Makiling - 3rd December

My third trip up the mountain in as many weeks, and this time I did it properly, starting from the bottom! A decent dawn chorus, with all the usual suspects, but the first birds to show themselves were a Purple-throated Sunbird and two Pechora Pipits, continuing the run of interesting migrants over the last few weeks. Higher up the birds were more confiding. Buzzing and Red-keeled Flowerpeckers were evident as were Colasisi and Guiabero, Red-crested and Scale-Feathered Malkohas. A massive bird party at about 9:00am included plenty of the more usual species, such as Elegant Tit, Sulphur-billed Nuthatch, Blue-headed Fantail, Philippine Woodpecker, Plain-backed Sunbird, Flaming Sunbird and Philippine Bulbul, along with slightly less common Yellow-bellied Whistler. Three separate Grey-backed Tailorbirds showed themselves today, a bird which I hear on a daily basis but rarely get to see. Several birds of the Arctic Warbler complex were also in the flock.

Back down at UPLB lots of Striated Swallows were flying low over the fields, in company with at least 3 House Swifts.

Earlier in the week (Friday) my early morning run had been enlivened by calling Philippine Nightjar, Philippine Scops Owl, and Philippine Hawk-Owl, a nice nocturnal triumvirate of endemics!

 Scale-feathered Malkoha

Fruit-Bat spp. I've never seen these here before. They form huge colonies in Subic and elsewhere, so this is either a different species which is more solitary, or an individual striking out for new territory.

Sulphur-billed Nuthatch