breathing space: summer

Showing posts with label summer. Show all posts

Thursday, April 28

A Subic summer's day

A few weeks ago I was in desperate need for some breathing space away from work and the city. I was happy to agree with Adri to a day trip to favorite go-to birding site Subic for some quick birding fix.

The summer days start earlier than we are willing to get up on a weekend, so we got to Subic with the sun high in the sky already. One of our first birds was an Oriental Cuckoo! We were also greeted by a flock of Philippine Green Pigeons feeding at a fruiting fig tree.

The quiet of the morning was interrupted by a loud Green Racket-tail, giving out a raucous call non-stop. Even with the racket (pun intended) it was making, it took us quite a while to pinpoint it from the green leaves against the blue sky.

The Palawan Cherry (Pink Shower, Cassia nodosa) trees were in full bloom, not quite as magnificent as the real sakura, but still a refreshing splash of pink dotting the forest greenery.

Over lunch, we ran into our friends Aldous and Kim who were in Subic for a marathon. We gave them an impromptu birding experience, bringing them over to the nearby Blue-throated Bee-eater nesting colony. Aside from the bee-eaters, we were able to point out Black-naped Orioles, Coletos, a distant Blue-naped Parrot and a few others.

We went our separate ways later in the afternoon and Adri and I saw a few more of the Subic forest regulars. Luzon hornbills, woodpeckers (Sooty, Philippine Pygmy, Greater Flameback and White-bellied), cuckoo-shrikes (Blackish and Bar-bellied), Rough-crested Malkohas, Dollarbirds and Rufous Coucals.

A pair of Whiskered Treeswifts were still at the same tree we had spotted them on a visit a few months ago.

As the sun began to set, it bathed Nabasan in a golden light. Green Imperial Pigeons were growling softly from the tree tops.

In the distance a perched Philippine Serpent Eagle was silhouetted against the sky.

Birds were pretty hard to photograph that day, with most of them staying in the cool shade of the canopy to escape the searing summer heat. Definitely the highlight of the day was a Philippine Hawk-Eagle soaring over Nabasan for most of the late morning to noon.

We first were clued in to its presence by its screeching two-note call: Wheeeeet whit!! Sure enough as we looked up, we saw the regal raptor patrolling the skies.

But even as it assumed its stately presence, a pair of White-breasted Woodswallows refused to acknowledge the raptor's dignified majesty.

It was almost comical to watch the woodswallow pair take turns dive bombing the raptor. They would start behind the larger bird, gaining speed until they flew a bit higher than their target on a parallel path.

Then with a quick fold of their delta-shaped wings they pick up speed, aim for the hawk-eagle's back and ... Boom! Right on target!

I don't think the woodswallows are actually large or fast enough to cause anything but a slight discomfort, but I am sure they can be quite annoying to the raptor! It was clearly keeping an eye out on the tiny nuisances as they soared side by side.

Adri and I have seen woodswallows mobbing raptors of all sizes, from the Great Philippine Eagle to Philippine Serpent Eagles and even the much smaller Peregrine Falcons.

Goes to show that you needn't be the big man on campus to be the bully!

Tuesday, April 26

Eksenang peyups

At the start of the month of April, native plant enthusiasts in Quezon City were all abuzz with news of the UP Diliman Salimbobog tree (Crateva religiosa) in bloom.

I first found out about this tree when I joined a tree walk organized by the Philippine Native Plants Conservation Society (PNPCSI) waaaay back in 2012. It was introduced to me by a less flattering name Balai Lamok. I was amazed at how strikingly beautiful it was in bloom - a play on pastels: pale yellow, pink and lavender.

Adri and I couldn't resist and dropped by the UP Lagoon one afternoon after work to admire its beauty. We only had a few weeks while the flowers lasted.

The flowers must be pretty sweet too, there were all sorts of buzzing insects hovering about. A particularly showy Papilio butterfly flitted about the top blossoms.

I can only imagine what a grove of these native plants would look like in full bloom! I hope the city planners or private developers take notice of this lovely tree.

And since we were in the area, we crossed the street to check on how the fire which razed the Faculty Center a few days before might have affected the popular Philippine Nightjar celebrity.

There it was, sleeping blissfully at the same spot. Fire? What fire?

(I only hope that future rebuilding will not adversely affect this trusty, dependable local.)

Thursday, April 21

A backyard kind of April

With the shift in the school year calendar, it was only the sizzling hot temperatures which reminded me that it was actually summer already! Not having the time to break for the beach or head out of town to bird, I was happy to spend before- and after-school mornings and afternoons in the garden happily observing my feathered neighbors.

The Coppersmith Barbets are so-far-so-good with their nest which we first spotted in January. We hear them pok-pok-pok-ing all day, often perched just outside my window.

Early in April, they were busy feeding their little one, flying back and forth to their nest hole.

Do you see the baby barbet?

Remember their multi-level, multi-hole nest? It seems that the Eurasian Tree Sparrows are trying to take over one of the holes!

Land-grabber!

The barbets of course would have none of that! They tirelessly defend their territory and constantly chase away the little marauders.

Barbet versus Tree Sparrow!

The other birds are not a problem though, they are happy to share a perch with the Golden-bellied Gerygones for instance.

It's not only the barbets who have a family to raise. Some Colasisis have been moving about the garden, a female with 2 young ones in tow.

They're in the backyard, in the front yard, across the street, at the side yard... everywhere!
I've seen them nibbling at the fire tree flowers in front and the tamarind fruit out back.

Sampaloc snack

They are constantly squabbling, feeding and preening.

Can you do this?

That's why the call us hanging parrots!

Young Black-naped Orioles are also quite vocal. Here's one I caught having it's fill of duhat (jambulan) fruit.

It's great that the young birds seem not to mind our presence so much.

One afternoon, I saw a pair of immature Asian Glossy Starlings also perched on the duhat tree! This is a new one to the yard list. I wouldn't have noticed them if it weren't for their metallic calls reverberating in the backyard.

My what blood red eyes you have!

Of course the kings of the backyard still remain to be the Pied Fantails. With the BBS (backyard Brown Shrike) a no-show, they confidently patrol the entire garden plus the empty lot next door!

The only birds they seem to ignore are the Olive-backed Sunbirds who regularly come to feed on the ornamental banana plant nectar...

... and the Zebra Doves who always seem quite docile and reticent.

The other bullies of the garden of course are the Yellow-vented Bulbuls. They take over the bird baths and enjoy cool dips throughout the day. A pair in the front yard have already successfully fledged a single offspring. They're so busy looking through every nook and under leaf and corner of the garden for food to feed the young one.

FEED MEEEEEEH!

A pair of Pied Trillers has also been visiting quite regularly. I suspect they have a nest nearby too. In the golden afternoon light, their black and white (and grey in the case of the female) is uber-elegant.

We've also begun to notice an obviously growing population of Crested Mynas in the neighborhood. You can't miss them, white wing spots obvious in flight, and loud, musical calls when they are perched.

Front yard Brown Shrike is still here, although I expect him to leave any day now. He is not as territorial as before and is now bullied by the Bulbuls as well (probably defending their nest).

Another migrant which we were pleasantly surprised to see is a Peregrine Falcon. Faaaaaar from our yard, we have seen him perched several times on a communications tower almost a kilometer away from our house! Adri first spotted him while he was observing the barbets at their nest. Bored waiting, he scanned the communications tower and Voila! A Peregrine Falcon! (We even got Maia to spot it from her house... although now we realise she was looking at a DIFFERENT tower. Was it the SAME falcon? She writes about it here.

Digiscoped from a kilometer away!

So the backyard birds have been good in keeping me entertained as I am stuck in the city for the summer. I expect more activity as the migrants begin to leave and the residents are busy more nests and young birds.

In fact, it's not just the birds who have been keeping me entertained. Look who else has been procreating!

Tree frogs Polypedates leucomystax in loving embrace.

Sunday, August 9

When school is out

With a new semester starting, the campus will be alive once more with the student population going about their daily routine. Having had an extended break because of the adjustment to a new school year (with the "summer" term moving to June - July and the first semester starting in August), the campus was pretty quiet for most of April and May with only the regular staff and the faculty coming to work.

With a few bird walks scheduled as a fun activity to fill in the student-free work load for the staff, we were quick to observe a few campus birds not regularly seen during the busy school year.

A family of Philippine Magpie Robins were regulars at an empty student parking lot near our office. It was great to see this family of four every afternoon, with the young busy following their parents around. They were an easy bird to point out to newbie birders, distinctive black and white birds flitting around actively the parking slots shaded by a couple of ficus trees.

Dad in a typical pose.

Mum in another typical pose.

One of the young ones looking at me curiously.

The young ones would often beg loudly for food. When this was observed by one of my high school students on a summer internship, she exclaimed excitedly " It's shouting! It's shouting!"

"FEED MEEEEEEE!!!"

Their beautiful melodious call was clearly heard in the relatively silent campus. The parking lot was adjacent to an overgrown area where they presumably stayed most of the year when they would be reported as "heard but not seen".

I'm glad to have verified that the campus Magpie Robin population seems to be doing well and growing in number.

Aside from the Magpie Robins, a short observation at the ficus trees also gave good sightings of White-eared Brown Doves.

A quiet pair of endemic White-eared Brown Doves.

These endemic doves are usually very shy and skittish. They are not common in the city, except in pockets of greenery. This pair was calmly preening at a talisay tree behind the ficus, after having enjoyed a snack of ficus fruit.

In the afternoon, several Barred Rails could often be called calling, hidden in the long grass. With a few people around, a few ventured out into the open areas.

With a bit of patience, a brief Barred Rail sighting in the grassy fields.

It's good to document these not-so-often-seen-birds-on-campus. While I expect them to fall back into the "heard only" category now that school has started, I look forward to catching even brief glimpses every now and then.

In the meantime it's back to the regular campus birds...

The very common Zebra Dove.

Wednesday, April 1

Fantail versus Fur-kid

With the summer heat beating down on everyone and chasing off the backyard Brown Shrike to seek cooler climes, the Pied Fantails have taken over the garden.

Seasonal king of the backyard: the Pied Fantail

Unfortunately for the fur-kid, whose curious exploration of the backyard has come to mean being dive-bombed by one (or two) very aggressive bird(s)!

The poor dog is at a loss as what to do with this angry bird going for his butt!

(domesticated bantam chicken and wild colasisi sounds in the background)

The fur-kid seems to have forgotten his lesson from last year where he would carefully scope out the backyard from the side, taking a careful look at the gardenia bush which was a favorite perch, before making his appearance.

This time the attacks are pure surprise as the bombers come from above at the opposite end of the garden. The base seems to be a huge tamarind tree.

The cause for such fury? Well, it looks that love is in the air and the fantail pair are on their way to raising a new generation of little feathered hellions.

Unfortunately, they've already dropped two ivory colored eggs on the ground! I haven't spotted the nest yet, but I am certain it is high up in the tree and certainly beyond reach to return the eggs. Hopefully the pair has more than 2 eggs in their basket!

Hoping there are more eggs in the nest.

Monday, June 3

unwinding on the camotes islands

to wrap up our surigao-cebu adventure, we decided we'd celebrate our whole trip with a vacation from our vacation! so after 3 days of birding, we packed up our binoculars, scope and long lens and headed back to the beach!

this time we picked the camotes islands between the islands of cebu and leyte. it was another early start for us as we left for the cebu north bus terminal. we were able to catch the next bus to danao city. danao is between cebu city and carmen, where we had birded the day before. when we arrived, we were an hour early for the jomalia ferry that would take us to the island of pacijan, one of four islands of the camotes. on the ferry, we chose to sit outside on the deck and enjoy the ocean breeze and blinding blues of sea and sky. it was a short 2 hour trip, the ferry was full of tourists making the most of the summer sun.

boarding the jomalia ferry at the port of danao

our ferry docked at the rocky shore of the small pier and we were picked up by the shuttle of our resort: the mangodlong paradise beach resort. the resort was in san francisco, a short 15 minute ride away.

welcome to camotes islands! the pier at consuelo on pacijan

when we got there we were pleased with what we saw: the resort was perfect for lazing around! we had a comfortable air conditioned cabana with a terrace looking out into the gardens. there was an infinity swimming pool and the restaurant served decent food. the beach was man made, but it sufficed. the turquoise blue waters sparkled under the blue summer sky. it was a good thing though we arrived before the weekend hordes did, there were hardly any people around and the staff of the resort lost some of its efficiency when they became fully booked on our last day.

the comforts of staying at a resort

the view from our room

a view of the mangodlong rock formation

our first afternoon consisted of just hanging out at the restaurant and the pool. with our binoculars stowed away, the only birds we saw were the asian glossy starlings busy building nests, the olive backed sunbirds driking nectar from the coconut blossoms and swallows mobbing an overstaying brown shrike on the beach. the resort faced a popular island destination, the mangodlong rock, and it made a pretty picture at sunset.

the noisy glossy starling busy making nests

a pink orange sunset

Relaxation. with a captial R

we were happy doing nothing, but practicality got the better of us. how could we not do the island tour at least? so on our second afternoon (we must have slept the morning away!) we hired the powercab to take us around to see the sights of pacijan island. our driver was manong badong, referred to us by the resort staff. we had the powercab all to ourselves.

camotes is supposedly named by the spaniards. when they landed on the islands, they asked some locals what the name of the place was. the locals thought they were being asked what they were harvesting and so they said "camote!"

well, i didn't see too many sweet potato fields, but there was sure a lot of kamoteng kahoy (cassava)!

no kamote but lots of kamoteng kahoy!

before anything else, of course we had to stop to grab a liter of gasoline. as with other islands in the philippines, all that is needed to get someone to pour a softdrink bottle filled with red fluid down the gas tank is a double tap on the cab horn.

gassing up by the roadside

strangely, the camotes has the largest inland lake in the visayas, lake danao. the lake is shaped like the number 8 when seen from the air. there was a small park where one can view the lake, take a short hike on its banks, or if you are up to it, take a paddle boat or kayak. it was a bit touristy, but a popular landmark worth a short visit.

a pleasant, but short, walk by the lake side

we had a thin, fried, crispy, crepe-like snack made from cassava flour and drizzled with cocojam. yum! while eating i asked the locals if there were any wild ducks on the lake. i got a shake of a head and a look of puzzlement in reply. hmmm... must pick up on my cebuano maybe. but i guess there must be at least egrets since the sign at the park, as well as many of the paddleboats, were decorated them.

crispy! i want more of this!

paddleboats on the lake

manong badong then drove us to the esperanza beach. the long beach was almost deserted, save for a family on a picnic. the water was clear and deliciously cool in the warm afternoon. at this point on our trip we were already burned as brown as can be, so we didn't mind lounging in the water in the mid-afternoon sun.

esperanza beach

while we were swimming 4 local boys on a scooter came, did some acrobatics in the sand, swam for a few minutes and then hopped on their scooter again and left. while we were on the beach, our driver snoozed on a hummock strung from a talisay tree. ah, idyllic island living!

idylls under a talisay tree

our third destination was timubo cave. not really being cave enthusiasts, we thought it would be just a routine stop. but it turned out to be a very charming attraction.

the entrance to timubo cave

when we got to the entrance, we were warned that there were already many people in the cave, so we might have a little trouble breathing. but since there were just 2 of us, the girl collecting the entrance fees told us to go ahead. the cave was already well lit with electric lights, and a concrete pathway was easy to follow down. at the bottom of the cave was a very clear swimming hole! the water was cool but not cold, and despite the many people swimming already, we could not resist a short dip. it would probably be fantastic if it weren't the peak of tourist season.

lighted all the way

clear and cool waters: if only there weren't so many people!

the fourth stop was the baywalk. it was already late afternoon and adri and i were getting a bit hungry. of course by the baywalk there were many food stalls. we wanted to eat a proper dinner at the resort, so we decided on a few sticks of sweet isaw and bbq. which wasn't enough so we split puso of rice and a bottle of coke!

at the baywalk

mangroves lining the bay

sweet isaw, bbq and rice: stomachs of steel only please

we took a peek at the nearby agora market, and saw our favorite fish for inihaw! we weren't sure though if the resort staff would cook it for us, so we sadly had to leave the fish un-bought.

the agora market place

no inihaw na suwahan for us today :(

we were just in time for sunset at our last stop: santiago beach, the most popular beach on pacijan. the long strip of white sand beach was lined with resorts and restaurants, but the beach was so wide that the establishments didn't really interrupt the views of the expanse of sand.

sunset and low tide at santiago beach

it's a (beach) dog's life

it was really, really low tide and the beach was not suitable for swimming anymore. we did enjoy some beach combing on the sea grass beds, finding starfish, sea urchins, sea cucumbers, crabs,tiny fish and assorted mollusks. the sand had pretty patterns made by birds and assorted inter-tidal invertebrates.

rhinoceros starfish

patterns in the sand

sea grass beds at low tide

the rest of our stay was marked with doing nothing! it was a perfect way to end our vacation: relaxing under the summer sun with our feet up, the gentle sound of the surf lulling us to sleep. maybe all birding trips should start and end with a visit to the beach!

on our way back to danao, a huge pod of dolphins swam beside our ferry, to the delight of all the passengers on board. what a wonderful conclusion to our island adventures!