Zigzag Road - 10th June

The fourth and final stop on my Palawan adventure. Zigzag Road is the name given to a stretch of diused road about 34km south of Puerto Princesa. The road itself is easy to find, just after the 34km marker going up to the right hand side of the main road. It was brilliant, and I should have budgeted more time here, I'm sure it would have produced more birds. My main target here was what was turning out to be a real bogey bird, Blue Paradise Flycatcher. I just hadn't been able to find it at Sabang or Iwahig. 2 minutes out of the van on Zigzag however, and there is the call! It responded immediately, and aggressively to playback, and I had a fantastic male in the bins! After that the birding continued very well. More calling Melodious Babbler, a very obliging Spot-throated Flameback, as well as Chestnut-breasted Malkoha (2), Dollarbird (2), calling Hooded Pitta (3+) with one visible, Yellow-throated Leafbird, Ashy-fronted Bulbul, Ashy Drongo, Hair-crested Drongo, Pin-striped Tit-Babbler and Rufous-tailed Tailorbird.

Spot-throated Flameback, Dinopium everetti. A recent split from Common Flameback, this is another 'new' Palawan endemic.

 Chestnut-breasted Malkoha, ssp. harringtoni. Not easy to find, but very smart.

Blue Paradise Flycatcher. At last! This female was further up the road than my first bird. They proved to be quite common, with at least 4 calling birds in a 1 km stretch of road.

Yellow-throated Leafbird. Still one of my favourite Asian bird families.

Hair-crested Drongo, ssp. palawanensis. A very chunky bird, certainly when compared to ...

 Ashy Drongo.Very slender for a drongo.

Rufous-tailed Tailorbird. Common, but tricky to see.

Pin-striped Tit-Babbler, Macronus gularis, ssp. woodi. Another recent split, from Bold-striped Tit-Babbler.