Saturday, September 22, 2012

Makiling and IRRI - Week ending 23 Sept

Migration continues on the farms, with new arrivals this week in the form of Grey Wagtail and (Philippine) Blue Rock Thrush. There are still quite a few Pacific Golden Plovers, Oriental Pratincoles, Yellow Wagtails and Blue-tailed Bee-eaters, with a smaller number of Long-toed Stints present. On Friday 16 Black-winged Stilts were scattered through the farms, the bulk being in a flock of 12 on the main experimental farm. Brown Shrikes have arrived in force now.

On Sunday I took a stroll on the lower trail at Makiling. It's still fairly quiet, but a few good birds showed. Very few migrants yet, Brown Shrike being the only one visible. Birds seen included Philippine Drongo Cuckoo, Philippine Woodpecker, Bar-bellied Cuckoo-Shrike, Black-and-White Triller, Yellow-wattled Bulbul, Philippine Bulbul, Balicassiao, Elegant Tit, Stripe-headed Rhabdornis, Black-naped Monarch, Brown Shrike, Brown-throated Sunbird, Lovely Sunbird, Striped Flowerpecker and Red-keeled Flowerpecker. The heard-only list had some high-quality birds, including Luzon Hornbill, Philippine Trogon, Spotted Wood-Kingfisher, White-browed Shama and Grey-backed Tailorbird.

Nice adult Black-winged Stilt...
... and a scruffier juvenile.
Long-toed Stints still passing through.
And Grey Wagtails just arrived
Juvenile Cinnamon Bittern
Brown Shrikes are now pretty much everywhere. This one looking very much like a female confusus
Female (Philippine) Blue Rock Thrush

Philippine Macaque. This was part of the largest troop I've yet seen on Makiling. The troop was also the lowest I've seen on the mountain, and it seemed less skittish. There doesn't appear to be any reason why Macaques should be any less scared of people now, I heard 2 gun-shots this morning which is pretty standard.

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