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We heard about it. We knew about it. We just didn't think we would be doing it. "It" refers to the habal-habal, a unique mode of transportation in the Southern Philippines. First of all the name is derived from the Visayan word "habal" which means "having sex" although the reference is usually to animals in general and to dogs in particular. Basically a habal-habal is a motorcycle with an extended back portion to accommodate more than one passenger. Three adults behind the driver would be squeezed in such a way that they would resemble dogs in the act of procreation.
We made arrangements with renowned bird guide Rene Vendiola that we will visit him at his home early Thursday morning. When he said he will have us picked up from the town of Valencia, we thought all along that a motor tricycle would be sent at our disposal - it being the most common way of getting around in this area. When a guy on a motorbike showed up Cynthia and I looked at each other with trepidation. We've never ridden a motorbike before and now we were about to board not just an ordinary bike - we will be riding a habal-habal. Without helmets even. Taking a deep breath and uttering a short word of prayer we began our trip. After what seemed like an eternity while hanging on for dear life, we arrived at Rene's place. He was smiling naughtily as he witnessed two grinning senior citizens, who apparently had a great time having "sex", trying to dismount from the motorcycle with great effort.
Then came the birding. As expected we saw the martial arts specialist of the birding world, the Black-belted Flowerpecker. This species is a can't-miss here at Rene's backyard.
Roaming around the patch of woodland that he owned, Rene was able to present me with another lifer, the noisy Philippine Tailorbird.
The Spotted Wood Kingfisher that he said frequented his place was there momentarily but was chased away by a Collared Kingfisher even before I was able to take a good look at it. The Pygmy Flowerpecker was also quite elusive that I only got a few glimpses. The Purple-throated Sunbird though was more accommodating than its Siquijor cousins.
Rene had other commitments that morning, so we thanked him for his time and hospitality. Inasmuch as it was still early, he suggested that we visit Forest Camp. Although severely damaged by Typhoon Sendong, the place was now accessible, he assured us. And the best way to get there was by, you guessed it, the dreaded habal-habal.
The trip to Forest Camp took even longer and negotiated some road undulations. But we were now veterans to this type of transportation. "Bring it on", my wife and I both said with great confidence as we pasted ourselves to the driver's back.
Forest Camp was indeed accessible and some parts had been restored to a degree of normalcy. But the birds were still sparse. The usually brazen Crimson Sunbirds now remained at the tree tops. The Visayan Bulbuls were calling but were unseen. Only the Philippine Magpie Robins gave us good looks.
After about an hour later, our beloved habal-habal driver, George, came to pick us up per agreement. He volunteered to take us to Dumaguete but we politely refused and asked that we be taken to nearby Valencia instead. After all, at our age, we can only handle so much "sex" in a certain span of time.
A refreshing lunch at Kri somehow brought us back to a sense of reality. Did we really do what we just did? were among the questions that hovered in our minds as we indulged in mahi-mahi and prawns.
Back at the hotel, our birding day ended through the courtesy of a female Olive-backed Sunbird which was building a nest only a few feet above the ground and not far from the laundry room where hotel employees come and go.
We had just landed at Dumaguete airport when out of the blue my wife declared, "Why don't we go to Siquijor today?" Interestingly I was also thinking about the same thing. It was still early - not even 9 am yet - and we didn't have any specific plans to begin with anyway. After a quick check-in at the Royal Suites Inn we rushed to the pier to inquire about the next departure time. Thankfully there was one leaving at 10:15. We bought two round trip tickets and boarded the M/BCA Jaziel. The weather was perfect and the sea as calm as can be.
About an hour later we docked at Siquijor and were immediately mobbed, along with the other passengers, by tricycle and minivan drivers. Not wanting to be taken advantage of, we stopped by the Tourist Information booth for advice. Inasmuch as this was our first time to visit this island, we were completely clueless as to where to go. We told the tourism agent our dilemma. We just want to see birds we explained rather sheepishly. What about Coco Grove? we asked. A bit expensive came the reply. How about Salagdoong? Too far. Then as if a light bulb suddenly switched on, he suggested "Why not Mt. Bandila-an? It has a forest and definitely got some birds in it." Well that definitely got our attention.
From the throng of drivers that met our group when we disembarked, only one had the tenacity to stick with us. He was there when we were consulting with the tourism guy and so when we finally decided to go to Mt. Bandila-an he was more than willing to take us there. We agreed on a price and off we went. We explained to Ronald that we would be looking out for birds and we would at times ask him to stop so we could get a better view. Which happened quite soon enough. We have started our slow ascent up the mountain road when I saw a Blue Rock Thrush by the roadside. We asked our driver to stop. I jumped out as soon as he did. But the bird flew off before I could even raise my camera to my eyes. Going after the thrush I saw another bird. It was partially hidden from view but I could tell it was brownish with a black crown. Deep in my heart I knew it was the Streak-breasted Bulbul - a bird found nowhere else but here in the island of Siquijor. And I was unable to take its picture! All the while that Cynthia and I were chasing these birds, Ronald was down the road following a bird sound. Soon he was waving at us and pointing to something at the edge of the forest. I quickly ran to where he was and looked at where he was pointing. To my utter delight, two (yes, two!) Streak-breasted Bulbuls were hopping from branch to branch, pausing every now and then to see if this guy with a camera would be a disturbance to their feeding activities. They eventually flew off to the deeper part of the forest and I walked back to where Cynthia was waiting with a huge grin on my face. We have barely started and we already got our target bird!
Our destination was Camp Bandila-an which basically was a patch of forest managed by the DENR. The three of us (by now Ronald the driver was so into birding as well) spread out along the roadside trying to trace where all those bird sounds were coming from. Once again Ronald's sharp ears and eyes were able to locate an Orange-bellied Flowerpecker busily foraging on a mistletoe. I furiously tried to follow the non-stop foraging of this tiny bird.
A brief pause and our diligent driver told me, "Sir, may ibon pa dito." (Sir, there's another bird here) and pointed me to where a brown bird with a yellow belly was flitting on the low branches. At first I thought it was just one those very common Golden-bellied Gerygones. But then, when I looked through the camera lens, it appeared to be bigger and even had a white-throat. Not only that, it didn't have the hyperactive habit of a gerygone. Whistler! It had to be a Whistler of some kind. Only when we got back to the hotel that I was able to properly identify it as a Yellow-bellied Whistler (well duh! the yellow belly was so prominent I wondered why I didn't think of that right away.)
Soon it was time to go. We had to be at the pier before 3:45 pm for our return trip to Dumaguete City. As we glided down the mountain road, Cynthia and I were both glad at how our first birding adventure in Siquijor turned out. Two lifers in less than three hours was not bad. Not bad at all. Actually it was the best!
This was going to be our last day in Dumaguete. But before we leave, there is one more birding foray we will be having with our birding buddies. As had been the case in our earlier sorties, we will be aboard Doc Clemn Macasiano's huge pick-up truck. Joining Cynthia and myself would be Marester, Clemn's better half, Tonji and Sylvia and Nilo Arribas Jr.
Today our destination was the mangrove forest located in the town of Tanjay. It was a cool breezy morning and the drive along the seaside boulevard was invigorating. While passing by some muddy fields by the road, we noticed some waders and so Clemn decided to pull over to check out what birds can be found here. Tonji and Sylvia saw a Javan Pond Heron still in breeding plumage and positioned themselves to take its photograph. Nilo scanned the fields hoping for some unusual migrant. When I asked him what he was seeing, he shrugged his shoulders and said, "oh, just some common greenshanks, common redshanks, marsh sandpipers, stilts, common sandpipers..."
"Wait, wait, wait," I interrupted. "Did you say, 'marsh sandpipers'?"
He nodded.
"Which one?"
"Those with long yellow legs and long dark bills and whitish heads."
I looked and voila! I just ticked another lifer.
And then it rained. Thankfully it was just a short downpour. When it ended we continued on with our journey, stopping once in a while when more Javan Pond Herons were seen along the way.
Finally we reached our destination after negotiating a long and unpaved road. The boardwalk at the mangrove forest was, sad to say, a bit disappointing bird-wise. So we turned our attention to the mudflats across the trail which looked a bit more promising. Promising in the sense that there were birds there. Birds like Little Egrets and an array of waders. The problem was they were just too far away. Sure we can distinguish individual birds through our binoculars, but camera-wise, despite our long lenses, they just appeared to be just a tad larger than specks on our viewers. Simply put, they were waaay over there.
On the plus side, I got two more lifers here: Lesser Sand Plover and Red-necked Stint (and maybe, just maybe, a Greater Sand Plover also).
We were back at the hotel in time for an early lunch. Inasmuch as this will be our last meal in this wonderful city, we decided to splurge. To say that the Sizzling Bulalo and Sizzling Seafood was delicious would be a huge understatement. Add to that a Hawaiian Pork Chop whose taste was so heavenly that it would make you forget your own name. The leche flan for dessert was to die for! As superb as the quality of our lunch was, it was even made more memorable by the people who shared our table with us: to Dr. Clemn & Marester, our deepest thanks for being our hosts - booking our hotel rooms and taking us to the birding places in Dumaguete; to Tonji and Sylvia, for being our constant birding companions throughout our stay - thank you both for the fun and camaraderie (and thank you, birthday boy Tonji, for the lunch!); to Nilo - although we were together for a short time only, thanks for your expertise and knowledge on local avifauna.
As I terminate this series of Dumaguete stories, let me quote from the Terminator: "I'll be back!"
Today is the opening day of the 7th Philippine Bird Festival organized by the Wild Bird Club of the Philippines (WBCP). After a sumptuous breakfast at the hotel, we proceeded to the Silliman University grounds where the festival was being held. It was nice meeting old friends and making new ones.
Throughout the day though, our constant companion was Nestor Dolina. We visited the booths together, shared the joy of meeting our idol, Cedde Prudente, le photographe par excellence of Sabah, Borneo, and attending the seminars together. But most of all, Nestor was with me and Cynthia when we chased after the Spotted Wood Kingfisher at Centrops (aka Silliman Zoo).
Here was what happened: We were sitting in one of the classrooms giving rapt attention to our friend, Marester Bas Macasiano as she spoke of her renowned grandfather, Dr. Dioscoro Rabor (whom I admired since I was a young man).
She then introduced her uncle, Valfredo, Dr. Rabor's son, who in turn recounted stories about his father.
Time went quickly by and after Valfredo had finished sharing memories of his Dad with us, there was a "quiz" wherein a prize would be given to anyone in the audience who can tell what species of bird was named after Dr. Rabor. To which I promptly replied, "Napothera rabori!" which was a kind of Babbler (somehow I forgot the English name at that very moment). Nevertheless, I still got the prize - a set of bird stickers.
While we were enjoying a buffet lunch hosted by the WBCP, we were informed by Adri Constantino that a Spotted Wood Kingfisher had been seen really close (!!) at the Centrops area. Now this bird had been, and continues to be, my nemesis bird ever since I started birding here in the Philippines. To have one that "close" is an opportunity we would never want to miss. And so right after lunch, Nestor, my wife, Cynthia, and I boarded a tricycle and headed to the kingfisher site.
Centrops is a place where local endangered animals are being kept for captive breeding purposes. Housed in this small forested patch in the middle of the city were Negros Bleeding Heart Pigeons, Visayan Tarictics, Spotted Deers, Wart Hogs, and Crocodiles. The person in charge led us to the trail in between the deer and wild boar pens and pointed to a tree. "That's where they saw the kingfisher two hours ago", he said. We looked and there was none. We told him that we will wait for it to return. "OK", he replied, and left.
I waited at the spot. Cynthia roamed the area. Nestor roamed the area. I still waited at the spot. Then it drizzled. We all rushed under a shed just in the nick of time as heavy rain soon fell. Thirty minutes later it stopped. I took one more look at the kingfisher tree and still could not spot the Spotted Wood Kingfisher. Hearts laden with bitter disappointment we left.
What made this story even more pathetic was when we got back to the hotel and I was about to take a shower, I discovered, to my utter dismay, that my mid-section was full of red spots. Chigger bites! Perhaps my proximity to the deers and hogs enabled those microscopic savages to invade my epidermis. Ah, the irony of it all - not getting the Spotted but getting spotted instead.
That night we attended the dinner hosted by the Governor of Negros Oriental Province. Along with the lavish buffet were performances by the local talents, including some cha-cha numbers and a fashion show. After the program, the music went on and some of us started swaying to the latin numbers. Cynthia and I even danced an impromptu rumba. Little did the spectators know that the reason I was swaying my hips quite vigorously was that I wanted to relieve the itch that had been bothering me so much without being too obvious about it.
Cha-cha-cha!
Up at the crack o'dawn. Sleepy-eyed Cynthia and I filed into Doc Clemn's pick-up. Sitting beside Doc is his lovely wife, Marester. Joining us at the back seat was our birder friend from Singapore, Jimmy Chew. The other vehicle in the caravan was Christian Perez's SUV. With him was his buddy Ruben, Tonji and Sylvia and Ju Lin. Our destination was the Twin Lakes Resort.
Somehow the trip seemed a lot shorter today than when we drove to this place yesterday. Perhaps the difference was that now I am inside the vehicle whereas yesterday along with Tonji and Alex we were shaken - and stirred - at the back of Doc Clemn's pick-up.
We have barely stepped out of our vehicles when a huge raptor flew just a few feet above us. It was "just" a Philippine Crested Eagle. Nothing to get too excited about. We were all lined up at the viewing deck as the morning sun bathed the whole place in glorious light. Flashes of green before us and shouts of "Blue-naped Parrots!" broke the sylvan serenity.
Soon we (and Christian Perez, most especially) were all agog as species after species started flying in towards the trees in front of us. First came the Bar-bellied Cuckooshrikes, followed a bunch of the white-bellied susbspecies of the Balicassiao. Then came the Coletos with their quaint fleshy heads. We were following some cuckooshrikes which we thought at first to be those oh so ordinary bar-bellied types when Sylvia yelled, "White-winged Cuckooshrikes!" Which sent everyone into a euphoric state as this bird was a lifer for all of us.
Then came the calm. The wave of birds had passed and now we had time to indulge in having breakfast (which the hotel had kindly packed for us, thanks to Marester's forethought and arrangement). It was while having breakfast that we noticed some movements within the hibiscus grove surrounding the trash dumpsite behind the pavillion. Sunbirds, most likely, and our primary suspect was Crimson which we saw almost close-up yesterday. So we didn't give that place much concern and instead concentrated on the nearby bamboo clump after we have finished our morning repast.
That bamboo trees hosted a flock of Yellowish White-eyes which was another surprise. What made it more interesting was this particular group had some orange tinge on its lores (something that the Kennedy Guide did not mention regarding the nigrorum subspecies).
Back at the deck, Jack, the tourism representative who just arrived together with Alex Tiongco, Marts Cervero and a Japanese birder, was pointing to a family of Elegant Tits feeding close by.
Meanwhile, at the trail covered with huge stone slabs, Tonji and the Macasianos were getting shots of the Philippine Tailorbird (which Cynthia and I unfortunately missed). When we joined them, they were chasing after another wave of birds that were frolicking in the tree branches just above a pig pen. Here we saw Black-naped Monarchs and Blue-headed Fantails going after the insects attracted to the sty. Lemon-throated Leaf-warblers (a lifer!) joined the White-winged Cuckooshrikes in the feeding frenzy. As in any bird waves, they all eventually moved on and everything was quiet once again. Except for the incessant chirping from those invisible tailorbirds.
Lunch was "tinolang manok" (a kind of chicken stew) which was not exactly my favorite. It was during lunch that all of us once again noticed some activity at the hibiscus area. Paying closer attention, we were all elated to discover that such activities were coming from no other than Flaming Sunbirds! It has been our desire to see this species not only because of its gorgeous beauty but also because it would be another lifer for us. For the next couple of hours we were entertained by these tiny avian jewels that glowed with a whole spectrum of colors shining brightly under the noonday sun.
Arrived at Dumaguete, met by the Tourism representatives, checked-in at the Royal Suites Inn and went birding. That pretty much summarized our early morning activities last September 21st. Jack, the tourism guy and great birder, took us to Forest Camp, a small resort just outside the city of Dumaguete. With us were friends Tonji and Sylvia Ramos, Alex Tiongco and two birder friends from Singapore, Jimmy Chew and Ju Lin Tan.
As soon as we got off the van, Alex was already pointing at a bird. The photographers in the group frantically assembled their gear and simultaneously pointed them at....a Philippine Magpie Robin. Oh, ho-hum, whatever!
It was then that Jack pointed at a tiny bird perched on a nearby tree looking at the strange amalgam of non-native Negrenses. And it was then that our ho-hums turned into woo-hoos. That tiny bird was a Visayan aka Black-belted (judo expert, maybe?) Flowerpecker. Lifer number one barely 20 minutes into our birding sortie!
Forest Camp isn't a big place and after we've made the rounds and not seeing anything interesting we all sat under the huge canopy of a mini-stage. A rustling among the leaves grabbed our attention. That rustling was followed by an array of gaudy colors as three different kinds of sunbirds flowed like an incoming tide before us not unlike an avian fashion show. First was an immature Purple-throated - not yet attaining its very colorful full plumage but lovely nonetheless.
Then a male Olive-backed Sunbird flashed its colorful throat hues enhanced by the morning sun.
And for the finale, the piece de resistance, ladies and gentlemen, behold the Crimson Sunbird!
That would have made my day. Although not a lifer, seeing the Crimson Sunbird this close was, quite honestly, completely unexpected. After chasing after an unknown bird that Jack said he saw near the hanging bridge but sadly disappeared because a romantic couple decided that a view of some trees from a swaying span would bring magic to their already syrupy relationship, I returned to the resting area. At least I got a Philippine Bulbul to alleviate the disappointment.
I was wiping my sweaty brow when I happened to look up and saw a.. Cuckoo! I didn't know what kind, but it definitely looked like a cuckoo. I waved at Tonji and pointed to the bird silhouetted above us. Later on, he confirmed that what we saw was a Plaintive Cuckoo and my second lifer of the day.
After another rest period, our attention was aroused this time by a raptor that flew swiftly overhead. Apparently it caught something and decided to have its lunch on a tree branch some 45 meters away from us. Several identities were postulated from within our group until the bird gracefully turned around to face us and thereby settling the issue. It was a Chinese Goshawk. Lifer number three for me.
It was now way past lunchtime and the growling of our stomachs could no longer be ignored. Jack brought us back to the city of Dumaguete, and per request from Sylvia, who had been informed that some birders were already there, took us to the Kri restaurant. If there is anything that Dumaguete is known for (aside from being a great birding place) is its excellent restaurant food! Kri is among the best of the best.
After lunch we all went back to the hotel where Clemn and Marester Macasiano, our hosts, were already waiting for us. A brief breather and we were off again. This time to the Twin Lakes resort. This late in the afternoon, we were not expecting much, and this trip was more of a "casing the joint" foray. Thirteen kilometers from the main highway over a paved, not, paved, not, paved, not........road, Lake Balinsasayao was a sight to behold. It was here that we first saw the local subspecies of the Balicassiao, differing from the all-black birds found in Luzon by having a white belly.
At the end of the day and back at our hotel, exhausted and exhilarated, we just settled for a club sandwich and salad for dinner at the hotel restaurant. Cynthia and I then crashed into bed knowing we will have to wake up early (again) tomorrow.
