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We attended a wedding in Tuba, Benguet last Saturday. Prior to the ceremony Cynthia and I had ample time to go birding around the premises of the place where we were staying (Green Valley Village). Inasmuch as that place was a subdivision, we didn't expect to see a lot of birds. After a few minutes of walking we saw a patch of greenery. As we rounded a corner we spotted the migrant Blue Rock Thrush perched below a water tank.
As soon as we reached the patch of greenery, we noticed some bird activity on some bare branches. To my surprise, it was a female Red Crossbill with some fledglings.
After a while the crossbill family left. This time the activity was on a small tree across where the crossbills were. A small flock of Warbling White-eyes were busy hunting for food.
At the opposite corner a Turquoise Flycatcher perched almost at eye level.
We needed to get ready for the wedding ceremony so we started to walk back to our lodge. That was when we encountered a Long-tailed Shrike basking in the morning sun.
My wife heard some twittering and looking back to where we saw the Turquoise Flycatcher, there was a male Olive-backed Sunbird on an electric wire, singing loudly.
Along the way, I did the obligatory shot of the common Eurasian Tree Sparrow. I even thought of posting that picture in Facebook and jokingly labelling it as the Benguet Tree Sparrow.
Not far from our lodge there was a house that was still under construction. On it we saw a pair of Pied Bush Chats.
The wedding was held at a different place where we were staying. It was at the Picmar Heritage Lodge also in Tuba. The place had some greeneries as well and even had a vegetable garden nearby. Before the ceremony started we did a quick look at the said garden and saw a flock of Crested Mynas.
After the ceremony, we once again went to the garden area. This time it was a flock of Large-billed Crows that showed up.
The following morning, we again tried the area near our lodge. Somehow the birds were sparse. So I took a shot at the Yellow-vented Bulbul.
Some activity on a low tree attracted our attention. It was a very active tiny brown bird and it was quite a challenge to get a good shot at it. Reviewing my photos after we got back to our home in Pasig, I asked my friends to help me ID that bird. The answer I got was that it was an Arctic Warbler.
It was a really short time birding in Tuba, but I'm glad that despite being in a subdivision, the place was rich with birds - more than we expected.
Contrast that with our birding foray at the Camp John Hay Eco-trail the following day. The only bird we saw was a Sulphur-billed Nuthatch and it was just too far to be photographed even with my long lens.
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:
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| Philippine Bulbul |
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| Yellow-vented Bulbul |
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| Immature Pacific Swallow |
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| 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?
Without a lot of birding options, we decided to return to the Osaka Castle grounds since we were already getting familiar with using the local commuter train.
Upon arrival, we were greeted by the Japanese Tits. One of them surprisingly even flew down to the ground.
As we roamed to the other side of the castle, a place we did not go to the last time we were here, we came upon a small pond. There swimming leisurely were a pair of Eastern Spotted Ducks. They were so close that we got full frame shots.
A little farther, the local bird photographers were again trying to get a picture of the Japanese Paradise Flycatcher. We of course joined them. This time the bird was in a more open branch but still quite a distance away.
When it disappeared again from view, we moved on. As we were walking, a Japanese Pygmy Woodpecker flew by and alighted on a tree trunk. It was carrying something in its beak which we presumed to be some nesting materials.
Then there were some movement in a nearby tree. Finding what caused that, I was so glad that it was our fifth lifer, the Long-tailed Tit.
Happy that we added another species to our life list, we rejoined the paradise flycatcher enthusiasts. They looked very excited, and sure enough, the male star bird showed up again, this time even closer.
On the way out a Warbling White-eye bade us goodbye.
Now it's time to put on our tourist cap.
