Saturday, November 26, 2011

Makiling - 26th Novermber

Another early start for a trip up Makiling, this time with visiting birder Eric Barnes. It was quite overcast, with rain at first, but that stopped before we got to the top. Pre-dawn several birds calling, including Philippine Hawk-Owl, White-browed Shama, and Spotted Wood-Kingfisher. The first birds to be visible were a pair of Luzon Flamebacks at Agila Camp, which disappeared quickly. Further up the trail the juvenile Red-bellied Pitta from last week was in the same spot.

Several small bird parties, particularly in the fruiting parasitic plants that are so abundant here. Sulphur-billed Nuthatch, Elegant Tit, Buzzing Flowerpecker, White-eared Brown Dove, Philippine Bulbul, Stripe-headed Rhabdornis, Colasisi, Guiabero, Scale-feathered Malkoha and Red-crested Malkoha were all vocal and visible on the way up. A Philippine Serpent-Eagle showed briefly. A Luzon Hornbill was calling very excitedly, but failed to show itself, but a pair of nearby Philippine Trogons did show well. The light was too poor for clear photography sadly! Close to the main clearing another party of flowerpeckers, but this time including an Orange-bellied Flowerpecker, my first in Luzon. The same subspecies as Mindoro, xanthopygium.

Not much at the clearing, barring more Buzzing Flowerpeckers, and a Red-keeled Flowerpecker so we headed down. On the way down another juvenile male Blue-and-White Flycatcher. A different bird from last weeks, much more blue this time.

Back at TREES lodge 9 Philippine Falconets on the dead tree, a personal record!

 Female Philippine Trogon
Juvenile male Blue-and-White Flycatcher. Supposedly a rare migrant, this is the third consecutive year the bird has turned up on Makiling, and the second in a week (last weeks had less blue). Almost certainly under-recorded.

A Terrapin spp. in the stream flowing through UPLB.

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