Philippines: Mindanao, Cebu, Bohul, Luzon and Palawan (1 Viewer)

[Larry Sweetland]

. We got a good flock of 70+ Black & White Trillers.

Wow, I had no idea that you'd get big flocks of these.

well done on the racket-tail :t:

 

[hampers]

Get the kettle on Dave!

Phil

 

[Bananafishbones]

First day in Los Banos area was one of heavy and constant rain, umbrella up all morning. Getting passes for the site, then being unable to take our car up the road of Maliling was a frustration, so we started the walk with bins and umbrellas. We soon picked up a raptor, still not sure if Besra or Jap Sparrowhawk which was perched just inside the gates. Other birds were scarce as the rain teemed down. We hitched a lift from a van driver who took us up half way... Much easier on the spirits to walk down in the rain! We met an Oz couple who had also found it pretty quiet but had at least got a Spotted Wood Kingfisher.... Lucky sods! We set off further down an unbelievably were followed by target bird number 1 a fine Scale feathered Malkoha. Brilliant bird a real pity about the weather and poor light, attempting Images was fruitles, at least it kept us company. Still pissing down but a bit more cheerful now. I dipped White Browed Sharms for at least the fourth time, this is now certainly my bogey bird. Back at the bottom we headed for lunch. The afternoon brightened up and we headed to the IRRI rice fields. I watched a farmer crossing some long grassed fields and as expected he flushed a spotted Buttonquail, shortly after a second took flight. A larger buttonquail was flushed as we walked along the paths, also a snipe species. Oriental Skylarks and Richards Pipits were in the area as was the constant droning of a Coppersmith Barbet. Later in the evening we looked for Plain Bush hen but only found Buff Banded Rail, also Scaly Breasted Munias, Ashy Minivet and Grassbirds. Dozens of cattle egrets came to roost just as the dairy man brought the cattle to an adjacent field, clever birds eh. Weather looked better for tomorrow, where we will try the mountain again.

 

[Bananafishbones]

Up mega early for the mountain but unfortunately we beat the guy dho gives out the passes so still not allowed the car up the mountain, walking again but no rain ... Hoorah! A much better start with Luzon Hornbills, Stripe headed Rhabdornis, red Crested Malkohas. We had walked up for about an hour and I don't mind admitting that I did have a quiet word with the birding god.... And boy did he deliver. We stopped for a breather and a little play back and the most handsome creature perched 20 Meters from us, Spotted Wood Kingfisher... Male! Close! Perched! And very photogenic. This was a big result, it was a huge target bird, so close too, it even let us edge closer and into slightly better light, stunning. Phew we cxn walk DOWN hill now. The luck continued, we tried for the Sharma again and after a little bit of a run around from it, this showed too, only for a few seconds, but more than happy to put that bogey to bed! We finished off with a Lesser Coucal. Mt Makiling eventually came good, the rain ruined one day but not our spirits, some real quality birds. Off to the airport via that xhit hole Manila..... Palawan next

 

[Bananafishbones]

Get the kettle on Dave!

Phil

Will do, sometime mid week. At Manila airport now ready to board for long journey home.

 

[Bananafishbones]

Amazing to see 3 Hooded Pitta today all within an hour, male and female in courtship postures at about 10 foot away and perched! Awesome

 

[hampers]

Black coffee and some stunning images I hope.

 

[Rob Hutchinson]

Wow, I had no idea that you'd get big flocks of these.

well done on the racket-tail :t:

B & W Trillers don't flock and are quite rare at Subic, could have been Ashy Minivets?

 

[Bananafishbones]

First morning on Palawan was birding madness! In a good way. Jojo and Rommel pick us upand we headed to the old Zigzag rd. we got out of the vehicle and immediately found a few trees that would keep us occupied for the next few hours... Pale Spiderhunter, sport throated FLameback, Purple Throated sunbirds, bulbuls, drongos, flycatchers, striped Tit Babbbler amongst others. Happy to pick up Pygmy Flowerpecker here too as we missed this at others places. 2 Great slaty woodpeckers showed incredibly well, a hard bird on PAlawan, we then got a flash of a White Vented Sharma, we couldn't track it down though. Later on we witnesses two Lovely Sunbirds mating, and yes they really are a lovely species. Chested breasted Malkohas loads of Bulbul species including my favourite Black Headed, not endemic but lovely to see. We called theMelodious Babbler which responded but didn't show so we stopped for coffee. By which time 2 individuals were now calling in the area, one flew across the road, Rommel took us of the road into a small densly covered ravine whet we eventually got stunning views of 2 Melodious Babblers foraging on the floor, one was fighting a large moth! Rommel said this would be a 50/50 bird even he was taken back by the views we got. We moved to Irawan and picked up more lovely sunbirds, pink necked green pigeons, the Gourgous looking race of Olive Backed Sunbird that looks completely different to the same species anywhere else, must be a split soon. This is where we really dipped on the Palawan flycatcher which was a shame, but didn't stops getting more goodies. S

 

[Bananafishbones]

B & W Trillers don't flock and are quite rare at Subic, could have been Ashy Minivets?

Interesting Rob. I certainly bow to your greater knowledge, knew they were not Pied Trillers. They were in the trees outside the Hill 394 gates down towards the first bunker on the now disused road, hi up in the canopy but very active and flying in flocks often.

 

[dandsblair]

Glad you got

Glad you got good views of the Scale Feather Malkoha and the Spotted Wood-kingfisher, also two of the best birds we saw.

 

[Bananafishbones]

Glad you got good views of the Scale Feather Malkoha and the Spotted Wood-kingfisher, also two of the best birds we saw.

Cheers David. I will finish the report during the week and add a few images too.

 

[Bananafishbones]

First morning on Palawan was birding madness! In a good way. Jojo and Rommel pick us upand we headed to the old Zigzag rd. we got out of the vehicle and immediately found a few trees that would keep us occupied for the next few hours... Pale Spiderhunter, sport throated FLameback, Purple Throated sunbirds, bulbuls, drongos, flycatchers, striped Tit Babbbler amongst others. Happy to pick up Pygmy Flowerpecker here too as we missed this at others places. 2 Great slaty woodpeckers showed incredibly well, a hard bird on PAlawan, we then got a flash of a White Vented Sharma, we couldn't track it down though. Later on we witnesses two Lovely Sunbirds mating, and yes they really are a lovely species. Chested breasted Malkohas loads of Bulbul species including my favourite Black Headed, not endemic but lovely to see. We called theMelodious Babbler which responded but didn't show so we stopped for coffee. By which time 2 individuals were now calling in the area, one flew across the road, Rommel took us of the road into a small densly covered ravine whet we eventually got stunning views of 2 Melodious Babblers foraging on the floor, one was fighting a large moth! Rommel said this would be a 50/50 bird even he was taken back by the views we got. We moved to Irawan and picked up more lovely sunbirds, pink necked green pigeons, the Gourgous looking race of Olive Backed Sunbird that looks completely different to the same species anywhere else, must be a split soon. This is where we really dipped on the Palawan flycatcher which was a shame, but didn't stops getting more goodies. S

Day 1 on Palawan continued with a Blue Eared Kingfisher, a small bonus for just missing out on the Palawan Flycatcher, also above we had a raptor that as yet is unidentifiable only prominent feature was a White Rump. We tried for the Copper Throated Sunbird and dipped but watched a brilliant Stork Billed Kingfisher fishing from a tree nr the mangroves. Chinese Egret, Kentish Plover, Greater Sand plover were on the beach area near a fishing port and the evening finished with a short boat trip to an island for the Mantanani Scope Owl, we threw in a Large Tailed Nightjar just for good measure to end a wonderful day.

 

[Bananafishbones]

Day 2 Palawan:
We headed for Leang Forest where we picked up close views of Blue Napped Parrots and the Spot Throated Flameback close to its nest hole. Large numbers of Green Imperial pigeons were either commuting through the area or sat perched giving great views. Our first Palawan tits (albeit high up in the canopy) were a trip first and I got my best views of the smart Yellow throated Leafbird. Plenty of now regular birds were about with Spangled and Ashy Drongos and Ashy Fronted and Palawan Bulbuls in large numbers. We managed to see a Palawan Hornbill as it flew towards our vehicle, we were able to get out in time to see it fly past and away. We headed for another of Rommels sites where he would get us onto crippling views of male and female Blue Headed Racket tails, we spent a few hours here and numerous birds doing fast flybys or perched short distances away.... great bird. We added Dollarbird, our first Dark Throated Oriole (we would get stunning views of this one later) and Asian Brown Flycatcher. The afternoon didn't let up either as we visited Magayan, where we had Fiery Minivet, Palawan Flowerpecker, Lovely Sunbird, yet more Chesnut Breasted Malkohas and our first Striped Flowerpecker. The bird of the afternoon though were a pair of courting Palawan Blue Flycatchers who sang and displayed for us only a few meters away.
Now we head off looking for Philippine Cockatoos, after an hour we managed a very distant bird flying to roost, shortly after we had two more, this time a little closer just giving us a glimpse of the headcrest. unfortunately we weren't to do any better than that. Two White Bellied Sea-Eagles came into the forest edge to roost and we managed to scope their landing..... right onto their nest, great uninterrupted views of this pair. The evening finished off with two fine birds, first the Palawan Scops Owl then Palawan (Javan) Frogmouth, both briefly but great views nonetheless. Another very successful day and leads us nicely onto out last day of the trip......

 

[Bananafishbones]

Final Day:
We get the earliest boat to the Underground River area. Eastern Reef Egret is the only thing to note on the short crossing. Tabon Scrubfowl were first to appear, a pair scurried off the path behind the changing area. We got brief but good views. Having read the many reports of the Palawan Peacock Pheasant being habitualised it was kind of refreshing to not find it waiting for us. Rommel and some locals went off looking for it while we were kept company by at least 4 Monitor Lizards. Rommel came back after 20 minutes with no sighting, so we followed him down another track where we again found the Tabon Scrubfowl lurking 30 foot away in the undergrowth. Eventually Rommel hears the PPP and after some sensitive coaxing got its attention and sure enough it came fairly close to give us stunning views. It really is a lovely species, one that any birdwatcher would appreciate. Rommel was concerned that it was limping, I didn't notice this, however Rommel has got to know this bird over the last ten years and showed some concern, hopefully nothing more than a little old age. The experience was better than I expected, like I say it was better to have to look for it than to have it displayed waiting ..... Maybe I wouldn't have said that if I had dipped! We carried on walking and got brilliant views now of the Scrubfowl, but thing were about to change. Movement in the deep vegetation about 30yards off the track revealed a Hooded Pitta. It was skulking underneath a fallen tree trunk, we got 5 minutes of brilliant views and even managed some half descent images, what a great end to the trip. We then sat out on the shoreline hoping to get a better view than we had had of Hornbills but were treated to another White Belied Sea-Eagle. We then heard a White vented Sharma that really did give us the run around, we didn't manage a sighting even though it was close, so having given up we headed off and tdid the touristy trip on the underground river, we had the whole river to ourselves going out, brilliant, and only met other sightseers as we ended the trip. Now back on the trail but heading back to our boat we had the most amazing luck..... two Hooded Pittas in the open! I got onto the female quickly before Rommel ushered us towards him where at eyelevel, completely out in the open and perched was a Male in full courtship postures, dipping down then stretching high in "look at me" postures. What a finish, images to die for and views of this courtship that can only be dreamt about, seriously privileged for sure.

I was kind of hoping that would be the last new bird of the trip, a stunning way to end, however the Pitta was eventually to be knocked off its perch by two further trip sightings. We tried in vein for the Falcated Babbler but eventually missed this one, but we were treated to stunning views of the White Vented Sharma, down to a few feet and posing nicely.... I had given up with photography after the Pitta and had left the camera in the vehicle! then my last bird of the trip flew from a perch in the forest and flew past us... a Crested Goshawk. three Grey Faced Buzzards were probably the last birds we saw, certainly the last birds I recorded.

What a place Palawan is, and difficult to split with Mindanao for the birding experience.

We dipped some good uns on Palawan - Falcated Babbler, Palawan Flycatcher and Red Bellied Pitta, but we got some megas, and some incredibly good views of them too

 

[dandsblair]

A little jealous but

Final Day:

We dipped some good uns on Palawan - Falcated Babbler, Palawan Flycatcher and Red Bellied Pitta, but we got some megas, and some incredibly good views of them too

Dave

Some great birds you saw and jealous of Palawan Scops Owl (we tried 4 times for this and only heard it each time - did you see it at Sheridan ATS trail ?) and Melodious Babbler would have been nice. But we did get the Palawan Flycatcher totaly unexpectedly at ATS and the Falcated Babbler - Rommel thought we had found a great spot for a lekking group but assume in just a few weeks they had moved on after getting into pairs.

Agree Palawan is great birding - we will probably do Mindanao and other Islands in 2016

David

 

[Bananafishbones]

Dave

Some great birds you saw and jealous of Palawan Scops Owl (we tried 4 times for this and only heard it each time - did you see it at Sheridan ATS trail ?) and Melodious Babbler would have been nice. But we did get the Palawan Flycatcher totaly unexpectedly at ATS and the Falcated Babbler - Rommel thought we had found a great spot for a lekking group but assume in just a few weeks they had moved on after getting into pairs.

Agree Palawan is great birding - we will probably do Mindanao and other Islands in 2016

David

Dave we got the Scops Owl at the entrance to Lions Cave it that location means anything to you.

 

[dandsblair]

Didn't try there

Dave we got the Scops Owl at the entrance to Lions Cave it that location means anything to you.

Must be a new spot after previous ones were starting to be unreliable.

 

[Bananafishbones]

At last an image.....

been on a night shift straight after this trip and struggled to adjust, only now found the inspiration to even download my images, but here is the first.

A quality bird.... Palawan Peacock Pheasant :t:

 

[Bananafishbones]

Found this fella skulking in the undergrowth

.... was mega pleased to see this fella, even though he was skulking in the dark

This bird was seen nr Puerto Princesa underground river, Palawan