Week ending 19th May - IRRI & Makiling

It's been very hot recently, with a few early rain storm, consequently birding is slow and there isn't much to report. I've been pottering around the fields a few times, and spent a very quiet morning hiking up Makiling with Richard. The only birds we saw was a single male Spotted Wood-Kingfisher and a Balicassiao on a nest. Other things were calling, and some Philippine Macaques provided some brief diversion, but it was a very quiet day indeed.

A strange sight this weekend was this young Philippine Magpie Robin. I've seen them quite a lot on Mindoro, Siquijor, Subic etc, but never before in the Makiling area, and certainly never before in my garden!

Still lots of Blue-tailed Bee-eaters at the farms.

Male Red Turtle Dove

Balicassiao on a nest...

Lots of both House Swift and Striated Swallow nesting beneath Palma bridge on the UPLB campus. I can't see a substantial difference between the nests, and assume the nests are all built by the Swallows, with the House Swifts using older ones from previous years.