Philippine Bird Watching Trip Report

OK, it has come to my knowledge that we have senior citizens visiting my web page. How hard can it be? So it's not very easy for them to see the blue coloured links to the next page.

Jiffy (also jiff)

noun [in SING.] informal a moment: we'll be back in a jiffy.

ORIGIN late 18th cent.: of unknown origin.

So as you understand, in a jiff pretty much depends on your internet.

So I put a “Next” button here and I hope that there isn't any problem to understand how to use that one. So just CLICK the “Next” button on your left hand side and you will be on the next page in a jiff!

Marunong ka mag-tagalog? Walang problema! Magpunta sa kabilang pahina pindutin ang “NEXT” button sa itaas

Faites vous parlez le français? Pas de problème! Pour arriver à la page suivante faites s'il vous plaît un déclic le bouton “Next” ci-dessus!

Haga usted dice el español? No hay problema! Ver la siguiente página sólo hacer clic el botón “Next” encima!

Farla parla l'italiano? Non problemi! Per vedere la prossima pagina lo scatto per favore giusto Il bottone “Next” sopra

Sprechen sie Deutsch! Kein problem! Wenn Sie die folgende Seite sehen wollen gerade klicken der Knopf “Next” oben!

คุณพูดภาษาไทยได้ไหม ไม่มีปัญหา ถ้าคุณต้องการไปหน้าถัดไป ให้กดปุ่ม “Next” ข้างบนนี้

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E ni Svenskar och inte förstår Engelska så ska ni skämmas. J och Björn, med det menar jag inte att alla mina stavfel ska ältas varje gång vi träffas.

Well, the flag of Skåne, just a BONUS flag.

September 2024

Sunday 8 ^th of September 2024 and I could not program the destination in my driver’s phone. He did not have any data so we needed to make a stop to load data in to his phone.

He would also arrange for a refreshment for me. So, we stopped at a shop close to the hotel. He came back and he brought a refreshment. With lime flavour, what the

He told me that they only had with lime flavour, so, well, what to do. I opened the refreshment and it was not as good as the original flavour.

We stop to get data and refreshments

We are soon on the way with the destination programmed in my driver’s phone. And I was excited to soon be able to report my first Pilipino bird to eBird. The Philippines are still white on my eBird map so I hope to be able to put some colour on the map.

Sunday and I had expected light traffic, but the streets around the hotel and airport was busy. But it was soon clearing up and we were hauling behinds towards our first eBird hotspot: Las Pinas-Paranaque Critical Habitat and Ecotourism Area

After this my plan is to visit two more hotspots:
1) Tambo Mudflats, Paranaque
2) Manila American Cemetery and Memorial, Taguig

Taking off the highway at the tool gate and we have a hard time finding the way, but we manage to find a narrow road. we end up at a gate, no access to eBird hotspot: Las Pinas-Paranaque Critical Habitat and Ecotourism Area without a permit.

We get an application form, but we do not have time to wait for a permit, and I will leave Manila tomorrow. So we turn around and we are soon stopping as I see a yellow bird next to the road.

Turns out to be an Olive-backed Sunbird and this bird is called a Garden Sunbird on the Philippines and I found this very strange as it should be the same name on eBird where ever the bird is.

Garden Sunbird

Garden Sunbird

Looking for birds just outside the gate

It was not easy to get pictures of the Garden Sunbird in the vegetation. There was soon one Yellow-vented Bulbul coming to eat from the fruits in the tree.

The Yellow-vented Bulbul was easier to get on picture as the bird was sitting and eating from the fruit. And even though it was in the vegetation the light was good.

There are a gang of boys coming when I am taking pictures and they want me to take their picture, why not?

Yellow-vented Bulbul

Yellow-vented Bulbul

Yellow-vented Bulbul

Yellow-vented Bulbul

They want me to take their picture

We take off to go to the next eBird hotspot: Tambo Mudflats, Paranaque and it is 15 minutes or so to get there according to the GPS.

And it is, well, maybe 10 years since I was in Manila last time and they have built a lot of condos and shopping malls on the reclaimed area around the Mall of Asia.

When I was here last time the area around Mall of Asia was nothing but open landscape. Now it was almost impossible to see the mall.

Roxas Avenue is going along the Bay of Manila, but now it is impossible to see the sea from Roxas. And when I was in Manila last time the streets were full of scrap cars. Now it is all new and big cars driving around.

Construction work all over the water front

Construction work all over the water front

No mudflats to be seen here

The eBird hotspot: Tambo Mudflats, Paranaque turned out to be nothing but a construction site. So, we left for the last eBird hotspot: Manila American Cemetery and Memorial, Taguig

This will be the last hotspot before going to the supermarket and back to my room at Belmont Hotel Manila.

I have asked for a wake-up call for 2 thirty and we will leave Manila at 3 o'clock so I need to get some sleep so I can be full of pep tomorrow morning.

Reaching the Manila American Cemetery and Memorial and we have to go through a security check before we can enter. Starting the eBird app at 15:41 and we drive towards the Memorial.

Hearing Ring-necked Parakeets and we stop to try to get pictures. The birds are high up in the trees so I gave up the idea on getting any pictures, but I managed to get a recording.

Listen to the Ring-necked Parakeet

Sound from www.xeno-canto.org

Remarks from the Recordist

Recorded with my mobile phone using the Merlin app. High Pass Filter applied with Audacity.

The were flying around in one big tree. Could be heard all over the cemetery

Ring-necked Parakeet in eBird, in xeno-canto it is a Rose-ringed Parakeet

Manila American Cemetery and Memorial, Taguig

Manila American Cemetery and Memorial, Taguig

Manila American Cemetery and Memorial, Taguig

It was very hot so there was no birds to be seen and I had only been able to report two species when we are back at the gate and I turned off my eBird app.
1) Ring-necked Parakeet
2) Eurasian Tree Sparrow

Stopping at the supermarket on the way back to my hotel. Now I have provision for 3 days of birding. In bed at 8 o'clock with my alarm set to go off at 2 thirty and with a back-up call from the reception.

+++++++++++++++
Monday 9 ^th of September 2024 and I had had my shower and cheese when they called from the reception 10 minutes before 3 o'clock in the morning.
- Your Guide is here
- I'm on my way

I had not have my tea as there was no time for this. I had bought orange juice at the supermarket yesterday and I had have my juice with my cheese. I had been looking for MAX, but they only had lime flavoured so I never bought any.

My Guide was waiting when I came down to the reception and we were soon on our way towards Subic.

On the way to Subic

3 o'clock in the morning and I was surprised by the traffic, not like any traffic jam, but there was a lot of cars on the roads.

I asked my Guide to make a stop on the express way so I could have a look for refreshments and same here, again, only lime flavoured. I bought two bottles to give it another try.

Back in the car and I ripped one bottle open, instantly, I decided not to bay any more of this. I had already given up on the MAX back home. But it would be convenient to drink them here together with my pic-nick cheese.

We reach Subic and we drive to the first eBird hotspot: Subic Bay--Nabasan Trail located in the forest. And I start my eBird app at 05:48. We can hear a lot of birds and I make two recordings.

Listen to the Bar-bellied Cuckooshrike

Sound from www.xeno-canto.org

Remarks from the Recordist

Recorded with my mobile phone using the Merlin app. High Pass Filter applied with Audacity.

Birds heard from the dense vegetation next to the road

Listen to the Rufous Coucal

Sound from www.xeno-canto.org

Remarks from the Recordist

Recorded with my mobile phone using the Merlin app. High Pass Filter applied with Audacity.

Three of them sitting in top of the trees

Overcast, and a little bit of rain every now and then. So, no good light for photography. We dive along the narrow road and now I can see that I have been lucky with my Guide.

She spot a lot of birds and we are stopping to take a picture of one male Luzon Hornbill half covered by the leafs in a tree that she had seen.

A little but further down the road and we stop, a pair of Luzon Hornbills sitting in a tree ahead of us. I get out to try to get closer by foot.

Luzon Hornbill

Luzon Hornbill

Luzon Hornbill and a Coleto

Coleto

White Bellied Woodpecker

Blue-naped Parrot

I approach the tree and suddenly the female hornbill takes off. I take a few pictures of the male before it takes off. Too far away for any good pictures, but lucky I took the pictures, I discovered two Coleto birds on the pictures when I was back at the hotel.

We continued and now it was raining so we could not get out to take pictures. And most of the birds was taking cover from the rain.

We drive along the narrow road and suddenly my Guide spot one Brown-breasted Kingfisher, yet another “LIFER” for me. But it was not possible to get any good pictures but I willhopefully be able to see the bird again.

We pass a tree with a pair of Luzon Hornbills and we are soon back where we had started this morning. I turned off my eBird app and we drove to Subic Bay.

Brown-breasted Kingfisher

Luzon Hornbill pair

Driving along in the wilderness

eBird Report

Subic Bay--Nabasan Trail, Bataan, PH
Sep 9, 2024 05:48 - 06:54
Protocol: Traveling
4.05 kilometer(s)
16 species

Green Imperial-Pigeon 1
Rufous Coucal 5
Philippine Coucal 1
Grey-rumped Swiftlet 9
Luzon Boobook 1 Heard only
Luzon Hornbill 4
Brown-breasted Kingfisher 1
Dollarbird 1
White-bellied Woodpecker 1
Blue-naped Parrot 1 Too far away for any good pictures. Picture kept for ID purpose only
Bar-bellied Cuckooshrike 1 Heard only
Blackish Cuckooshrike 1
Black-naped Oriole 2
Balicassiao 5
Coleto 2
White-browed Shama 1 Heard only

View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S194480712

This report was generated automatically by eBird v3 (https://ebird.org/home)

Today's track eBird hotspot: Subic Bay--Nabasan Trail

We drive to Subic Bay City and we get up on Aparri Road in the Subic Bay Freeport Zone. There are two hotspots located next to each other. Both of them were some resorts. So I started my eBird app making my own spot: Aparri Road, Subic Bay Freeport Zone

The first bird is one Brown-breasted Kingfisher sitting on a wire. There are also White-breasted Woodswallow sitting on the wires.

It starts to rain so we drive in to one gravel road to take cover under a tree. I manage to record one Coleto from inside the car. My Guide tells me that the rain will stop at 10 o'clock.

At least according to her weather app and she tells me that it is usually very accurate. And as it is 7 thirty, we will have to kill 2 and a half hours.

Brown-breasted Kingfisher

Listen to the Coleto

Sound from www.xeno-canto.org

Remarks from the Recordist

Recorded with my mobile phone using the Merlin app. High Pass Filter applied with Audacity.

Raining

Going to look for a tea shop

We decided to go look for a place to have tea and I turned off my eBird app. Now it was really pouring down with zero visibility so we had to drive very slowly.

We found a place down at the water front that looked nice. My Guide told me that it looked to be closed, but I could see some lights. The security/ parking guard told us that they opened at 8 o'clock. We were lucky, just a few minutes until 8 o'clock.

5 minutes to go so we took our seats on the terrace. And we ran in to a smell of fresh bakedbread and I got hungry. We ordered tea and fresh bread with butter.

The bread was very good so I asked for a second basket.

We have tea and fresh bread

We spend an hour at the coffee shop. It had been heavy rain but after an hour we could see the mountains on the other side of the bay. We left the coffee shop to get back to the Aparri Road.

Getting up on the Aparri Road and I start my eBird app at 09:12 when we stop to have a look at two Philippine Hanging-Parrots next to the road.

It was not easy to get pictures of the birds sitting up in the trees. But I managed to get a poor picture.

Philippine Hanging-Parrots

Philippine Hanging-Parrots

Philippine Bulbul

We spot the Philippine Bulbul and I try to get a picture before we continue along the Aparri Road. We go back to where we had taking cover under the tree and we continue in to the forrest.

The gravel road is blocked and we get out to continue on foot. We see 5 Luzon Hornbills and we run in to one Scale-feathered Malkoha and we struggle with the bird for quite a while to get pictures of the Scale-feathered Malkoha jumping around in the vegetation.

Gloom and grey for long as we can see and an annoying drizzle. So the light conditions are not the best for photography.

A crazy ISO spped is required if you want to have a shutter speed more than 1/100 seconds. But I give it my best try.

Luzon Hornbill

Scale-feathered Malkoha

Scale-feathered Malkoha

Scale-feathered Malkoha

We drive back to the Aparri Road and we park the car on the road side to get out to try to get pictures of 8 White-breasted Woodswallows sitting on the wires along the street.

I get out of the car and the first thing I see is one Philippine Coucal collecting nest material just next to the street. And the bird is not scared so I can get pictures of the bird. Philippine Coucal is yet another “LIFER”

We hear two Green-backed Tailorbird in the bushes and I make a recording of the birds using my camera as I had forgot the phone in the car. I also got a recording of the White-breasted Woodswallow sitting on the wires.

Philippine Coucal

Philippine Coucal

Listen to the Green-backed Tailorbird

Sound from www.xeno-canto.org

Remarks from the Recordist

I forgot my phone in the car, so recorded with my Canon R3 as a video. Converted to MP3 and High Pass Filter applied with Audacity

Two birds in the bushes.

We can hear the White-breasted Woodswallow sitting on the wires and the Black-napped Oriole in the back

Listen to the White-breasted Woodswallow

Sound from www.xeno-canto.org

Remarks from the Recordist

I forgot my phone in the car, so recorded with my Canon R3 as a video. Converted to MP3 and High Pass Filter applied with Audacity

The birds sitting on the wire above the road.

We can hear the Green-backed Tailorbird in the back

Listen to the Green-backed Tailorbird

Sound from www.xeno-canto.org

Remarks from the Recordist

I forgot my phone in the car, so recorded with my Canon R3 as a video. Converted to MP3 and High Pass Filter applied with Audacity

Two birds in the bushes.

We can hear the White-breasted Woodswallow sitting on the wires in the back

White-breasted Woodswallow

White-breasted Woodswallow

Philippine Pygmy Woodpecker

Philippine Pygmy Woodpecker

Still an annoying drizzle every now and then. But I was very happy as there was a lot of “LIFERS”. No good condition for photography, but I got some pictures that I could use.

We got to see the Philippine Pygmy Woodpecker, another endemic bird. There was one female Luzon Flameback came flying in landing on one of the poles. I approached the pole and the bird took off to the next pole and I gave the bird a second try.

There was a group of 6 Stripe-sided Rhabdornis flying around, impossible to get any pictures. Moving around quickly and stayed in the bushes. I had giving up hopes when suddenly, one Stripe-sided Rhabdornis was flying out of the bushes and landed on the pole.

Luzon Flameback

Luzon Flameback

Stripe-sided Rhabdornis

Stripe-sided Rhabdornis

Stripe-sided Rhabdornis

Stripe-sided Rhabdornis

Two ladies want me to take their picture

We go back to the car and we drive down the hill to park the car at a house. We get out and there are some people outside one of the apartments. We start chatting with them as they wonder what we are doing here.

We tell them that we are here to look for birds and they find it a wee bit strange. They ask me to take their picture before we leave.

We continue and we spot one more Brown-breasted Kingfisher and we stop to try to get a picture. This was the last bird before we reached Hospital Road and I turned off the eBird app.

Brown-breasted Kingfisher

eBird Report

Aparri Road, Subic Bay Freeport Zone, Bataan, PH
Sep 9, 2024 09:12 - 10:27
Protocol: Traveling
2.64 kilometer(s)
14 species

Philippine Coucal 1
Scale-feathered Malkoha 1
Grey-rumped Swiftlet 3
Luzon Hornbill 5
Brown-breasted Kingfisher 1
Philippine Pygmy Woodpecker 4
Luzon Flameback 1
Philippine Hanging-Parrot 2
Black-naped Oriole 2
White-breasted Woodswallow 8
Balicassiao 2
Green-backed Tailorbird 3
Philippine Bulbul 2
Stripe-sided Rhabdornis 6

View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S194493264

This report was generated automatically by eBird v3 (https://ebird.org/home)

Today's track at Aparri Road

We have seen a lot of birds even though the weather left a lot to wish for. We had seen the woodpeckers in the area except the Sooty Woodpecker. We had spotted the Blue-naped Parrot this morning but the picture was very poor.

So, we will drive to an area that my Guide know to have the parrot and the woodpecket to see if we had any luck before going back to Manila.

The rain had stopped but the road was full of water, not flooded, but there was a lot of water and more was coming down the mountain so there will be a lot of water going out in Subic Bay.

On the way to look for the Blue-naped Parrot

I was a little bit surprised to find myself in a residential area. There were many trees an dmy Guide told that there used to be a lot of Sooty Woodpeckers and Blue-naped Parrots in the area.

She took off looking for the birds and she called me and I thought she had found a Sooty Woodpecker and I went over. We can see the bird moving around in the tree. And I am surprised to see that it is a Blue-naped Parrot.

We can see one parrot and we can hear a second parrot so I can report 2 parrots in my eBird app. But we are not lucky with the woodpecker.

Blue-naped Parrot

Blue-naped Parrot

Blue-naped Parrot

Blue-naped Parrot

We leave and I had been able to report the Blue-naped Parrot, two of them. The Blue-naped Parrot is a sensitive species in eBird so it will not show up on my eBird checklists.

My checklist show: 0 species observed

Sensitive

Public information for Sensitive Species is restricted due to potential harmful impact to these birds. Site-specific information is visible only to the observer and eBird reviewer(s) for the region.

We encourage you not to share specific location information about this sighting via social media, public websites, or email listservs.

Learn more about Sensitive Species in eBird.

We will go to have lunch before driving back to Manila. We will spend a night so we have easy access up the mountains tomorrow morning. And my Guide know a good pizza place in town and we drive there.

We drive along Corregidor Road and suddenly my Guide tells me that we have two Rufous Coucal next to the road. I see the birds and I try to get pictures. She asks me to get my camera and she ask if I take pictures. I wonder “what the”

Turns out that she see two Rufous Coucal on the road next to the car on her side. I see three Rufous Coucal on my side of the car. I did not know that she had Rufous Coucal on her side as well and I thought she meant my birds.

Five Rufous Coucal in on spot and I started my eBird app to report the birds before we continued.

Rufous Coucal

We park outside the restaurant and it is lunch time so there are many people coming for their lunch. But we find a table and we order our food.

They only have different kinds of fancy herb tea so I go back to the car to get two bags of Earl Grey tea. It was a wee bit of problem but I managed to get to tea mugs of water.

I asked for milk and it took some time, I had by then asked for milk 3 times, when they came to ask if it was OK to charge 60 Pesos for the milk. I told him that it was OK and I got my milk.

Pasta

Pizza on top

We had our meal, we could not finish the pizza and my Guide got the remaining pizza in a doggy bag. We left for Manila as I want to be back to have some sleep. We have been up since 2 thirty this morning.

We driving along North Luzon West Expressway and I see some Cattle Egrets and two Black-winged Stilts in the fields and I reported the birds in my eBird app. No need to stop, just report in the eBird app while running down the highway.

My Guide ask if I want to go look for the Philippine Swamphen. I asked if it was on the way as I do not want to spend much more time. We have been on the go for almost 12 hours.
- We have to think about our rest hours, I said.

We reached the eBird hotspot: Brgy. Tagalag, Valenzuela and I started my eBird app at 16:12, almost 13 hours after we had left the hotel in the morning.

There is one Philippine Swamphen in the wetland next to the road and I started the eBird app.

I could report 5 Purple Herons as there was a group of at least 5 Purple Herons behind the Philippine Swamphen. Never seen a group like this before, The Purple Heron is usually alone.

Philippine Swamphen

Philippine Swamphen

Philippine Swamphen

Black-crowned Night Heron and Purple Herons

I was a wee bit surprised, I had expected wetlands. Well, there was huge wetland but we were driving through a village, quite a big village/ town with wetlands around it.

A lot of traffic so it was next to impossible to find a parking place. But I had no intentions to stay long and we were soon turning around to go back. And we spotted Common Moorhens and I was very lucky to get to see the Philippine Pied-Fantail.

The Philippine Pied-Fantail, looks the same as the Malaysian Pied-Fantail. But this is an endemic to the Philippines so I wanted to see the bird.

Black-crowned Night Heron

Common Moorhen

Common Moorhen

Philippine Pied-Fantail

eBird Report

Brgy. Tagalag, Valenzuela, National Capital Region (Manila), PH

Sep 9, 2024 16:12 - 16:18
Protocol: Traveling
0.32 kilometer(s)
10 species

Wandering Whistling-Duck 1
Feral Pigeon 25
Common Moorhen 6
Philippine Swamphen 1
Pheasant-tailed Jacana 1
Yellow Bittern 1
Black-crowned Night Heron 3
Purple Heron 7 At least 7, never seen so many Purple Herons before. There was one group with at least 5 Purple Herons
Philippine Pied-Fantail 1
Barn Swallow 1

View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S194505112

This report was generated automatically by eBird v3 (https://ebird.org/home)

Today's track at Brgy. Tagalag, Valenzuela

Turning off the eBird app and we left for the hotel. We will spend the night at Hop Inn Hotel North EDSA Quezon City. This will give us a quick access to Marikina–Infanta Highway going up the mountains tomorrow morning.

My Guide want to leave 4 o'clock in the morning, but I suggested 6 o'clock. We had been on the go for 15 hours by the time we were at the hotel.

I am not only here to look for birds, there should be some relaxing and enjoying as well.

The evening was spent in my room drinking tea, there is a hot water dispenser at the elevator. So, I had tea with the cheese I had bought yesterday while studying the pictures from today's bird watching. And I willhopefully have had some luck with the pictures.

My room at Hop Inn Hotel North EDSA Quezon City

My room at Hop Inn Hotel North EDSA Quezon City

My room at Hop Inn Hotel North EDSA Quezon City

Well, I was tired and I went to bed at 9 o'clock excited to get up in the mountains tomorrow morning. We will spend tomorrow night at a lodge in the mountains so this will be an adventure.

Adventure in the mountains or not, you will find out by clicking HERE !

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