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Date:
August 22, 2004
Time: 3:00 pm - 5:30 pm
Location: American War Memorial, Fort Bonifacio, Taguig
WBCP members: Nilo Arribas, Lala Espanola, Tim Fisher,
Benedict Lu, Mike Lu, Romy Ocon, & Ruth Pearce.
Non-member birders: Charlie Gapuz Te, Catherine Dy,
Flordeliza Melendez, Jon Cellona, Isagani Garcia,
Caloy Libusada, David Dawe with Victoria (10), & Calvin
(7), Jennifer Holt, Katrina Brown, Alex Loinaz, Marilen Loinaz,
Rafael & Cheryl Tabeta with Gabriel (6) and Sabrina (4),
Arnel & Cristine Telesforo, Jani Pedroso, Nymfa Ocon with
Romeo III (5).
Trip
report by Mike Lu
Birdlist by Tim Fisher
It was a windy day and the skies were overcast, as registered
participants to the guided trip started to trickle in. We
had Tim Fisher as the main guide assisted by other WBCP members.
There was a mixed group of first-time and experienced with
a good number of kids. Some participants came from out-of-town
Laguna, Pangasinan & La Union to learn about birdwatching.
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The
memorial administration had given us permission to bird
the restricted area and Tim wasted no time in heading
for the gully. It drizzled a bit along the way as we
observed Pied Bushchats, White-collared Kingfishers
& Red Turtle Doves perched among the rows of marble
crosses. Exotic Ring-neck Parakeets dominated the skies
above shrieking as they fly along.
At
first it seemed very quiet at the gully area. Perhaps the
birds were taking time to get accustomed to such a large group
but soon enough the more common species started to come out.
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View from the memorial
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| First
were a small group of Yellow-vented Bulbuls followed
by the showy Pied Fantails. A flurry of activities atop
the acacias turned out to be a small flock of Black-crowned
Night-herons and a flock of Zebra Doves. The perimeter
fence of the cemetery proved to be most productive as
a parade of birds either perched on the fence or ran
across the asphalt walk - Barred Rail, Spotted Dove,
Crested Mynah, White-breasted Wood-swallow.
The
highlight of the trip though were presence of three
Philippine Nightjars with their characteristic flight
of circling around the group before disappearing again.
Other birds that made a late afternoon appearance were
Black-naped Orioles, Lowland White-eyes, Pied Trillers
and an Island Collared Dove.
Everyone
assembled at the parking lot to turn in the binoculars, &
compare notes. Some bought the guide books while a few signed
up to become club members. Lala was relating to Tim about
her experiences in the Sulu Sea and discovering the Calayan
rail during the Babuyan Island expedition when she suddenly
exclaimed while pointing to a tree : "I finally see my
first Golden-bellied Flyeater!" A few eyebrows were raised
as we all know that flyeaters were common residents of the
memorial and we teased her no end about the truth as to the
real identity of the Calayan Rail! Perhaps a Barred Rail with
it's legs painted orange ? :) |
Pied Fantail
Golden-bellied Flyeater
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BIRD LIST:
1. Black-crowned Night-heron Nycticorax nycticorax
- 20+
2. Barred rail Gallirallus torquatus - 4
3. White-eared Brown Dove Phapitreron leucotis - 1
4. Island Collared-dove Streptopelia bitorquata 1
5. Red Turtle-dove Streptopelia tranquebarica - 50+
6. Spotted Dove Streptopelia chinensis - 4-5
7. Zebra Dove Geopelia striata - 20+
8. Philippine Nightjar Caprimulgus manillensis - 4
9. White-collared Kingfisher Halcyon chloris - 3+
10. Philippine Pygmy Woodpecker Dendrocopos maculatus
- heard only
11. Pacific Swallow Hirundo tahitica - 1
12. Pied Triller Lalage nigra - 3
13. Yellow-vented Bulbul Pycnonotus goiavier - 20+.
14. Black-naped Oriole Oriolus chinensis - 4
15. Pied Bushchat Saxicola caprata -6 birds,.3 males
& 3 females.
16. Golden-bellied Flyeater Gerygone sulphurea - 1+,
only 1 seen but heard throughout
17. Pied Fantail Rhipidura javanica - 20+
18. Richard's Pipit Anthus novaseelandiae - 4
19. White-breasted Wood-swallow Artamus leucorynchus
- 3
20. Brown Shrike Lanius cristatus - 1
21. Crested Mynah Acridotheres cristatellus - 2
22. Lowland White-eye Zosterops meyeni - 3, several
heard.
23. Eurasian Tree Sparrow Passer montanus - 20+
Exotic species:
24. Rose-ringed Parakeets Ptisittacula krameri - 6
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