|
Date:
October 18-19, 2003
Location:
Tibanglan (Kalayaan, Laguna)
Weather: October 18 - cloudy,
October 19 - partly cloudy
Birders:
Kitty Arce, Andrew Galano,
Mads Bajarias, Lu-Ann
Fuentes, Lala Espanola,
Liza Dans, Louis Lopez
Our Tibanglan Weekend was a blast! As it was my first time
to camp out, the experience will never be forgotten! I took
public transportation with Andrew, Mads and Lu-ann thinking
that the experience wouldn't be complete if I took my car
and driver along :) So On Saturday at 1PM we departed QC and
thanks to Pres.Bush's arrival we got to Siniloan at 6PM.
I was told that there was going to be a 1-1 1/2 hour hike
to the farm (the camp site). We crossed ricefields with water
that came up to our shins.It was super muddy and slippery
oh and dark..but we had flashlights. When we crossed clearings
we saw nightjars flying low and after much discussion it turned
out to be GREAT-EARED NIGHTJARS. Most of us - if not all,
slipped and I got stuck on mud up to my knees that Andrew
and Mads had to dig me out of the mud. It was soooo hilarious!
hehehe Just thinking about it makes me laugh all over again.
And so after 2 1/2 hours of walking in the dark, in the drizzle
and on slippery mud we made it to the first hut where we saw
hundreds of fireflies..it was magical! :) And then we had
dinner and got ready for night birding and sleeping.
But of course on the way to the Lisa's hut where we will be
sleeping and having breakfast for our super early birding
3 of us had to slip...that was me, Andrew and Louis. I guess
it had somthing to do with the snake Lisa and company discovered
that's why we hurried down the path. When we finally got to
Lisa's hut where they found an owl from the last Tibanglan
trip it was quiet except for the crickets, frogs and the sound
of the stream. So with an aching butt, i slept.
We all woke up at a sound of bird that we couldn't identify.
I think Lala was able to record it though. And then when there
was little light already Mads went out to check the nightjars
out and Lu-ann, myself and the rest peeked thorugh the window
and witnessed PHILIPPINE NIGHTJARS flying low and back and
forth around the the ricefields. It was still quiet when we
all got out of the hut to look around before having breakfast...Lala,
Lu-Ann and Mads saw a metallic colored bird fly fast by them
but they failed to properly ID it...but they say it looked
like a dove or a pigeon. But we also saw 2 beautiful WHITE-THROATED
KINGFISHERS across the rice field and the resident RED CRESTED
MALKOHA.
So after breakfast we went back to the first hut to get our
stuff for the day and get ready for the hike and for the search
for raptors. In the area around the second hut too we saw
PHILIPPINE BULBULS and LOWLAND WHITE-EYES. The forest was
interestingly too quiet for a nice day but when we got to
the top with Mang Zaldy and Noli ( a young boy who seems about
12 years old to me :)...) We spotted a lone OSPREY. We waited
on top hoping to see thermalling raptors but after 30 minutes
or so Mang Zaldy said that we can try going to SM or in other
words "Sapang Malaki" (Big Stream). On our way to
SM we heard BLUE-HEADED FANTAILS that Mad saw later on the
hike. We heard PHILIPPINE COUCAL calls. We also heard a LARGE-BILLED
CROW that we also later on saw...several individuals crossing
ricefields. Sometimes when we thought we were hearing birds,
to our surprise it was only Mang Zaldy and Noli making the
bird calls...and sometimes Lala as she was practicing her
calls too hehe :)
| So
we walked and walked and walked when suddenly Lala was
aksing us to be quiet and come to her slowly....and
we just couldn't believe what we saw a couple of PHILIPPINE
FROGMOUTHS!!!!!!!!! The pair was roosting low where
if you were hiking and they failed to poop in front
of you you'd missed them! Yup, the Frogmouths pooped
in front of Mang Zaldy and that was how they were spotted!
hehehe And so we sat there under them....the Frogmouths
only about 6-10 feet away from us. |
We
started taking photos of the couple, started chatting
about how lucky we were (hehehe), we even had our
snacks there while watching them and we stayed there
for a good 40 minutes and the two frogmouths were
just looking and i guess curious on who the other
noisy birds were. hehehe According to Mang Zaldy they
always see frogmouths and that we could stay there
all afternoon and they wouldn't move unless we shook
the tree.
And
so we walked on.......Spotted some FLAMING SUNBIRDS
and Philippine Bulbuls. And finally we go to SM (Big
Stream or Sapang Malaki). Wow. It was soooooo beautiful.
It was 11:30AM and it was hot so we had fresh Buko
Juice and then as Lala was surveying the forest across
the stream she said something like "OH MY GOD!!!!!!
RAPTORS!!!!!!!!!" Lu-Ann with her binocs started
counting.....there were at least 15 RAPTORS!!!!!!!!!!!
WOOHOO!!!!
Finally
we saw THERMALLING RAPTORS and then we were all jumping
for joy!!!!!!!!!!!!!! hehehe Unfortunately, we saw
them only for a bit and not even all of us saw them
right away because they were soooooooo far but those
who saw knew from their movements and shape that they
were indeed raptors! :) And then we saw 2 PHILIPPINE
WOODPECKERS, a male COLASISI and a PURPLE THROATED
SUNBIRD on our way back.
|
|
Back to the hut, we realized that if we just stayed at the
hut and birded only there we would've witnessed the raptors
closer and longer but that was ok :) So we had a very healthy
lunch and got ready to hike down.
On the hike down, we saw more sunbirds and then a RED-LEGGED
CRAKE crossed Lisa and Lu-Ann's path. We determined it was
a Red-Legged Crake because Lisa and Lu-Ann noticed the markings
on the wings that the crake had, the reddish upper part and
the red legs. The sound too was exactly what it said in the
book 'a nasal pek'. The location/habitat was also exactly
made for the Red-legged crake...in the forest near a stream.
Interstingly the crake crossed the path opposite where the
nest we discovered later on was but as we were looking for
it and following it's sound we saw it come around again and
went back to the direction where the nest was. The behavior
accodring to Lisa's observation was as if it was trying to
trick us to follow it so we would stay away from the nest.
But i guess we stayed too long looking for the crake and stumbled
on it's nest and then it stopped making it's nasal pek sound.
The area where we think the nest was located was just full
of twigs and leaves and coconut husks. So and then all of
a sudden as we were all sticking our heads in the bushes we
heard the chick go tweet tweet and then the black chick suddenly
appeared..going to the direction of our voices. Mads noticed
this and asked us to stop talking and then he called the chick
and true enough it folllowed his voice. But for that little
chick it would be a challenge to get back to the nest and
so using coconut husks we scooped it and returned it back
to the nest. We thought of leaving it by itself and hoping
the crake would get it but the chick was very exposed that's
why we decided to return it ourselves instead. After returning
it, we hurried down the path. Lala stayed behind, heard the
crake call back again to the chick and so they were reunited
again :) I wonder if Lala was able to take pics of it? To
me, the chick looked like a chick of a chicken hen that is
about 2 weeks old except it was smaller about 2 inches and
very black. It was quite healthy because it was moving so
fast over branches and leaves much bigger than it is to follow
the noises it heard.
We also saw an ELEGANT TIT along the way and the BROWN SHRIKES
were seen and heard almost anywhere too, as well as GLOSSY
and PYGMY SWIFTLETS, ASIAN PALM SWIFTS and PACIFIC SWALLOWS
which was seen at clearings and fields.
So we had to cross the flooded ricefields again......hehehe
when all of a sudden Lu-Ann cried out as she fell on the water
on her butt!!!!!! She was soaked to her waist in caramel-colored
water. It was such a sight! hehehe we couldn't help but laugh....even
Lu-Ann despite her dismay just had to join the laughter and
in any case we would soon realize just why it was worth it,
di ba? :) And it was difficult to cross the ricefields with
slippery bridges made out of branches and planks. With that
unexpected mishap, Lisa suggested we dress up at Mang Andoy's
house. When Lu-Ann finished taking a 'shower' from a drum
of rain water hehehe Lala screamed something like "AAAAAAAAHHHHHHH
RAPTORS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! LOTS OF THEM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
We didn't need binocs to spot them this time and there they
were - at least 21 GREY FACED BUZZARDS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! And
so we were all jumping and screaming for joy again!!! WOOHOO!
YIPEEE!!!!! We were able to ID the raptors based on the band
on their tail and the white markings on their wings. This
was at 4:00PM
So after all the muddy incidents and thanks to Lu-Ann's great
fall everything was worth it!!!!!!!!!!!! James, you were right
the raptors were such a sight! Our jaws just dropped but then
we all couldn't help smile and jump for joy :) hehehehe
We are planning on a next trip to cross the Quezon border
from Tibanglan, during the summer next year. Because according
to locals such as Mang Zaldy, there are a lot of Rufous Hornbills,raptors
and other birds :)
So make your reservations now....hehehe :)
Until the next birding trip!
Regards to all,
Kitty
------------
SUMMARY BIRDLIST:
1. Osprey (Pandion haliaetus)
1 - distinct wing shape
2. Grey-faced Buzzards (Butastur indicus) at least 15 at first
sighting 11:30AM (sunny but a little cloudy); at least 21
at 2nd sighting 4:00PM (Cloudy)
3. Red-legged Crake (Rallina faciata) 1 with nest - Saw one
black chick; Reddish upperpart very obvious with the white
markings on the wings and red legs; sound was a nasal pek
4. Colasisi (Loriculus philippensis) 1 - male
5. Red-crested Malkoha (Phaenicophaes superciliosus) 1 - resident
Malkoha accodring to Lisa
6. Philippine Coucal (Centropus viridis) - heard only
7. Philippine Frogmouth (Batrachostomus septimus) 2 - pair
roosting on a tree locals call 'mala-kape';observed for 40
minutes
8. Great-eared Nightjar (Eurostopodus macrotis) 1 - flying
low on field, heard sound too. Seen at dusk
9. Philippine Nightjar (Caprimulgus
affinis) 1 - flying low on field, heard too. Seen at dawn
from hut.
10. Glossy Swiftlet (Collocalia esculenta) 10+
11. Pygmy Swiflet (Collocalia troglodytes) 10+
12. Asian Palm Swift (Cypsiurus balasiensis) 10+
13. White-throated Kingfisher (Halcyon smyrnensis) 2
14. Philippine Pygmy Woodpecker (Dendrocopos
maculatus) 2 - seen on the same tree
15. Pacific Swallow (Hirundo
daurica) 2
16. Philippine Bulbuls (Hypsipetes
philippinus) 2 - Seen and heard everywhere
17. Large-billed Crow (Corvus
macrorhynchos) 3 - heard and seen
18. Elegant Tit (Parus elegans)
1
19. Blue-headed Fantail (Rhipidura cyaniceps) 1 - seen once
but heard all over
20. Brown Shrike (Lanius cristatus) 3 - heard and seen everywhere
21. Flaming Sunbird (Aethopyga flagrans) 2 - Seen on coconut
trees
22. Purple-throated Sunbird (Nectarinia sperata) 2 - seen
on coconut trees
23. Lowland White-eye (Zosterops
meyeni) 5-10
24. Unidentified metallic colored bird 1
|
