After the Storm

The sun was shining brightly this morning. For the past couple of days we experienced one of the most severe storms this year. Super typhoon Ulysses battered Central Luzon with heavy rain and strong winds. So strong that a number of trees in our neighborhood fell to the ground.

Now that the skies are blue I decided to bring along my camera as we did our morning walk around our condominium grounds. Good thing I did because the local birds were glad that the storm had finally gone away and were enjoying the sunny weather. A male Olive-backed Sunbird was gorging on the nectar of the orange flowers.

One of the trees that was not felled by the strong winds was now hosting a small flock of lowland white-eyes.

By the retail row, the pair of Philippine Pied Fantails were at their usual haunt.

Surprisingly a Brown Shrike was at the same tree enjoying a tiny butterfly for breakfast.

The Yellow-vented Bulbuls were calling out loudly as if begging for their photos to be taken. I obliged of course.

And finally, we heard the familiar cooing of the Zebra Doves. However, we had a hard time locating the source of that "kurukutu". We were already having neck pains as we searched behind the thick leaves and then one graciously flew into plain sight. 

It was a nice way to start the day. For us, Friday the 13th actually means good luck.

It's back!

During our daily walk around our condo grounds we are always on the look out for birds. Occasionally we would bring binoculars and sometimes our cameras. Since we saw quite a number of birds last Wednesday, on Thursday morning I decided to bring my Canon 5D3 with the Tamron 150-600 lens with me. My wife and I also hoped that the Brown Shrike would be around. Since the beginning of September, we always looked at the places where the annual migrant used to hang out the previous years. And it was still a no show.

After watching the daily morning pilgrimage of the Yellow-vented Bulbuls (for the past couple of months we have observed their daily routine where small groups would fly from South to North stopping now and then on the tree tops by the river, and we wondered why this sudden behavior), we paused by the parking lot to watch the sunrise. It was then that Cynthia heard the twittering of the shrike. We moved closer to the wall and voila! Our hoped for migrant was finally back!

Happy that I got tons of shots of the cooperative shrike, we moved on. As expected the Yellow-vented Bulbul's "towncrier" was at its usual perch and calling loudly to its fellow "pilgrims" who were passing by.

Our next target was the Philippine Pied Fantail. As we approached its usual milieu, a small flock of very active Golden-bellied Gerygones were darting all over the place.

As if that wasn't enough, another flock, this time of Lowland White-eyes mingled with the Gerygones in hunting for their breakfast.

A little further down, the usual pair of Fantails showed up.

Having accomplished our goal (and even got a bonus) we walked back towards our building. Along the way, we heard a Zebra Dove calling. After some effort at trying to locate the source of the cooing, we eventually found the bird partly hidden among the leaves.

As we entered our building, I told my wife that I should at least take a photo of the very common Eurasian Tree Sparrow. Let's go the Great Lawn, she suggested, where this species is definitely a sure sighting. So we did and I got my list of local birds completed.

Here Comes the Sun..bird.

It was only half past six in the morning and the sun was already shining brightly. As Cynthia and I did our morning routine of walking around our condo grounds our hopes were high that we would encounter more birds than usual.

Unfortunately, our "bad luck" seems to have not ended yet. We did some birds - four species to be exact, but the only one who had been more cooperative in posing for us was the female Olive-backed Sunbird.

We got some documentary shots of the migrant Brown Shrike

and the ubiquitous Yellow-vented Bulbul.

Surprisingly, the ever present Eurasian Tree Sparrows were a bit skittish this time and we never got even one shot at them.

Despite all these, we always count our blessings. Just as the sun constantly rises in the east, so our passion for bird photography remains the same.

Going for the Shrike

We first saw this annual migrant in our neighborhood a week ago. However due to inclement weather I wasn't able to take a photo of this bird. This morning, a gleam of sunlight finally broke through. I brought my camera and prepared to go for the Shrike. It didn't take us long to find it, albeit at quite a distance. Knowing its habit of not going far from its chosen territory, we followed its short flights from one tree to another and eventually got a good enough shot.

A small flock of Scaly-breasted Munias then flew in. It looked like these were siblings that were the result of a nesting couple we observed early last month. Two of them seemed like they were having a spat.

While we were enjoying watching these young Munias frolic around, three small birds came flying by and landed on a small tree next to us. To our surprise they were juvenile Olive-backed Sunbirds.

Happy that we got our target birds at the great lawn area, we continued our morning walk at the ground level hoping to get a shot at the Zebra Doves. Unfortunately, only one showed up and it was a "heard only" experience. As we approached the retail row area we hoped that we would encounter the Philippine Pied Fantails we saw yesterday. This time they were a no-show and we discovered the reason why. Another migrant bully was staking claim on that area.

Of course, I had to take an obligatory shot of the very common Eurasian Tree Sparrow.

As we were about to return to our condo, I saw a huge wader fly overhead. It was too high and backlit that I am not 100% sure of its ID. For now I'd say it was a Purple Heron.

And that ended our quick morning sortie around our condo grounds.

The Expected and the Unexpected

Hoping that our luck the day before would continue, I once again brought my camera as we did our early morning walk. For one thing, we were quite sure that the flock of Lowland White-eyes would come at around 6:30 am to the two trees next to the entrance of our condominium building. We noticed on several occasions that they had been pretty consistent with their foraging schedule. And we were right, at the expected time, about 20 individuals came. However, getting a picture was quite a challenge since they were constantly moving in search for the tiny insects under the leaves. I was lucky enough to get a few good ones.

After the white-eyes left, we continued our walk and had an unexpected encounter with a Philippine Pygmy Woodpecker. As a matter of fact, this species is seldom seen here. And on those rare times, it was quite far or high up in the trees. This time it was different. The woodpecker was quite close and was obviously unmindful of us.

Other than that, it was just the usual suspects around the neighborhood. And as always, towards the end of our walk, the Philippine Pied Fantail is a must.

Two Doves Have I

I decided to bring along my camera during our daily morning walk around the premises of our condominium. Good thing I did. The usually shy - and often heard only - Spotted Dove finally showed itself to us. Out in the open even.

Then as if to say, "What about me?" it's smaller cousin, the Zebra Dove, flew down and alighted just a few feet from us. I, of course, obliged and took pictures of the friendly bird as well.

Earlier, at the lawn, the migrant Brown Shrike came down from its usual high perch and posed for us almost at eye level.

Finally we had the obligatory shot of the Philippine Pied Fantails at their usual spot above the wall.

Answered Prayer

We always look for birds everytime we do our walk around our condominium grounds. Yesterday afternoon while watching a pair of sunbirds feast on the orange flowers we noticed a bird near the parking lot which looked different from the usual birds we see here. It was even unperturbed as I came a bit closer. "Ferruginous Flycatcher!" I exclaimed. I couldn't believe that this beautiful migrant would choose a parking lot to hunt for food. I grabbed my cellphone and took its photo to document such rarity.

That night before going to bed Cynthia and I prayed that the flycatcher would still be there. The next morning as soon as we woke up we both uttered the same prayer. After breakfast, I brought along my camera and did our regular morning walk. 

The first species that caught our attention was a female Olive-backed Sunbird feeding on the same orange flower but at a different location, albeit much lower and at eye level.

Then a bonus! We heard some Zebra Doves calling. While we were trying to locate the source of that call, I saw a bird which very seldom comes out in the open. A Spotted Dove was walking on top of the wall!

Thrilled at this unexpected sighting, we then proceeded to the place where we saw the flycatcher the day before hoping it would still be there. My hopes were diminished because we saw a driver standing idly just a few feet away from where the bird was yesterday. We walked past him, peered behind the parked cars and voila! our prayers were answered! It was perched on a wire and obliged me with some close shots. After a while it flew to the tree behind as if to say "you want a better background?" It flew off after I got its picture. As we  turned our attention to munias on the tree across. Our friendly flycatcher flew to the group of low trees next to the building. Satisfied that it had given us the answer to our prayers, it flew off once again to parts unknown.

This time the male Olive-backed Sunbird returned to its usual feeding ground so to speak.

The Philippine Pied Fantails were as you would expect them to be.

As we were nearing the retail area, a Eurasian Tree Sparrow flew between us as if saying, "you got photos of all the birds here except us!" and then perched on top of the gate just a few feet away. I, of course, consoled the poor bird and took an obligatory shot.

We made a second trip to the flycatcher site. Along the way, we got photos of the Yellow-vented Bulbul and the Zebra Dove.

Unfortunately our dear Ferruginous Flycatcher was no longer at its hangout.

Seasons in the Sun

Blame it on climate change or global warming but it seems that the summer season arrived very late this year. October weather normally is already a bit cool with occasional nippy breezes. This time however it was sweat-inducing hot! Even at 6:30 in the morning. Nevertheless we had joy, we had fun birding the premises of our condominium. Maybe not in that order but we still had seasons in the sun.

First off, the Eurasian Tree Sparrows were at their usual spot at the lawn. For the past week or so we found it a bit strange that the usual flock seemed to have deserted their favorite feeding grounds. 

Then there was the migrant bully whom I nicknamed "Brownie". He was surveying his realm while perched on top of a palm tree by the swimming pool.

Downstairs, at the adjacent grove of trees there was a quick flash of brown. The Zebra Dove who also had been off its regular habitats made a quick distant appearance.

The fun we experienced was with the  Scaly-breasted Munias. We observed this individual who would fly into into the bamboo grove, pick up some leaves then take it to the adjacent palm tree and use it to build a nest. This happened like a routine and gave me and my wife the challenge to take a BIF (bird in flight) shot with the leaf in its beak. And a challenge it was. Despite being able to more or less predict when it will take off, we still had a difficult time focusing on our subject. Did I say that there were several people washing their cars between us and the munia? We never got a good BIF shot but at least I had one when the tiny brown bird alit on the palm tree.

Blurred in Flight

Now the joy happened after we gave up on the munias. This time a pair of Olive-backed Sunbirds, unlike the munia, were very cooperative. Not only were they out in the open, the male even copied the feeding habits of their western counterparts, the hummingbirds!

Not even 8 am and we were already drenched in sweat. Time to take a much needed shower.

Grovin' on a Sunday Afternoon

We had some pretty good luck birding a week ago at the back side of our condominium complex so we both agreed to give it another try Sunday afternoon.  A few minutes after 4 and the heat was still intense. We looked at the poles beyond the fence and next to the Marikina river hoping to see the Common Kingfisher again. It wasn't there. We soon found out why. The migrant bully perched majestically on the pole as if daring the smaller kingfisher to try and kick him out of his throne.

We moved further into the worker's compound. Of course, it was Cynthia's sharp eyes that caught sight of a tiny bird almost invisible on top of one of the numerous poles in the area. "The Common Kingfisher is still here!" she assured me.

The bank on the other side of the river was peculiarly devoid of the usual Little Egrets. We saw one fly by but were not able to get a good shot. Even the number of Whiskered Terns were sparse. Of the two we saw, none perched on the protruding sticks in the middle of the river. Luckily, my wife got a photo of one as it dove for a fish.

While Cynthia was trying to desperately get better pictures of the couple of terns and one egret, I roamed towards the edge of the compound. The resident Philippine Pied Fantails were at their usual place.

A little before 5 pm, we walked back to our unit. As we passed by a couple of trees, my wife heard the usual twittering of the flock of White-eyes. It was a photographic challenge as the light was fading fast and our subjects, though plentiful, were extremely active and preferred the darker side of the trees. At least we got one good shot.

Although our foray this time was not as productive than the week before, we're just glad that our area of residence aptly named The Grove still offers some good birding opportunities.