Da WOW Experience, Part 4

Day 5 - Where the birds are...

..the birdnuts will be there. Cynthia and I together with some fellow members of the Philippine Wild Bird Photographers group, otherwise known as "birdnuts" had an agreement yesterday that we will be up early today, Sept. 25th. The reason? To do what birdnuts love to do, go birding! Our destination: the Philippine Eagle Center (PEC) with the hope of seeing and getting photos of the Silvery Kingfisher.

It was just a little after 6 am when we got there and thanks to a prior arrangement with PEC Executive Director Dennis Salvador, we were allowed inside the premises at such an early time. All seven of us (Tina and husband, Wency; Tonji and Sylvia, Cynthia and I, and Neon) stood by the pond and waited for our target bird to show itself. Other than a few Pacific Swallows, the kingfisher never appeared.

So we fanned out into the other parts of the center, leaving my wife behind who decided to sit it out by the pond to wait for the kingfisher and because she was having some slight back pains. I joined Tonji and Sylvia who were postioned beneath a fruiting tree. There species after species came to feed. First were the Coletos which were then followed by the Philippine Bulbuls and even some White-bellied Munias. It was then that Neon joined us and immediately announced that there was a Yellow-wattled Bulbul in that tree also. I looked hard, and indeed there it was albeit partly covered by the branches. I still counted it as a lifer, nonetheless. When bird activity in that tree abated somewhat we moved on to where Tina and Wency were admiring the beauty and majesty of the Philippine Eagle.

Coleto

Philippine Bulbul

White-bellied Munia

Yellow-wattled Bulbul

Then a White-throated Kingfisher flew into a clump of bamboo which of course attracted our attention. Thanks to Neon for giving me excellent tips on photographing birds in the shade and even taking me to a good vantage point, I got some pretty good shots. Shots which I would normally have botched given the lighting circumstances.

Cynthia, meanwhile, unbeknownst to me, had been quite lucky by just sitting near the pond. She was able to get a picture of a Philippine Serpent Eagle that flew by and of a Yellow Wagtail that stopped by above her as if to say hello. When she said that she thought she saw a kingfisher-like bird stop by the pond, Neon and I rushed to the site. Like a phantom the Silvery Kingfisher remained unseen. On the way back, we were consoled by seeing a Little Spiderhunter which was another lifer for me. Later I would find it again feeding on top of a red flower.

Philippine Serpent Eagle

Yellow Wagtail

Little Spiderhunter

Neon went on to join Tina (Wency decided to sit this one out also), and I was about to join Tonji and Sylvia when I saw them shooting away at something. Following their line of vision and right in front of me, some 30 feet away was a White-eared Brown Dove nonchalantly eating some berries at almost eye level. I just picked up my eighth (and final) lifer of the trip!

After the dove had its fill and flew off, we also joined Tina who was very excited about some bird that was frolicking among the red flowers. It was a sunbird she said, but it had red coloring on both sides, something she hadn't seen before. As the tiny bird popped out from the flowers, a burst of shutter clicks filled the air. Later when we were able to look at our photos more closely, we all came to the conclusion that it was an immature Purple-throated Sunbird still in molting stage.

Pretty soon it was lunch time. Despite having quite a productive birding day, we were still disappointed that we did not see the hoped-for Silvery Kingfisher. (Tina and Wency finally saw it the following day when they returned with the bird fair group).

We stopped by Dencio's Hilltop restaurant for lunch. While waiting for our food to be served, we had fun trying to take pictures of the White-breasted Wood Swallows nearby.

Back at the hotel, the bird fair was coming to a close. Booths were being disassembled and the people manning them were heaving sighs of relief for it had been quite humid on both days and visitors which included hundreds of school children had been quite plentiful.

That evening we attended the turnover ceremonies where yet another buffet dinner was served. The delegation from Taipei, where the 2nd Asian Bird Fair will be held next year, hosted the event.

Day 6 - Time to say goodbye

I stood at our veranda the morning of Sunday, Sept. 26th. I can see that some of the participants in the bird fair were already getting ready to board the bus that would take them to the Philippine Eagle Center and then to Eden Nature Park for some birding activities. Then I saw James Biron, a Wild Bird Club of the Philippines member, aiming his long-lensed camera at the palm tree close to the room where Cynthia and I are staying. My curiousity was satisfied when I saw a Collared Kingfisher fly and then land not that far from where I was standing (which was on the second floor). I quickly grabbed my camera and took advantage of this welcome opportunity.

After breakfast and since we still have time to kill before Chito would pick us up, my wife and I agreed to try to get some photos of the Chestnut Munia that we keep seeing on the fair grounds. Sure enough there they were, unperturbed by the previous day's activities, they have resumed their nesting duties.

A short trip to the breakwater yielded (what has now become) the usual suspects: Common Sandpiper, Grey-tailed Tattler and Whimbrel. This time they were joined by a pair of Zebra Doves. It was a delight to watch them as sometimes all four species would be on the same line of sight, as if they themselves were discussing the success of the events that transpired two days ago.

Around 11 am Chito came and drove us to Davao International Airport. Then came the goodbyes. And the promise to return. The Silvery kingfisher better be there when we do.

We had a good time on this trip to Davao. Cynthia was re-united with her brothers, the Asian Bird Fair was a tremendous success and the birding was great. I smiled as I thought about the 8 lifers that I racked-up and the 8 lbs I gained from all those buffets.

At the end of those six memory-filled days in Davao, all I can say is WOW!

Da WOW Experience, Part 3

Day 4 - It's a Shore Thing

September 24, 2010 - the 1st Asian Bird Fair officially opened today. We were busy visiting the various booths and meeting foreign birders throughout the whole morning.

After lunch as things quieted down somewhat, Cynthia and I were walking back towards our hotel room when we met two young delegates from Hongkong. We told them about the Collared Kingfisher that frequents the coconut groves near the hotel. They were very grateful and in return they informed us that there was a Little Heron by the breakwater area behind the hotel. We quickly gathered our gears and rushed to where the Little Heron had been found. When we asked permission from the guard if we could enter the breakwater explaining that we would be looking for shorebirds, he confirmed that there were indeed birds there when the tide was low.

Of course, the tide was low the time we were there and it wasn't long before we saw our first bird. It turned out to be a lifer - a Grey -tailed Tattler! Just then the Little Heron flew in and landed at the pier across from us. I was busy taking shots at the heron when a small bird emerged at the top of the berm adjoining the pier. It was a Common Sandpiper and another lifer for us! While I was shifting back and forth in viewing the Little Heron and the Common Sandpiper, another bird came flying in. Brownish with a long curved bill..a Whimbrel! Our relatively short stint at the waterfront yielded four species of shorebirds. Not bad at all!

Common Sandpiper

Little Heron

Grey-tailed Tattler

Whimbrel

The rest of our afternoon was spent in pretty much the same way as we did that morning. That night the bird fair participants were once again treated to another buffet this time hosted by the Primer Group, local distributors of Columbia apparel. Another day, another buffet. It's a sure thing.

Da WOW Experience, Part 2

Day 3 - Hail the King!

Bright and early in the morning of Sept. 23rd, my wife and I quickly got out of bed. The crisp mountain air was rife with the smell of pine trees. Birds were twittering as they greeted the slowly rising sun. Both flowerpecker species (Orange-bellied and Red-keeled) were already busy among the flowers. A Pied Triller was trilling up above us. But this morning we are focused on a single mission: to find and photograph the Sulphur-billed Nuthatch. You might think..okay, that's a reasonable endeavour. Well, not exactly. In the first place I don't even know if that species occur here at Eden Nature Park (no sightings have been made yet, as far as I know). I just thought that inasmuch as there are hectares of pine trees here and since Sulphur-billeds love pine trees, ergo they should abound here. Logically it seemed feasible enough but as any seasoned birder knows, logic sometimes go down the drain when it comes to looking for a specific bird. So armed with hope, no, make that fervent faith, that we sought our target nuthatch. Roaming the pine forest and developing a crick on our necks from constantly looking up, we were about to head to the restaurant for our breakfast when I saw some movement about halfway up the trunk of a tall molave. Raising my binoculars and focusing on that particular spot, my heart stopped. A Sulphur-billed Nuthatch with a caterpillar in its beak! I was incredulous! What self-respecting nuthatch would find prey in a molave tree and not in a pine tree where it should be? Defies logic, don't you think? Nonetheless, it was mission accomplished. We then proceeded to have a leisurely breakfast elated from our unbelievable stroke of luck. 

We were even given a bonus when we we saw and photographed this scruffy looking Black-naped Monarch.

Around 9 am Chito picked us up and brought us to the Philippine Eagle Center. There we were greeted by Dennis Salvador, Executive Director of the Philippine Eagle Foundation, who happens to be Chito's friend as well. At the center we came face to face with the king of Philippine birds, the Philippine Eagle. We can't help but be awed by the majestic look of this bird. Sadly they are critically endangered creatures and we laud the efforts of the Philippine Eagle Foundation in trying to preserve a national treasure.

It was about midmorning and because there were about 7 jeepney loads of school children visiting the center at the time, birding wasn't very fruitful. 

Three in the afternoon and we were at the Insular Waterfront Hotel where the 1st Asian Bird Fair was going to be held. Three pm and our room wasn't ready yet! Considering that their check-in time is two pm, that was a bit exasperating! So we mingled with fellow participants until finally at about 5 pm we were ushered into our room. We barely had time to freshen up and get ready for the welcome dinner hosted by the Davao City government at the Matina Town Center.

Four buses escorted by the local police unloaded the delegates and participants at the Town Center at around 7 pm. Dancers in their native costumes swayed to the beat of drums as the guests started to pour in. Lovely young ladies welcomed us by putting ethnic necklaces on us. Lines were formed to partake of the raw tuna (sashimi) and roasted calf. These were just the appetizers! A sumptuous dinner buffet followed. When everybody had their fill, the welcome ceremonies began. We witnessed a grand pageantry that included native songs and dances, a hip-hop dance exhibition, beauty queens and a fashion show. It was a festive night that made us visitors to Davao feel like kings and queens for a night.