Are we still in Eden?

For two consecutive mornings Cynthia and I were at the Mountain Trail inside Eden Nature Resort. The sights and sounds in those two mornings were so identical it was as if we were in some sort of twilight zone. What made it even more creepy was that two of the three species we saw during those times were totally unexpected.

Our main purpose for birding the Mountain Trail was of course to see and get more pictures of the skulking Cryptic Flycatchers. We easily saw them on both days. However, on the first day, as we were waiting for the flycatchers to show up, Cynthia saw a small bird with a long tail up in the trees before us. 

"Couldn't be a Cryptic," I told her when she described the bird to me. I tried to look for it through the camera (we only brought the one with the shorter 300mm lens), Finally I was able to get some shots of a female Black-naped Monarch.

After another lull in the Cryptic Flycatcher activity, I saw an orangey bird alit near a bamboo clump beside the waterfalls. Inasmuch as it was partially hidden among the leaves, I thought at first that it was a White-throated Kingfisher. Then a breeze blew some of the leaves exposing the bird a little bit more. I couldn't believe that it was actually a Ruddy Kingfisher!

Black-naped Monarch. Ruddy Kingfisher. Both these species are more commonly encountered in Coron and, as far as I know, have not yet been reported seen in this resort

"Are you sure we are still in Eden?" I jokingly told my wife.

And to think that the same encounters happened again the following morning. This time it was the male Black-naped Monarch that showed up. Closer even. 

And the Ruddy Kingfisher was more out in the open.

It was only when the Cryptics once again appeared that we were brought out of our twilight zone and made us aware that we were back in Eden.