Tuesday 2nd November - Makiling

The week started with two bank holidays. Monday was a total washout, with torrential rain on and off from about 2 am until well after lunch, so the crew who drove down from Manila had a wasted journey. Tuesday was dry (though the interior of the forest was so saturated that I ended up drenched anyway), so I walked up the Makiling trail, starting at TREES at 5:30. The birding was low intensity all day, with few birds visible. Those that did show themselves were nice, White-browed Shama responding to a tape, Bar-bellied Cuckoo-Shrikes and Balicassiao arguing, both Red-crested Malkoha and Scale-feathered Malkoha (many of the latter calling all day, and at least 3 seen), Ashy Minivet, Philippine Bulbul, Luzon Hornbill. Several Tailorbirds were calling at various points, but none responded to tapes, and I'm not sure whether they were Grey-backed or Philippine, more information is needed. Up at the coconut sellers an Arctic Warbler was noisily attracting attention to a pair of Philippine Hawk-Owls roosting in a tree, and a pair of Greater Flameback were also yelling at each other. On the small trail at the start of the Hot Spring Trail (I'll call this the Hot Spring offshoot 1) were a very noisy group of Luzon Hornbills. Not much else along here, apart from a single Pechora Pipit in the leaf litter. On the way down it was similarly quiet, with the exception of a Grey-faced Buzzard overhead at one of the few clearings, and a Philippine Falconet on the dead tree at TREES lodge. The Fig Tree's fruit is starting to ripen, so I'm hopeful of some interesting birds over the next week or so.

One of a pair of Philippine Hawk Owls (ssp. philippensis) that was being mobbed by a single Arctic Warbler.

Grey-faced Buzzard, soaring over the forest at Makiling. Migratory, this is the first record I've had here this year.

Intermediate Egret. Quite numerous now on the farms, with lots of Cattle, a few Little and one or two Great Egrets