We decided that the Philippines are too difficult to do in a single trip with over 20 major islands to bird and over seven thousand islands in total it would just be too expensive and tiring to do it all even in a cursory way. So we would tackle some of the easiest islands first and then hopefully get back to Mindanao, and if the security improves the South Western Islands and some more mountainous areas on Luzon and elsewhere in the future.
We still hope to see a good selection of endemic birds and the Philippine Tarsier and Colugo in Bohol.
Our Flight out is - Manchester to Manila via Dubai with Emirates on 17th January (today) – returning on 9th February, fortunately visa rules changed after we booked flights, so up to 30 days is now possible without a renewal so it does mean we have some time in Manila as yet unplanned at the end.
Our planning was done using trip reports, the very helpful birding2asia site (we also downloaded a number of calls from here) and the Birdwatching in the Philippine (V1 and V2) books which we were given by the Philippine Tourist board at the UK Birdfair. We will use Kennedy et al Field Guide.
Plan is to arrive in Manila, Luzon and start City/ Urban Birding around Manila - La Mesa Eco Park, University of the Philippines, Manila Film Center, then Travel South of Manila to Villa Escudero, before travelling on to Los Banos, Laguna for early start at Mt. Makiling then after couple of days there to - Candaba Marsh and Subic for a few days. We then fly to Bohol where we stay for four nights at Simply Butterfly birding mainly at Raja Sikatuna Park. It is then off to Cebu by catamaran to Bird at Olango Island, and then try for the unlikely Cebu Flowerpecker at Alcoy Forest - Nus-Ag Conservation and another Site.
Hopefully it then gets a bit easier birding wise as we fly to Palawan with Birding at St. Paul National Park where we hope the Palawan Peacock Pheasant is still around, other places we will get to are Zig-zag road, Irawan Penal colony, Honda Bay and possibly Pandan or a neighboring Island like Cowrie.
Then back to Manila for a few nights where we will decide what to do based on how things have gone on the trip so far. We used Philippine Trails to book our accommodation and local transport and arrange local guides where we believed we need them.
I'm not sure if we will post while we travel or leave it until we return to the UK to post our reports, it depends on how we feel and how much time we have to spare in the evenings.
We still hope to see a good selection of endemic birds and the Philippine Tarsier and Colugo in Bohol.
Our Flight out is - Manchester to Manila via Dubai with Emirates on 17th January (today) – returning on 9th February, fortunately visa rules changed after we booked flights, so up to 30 days is now possible without a renewal so it does mean we have some time in Manila as yet unplanned at the end.
Our planning was done using trip reports, the very helpful birding2asia site (we also downloaded a number of calls from here) and the Birdwatching in the Philippine (V1 and V2) books which we were given by the Philippine Tourist board at the UK Birdfair. We will use Kennedy et al Field Guide.
Plan is to arrive in Manila, Luzon and start City/ Urban Birding around Manila - La Mesa Eco Park, University of the Philippines, Manila Film Center, then Travel South of Manila to Villa Escudero, before travelling on to Los Banos, Laguna for early start at Mt. Makiling then after couple of days there to - Candaba Marsh and Subic for a few days. We then fly to Bohol where we stay for four nights at Simply Butterfly birding mainly at Raja Sikatuna Park. It is then off to Cebu by catamaran to Bird at Olango Island, and then try for the unlikely Cebu Flowerpecker at Alcoy Forest - Nus-Ag Conservation and another Site.
Hopefully it then gets a bit easier birding wise as we fly to Palawan with Birding at St. Paul National Park where we hope the Palawan Peacock Pheasant is still around, other places we will get to are Zig-zag road, Irawan Penal colony, Honda Bay and possibly Pandan or a neighboring Island like Cowrie.
Then back to Manila for a few nights where we will decide what to do based on how things have gone on the trip so far. We used Philippine Trails to book our accommodation and local transport and arrange local guides where we believed we need them.
I'm not sure if we will post while we travel or leave it until we return to the UK to post our reports, it depends on how we feel and how much time we have to spare in the evenings.
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