luis to UP, I decided to bring along my camera.  Since he only had one class, I decided to stay and wait for him. However, since it was the middle of the day (Luis' class was 1-2:30pm), I did not expect much.

After I parked, I rolled down the windows and soon heard a bird call.  I stepped out of the car and began scanning the tree tops.  As expected, my long lens drew some curious stares.  I soon spotted a pair of Brown Shrikes but no shot presented itself so I walked several yards to a tree covered area.  A few minutes later, I heard a unfamiliar bird call and soon spotted a bird creeping on the trunk of an Acacia tree.  I immediately fired a few shots, checked the screen, and saw that it was a bird that I was not familiar with.  A lifer!  I spent the next several minutes looking up and photographing it in different branches (and getting a stiff neck).

Philippine Pygmy Woodpecker, a lifer

While waiting for the Woodpecker, I saw a slight movement in one of the branches and saw a familiar bird.

Yellow-vented Bulbul

Then I saw a Brown Shrike perched on another tree. 

Brown Shrike

I was already thinking of going back to my car when I heard another unfamiliar bird call.  I looked up and saw a swarm of small birds noisily flitting from branch to branch.  It was so difficult to take a shot because most of them were above the canopy and all I could see were shadows moving around.  But I patiently waited for my chance because I felt that this would be another lifer.  After getting more stiff neck, I was able to take several photos.  I immediately texted my friend and (birding mentor), Maia Tanedo and described the two unfamiliar birds.  She identified them as Philippine Pygmy Woodpecker and Lowland White-eye, both lifers.

Lowland White-eye

I was waiting for a better look at the White Eye or the Woodpecker but my phone rang and it was Luis looking for me.  Four species in an hour, with two lifers.  Not bad for an hour of random birding in a crowded place. I love UP Diliman!  

As to the Tamron?  I love this lens!  Can't wait to go to Capayas with it.

The Palawan Hornbill

When I started birding two years ago, my father told me that they used to see a lot of Kalaws (Hornbill) and Katalas (Philippine Cockatoo) in Coron when they first came (in the mid '50's).  Since then, seeing and being able to photograph these two birds in the wild within the Calamianes archipelago has been part of my birding bucket list.  

The Kalaw seemed an easier target. Reports of Kalaw sightings began trickling in last year.  Tour guides reported seeing Kalaws in the Kayangan Lake area in Coron Island but no photos.  A cousin of mine told me of a pair of Kalaws that saw in their farm in Sitio Tulawa.  Birdwatch Coron members Michell de Guia and Maween Reyes talked about seeing it somewhere in the Yulo King Ranch (YKR).  Maween even showed me a photo in her camera but somehow the photo got deleted from the memory card... (hmmm).  Michell was also able to photograph one at Sitio Quince Dias. Then Birdwatch Palawan member Cathy Estrada was able to photograph one in Culion while doing Yolanda relief efforts.  So I thought of going to Culion.  Then fellow WBPP photographer Bj Capacite, was able to photograph it in Capayas and Mabentangen last March 2014! I went to where Bj saw it but we never saw it. I knew I could probably get the Palawan Hornbill if I go to Puerto Princessa but being able to photograph it in Coron, holds special meaning.

Last July, I had to make a short trip to Coron.   Since I knew that I will not have time to bird, I left the SLR and telephoto in Manila.  I brought along a recently purchased second hand Canon SX50. On my way to the airport for my flight back to Manila, I was half dozing in our van when our driver suddenly blurts, Kalaw!  and stops the van as two black Palawan Hornbills fly across and perch on an open branch on the left side of the road.  I fumble with my bag and camera (silently cursing myself for not bringing my SLR/telephoto combo).  The SX50's slower auto-focus allowed me only three shots (Grrrr!!!).  The last one was blurred as the bird was on the act of flying away already.

Sharing the first two shots.  Hoping to see it again on the same perch in the near future.

If only its head were turned towards me a bit!

Palawan Hornbill, preparing to fly away. 

Really thankful that I was finally able to see and get a couple of photos of the Palawan Hornbill in Coron.  Painful lesson learned, never leave home without by birding camera.

Birding in UP-D: The Coppersmith Barbet

Sometime in June of this year, some WBPP photographers posted photos of a colorful bird found somewhere in the UP Diliman campus.  I immediately asked Prof. Bert Madrigal, Bj Capacite and Alex Ting for directions.  After I got the location, I headed there on June 25th.  This was the day before I was to leave for a business trip to Beijing and my to do list was kilometric.  But I knew that if I wait until I get back (after 6 days), the chance of catching the bird in its nest, was very slim.  So after dropping my son Leon to his school in Katipunan, I headed to UP. I found the place with no difficulty and after about five minutes, Prof. Bert, also arrived.  We did not wait long as the adult bird arrived shortly. It flew away after a few seconds.

After a several minutes, it came back with some food.

And promptly fed its young chick...

After feeding, the adult bird went inside the hole and went back out taking "trash".  This bird is practising 5S!

It would fly away taking the trash with it and come back after a few minutes with food.  In between the trips of "mama" Barbet, the "baby" Barbet would poke it's head out of the hole and curiously look at its surroundings.

The routine was repeated several times.  I wanted a photo showing both the adult and the chick but I could not catch them together.  Soon it was time for me to leave so I gave myself my last five minutes. As I was about to head back to the car, the adult bird showed up once again and fed the chick.  I managed to get just two shots and only one (1) that is sharp.  

note: I do not normally post photos of nesting birds in order to protect the location of the nest.  By now, the chick has already fledged and not in the nest anymore (I checked the nest yesterday).  Incidentally, even if the nest was located on a tree beside a pedestrian pathway, it was photographed from a safe distance.  Photos posted in this blog were cropped and enlarged to show the bird more closely.  

Having gotten the shot that I wanted, I bade goodbye to Prof. Bert and did my errands.  

Coppersmith Barbet, a lifer for me.   

The Subic Sortie...

My wife Lorna and daughter Ella left for the United States for a six week ballet course for Ella on June 13 so save for one trip to Bangkong Kahoy on June 10, I did not have much time to bird.  As luck would have it, the Palanca side of my family had a weekend bonding trip to Subic on June 14 and 15.  However, since my father is sickly, it meant that I could not go and stay overnight with the family.  So I decided to follow on Sunday morning.

I was looking forward to a harvest of at least eight to ten lifers in order to boost my BY2014 tally.  I emailed and messaged birder friends for some tips on where to go.  Everybody told me to go to the Nabasan Trail.  I googled several sites to download maps to the area. I arrived at the what I believed to be the Nabasan Trail, in Subic around 630am.  Immediately after entering the trail I saw a tree without leaves with several birds.  The most prominent was a Hornbill which I presume was the Luzon Tarictic Hornbill.  I snap a couple of shots but it was heavily backlit so all I got was a silhouette.  On the same tree,  I saw a Guiabero, a Crow and a couple of smaller birds that I believed were Yellow Vented Bulbuls.

I drove further on and saw a Barred Rail cross the road.  There would be several of them as the morning wore on.  A Red Crested Malkoha suddenly flew accross the car from left to right so I immediatle parked on the left side where there was a sort of parking lot.  There was some movement on the tree on the right side of the road beyond the fence. It was was not the Malkoha but a bird that was not familiar to me.  I slowly crossed the road to get a better view.  I was able to get several darkish shots before the bird flew away.  After waiting several minutes, I decided to go back to the car and drive on. As I was about to enter, the bird came back and perched on the electric cable directly above my car.  

Coleto, my first, (and so far my only), lifer in Subic

The rest of the morning was alternately rainy and sunny.  There were not many birds except the Crows.  I did see a White-throated Kingfisher and a white and green dove that I assume a Green Imperial Pigeon.  

I decided to call it a day by 10:00am and went to the hotel where my kids were staying with their Lola and cousins. I did not get eight to ten lifers but at least I got one!  I will be back someday...

Pitta Overload

Due to work and family obligations, I was not able to do much birding since my Bangkong Kahoy trip last Feb 8.  I was very excited about my Cebu birding trip but I basically dipped on that sortie (though I did catch a quick glimpse of the Black Shama and the Crimson Sunbird and heard five or six other birds that would have been lifers also if I saw them).  Because of this, I was really looking forward to the third week of May when several birders from both WBPP and WBCP will be in Coron. It will be four to five days of birding. Still, I did not expect to see ten (10) Pittas in two days. 

Fellow WBPP member Alex Ting arrived on the morning of May 18 and immediately proceeded to Capayas with Anthony, (one of our in-house guides at My Blue Backpack).  I was at the opening of a resort for lunch so I followed around 2pm.  Upon reaching Capayas, the first thing I noticed was the heat.  It was HOT! After just a few minutes, I was drenched in sweat.  I found Alex with Anthony and Taptap, (birdguide Erwin Edonga's kid who was assigned to Alex because Erwin was with Jude and Doc Cha and another lady whose name escapes me at the moment.  All three were also WBCP members).  Alex and Anthony had already seen the Ruddy KF but no photos yet.  While walking around, we saw the Oriental Dwarf KF fly by twice but again no photos. We were soon joined by Jude and co., guided by Erwin who promptly bragged about the Oriental Dwarf and the Blue Eared KF's at La Natura.   We went back to Erwin's house a bit dejected. Even the Yellow Throated Leafbird at Erwin's house was a no show.  The only birds that were easy to photograph were the nesting Black Naped Monarch and Blue Paradise FC on two different branches of the mango tree in front of Erwin's house. After a while Erwin and company arrived and they again said they saw the Ruddy after we left.  To make matters worse, Doc Cha began reviewing her shots taken using her bridge camera.  We, who had the long lenses, could only look (Haaay...).  Though we had some photos (bird photographers are trigger happy by nature...), there was nothing to really rave about. 

While waiting for our ride home, we say a Hair Crested Drongo, local Cuyonon name, Chichibiao, flying around a large tree and acting like a woodpecker.  BWC member Maween Reyes calls this bird "ang Drongo na feeling Woodpecker".

Hair Crested Drongo, local name Chichibiao.

We began the following day at the river beside the La Natura resort to wait for Kingfishers.  Erwin's elder son, Dondon was supposed to meet us there but he was nowhere to be found so Anthony went to their house. Within minutes after Anthony left, I saw a Black Hooded Pitta fly across the river and into a clump of bamboo.  Alex and I waited, and waited, and waited but it never showed up again.  But we could hear Pittas calling on both sides of the river.  A few minutes later, Anthony and Dondon arrived.  We waited around the area for the Kingfishers. It was so hot even at that early hour and it seemed the birds will be scarce.  We could hear them but no photo opportunities.  I ventured away from the group and when I looked up, I suddenly saw a Black Hooded Pitta perched on a wire but before I could take a photo, it flew away.

We trudged to Erwin's house to have breakfast. Along the way, we saw some Zebra Doves sunning and pecking themselves.

Zebra Doves

While we were shooting, this bigger bird perched on a lower branch.  I did not know what it was at the time I photographed it.  It has since been identified as a Bar Bellied Cuckoo Shrike, a lifer for me.

Bar Bellied Cuckoo Shrike

We again saw the "Drongo na feeling Woodpecker"...

Hair Crested Drongo, creeping on the trunk of a tree, probably eating insects.

We reached Erwin's house a few minutes later and had our breakfast.  Pretty soon, the regulars came to feed on the bananas.  The regulars being the Yellow Throated Leafbird and the Ashy Fronted Bulbul.

Yellow Throated Leafbird

Ashy Fronted Bulbul, formerly Olive Winged BB, locally called Tabeleklek

After sometime, we went back to the river side.  I went with Jude and co. and took another route.  We saw a Spot Throated Flameback and a male Palawan Blue Flycatcher along the way.  We later met up with Alex and Anthony who were waiting for Kingfishers (still a no show). Soon it was noontime and Jude and party went back to town to rest until 3pm.  We stayed near the river with our three guides - Erwin, Anthony and Dondon.  But there were no birds although the Pitta's could be heard and the Blue Eared KF did a flyby.  Amazingly it was being chased by two Oriental Dwarf KF's!

With the dearth of birds, I contented myself by shooting the Dragonfly's (using a telephoto lens, wala talagang ibon eh)...

One of my subjects...

We walked back to Erwin's house for lunch, feeling dejected once again.  It seemed that the birds were so "mailap" (the english word escapes me at the moment).  After lunch, the male Olive Backed Sunbird showed up in the flowers near Erwin's house.

Olive Backed Sunbird (male), locally called Chiwit.

We were shooting the Olive Backed Sunbird when Rey Sta Ana arrived with five foreign birders along with one of our guides, also named Dondon.  They promptly joined us in shooting the OBS.  There were four of them from mainland China and their gear included two D4S bodies attached to Nikkor 800mm lenses and two Canon FX bodies (sorry not familiar with the Canon models), attached to a 600mm and a 500mm.  Suddenly my 300mm f4 felt so puny (hahaha).

I had to go back to town for some pressing matters so I left Alex with Anthony and Rey & co with the two Dondons.  Erwin was still with Doc Cha and party.  I got back to Capayas around 3:30pm and saw the Chinese birders staked out near the trail where one Black Hooded Pitta was previously observed.  The two Dondons were seated nearby.  I went to Capayas Creek Bird Preserve to look for Alex who was still stalking the Kingfishers with Anthony.  But I did not find them.  I did see a couple of Black Chinned Fruit Doves perched on a branch across the creek. 

Black Chinned Fruit Dove, alternatively called Punay and Balud by locals. But the Green Imperial Pigeon and the Gray Imperial Pigeon are also called Balud and the Pink Necked Pigeon is also called Punay.  That is how it is with local names.

As I was shooting the Dove, I heard a Pitta calling and saw it on a fallen tree trunk.  But it flew away before I could take a photo.  I walked slowly towards where it landed but I could not see it.  So I decided to go back to Erwin's house since it was past 5:30pm.  As I was about to go out of the CCBP gate, I saw movement near the "Sitaw" (String Bean) Patch.  It was the Black Hooded Pitta hopping on the ground. As quietly as possible, I made my way nearer, set up my tripod and fired several shots.

Black Hooded Pitta, local name Wawa or Wah-wah

So while the boys with the big lenses were waiting, I was able to get a reasonably close photo of the same bird.  As I was leaving CCBP, I saw a White Vented Shama.

White Vented Shama, local name Saya-saya

The following morning, we were at Capayas as early as 6am.  Alex was still searching for the Kingfishers.  I tagged along with them.  We saw a pair of Oriental Dwarf KF's fly to a clump of bamboo.  We waited for them to come out.  While waiting, I felt the call of nature so I walked along the trail and once out of sight, I set down my tripod.  As I was answering the call of nature, a Black Hooded Pitta drops on the branch in front of me.  Birding is really a case of being at the right place at the right time.

Black Hooded Pitta

We walked a bit and after a while Alex decided to go back near the creek to wait for the Kingfishers.  I waited at the trail and when I glanced at a distant tree, I saw another Hooded Pitta!

Another Black Hooded Pitta

I went back to the other side of the creek and the first thing I noticed was Alex grinning from ear to ear which could only mean one thing, he got the Ruddy KF.  After a couple of minutes he went to the spot where the Chinese photographers were waiting for the Red Bellied Pitta.  I was standing on the trail leading to the creek, when I saw something reddish brown fly-by.  I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw not one but two Reddish Cuckoo Doves land on a tree across the river.  This has been one of my target birds for the past eight months.  Again, being at the right place and at the right time...

Reddish Cuckoo Dove, the largest dove in the Philippines

I was in seventh heaven after I got these shots.  I ambled over to where the rest of the group were waiting for the Red Bellied Pitta.  We were not disappointed.  Two mature RBP's showed up and we clicked away.

My first nice photo of a mature Red Bellied Pitta.  

That my first nice photo of a mature Red Bellied Pitta was taken in Coron made it even more special...   

All in all, I saw about 8 Black Hooded Pittas and 2 Red Bellied Pittas in two days. 

Holy Week "Dad-time with my boys" (and Birding!) in Coron (part 2)

After our Sunday outing, I scheduled a birding trip to Capayas the following day.  Upon hearing it, Luis immediately said he will go with me. He borrowed his Ate Ella's SLR and my old 70-300 lens and was thinking of trying to get bird photos.  Leon, on the other hand, at first said no, but after hearing that we will bird in a forested area, said he will come with us. (I first brought him birding at the recalimed area and was so disappointed when we did not see much.  He never wanted to go birding again). Needless to say, I was excited. Dina, a college friend who now has a vacation house in Coron, texted asking if I have any scheduled birding trips because she and her husband, Trevor, would like to join.  

Monday came and I was up at 5:45am. But my two young birding buddies didn't want to get up and sleepily told me, to go without them. Needless to say, I was deflated.  Then I got a text from Dina that she could not go due to some busted water pipe at their house.  So in the end, it was me with Trevor, a first time birder and an Aussie.  

I picked up Trevor and off we went to Capayas.  When we got to Erwin's house, we immediately saw a bunch of Blue Paradise Flycatchers flying around and making noise at the mango tree. 

A couple of male Blue Paradise Flycatchers about to square off against each other

And one by one the usual suspects started to show up. Trevor and i started clicking away.

White-vented Shama

Yellow-throated Leafbird

Ashy-fronted Bulbul

After some time, we decided to go to nearby Capayas Creek Bird Preserve with the hope that we will meet the resident Kingfishers so that Trevor can see them.  Along the way, we saw a Black-naped Monarch, Palawan Bulbul, and a Black-naped Oriole. But the Kingfishers were a no show.  Even the Palawan Blue Flycatcher and the Palawan Flowerpecker did not make any appearance. I was hoping to see the Philippine Cuckoo Dove but I guess it is one of those days.

We made our way back to Erwin's house and heard a Black Hooded Pitta along the way.  The Blue Paradise Flycatchers were still there.

Another photo of a male Blue Paradise Flycatcher

A female Blue Paradise Flycatcher (notice the difference in colors)

Then a pair of Scaly Breasted Munias made an appearance. 

Scaly Breasted Munia

The Ashy Fronted Bulbul kept coming back and came really close.

Then, it was time to go.   But after I had packed by camera, Erwin suddenly exclaimed, "Malkoha, darwa!"  (meaning two Malkohas).  He ran to the back of his house with me in tow.  I saw a glimpse of one through a hole in the leaves and fired a couple of shots.  I could see the bird skulking in one of the branches.  And then suddenly they both transferred to another tree.

Chestnut Breasted Malkoha

Not really an open shot but I like it nevertheless. First time I was able to get a pair in one photo. Wish my two boys saw it.

  

Holy Week "Dad-time" with my boys (and Birding!) in Coron (part 1)

Lorna, my wife, agreed to let our two boys Luis and Leon go with me to Coron for the Holy Week.  Since the price of plane tickets were so expensive, we decided to take the 2Go ferry.  My three kids grew up taking the Superferry to and from Coron so the two boys were excited to be taking the ship once again.  We boarded the M/V St. Augustine of Hippo at the Manila North Harbor at 3pm on April 11.  The ship cast off a little after five in the afternoon.  Soon, both Luis (he borrowed his Ate Ella's DSLR), and I were on deck, taking pictures of Manila Bay.    I was looking for Terns so I can at least add one bird to my BY2014 list.  I was not disappointed as I saw several Terns fly by.

Terns

After a while it was too dark to photograph the birds. I was hoping that we would reach the vicinity of Corregidor before it got dark but it was not meant to be.  The sun was a big red ball in the sky, so even if i had the telephoto lens attached, I clicked a few photos.

The famous Manila Bay Sunset

We docked at Coron Pier the following morning, April 12 at around 730am and was at Darayonan by 8.  The boys spent Saturday basically lounging around our room and playing video games.  Palm Sunday, after mass, we went out island hopping.  Coron bay offers different sights..

Yachts of the rich (and famous?) anchored near the Jolo cove...

Young boys fishing near Baquid Island...

A house complete with a view deck and deck chairs built along the shoreline of Uson Island (I wonder how he got his ECC... just asking)

Of course I had to take some photos of the boys for their Mama and Ate Ella back home (even if the boys don't like, haha)

Another photography buff in the family?  (Ella, he might not return your camera anymore)

Selfies ain't our thing (we're men..)

We first went to the Ruyukan area near sitio Malbato and kayaked at a mangrove area.  

Heading to the Mangroves...

While Kayaking through the Mangrove maze, we heard a bird call and we slowly paddled to it until we saw a beautiful Green Imperial Pigeon up close (closer than I ever saw it on land). Perched on on of the mangrove branches, it was not bothered by the approaching Kayaks. Unfortunately, we did not have a camera (even a point and shoot) with us.  We left the SLR's at the banca and the waterproof point and shoot in Manila... (note to self, a bridge camera with a waterproof pouch, would be perfect for a situation like this).  We also saw a Black Naped Oriole, an Ashy Drongo and a Pied Fantail among the mangroves.  We 

Returning from the Mangroves after about an hour

We then proceeded to Smith's Point Beach for a late lunch and some beach activities.

Boys will be boys...

About to enter college and still throwing sand balls with his little brother...

Guapo...

Guapo din...

And of course while the boys were throwing sand balls at each other, I was busy scanning the skies for some birds.  

A White-breasted Wood Swallow high up in one of the crags of Coron Island.

An underbelly shot of the White-breasted Wood Swallow

I also saw an Ashy Fronted Bulbul and a black bird that I was not able to identify although I suspect it was an Asian Glossy Starling.

Sometime in the afternoon, we saw the ship we took the day before steam into the bay from the south.  The ship was on its voyage from Puerto Princessa to Coron.  

We called it a day at around 5pm, tired but happy with our time together.