Bohol Birding - Day 3 - Down by the Riverside

On our third day in Bohol we planned to go birding within the grounds of the Loboc River Resort where we were staying. We had surveyed that area the first couple of days and we both agreed that this place was promising birding-wise.

Bright and early we were out exploring the premises of the resort. Not far from the pond we noticed some movement among the trees. To our surprise it was a Yellow Wattled Bulbul!

That sighting augured well for us because just a few feet away, the male Purple-throated Sunbird displayed its awesome colors to us.

Walking further up the road, I noticed another colorful bird soaring against the bright blue sky. "Bee-eater!" I yelled. When it landed on a branch I confirmed that it was the Blue-tailed Bee-eater.

Across from the bee-eater, a Pied Triller was enjoying its early morning repast.

Then we saw something green fly by. We eventually located where it landed and was thrilled to add the Philippine Hanging Parrot to our birds of the day.

We continued our walk and as we rounded the bend, we were surprised when a group of birds suddenly took off from the river. Because of the curved road, we didn't realize that we were approaching the river and even more so that there would be waders there. Some Black-crowned Night Herons, Little Egrets and even an immature Common Moorhen got spooked as we came by. They all disappeared from view and therefore we weren't able to take any photos at all. But all was not in vain because a small flock of Philippine Ducks simply moved a bit farther but still were close enough for us to get a few shots.

As we neared the resort's restaurant another unexpected species showed up. A single Chestnut Munia flew across and perched on a branch almost at eye level.

That was a fitting end to our birding by the side of the Loboc River. We also four different kinds of doves: Spotted Dove, Red Turtle Dove, Zebra Dove and Pink-necked Green Pigeon. There was even a Grey-streaked Flycatcher but it was perched quite far and high that we could not get a good photo of it. 

We then went to the restaurant and had one of the best breakfasts we ever had.

As were about to check out, the owner of resort, Zing, came out to greet us. We told her that we were birders and that we saw a lot of birds in their premises. We then told her that we encountered several lovebirds roaming freely in their grounds. We did see a huge cage with nest boxes in it but the wire covering was already removed. Zing told us that they already set the lovebirds free but the birds decided to stay in the area. Here are a few photos:

Lutino Lovebird

Black-masked Lovebird

Peach-faced Lovebird