3 and 1

Some people don't like 3-in-1 coffee. It's not real coffee they say. On the other hand, there are those who enjoy drinking it. It's convenient and comparatively cheaper than brewed coffee were the reasons they like it. In a way, there are some good and some not so good qualities in 3-in-1 coffee.

In a similar manner, we had some good and some not so good experiences in our birding trip to Infanta last Saturday. It was 3 and 1 - 3 misses and 1 hit. Our main targets that day were the Philippine Trogon, the Philippine Cuckoo Dove and the Flame-breasted Fruit Dove. We didn't see them - not a single one.

First, the Fruit Dove was a no show. And to think that it was there the whole day the day before according the caretaker of the place. The Philippine Trogon was there we were told, albeit only the female. However, getting to the place where she tends to her nest was a huge deterrent to these two senior citizens. The path going there was not that steep but it was slippery and I didn't want to risk our limbs and camera gear for this colorful bird. The Cuckoo Dove, we were informed, was also a no-show. Not a total loss because all three were not lifers for us anyway.

Now for the good news: we might have had 3 misses, but we did get 1 lifer. As we were about to board our car to go to the next birding spot, I saw a raptor gliding majestically against the blue sky. We both took shots and looking at the images we got, I was so elated to discover that it was a Rufous-bellied Eagle!

We got some photos of other birds in the area too. Still it was strange that the usual species that we used to see regularly here were somehow missing - such as the Sulphur-billed Nuthatch, Citrine Canary Flycatcher, Elegant Tit and Blue-headed Fantail. Instead we got the following:

Philippine Bulbul

Yellow-vented Bulbul

Immature Pacific Swallow

Warbling White-eye

10:30 am and we decided to call it a day. Lunch at the Gathering Cafe fell a bit below expectations. Maybe we should have ordered a 3-in-1 coffee?