a very birdy makiling

Makiling was unusually productive last Sunday, we (Alex T., Tere, Ixi, Mang Boy, Adri & I) racked a total of 49 species seen and/or heard in good numbers.

This coppersmith barbet was part of a pair which took turns hollowing out a a dead branch.

The "flock of the day" were actually 3 flocks of ashy minivets bringing with them several other birds.  In one tree (yes, the magic malapapaya tree), around 20 minivets were accompanied by sulphur-billed nuthatches,  elegant tits, black-naped monarchs, striped-headed rhabdornis (es?), a striped flowerpecker (yes, with the wagging tail), pygmy woodpeckers, even balicassiaos!  Another flock also had an arctic warbler, yellow-bellied whistlers and yellow-wattled bulbuls. We couldn't take our eyes off them (well, we eventually had to)!  I love mixed flocks.  A surprise is always somewhere in there.

Frightened a red-bellied pitta on the trail. It scuttled into the undergrowth with that occasional look back that I have seen so many times. Argh.  After so long a search on the forest trail, a glimpse at last.  Still a sighting is a sighting, no matter how fleeting.

There was also a tree draped in a flowering jade vine, how beautiful! So many trees in bloom (have they been freaked by the weather too?), hopefully, fruit (and more birds) will follow soon.

It seems Mariang Makiling was in a good mood that day.  I didn't want to leave, but there were other places to be.

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