Sunny Saturdays are few and far between this rainy season, making it difficult to plan out-of-Metro-Manila birding trips. Thankfully, the sprawling University of the Philippines grounds are just a stone throw's away. So when the skies were looking clear last weekend, Adri and I went for a quick drive and walk to check out the birds. We ran into birding couple Bob and Cynthia, and caught up on the latest news. In typical birder and photographer fashion, our conversation remained uninterrupted while we stared up into the trees and pointed out birds in the canopy. A few Golden-bellied Gerygones were hopping about, and we all happy to spot our very first Arctic (Kamchatkca/Japanese Leaf) Warbler for the season.
As we were about to go our separate ways, Adri spotted a lone migrant Ashy Minivet perched on a clump of bamboo in the distance.
When Bob and Cynthia left to check out other birding spots on campus, Adri and I continued our exploration of the College of Science Complex. An unusually quiet Collared Kingfisher was sitting on a low branch in the dappled sunlight.
A few noisy Crested Mynas were flying around, perching from tree to tree. At each tree they stopped for several minutes, inspecting the branches carefully.
A Long-tailed Shrike was busy following one of the gardeners who was trimming the grass, keeping a careful lookout for any insects disturbed by the noisy grass cutter.
The Black-naped Orioles were also very vocal, their piercing whistles heard from several blocks away.
But the definite bird-of-the-moment was the Brown Shrike. These newly arrived migrants seemed to be in the process of battling every resident bird in their annual territorial disputes! They called loudly and harshly from every parking lot, quadrangle and unkempt green space.
There were also a lot of butterflies flying around, probably enjoying the sunny morning as much as we were. The Leea plant in front of the Marine Science Institute was attracting several of them, which were perched and recharging under the bright sunshine.
While watching some Yellow-vented Bulbuls and a Coppersmith Barbet devouring the fruit of a Ficus beside the library, we ran into another familiar face: fellow WBCP-er Jon Villasper, and the conversation turned from the latest birds spotted to the latest Pokemon spotted on campus! When Jon left us to battle it out in a nearby Pokemon Gym, our attention turned to a Red-keeled Flowerpecker hopping about on one of the trees. While its a bird often heard around campus, we seldom actually get a chance to track it down and spot it.
Time had flown by quickly and we had already been walking around for over a couple of hours! Our spontaneous birding trip had given us the quick fix we were hoping for. Good to have a great green space so near home. I'm sure the Collared Kingfisher who saw us off agrees!
From Danjugan Island, Adri and I hopped on a bus back to Kabankalan and then transferred to another bus that would take us up north to Bacolod City. An hour's taxi ride later, we were in Victorias City even further north of Bacolod, at our final Negros island destination: Gawahon Eco Park. Gawahon is a Hiligaynon for "overlooking", providing a panoramic view of the plains of Victorias and Silay. It lies on the northwestern edge of the Northern Negros Natural Park (NNNP). It showcases mid- to high-elevation forest with several natural pools and waterfalls making it a popular weekend destination for the locals. Recently, it is quickly gaining popularity as a birding destination as well.
A view of the Northern Negros forest
Adri and I checked in to the guesthouse with a view of the entrance of the park (which was clean but a little run down and definitely very big for just the 2 of us!) and met up with our guides Ricky and Lory. A quick walk behind the guest house revealed several Yellowish White-eyes, Visayan Bulbuls, Pied Trillers and a pair of Plaintive Cuckoos. Walking further we passed by a marshy area where we saw Mangrove Blue Flycatchers, Elegant Tits and Black-naped Monarchs. Nightfall found us checking out the trail where we would be birding the following day. After making arrangements for food and finalizing our birding plans, Adri and I had our dinner on the veranda, joined by several noisy geckos on the ceiling.
Geckos on the ceiling!
The next morning we took a 5 minute motorcycle ride to the start of the birding trail. It was refreshing to see relevant signage along the roads.
We were immediately greeted by Visayan Flowerpeckers and Orange -bellied Flowerpeckers. A flowering vine, locally called anukol, which was the favorite of the Flame-templed Babbler was in bloom, unfortunately there was no sighting of this beautiful endemic.
Anukol: just add the Flame-templed Babbler
At the first set of bathing pools and falls, a pair of Citrine Canary Flycatchers were feeding.
A pair of Citrine Canary Flycatchers.
They had a small, well-concealed nest above one of the pools! It was built within easy reach so I crossed my fingers and hoped that it was inconspicuous enough to escape the notice of curious park-goers!
Can you see me snug in my nest?
At the end of June, the rainy season was fast on the heels of summer so the day was turning out to be quite gloomy and overcast and everything wet and damp from the previous evening's downpour. Despite the noise of the waterfalls, Adri quickly picked up on a loud bird song. It was one of our targets: the White-throated Jungle-flycatcher, a Negros-Panay-Guimaras island endemic! Our group of four walked up and down the steps trying to locate the bird across the stream. It was a good thing that it kept singing loudly for several minutes. Finally, Lory picked up on some movement and we finally spotted it! Another lifer for me on this trip!
Lifer: White-throated Jungle Flycatcher
It was perched behind many branches and leaves, oblivious to our scrambling for a better view. It very obligingly stayed in place, singing loudly, for almost half an hour.
Singing in the rain
While watching it, Ricky commented on his amazement that such a plain-looking brown bird could be so sought after by birdwatchers! Ah the allure of island endemics!
Lory, Ricky and Adri with eyes on the prize
As we proceeded on, a mixed flock of Citrine Canary Flycatchers, Yellowish White-eyes and Lemon-throated Leaf-Warblers passed through, cheerful and busy.
More Citrine Canary Flycatchers!
Yellowish White-eye
While walking by the water, we kept our eyes open for another of our targets, the Southern Indigo Banded Kingfisher. This was a lifer also for both Adri and myself, being recently split from what was now the Northern Indigo Banded Kingfisher found on the Luzon and Luzon region islands.
Waterfalls, steps and pools all around
Ricky and Lory led us to a spot where we could stake out the kingfisher. It was a scramble down a narrow trail ending in a rocky river bed. On our way down we passed another mixed flock which now included a White-vented Whistler, Sulphur-billed Nuthatches, Visayan Fantails and several Elegant Tits.
White-vented Whistler
An ever-cheerful Elegant Tit
As we each were sitting on a chosen rock, hoping that the kingfisher would appear and exchanging birding stories, I passed the time watching water striders on the surface of a puddle, black and blue butterflies flying around (the same ones we saw a week earlier at Twin Lakes) and a flowering shrub nearby.
A very ragged butterfly
Staring at pink flowers to pass the time
After several minutes of waiting, Adri suddenly exclaimed quite calmly (in true Adri fashion) "It's perched right there behind you!" Thinking he was joking, the three of us turned towards where he was looking. Sure enough, the bird was just a few meters away, very quietly hiding behind a large plant! As I tried to maneuver my way to better positions to view it, it flew out and perched in front of us!
Panic picture: forgot to check the aperture again!
In my panic I got a lousy photo, but good thing Adri did a better job when he first sighted it! It is most distinguishable from the the Northern species by the all black bill and a thinner breast band (and in my opinion a deeper indigo color).
Lifer again! A male Southern Indigo Banded Kingfisher
Yay! Targets secured and mission accomplished. We decided to take the afternoon off and flagged down a tricycle to take us back to the guesthouse. (I was doubly grateful as I was suffering from a bum stomach and did not enjoy all that walking!).
Eco-Park Ranger hitching a ride on the trike
It turned out to be a good decision as the heavens came pouring down in the mid-afternoon and the rains lasted all the way til the evening. The next morning, with the pressure of our targets off (plus my bum stomach), we decided to take it easy. We went back to the trail to the higher falls. It was quite birdy and we enjoyed several mixed flocks of Black-naped Monarchs, Visayan Fantails, Sulphur-billed Nuthatches, Visayan Bulbuls, Orange-bellied and Visayan Flowerpeckers and Balicassiaos. We even had a lightning quick glimpse of a Flame-templed Babbler!
Black-naped Monarch
Visayan Fantail
Sulphur-billed Nuthatch
The trail was very nice and easy (and wet!), revealing the beautiful forest along the way.
The trail up to the higher falls
This little puddle frog (Occidozyga) was doing an excellent job of camouflaging itself.
Spot the frog!
On the other hand, this brightly colored caterpillar seemed frightening in its flamboyance.
A hairy caterpillar
We ran into an active White-bellied Munia nest just by the side of the trail and we even picked up a used nest that had fallen along the trail.
Nests along the trail
On our way back to the guest house, we spotted a Buff-eared Brown Dove (already split from White-eared Brown Dove by Birdlife and HBW) sitting quietly on its flimsy nest of twigs. So many nests must be a good sign!
A nesting brown dove
Gawahon Eco Park is surely going to gain even more popularity as a birding destination in the next few months. Easy access, good trails, endemic targets. This year's Philippine Bird Festival, (the 11th!) is going to be held in Bacolod City and will feature the amazing biodiversity of the Negros Island Region. From the Balinsasayao Twin Lakes Natural Park down south on the Oriental side to Gawahon Eco Park up north on the Occidental side, I'm glad to have gotten a chance to revisit the established and try out the new. I'll be seeing you again soon Negros!
(graphic featuring the endemic and critically endangered Walden's Hornbill by uber-talented WBCP-er Arnel T.)
As I mentioned in my previous post on Candaba, a couple of days after Adri and I did our ocular, Rob and Irene and Mel spotted a new country record: a Baikal Teal. After a few days, a duck which was spotted earlier by Kevin Artiaga (one of Lala's students), was identified as a Falcated Duck (also known as Falcated Teal), another country record! Exciting times again for Candaba, after last year's Baer's Pochard. With Adri out on tour, I was happy to tag along with Tere, Alex and Drew to twitch the country rarity. Meeting us there were Tina and Neon ready with their bazooka lenses. Mads and Jude were also following. A daily stream of visitors kept us up to date on the sightings, it was obviously a big deal to the local birding community to have two new country records at a very accessible location. When we arrived, the plains and ponds were just being lit up by the golden morning light. In front of us was the remaining pond, filled with thousands of ducks: mostly the endemic Philippine Ducks, some resident Wandering Whistling Ducks, and the migrants of course: Garganey, Northern Shovellers, Northern Pintails, Eurasian Wigeons, Green-winged Teal, Tufted Ducks. The challenge was on to find a single Baikal Teal and a single Falcated Duck.
This pond is where we had to find the ducks.
As we surveyed the ponds, every now and then a flock of Black-winged Stilts would take to the air, elegant and graceful as ever.
Black-winged stilts in flight.
The skittish Philippine Ducks would also suddenly lift off noisily from the water's surface, joined by a few migrants. They would circle the ponds and land again, with just as much splash as they made taking off.
A frenzy of Philippine ducks.
A Eurasian Coot swam quietly near us.
This coot was quite close.
We were all quietly concentrating on looking at each and every duck (something we really should do, even without specific target in mind: that's how unusual sightings are made!). And then, in a sea of fl0ating kangkong leaves and blossoms, a brilliant emerald green suddenly popped out. It was the Baikal Teal!
Can you spot the Baikal Teal in this photo? (See the close-up below)
A beautifully plumaged duck: the Baikal Teal in the floating vegetation.
It was quite a distance away, thankfully it was in the vicinity of a small bahay kubo in the middle of the pond, which made it easier to point out to the others.
The teal was somewhere here.
Yay!
Watch this short video in HD (click play then the gear on the bottom to change quality to HD). Thanks to Alex for sharing this i-phone-scoped video!
It was busy preening itself, so every now and then its head would disappear into the kangkong. Later it would even go to sleep, its head tucked under its wings.
It became even harder to spot when it tucked its head in to sleep.
It's a good thing it had a very distinct head pattern and color, which made it easier to spot once you knew its general location.
Here it is!
Later it would move around, never flying up but paddling across the pond or flying low short distances. As long as we kept our eye on it from time to time, it was easy to keep track of it or even to find it again.
It moved about in the kangkong, mostly half hidden with only its head sticking out (thanks to Drew for the enhanced i-phone-scoped photo on the corner!)
High fives and thumbs up all around!
Birders and photographers enjoying the Teal, even if it was quite a distance away.
As we were observing the Teal, suddenly an Eastern Marsh Harrier showed up, spooking most of the ducks into the air (but thankfully not the teal).
A majestic aerial display by an Eastern Marsh Harrier.
While we were watching the aerial display, Mads suddenly exclaimed: "Nakita ko na sya!" ("I've spotted it!") referring to the Falcated Duck. Scopes, cameras and bins suddenly zoomed in on to the general location Mads was pointing to, which was even further than the location of the Teal!
The Falcated Duck is somewhere here, with some Philippine Ducks and Northern Pintail.
Sure enough, swimming with several Philippine Ducks was the target. It was a handsome duck, with a deep chocolate, head which glossed a bright green under the sun. It had a white throat and spot at the base of its beak.
The Falcated Duck was busy preening, it's green glossy head shimmering in the sunlight.
Like the Teal, it was busy preening itself, and every know and then we could see the curved feathers on its side and back after which it was named. Yay again!
A short video of the Falcated Duck, thanks to Tere for sharing this i-phone scoped video! (Remember to watch it in HD)
It's great to have had the chance to observe these new country records. We couldn't use our normal Kennedy field guide as it didn't have these species' descriptions, so we had to refer to other field guides.
No Kennedy guides were used that morning!
These sightings once again highlighted the need to preserve the remaining wetlands of Candaba which have all but been converted to great swathes of rice fields to feed the burgeoning population. The earth that feeds and shelters us needs to feed and shelter those we share it with too. Mads writes about the latest Candaba sightings and a new initiative to save its remaining wetlands here: http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/551976/scitech/science/various-rare-birds-spotted-in-candaba.
