Over the Rainbow

It was a blustery morning as we started our birding day in Baras. Winds so strong it almost wrenched our cameras from our hands. As gusts blew all over the place our hopes were damped..for how can birds show up in this dangerous situation.

Eventually the winds died down and we were so glad to see a complete rainbow appear on the horizon. 

Rainbows are a promise of good things to come. And indeed birds started showing up. 

Perhaps it was the season because we saw several species doing some courtship rituals. A male Spotted Dove strutted on the road displaying its gorgeous spots to a couple of females.

A pair of Common Sandpipers were flirting with each other.

Grey Wagtails having a lovers quarrel?

A male Philippine Hanging Parrot trying to hide his "kulasisi" behind the leaves.

Aside from these romantic scenes, we saw the usual species found regularly here.

As we were about to leave, we were shocked to see some guys cutting off the tall grass along the road. To our surprise just a few feet away from them, we spotted a bird that we have not seen here before - a Golden-headed Cisticola!

Ah, a beautiful rainbow indeed is a harbinger of good fortune!

Rain Cut

It was a holiday which meant traffic would be minimal. That was a very strong incentive for us to go birding. Off to Antipolo we went. The last time we birded this place was in November of last year. I thought it would be good to visit it once again.

The very first bird we saw was a rail. However, by the time I got our gear out, it already disappeared inside a clump of tall grass. Next, three Zebra Dove walked nonchalantly in front of our car. Cynthia got a photo of one of them.

Surprisingly the local birds seemed to be more skittish now than the previous times we were here. And fewer. A Golden-headed Cisticola was calling but it was perched at quite a distance from us. Not only that it was even backlit (backlighted?). So I managed only a couple of documentary shots.

The usual horde of Scaly-breasted Munias feeding by the roadside were replaced by a few individuals munching the grass seeds about a stone's throw away. 

Even the Spotted Doves that usually meander along the sidewalks were now perched high up on the tree branches.

As I mentioned earlier, birds were more skittish now, and that included the White-breasted Swallows. Common birds that used to pose for us on electric wires before sallying off in pursuit of prey.

Having circled the subdivision for about three times, we finally encountered a Barred Rail preening behind a clump of grass.

"You know we haven't gotten a picture of a Long-tailed Shrike yet" my wife reminded me. As if on cue one of them posed long enough for me to take its picture. On a branch even, instead of the usual electric wire.

Then it started to drizzle. Ominous dark clouds told us that soon rain will come pouring. Since we didn't bring any raincoats, we decided to cut short our birding sortie. I guess it wasn't really that bad for an hour's worth of bird photography.

A Trip to the Munias

Saturday, my wife and I decided to take a trip to see Scaly-breasted Munias. Actually, or plan was to go birding at the Palos Verdes subdivision in Antipolo City - a place only 15 kms away from our home though roads that relatively has lesser traffic (emphasis on the word "relatively"). And the species that could be seen there with certainty was the Lonchura punctulata.

Sure enough as soon as we entered the subdivision we were greeted by a flock of these tiny brown birds. Throughout the two-and-a-half hours we spent there, we encountered flock upon flock of munias.

Of course, there were other birds, too. Another species seen here regularly is the Spotted Dove. This one was limping as it crossed the road ahead of us. Other than that it looked healthy enough and even flew quite well.

One surprise was a Chinese Sparrowhawk being harassed by four Black-naped Orioles. I was only able to get a couple of shots (and not good ones either) as it quickly evaded the bullying of the yellow birds.

I was telling Cynthia that the migrant Grey Wagtails seem to have not arrived yet but as we turned a corner, there on the ground was one aggressively looking for food.

One of the highlights on that day was the Golden-headed Cisticola. A few of them were singing their hearts out as they enjoyed a beautiful sunny morning.

The other highlight was the Pied Bush Chat. This species is not that common here and we were surprised to find a young male.

Near the gate we got the mature male.

Later, after leaving Palos Verdes, we decided to go to the Heritage Park Cemetery to try for the Paddyfield Pipit. Target acquired just a few minutes after we got there. 

Even before we saw the pipit, a female Pied Bush Chat completed our family portraiture of this flycatcher.

We planned a trip to the munias but ended up chatting along the way.