Saturday, August 25

Birding Bandilaan

Predictably,  our tricycle driver Manong Glen seemed quite surprised that we didn't want to go the usual tourist route.

Cambugahay Falls?  The old, enchanted balete tree?  The springs?  Cantabon Cave? The Lazi convent and Church? Salagdoong Beach?  He offered all of them in succession.

We said no to all of the above!  We loved our memories of Siquijor from more than a decade past, and we were happy to keep them as they were.  Our top priority was the Bandilaan National Park, we were there to see the endemic Siquijor subspecies of the Streak-breasted Bulbul!

Manong Glen was familiar of course with the bulbul, locally called tagmaya. He agreed that it would be easiest to see in the forest. With a scratch of his head, he offered to pick us up at 6am the next day. From his own lips came the suggestion that it would be good to start early.  Perfect! We made a compromise with Manong Glen though, in case we didn't spot it at Bandilaan, we would gladly go to Salagdoong (the forest not the beach!) where we knew it was also easily sighted.

Right on the dot, he was outside our resort.  We sped off in a comfortable modernized tuk-tuk (better than a tricycle for the uphill drive he said!). But first, a quick stop at a neighborhood panaderia for some hot pan de sal and an irresistible loaf of cinnamon rolls!

On the way up the mountain, we could already hear some bulbuls calling. We drove thru good roads, passing several houses with signs offering  hilot (traditional massage) services.

When we arrived near a tourist spot where an uphill path to the view point split from the road,  Manong Glen parked the tuk-tuk and pointed up the overgrown, dark and wet (looked slippery too!) path.  The open road actually looked more promising and so we told him we would just walk along it.  We ate a pan de sal each, offered the rest to our driver, and went on our way.  Our driver told us he would park a few meters back at a flatter area and would wait for us there.


Bandilaan National Park on the slopes of Mt. Malabahoc

The forest looked much thicker than we remembered, certainly a good sign.  Although it could have just been greener because it was the rainy season.

Very quickly, we spotted the noisy bulbuls moving around the canopy.  Wonderful!

Getting photos though was another matter.  It was still a grey morning, and the little morning light available was filtered by the  forest.  On top of that, a beautiful light mist surrounded us!  The air was fresh and cool, the forest alive with sound... but still, photography would surely be a challenge.

Hooded Pittas were singing loudly, the wet ground and leaf litter was perfect for their foraging.  Every now and then when we turned a bend we would flush one from the road.




From above,the large hibiscus-like flowers from the native Vidal's Lanutan trees were dropping to the ground.  They would land with a soft plunk (one time hitting my head!) and covered the road in an almost festive feel.



The Streak-breasted Bulbuls (if split in the future, this endemic subspecies siquijorensis may be known as the Siquijor Bulbul) were very active!  It turns out that many were still feeding their young, who followed them around begging noisily.

One such parent-offspring pair were feeding at what seemed like a rattan vine, moving actively about the abundant fruit.





Many of the bulbuls were also in moult.  Not a very handsome bird to begin with (in my opinion, that is!), they looked all the more awkward with missing feathers.



The bulbuls were not the only ones busy with their young.  We encountered several Mangrove Blue Flycatcher families as well.  They sang melodiously throughout the morning.





The damp forest was also excellent for fungi spotting. Tiny and huge, dull and colorful - all sorts grew on the branches and ground.


Of course there were also my favorite epiphytes in abundance - ant plants (Myrmecodia)! They grew thickly on the trees, together with moss, ferns, orchids and others. Their bulbous caudices hanging on to their hosts' branches while their green leaves sprouted at the opposite end of the plant.


Begonias grew in great bunches on the ground, their bright orange flowers adding bursts of color on the ground.  There were several other flowering plants also, attracting all sorts of insects.



It was too early and too cold though for butterflies, we spotted this Red Helen Menalaides helenus hystaspes, immobile, busy sunning itself on a leaf.




The sunbirds preferred the trees though, this female Purple-throated Sunbird was preoccupied with sipping nectar from the flowers of a bangkal tree.



A pair of White-bellied Munias were busy picking up long leaves to weave into their nest which they were building just off the side of the road.



A lot of other small birds were also very active.  I was a bit confused by this one, which turned out to be an island endemic subspecies siquijorensis of Yellow-bellied Whistler.  It looked just a bit smaller compared to the ones I've seen in Luzon and Mindanao.



Orange-bellied Flowerpeckers and Black-naped Monarchs also joined small mixed-species flocks.





As the morning wore on, the sun began shining more brightly, dissipating most of the mist.  We came across a pair of very friendly Black-chinned Fruit Doves, one of whom posed for our cameras for several minutes.  It was unusual behavior for them not to be afraid, since they are often the targets of hunters.



As birders know, a kilometer length of road can stretch on forever when you are looking out for birds and other creatures.  We finally reached another sign (newer and better maintained and beside a picnic area, this was probably a more popular entry point), and so we decided to turn back.



By the time we got back to our tuk-tuk, 3 hours had elapsed. Manong Glen, not familiar with birders' lack of time perception, was relieved to see us.  I guess he did not expect to wait so long, and he was actually thinking we might be lost!  After all, who would spend so much time looking at birds?!?

We showed him photos of the bulbul, and he could not believe it when we said that it was only found in Siquijor island.  "Nakapagtataka!"  (loosely, "magical" or "amazing") he kept on saying over and over again in wonder. (Of course he was also in maybe equal disbelief that we came just to see the bird.)


Streak-breasted Bulbul, Hypsipetes siquijorensis, endemic to the Philippines and only found on Siquijor, Cebu, Romblon and Tablas islands. 
With our target accomplished, we quickly downed the cinnamon rolls (all the pan de sal seemed to had been demolished by our driver in his anxiousness over our return) - and decided to call it a day for birding... back to the resort and the beach!


Mission accomplished, back to the beach in our little red tuk-tuk!

Friday, August 24

Beach resort birding

A hop away from Dumaguete is one of my favorite islands, Siquijor. I'd been to Siquijor twice before. The first time was in 2004 as a regular sun-worshiping tourist and then again in 2007 as a birder.

How could we resist?  Our pitta twitch was quite successful and we could do a bit of target birding (we didn't have any long lenses during our first Siquijor birding sortie) before heading back to Manila.  And ... BEACH!

We were able to book the last garden room at the Coral Cay Resort (www.coralcayresort.com) in San Juan and early the next morning we went straight to the pier to purchase our fast craft tickets.

And failed!  

The combination of a low pressure area and the habagat was stirring up some angry waves and all small sea craft were grounded by the coast guard!  Thankfully the larger RORO (ROll-on-/ROll-off) craft were still allowed to travel!  With the limited transport, there were predictably long lines (mostly toursits!) to get RORO tickets, but our lucky streak continued and we got the last two passenger slots for the RORO!

After a (slightly) choppy 2 hour slow boat ride, we finally landed at the striking white sand beach pier at San Juan! More than 10 years since my last visit, I could already see the changes to this (once?) mystical island - the pier had been much improved with a modern terminal for waiting passengers!  The white sand beach though was beautiful as ever, even under the grey skies.

We had reserved the next morning for birding to chase our targets, but all other times, we just spent lazing about the resort: swimming in the pool, walking on the beach, eating, snoozing, catching up on some reading or just (as what vacation is best for) staring at the deep blue!


The view from our little veranda.


While mornings were sunny, by mid-afternoon the skies turned grey and the wind picked up.  It was fun strolling on the beach with the wind whipping about sand, dried seagrass leaves and other bits of beach litter!




Walking on the beach, we were bound to pick up a pack of cool beach dogs who always seem to welcome a tummy scratch and pat on the head.



Back at our cabana, we would of course be distracted by the birds flitting about the garden.  Our room faced some colorful San Francisco ornamental plants and a spreading pomelo tree which was a favorite hang out of a pair of Olive-backed Sunbirds.





Walking about the sand were Zebra Doves which stopped every now and then to do a low courtship bow and dance, complete with soft growls.



A Philippine Magpie-Robin would call from a flowering caballero shrub where it hid from the guests walking on the paths.



Every now and then a Philippine Pied Fantail would fly in, snapping its wings and tail loudly.



A nearby palm tree held a large number of noisy Asian Glossy Starlings nesting. These two were gorging on some ripe papaya fruit behind our cottage.



A cute pair of Chestnut Munias were busy building a nest in a dracaena plant beside the neighboring cottage.  They would rest a bit on the pomelo tree between carrying long blades of dried grass.



So even at the beach, birds beckon. Sun, sand, sea, beach and birds... aaaah, the life!

Tuesday, August 21

After 100+ years

(No, I'm not referring to how long I've been away from this blog!)

It was our furthest twitch ever!

When news of a migrant last recorded to have been seen in the country in 1907 in Basilan (and only one previous record before that in Palawan in 1898, both records according to the Kennedy field guide), Adri and I began to consider flying all the way to Negros island to see this jewel of the forest.

I was still on a break from school and we had planned on a road trip.  Instead, we found ourselves booking an early morning flight to Dumaguete, one of our favorite provinces. We touched down at 630am and headed straight for Valencia.

Tatay Eti (Rene Vendiola) was there to meet us at his beloved Liptong Woodland.  He had actually first observed the bird in March.  Thinking it was the the usual Hooded Pitta in an unusual immature plumage, he kept an eye on it.  He was surprised that after several months, its plumage still had not changed!  He took a photo of it and shared it on Facebook where it resulted in a rare bird alert.  The news of course spread like wildfire among birders!

We were not the only hopeful visitors that morning.  Our friends from Cebu, Clemn and Mares, arrived a few minutes after us and we exchanged warm hugs and greetings!  Who would have thought that we would meet in Negros because of this hot bird of the moment!

"I first spotted it foraging here just by the house,"said Tatay Eti.  "Now it's moved across the road on that incline," he motioned with his arms where the bird was photographed a few days before.  He quickly accompanied us up a short path uphill and pointed to the base of a mango tree which was overgrown with low brambles, grass and fresh shoots of pungapong (Amorphophallus). 

Of course not two minutes after we arrive (in fact I think it was maybe less than one!), I spot some movement on the ground.  It was, predictably, none other than our target bird!  It hopped quickly behind the roots of the mango tree.  Wow, the speed of the spotting certainly made up for the length of the trip to get here!

Clemn, Mares, Adri and myself positioned ourselves strategically and waited for a better view.  All our optics were ready. We were not disappointed. With patience, our views of the pitta got better and better.


Our first quick glimpse: the pitta hopping in the grass.

Blue-winged Pitta:
a rare migrant last recorded to have been seen in the country in 1907!

It turns out this particular pitta, the Blue-winged Pitta, is not very shy. It went about its business a few meters from our feet, casting a wary glance at us every now and then. Amazingly, despite its colorful plumage, once it sits very still, it can actually disappear into the background!


The patience of birders and bird photographers:
quietly waiting can have outstanding rewards.

Even when a noisy group of school children on a field trip came to visit Tatay Eti, the pitta still continued to forage actively.  Even in a sudden short downpour which had us running to the shade of our vehicles, it continued to hop around the leaf litter.


School kids on an educational field trip to the Liptong Woodland seeking shelter from the rain.

Though the rain put an abrupt end to the school children's field trip, we stayed a bit longer. And we were rewarded with a wonderful close encounter.  

Probably attracted to the earth made soft by the rains and the easy access to earthworms, the pitta got very comfortable and began to forage just a few meters from where we were standing.



The pitta foraging in the leaf litter... showing of its beautiful plumage.


It could not resist scratching the muddy path for some earthworms.

And you know a bird is comfortable when it starts fluffing out its feathers and preening in front of you!





 That is one fluffy bird!



It is certainly a great country record.  Although the Blue-winged Pitta is common in Thailand, this would be just the third country record for the Philippines.  Had this Pitta lost its way during migration? Adri and I were discussing how it looked like a young bird, with still the tiniest bit of yellow on the gape. How fortuitous that it found it's way to Liptong Woodland and the observant eyes of Tatay Eti.  The Liptong Woodland is no stranger to birders, who visit it in hopes of seeing the very cute Negros Scops Owl, so Tatay Eti is no stranger to birders. Tatay Eti is one person who can truly say that he has planted a forest, having nurtured and reforested the Liptong Woodland with native trees.  He continuous to plant trees and share his knowledge in forest restoration with young children, college students, and various interested individuals from all over the Visayas who visit him to learn.  He is truly an environmental hero.


 A pair of draco lizards chasing each other on a coconut tree.


Lots of butterflies too at Liptong Woodland.  Here is a resting Wallacean (Zethera musides Semper 1878), posing for a photograph.

Thanks Tatay Eti, for many things! But that day we thanked him especially for  sharing this wonderful bird sighting, the first after 111 years!


All smiles and thumbs up for a great twitch! Mares, Clemn, Jac (from the Negros Oriental tourism office), Tatay Eti, Adri and myself,

Post-script:
The rare bird alert actually made it to the front page of the Philippine Daily Inquirer a week after our visit.  A great article by fellow birder Mads Bajarias with great photos by another fellow birder Forest Jarvis!  It's always a thrill when natural history and conservation stories make the front page. 
Read the article here: http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1019373/rare-bird-sighted-after-111-years