Jersey to C3Po (1 Viewer)

Palawan - a mini trip-report

So you have just spent the last 36 hours in transit. After five flights, two buses, and god knows how many time zones later you finally reach your destination. What do you do -

a) find a hotel and get some desperately-needed sleep
b) head off, mapless, up a hillside looking for a trail you think might exist, as it's getting dark?

Well, as a lightweight, my normal response would be a, but in my spaced-out sleep-deprived condition, b seemed the right idea. There was, after all, a frogmouth to look for.

After a fairly random selection of turn-offs and side trails, I entered habitat that could just about be considered decent, and found a nice trail. As night fell, I found myself in that almost tangible inky blackness that characterises tropical forest at night.

Close your eyes and imagine you are there. Imagine that you are dripping with sweat, and the leaves are dripping with condensation. The heat and humidity envelop you. Your ears are assaulted by plinking frogs, countless zirping, zitting, clicking and groaning cicadas, and the occasional comic "tokay" from the eponymous gecko. Try, also, to imagine the lurking fear that comes with being alone in the forest at night.

OK, you get the picture. I switched-on the mp3 player and gave the frogmouth a go. Incredibly, I got an almost immediate reply - an eery, creaking yowl. I say incredibly because I almost never expect to get a response when out nightbirding, and feel pathetically grateful when I do.

As is so often the case, the bird was of indeterminate distance - it could have been just behind the next tree, or half a mile away. Another blast by Mr Edirol and another response - this time definitely quite close.

Having a froggie quite close, and being able to see it are, of course, two very different matters, and there was no way I could go-in for this one without dying, so I just switched on the torch and hoped to see eye-shine.

Nothing, as expected. And then, something unexpected: a bird flew across the beam, eyes briefly reflected orange, and perched on a branch just visible through a small "window"! Just how jammy was that? A cracking little frogmouth, which then sat calling for the next 15 minutes until I got bored.

Just which frogmouth depends on your taxonomy - take your pick form Javan, Sunda or Palawan. I needed the latter, so Palawan it is for me.

As nice as it was, it isn't the reason I came to Palawan, in the Philippines. The country has been described as a "visit now before it's too late" destination for as long as I've been birding, and while the sentiment may be true, the fact is the birds still achieve the daily miracle of reamining un-extinct (or extant for the grammatically correct) in the face of apalling habitat loss and unfettered hunting.

For one species, however, the statement holds true in a unique way: Palawan Peacock Pheasant ("PPP").

When I was a nipper, I worked as a volunteer at Jersey Zoo (or "Durrell" as the branding consultants would have us call it now). Among the eclectic collection of beasts and fowls were several diminutive phasianids of almost ridiculous beauty. They typically spent their time lurking in the undergrowth at the back of their aviaries, but when they emerged into the light, they positively shone. The sign on the cage told me they were Palawan Peacock Pheasants, and the possibility that I might one day see one in the wild never crossed my mind.

I visited the Philippines a dozen years ago but never made it to Palawan, something I always regretted. Since then, a male PPP ("Threepee-o" as I dubbed him) has become completely habituated to humans at a ranger station in St Paul's National Park. He's getting on a bit now in pheasant years, and probably doesn't have much time before he shuffles off this mortal coil. Once that happens, this reverts to being a very tough species to see. Time, I decided to "see Threepio"...C3PO...geddit...OK, I'll get me coat.

So, a few hours kip after my frogmouth triumph, it's dawn and I'm zipping across the tranquil waters of whatever sea it is for the short trip from Sabang to my 7 o'clock appointment. And I'm nervous. It's peeing with rain. Will this cause a no-show?

Will I get there only to find a guilty-looking Monitor Lizard with a suspicious lump in its abdomen, using a tell-tale eyed feather as a tooth pick? Will there be a tiny grave on the beach, surrounded by a teary-eyed group of rangers saying "he's gone to a better place" in Philippino?

Well, the boat beaches and I jump ashore, to be confronted - rather incongruously - by a large ablution block. The place seems to be deserted apart from a guy with a broom, apparently sweeping the beach clear of sand.

As you do, I walk up to him and ask him if Threepee-o is around (or words to that effect). He shrugs with casual indifference and says maybe it won't come today because it's raining. Careful, mate - I'm in the at-risk-of-heart-disease age group.

I walk a little further and find the kitchen area, and a couple of rangers there tell me "maybe later". So I trudge around the little patch of littoral forest, in the rain, feeling even more nervous. Apart from a rather startled Mangrove Blue Flycatcher, there's almost no activity, so I graduate back to the kitchen area. Still nothing, though one of the rangers kindly puts on a show of peering into the forest to make me feel as though it might be there.

Another lap of the trail, and then...a movement...and there he is! Perhaps not at his best in the rain, but still completely out-of-this-world. He walks parallel to me, rather coyly at first. I crouch to get a better view, and one of the rangers comes and chucks a handfull of cooked rice on the ground next to me. Up he trots, and starts feeding - no more than 4 feet from where I'm squatting - and I'm completely transfixed.

If you've seen this bird, I hope this brings back fond memories. If you haven't, and it features on your "to do" list, then don't leave it too long. If it dosen't feature on your to-do list, look up the photos on Larry Wheatland's epic "Bristol to Kagu" thread - it just might change your mind. Incidentally - many thanks to Larry for that thread, which was very useful in planning this jaunt.

Anyway, I'm currently in the little town of Narra, where hopefully I have an appointment with a Philippine Cockatoo or two tomorrow - you can supply the Kenneth Williams / Frankie Howerd jokes.

Brilliant stuff...Nearly spat my cornflakes over the keyboard.

Nice one Duncan, hope you didn't have to break into your hotel after dark in Narra, due to it closing down with your stuff still in it, like we had to!

We did pretty badly on Palawan in general, so looking forward to being gripped off by more than just the frogmouth by the end of this report (hope there's more to come?)

here's a link to the page of our trip report with C3P0 on it in post 934, and there's a pic of C3P0 by Mark Harper on that page at post 928 too(hope you and Mark don't mind)

http://www.birdforum.net/showthread.php?t=100901&page=38

Hah, no Larry, I managed to avoid the Norman Bates motel, but I did smile when I breezed past it on my way to the pension 100m down the road, and made a point of checking-out your vegetated escape route. There were no signs of life at all!

I reckon you did pretty well in Palawan, especially considering the trails were closed in the NP. The Jungle and Monkey trails are currently open, although it's still pretty hard work to see some of the endemics.

I'm in no position to be gripping anybody off (cough Palawan Hornbill and cough splutter Blue-headed Racquet-tail along the road just outside town)...I seeing missed a couple of the endemics at Sabang, and I'm in awe of birders who clean-up the island in 3 days!

Now back in Puerto Princessa, having had a Cockatastic time on Rasa Island, thanks to the splendid Katala Foundation.

Glad you saw the Cockatoos. And of course...er...(swallows hard)... (gritted teeth)..very happy for you that you saw the Blue PF and raquet-tail. .

Love the Norman Bates analogy!

Good luck back at Sabang. You probably know this, but make sure you see the Palawan versions of Grey-cheeked and Olive-winged Bulbuls, which IOC have already split.

So, what's short, fat, ginger and white and has a crap song and a big head? Well, as far as I know, Mick Hucknell doesn't live in a bamboo thicket on Palawan, so it must have been something else.

I arrived back in Puerto Princessa yesterday, and hired a motorbike for a few quid. I was undecided whether to spend my time at the Iwahig open prison, or travel a little further along the Narra road to the famous "Zig Zag" road. I decided to give the latter a go, as I was unsure about access in the prison at odd hours.

Once I remembered how to ride a motorbike, I had a pleasant zip along the quiet main road, then turned-off onto the Zig-Zag road, which is located between the km 33-34 markers. Sometime in the last few years, a section of the main road was re-routed closer to the coast, leaving a short stretch of defunct road running through nice forest, with no traffic. How good is that?

Well, initially not very good at all. Forests in the Philippines aren't exactly alive with birds in the mid afternoon. However, after a few hours I heard a Melodious Babbler - one of my targets - as opposed to a White-vented Shama imitating a Melodious Babbler.

Inevitably, getting to it involved a steep slope and lots of tangles, but with a little "coaxing" and a lot of patience I was able to secure nice views of this rather handsome babbler (as usual much better than it's illustrated).

As I was sat in the bottom of a bamboo-filled gully, I figured I ought to give Palawan Flycatcher a go, and played a recording. To my delight, I got an immediate and very close response, and up one popped a few metres away - a dumpy little ginger and white bird. It then flew into a tangle and "sang" a bit, at which point it seems another male decided to lay claim to that particular tangle, as there was a bit of an unseen dust-up.

In case anybody is interested, the gully is below the road, about 100m after the km 34 marker.

I hung around until it got properly dark, and wandered along the road, occasionally playing the underwhelming call of Palawan Scops. I had heard one near Sabang (at Lion Cave), but couldn't get in close enough to see it.

It's a very quiet, gruff, call, and difficult to work out how far away the calling bird is, but I figured it was fairly close so I played the tape again. After a few minutes, some frog-like croaks came from close to the road, and I switched-on my torch - which nicely illuminated a dense tangle.

After a couple of minutes of peering through vines, I caught a brief bit of eye-shine and finally managed to clap eyes on the little swine. There were also several frogmouths calling, but I didn't try for any of these.

Thanks for the bulbul info, Larry. I wasn't aware of the splits, but luckily I've seen both. Anything else I should know about?

Cheers
Duncan

I think the spiderhunter must surely need a damn good splitting, and I think some reports mention the crow, swiftlet and drongo as splits, or potentials. To be honest the 2 new bulbuls were a total surprise to me, so considering that, pretty much anything could be.

We vaguely thought of trying to fit in the zigzag road area too, but figured I wouldn't stand much chance of seeing any of those goodies that you managed to bag, without tapes. Well done Duncan, I'm well envious!

I've spent the last few days on the little-visited island of Panay in the Visayas, and very pleasant it's been too - apart form the rain and high winds. And slippery trails.

99.999% of tourists visiting Panay go to loaf on the beaches of Boracay, but I came for a higher purpose - Negros Bleeding-heart Pigeon. The place to see this is the research station at Sibaliw, near Pandan, and I was lucky enough to get a good sighting on my second day. This is also the place to see the rare Negros Jungle Flycatcher - which is actually quite numerous here and relatively easily seen.

The other big bird on Panay is Walden's Hornbill, which required another muddy and sweaty expedition into the hills. Thanks to local assistance, I was lucky enough to see quite good numbers of these spectacular and endangered birds.

I'll write a longer account when i have the time, including details of the logistics involved.


Larry, without a tape or divine intervention - as with so many Philippine birds - I think you would really have struggled to see the star attractions on the Zig-Zag Road.

DMW said:

I've spent the last few days on the little-visited island of Panay in the Visayas...

...I'll write a longer account when i have the time, including details of the logistics involved.

Click to expand...

Nice trip report Duncan. I would be very much interested in the detailed account as Panay and particularly Walden's Hornbill is on my to do list, albeit somewhere in a happy future probably in a few years time, hopefully, possibly, maybe. :king:



Thanks,

The island of Panay in the central Visayan group, has received relatively little attention from birders. Its avifauna is very similar to neighbouring Negros, with a number of shared endemics restricted to these islands.

Negros has lost almost all of its lower altitude native forest, whereas Panay's NW peninsula retains significant tracts of primary forest as low as 200m asl. As a result, Panay still has viable populations of a small number of species that are either extremely rare or extinct on Negros.

I visited 2 sites in Panay in March, both close to the small town of Pandan in Antique Province. I travelled to Panay by direct flight from Manila to Caticlan, from where regular Ceres buses take about 45 minutes to Pandan. I returned to Manila on a single-ticket bus/ferry combination via Mindoro, which took about 14 hours and was no fun.

In Pandan I stayed at Rovel's Pension. This didn't seem to be widely known by locals, but to find it go to Rovel's restaurant (opposite the main market), and they will take you there. I paid P200 per night for a room.

The first site I visted was Sibilaw Station. This is operated by a German / Phlippino NGO, and is mostly used by German research biologists. Birders are welcome provided they make arrangements in advance, and subject to availability of rooms. Permission to visit must be made by contacting Prof. Eberhard Curio (Eberhard.Curio [at] rub.de) in the first instance. Prof Curio responded very quickly to my request to stay, and provided detailed instructions on access arrangements.

For my visit, these were as follows:

1.On arrival in Pandan, I was met off the bus by Dr Enrique Sanchez Jr, one of the NGO's directors resident in Pandan. Dr Sanchez took me to buy food and water for the walk-in, and put me on a tricycle to Bulanao village.

2.The ride to Bulanao took about 45 minutes, and I was taken to the house of one of the NGO employees, Nestor. He arranged porters and a guide for the walk-in (P200/250 each respectively), and I paid him for food and accommodation at the station (P1,000 per day). Note that these costs are standard, and not negotiable.

3.The walk-in up the Bulanao River trail took about 3 hours straight. The trail requires several wades across a small river, so expect wet boots. While the walk in isn't too demanding, there is quite a lot of scrambling over extremely sharp and slippery limestone outcrops. You need to be extremely careful here, as it would be very easy to slip and injure yourself.

4.The station itself is basic but quite comfortable, with about 6 bedrooms and a large communal dining room. The outside toilet had the scariest spider I've ever seen in residence! You need to bring a sleeping bag, and a thermarest-type matress is useful but not essential.

5.All meals and unlimited drinking water / tea / coffee were provided, so you don't need to bring in food or drink, although you might want to take some snacks.

6.There are several trails through the forest from the station, but none are clearly marked and the topography is quite complex. If he is available, it's a very good idea to ask if Jun, the station manager, can guide you. He knows the forest really well, which means you can spend the whole day wandering around off-trail without worrying about getting lost. He is also a very good birder, with excellent knowledge of calls.

I spent 3 days at the station, but frustratingly lost 1.5 days to heavy rain. My main target was Negros Bleeding-heart, of which I had a single very good sighting and heard another. Jun also flushed another, which I missed, and he showed me an old nest of the species. I get the impression that the species is tolerably numerous in the area, and Jun certainly sees them frequently.

The other key species here is White-throated Jungle Flycatcher. I saw 2 or 3 of these without undue difficulty, and heard several others. The species is best looked for along the dry riverbed below the station.

Other species I recorded during my stay included White-winged Cuckoo-shrike, Amethyst Dove, Philippine Hawk-owl, Greater Goldenback, White-browed Shama, Philippine Tailorbird, Blue-headed Fantail, White-vented Whistler etc. Some of these are endemic Visayan taxa that may be good species.

The second area I visited was forest near the village of Alegre, to look for Walden's Hornbill. This species may now be extinct on Negros, making it effectively a Panay endemic.

My visit to the area was made considerably easier with help from the NGO (and particularly Henry Jamandron) referred to in my previous post. I did it as a 2 day trip from Pandan, expecting to camp in the forest, but I could have done it as a day trip. Again, Prof Curio should be able to provide contact details to set-up this trip.

Henry took me on his motorbike to the village of Bacalan, which is about 45 minutes from Pandan, a few kilometres beyond Sebaste on the road to Culasi. Here we met with 2 locals, Nonoy and Malco, who have worked as hornbill nest wardens and know the best sites, and made arrangements for them to guide me the next day.

Back in Pandan, Henry took me to see Put-Put, a young guy who speaks good English and was to act as interpreter (Nonoy and Malco don't speak English). We bought food and organised camping equipment for our expedition. Note that locals tend to camp using hammocks under tarpaulins.

Early the following morning, Put-Put and I set off by tricycle to Bacalan, where we met Nonoy and Malco. We sorted our gear into loads and set off walking along a wide track to the village of Allegre, which took around 45 minutes. There are 2 wide, shallow river crossings at Allegre (more wet boots!), and shortly after the village, the trail ascended quite steeply through slash-and-burn cultivation, forest fragments and grassland. Trails here are extremely slippery, making for slow going.

After about 2.5 hours, we reached a small forest patch with an old Walden's Hornbill nest hole, and heard ne calling distantly. We then descended very steeply to a fast, wide stream, crossed this, and arrived at a 4-house village (Nimbung). We had lunch here, and it transpired that the house belonged to Malco's father and that we could stay the night here rather than camp in the wet. One of life's easier decisions!

The house overlooked a nice forested valley, along and across which both local species of hornbill regularly flew. A couple of large fruiting attracted a number of Walden's on both days, making for very easy viewing throughout the day.

Many thanks for posting these details :t: