Happy Birdday

I already have a blog title in mind even before we went birding last Saturday morning: Happy BRT Day! (sounds like happy birthday, right?). BRT stands for Blue Rock Thrush, an uncommon migrant to the Philippines. Our friend, Bert Madrigal, posted a photo of one taken at the campus of the University of the Philippines (U.P.) in Diliman, Quezon City - a place close to our residence. He saw three of them according to Bert. That was our incentive to go birding on my birthday.

My wife and I were at the Science Complex (where the BRTs were seen) at 6:30 am. Three hours later and I had to accept the fact that my planned blog title would never be used after all. Not a single Blue Rock Thrush showed up!

But it was my birthday and I would not let minor disappointments ruin it for me. Cynthia and I made lemonade out of lemons, so to speak. We saw quite a number of birds, albeit the usual suspects found in U.P., but the Lord in His graciousness showed us two species that were rarely seen here: A Rusty-breasted Cuckoo and a Black-chinned Fruit Dove - both still in the immature stage.

Immature Rusty-breasted Cuckoo

Immature Black-chinned Fruit Dove

The good old reliable Philippine Nightjar was still in its usual roosting place.

There were other birds that we saw and photographed too but these were the highlights of our day. 

Despite not seeing our target species, my birthday birding trip to U.P. was still an enjoyable one considering that I wasn't feeling well the day before. This was definitely a great tasting lemonade.

So Dip

We thought it would be a good birding day for us. As soon as we got off the car, we were greeted by a trio of Colasisis (Philippine Hanging Parrots) flying back and forth to the trees surrounding the parking lot of the Kamia Residence Hall in the campus of the University of the Philippines.

Add to that a friendly Black-naped Oriole calling not far from the tiny, green parrots.

It was all downhill after that. The hoped-for Cuckoo at the "frogs" area was a complete no-show. Our stake-out at the Main Library was also an exercise in futility because the migrant Ashy Drongo decided to relocate nearer the Beta Way. We went that way only to be greeted by the loud cheering and yelling of the spectators to a nearby sports competition.

It was a dip so bad that you can not dunk chips on it. And to think that I even brought my humongous 500mm lens and endured carrying it on my aching shoulder with the hope that I could get better pictures of the drongo and document the existence of the cuckoo. The cuckoo whose presence had been confirmed by our friend and university professor, Doc Mando, who had seen said bird a few days ago. We met him as he, himself, also wanted to take a better shot and establish the correct identity of the cuckoo.

To make matters worse, as I was loading my gears back into our car I noticed that one of the rubber edges of my tripod was missing! We quickly returned to the grounds in front of the library and scoured the area. Nothing. 

"I remember my tripod being caught in a crack in the steps at the "frogs", I told my wife.

We returned to that place and the first thing I noticed was that Doc Mando was no longer there. Very likely he didn't see the cuckoo either, I thought to myself as I searched the steps. It was like searching for the proverbial needle in a haystack. I was about to give up when I saw something embedded at a gap in the cement. I heaved a sigh of relief and offered a prayer of thanks and returned with a bounce to my walk to where my wife was waiting.

We may have dipped on our target birds but finding a tiny piece of rubber in a place covered by dead leaves was something we were thankful for. Now to go for a different kind of dip - the one that makes lumpiang shanghai taste better.

Aw, Common!

Our early morning birding at the campus of the University of the Philippines at the onset was a disappointment. Brown Shrikes and Yellow-vented Bulbuls were the only species that were active. Oh, and a pair of Black-naped Orioles that looked like they were checking out if the new building being constructed was according to their specifications.

Of course, we got a de rigueur shot of the resident sleeper, the Philippine Nightjar.

"Let's try the lagoon and see if we can find the Common Kingfisher there," I suggested to Cynthia. It was a good suggestion because I got a tip from fellow birder, Mads Bajarias about the kingfisher inhabiting the lagoon, but I honestly didn't know exactly where the lagoon was. So my diligent wife started asking around and as serendipity would have it, the very first person (persons, actually - there were two of them) were off-duty security guards who gave her precise directions to the lagoon.

A short walk and there it was! It wasn't long before we got a glimpse of our quarry. However, it was too far even for my long lens and I just got a "documentary" shot. 

For close to two hours we waited for this "common" kingfisher to reappear and hoped it would be on a much nearer spot. Meanwhile our long wait had been alleviated by seeing two migrants: the Grey Wagtail and the Arctic Warbler (no good shots on both, unfortunately) - our FOS (first of season) sightings of both species.

Almost two hours had passed and our kingfisher was still teasingly refusing to show itself. I was getting antsy - yes, impatient, and also literally being crawled over by ants.

"Let's go!" I told my wife.

"Aw, c'mon, let's give it a few more minutes." she pleaded.

But I was adamant. She bargained by sweetly suggesting we go further down the trail "and maybe see some other birds?" I gave in. How can I not with that sugary smile and star-filled eyes. 

Even before we started to take the trail I saw it! I saw our Common Kingfisher with a fish in its beak! What followed was about half-an-hour's stalking and trying to get close enough so I can get the sought after FIM (food-in-mouth) shot. Which was a trying experience in itself because I would only take a few steps closer and it would fly off and alit on a branch farther away. Shouts of "Aw, c'mon, stay still, will ya?" punctuated those chases. Eventually, the tiny bird flew to where it was impossible for me to follow it.

"Did you get a good shot?" Cynthia asked eagerly.

I reviewed my photographic efforts and smiled at her.

We were already in the parking lot and packing our gear when Cynthia shouted, "Kingfisher!" I hastily pulled my camera out of the bag and hied to where she was standing and pointing at something. 

It was another FIM shot, this time with a Collared Kingfisher. 

Aw, c'mon, don't you think that that's a nice bonus?

Lots of BS

The grounds of the University of the Philippines were not that birdy Saturday morning. Except for Brown Shrikes. It seemed like each time we turned a corner there would be a BS.

Our birding trip to U.P. was a last minute decision. The night before we were warned by our friend, Bong, that there would be an ACET (Ateneo College Entrance Test) on Saturday morning. That would trigger a humongous traffic jam along Katipunan Avenue, he said. Now using Katipunan would be the shortest route from our home to U.P. Not wanting to go through the misery of being part of an impromptu parking lot, I gave up on the idea of going birding on Saturday. 

As fate would have it, my wife and I both woke up at 5 am Saturday morning.

"If we leave before six we could probably beat the onslaught of cars taking test-takers to the Ateneo campus" Cynthia said in a most encouraging way. 

That definitely sounded like a good idea to me. We quickly did our morning ablutions and were out of the house at 5:45 am. As we neared Ateneo University we could see the rows of vehicles filling up all but one lane of the north-bound Katipunan Avenue. To the credit of the traffic controllers, those of us non-Ateneo goers were able to squeeze through the single lane without much high-blood-pressure-inducing delay.

Then came the encounters with the multitude of Brown Shrikes - most of whom were basking in the early morning sun.

Our meanderings brought some nice surprises though. A pair of Large-billed Crows passed by and one of them perched on a not too high branch in front of us.

The biggest surprise was an adult and immature Barred Rail searching for food just behind the Vargas Museum. This was the first time we saw this species in the university's premises. Both were a bit skittish though. Luckily, Cynthia was able to get a photo of the adult.

Nine in the morning and we were feeling the pangs of hunger. We debated on where to have our breakfast, taking into consideration the possibility that the traffic jam along Katipunan Avenue still have not subsided at this hour. All the restaurants that we have considered, unfortunately, would require us to pass through that dreaded route. After praying about it we left U.P. 

There was absolutely no problem negotiating Katipunan! Not only that, there was even an available parking space in front of Banapple - one of the restaurants we have considered - which in itself was another miracle!

Our breakfast was sumptuous and my cafe mocha was heavenly! And that is no BS. 

After a Doughnut, Why Not?

The association in our village sponsors a semi-annual medical check-up for the local residents at a very reasonable price. We always availed of that, of course, and for the past three years it usually took us almost two hours to finish the routine. So today's thirty minutes was a real surprise. The queues were not that long and as senior citizens my wife and I were given priority - something that wasn't practiced previously.

Inasmuch as we had fasted the night before in preparation for this, Cynthia and I decided to try something sweet for breakfast. Off we went to J.Co's at the U.P. Town Center. They were still closed when we arrived so we waited some 15 minutes until they opened. We ordered half a dozen of their famous donuts (to take home) and then I had the iced hazelnut chocolate and a glazed donut. My wife ordered hot chocolate and the cheezy rich donut sandwich. They were so yummy that I couldn't help but grab one of the Oreologys that we ordered.

Before going to J.Co's Cynthia suggested that I bring along the camera+300mm lens combo. 

"We can go to U.P. after breakfast and do some birding," she suggested.

To which I eagerly replied, "Why not?"

Our initial attempt at locating the Scops Owl was a total failure. I texted our friend, Bert Madrigal, and asked for directions. He replied promptly giving minute details on how to find the owls. Before proceeding to that site however, we passed by the Faculty building hoping to see the Philippine Nightjar that roosts in the nearby mango tree. Nada. Thankfully, Eric, a friend of Bert, saw us and brought us to where the nightjars had apparently relocated. And yes, there were two of these birds peacefully sleeping on the branches.

We half-heartedly tried going to where the nesting Coppersmith Barbets were (again, Bert provided very precise directions) but decided not to follow through since we already had photos of them taken in 2010. We went back to the "Frogs" area. I stood in front of the water tank, looked for droppings as per Bert's instructions, but didn't find any. My wife and I developed cricks on our respective necks trying to detect any movements in the canopy above us. It was then that the local mosquito brigade staged an assault on my uncovered legs (note to self: never wear shorts when looking for owls at U.P.) We deemed it prudent to leave as quickly as possible because we can not tolerate more blood being sucked from our bodies for the second time that morning.

On our way home, Cynthia and I both agreed that good things come in boxes and in jars, donuts and nightjars, respectively.

Java Java Doo

My year list of birds seen had been quite stagnant for some time now - not seeing any new (for the year) species lately.

The other day, our friend Jops posted his blog wherein he mentioned that they saw a pair of Java Sparrows at the Main Library of the University of the Philippines (U.P.)!

Cynthia and I had the chance to pay a quick visit to U.P. this morning. Unsure if the uncommon sparrows would still be there, I only brought my 300mm lens. Big mistake! We easily found the Javas but they were way up high at the roof of the library. As Jops observed, they were indeed building a nest because my wife and I saw one with some agoho leaves in its beak.

Aside from the Java Sparrows there were the usual avian denizens of the university campus such as a very noisy Black-naped Oriole.

Of course I had to have a gratuitous shot of the migrant bully - the Brown Shrike.

I wasn't feeling that well so we cut short our birding for the day. At least one more species was added to my year list. I'm happy with that.

Santi Pause

Typhoon Santi slammed into Central Luzon very early Saturday morning. "There goes our birding plans," I told my wife. Earlier in the week we planned to visit the Candaba Wetlands with the hope of seeing some migrants. Now as heavy rain came down from the dark skies that idea was unceremoniously shelved.

At around three in the afternoon, the downpour surprisingly came to a halt and the firmament lightened up somewhat. Immediately I got a text from our birding buddy, Peter Ting (who was supposed to go with us to Candaba) asking if it would be OK to go birding in UP (University of the Philippines). I replied "sure, why not?" and informed him that we may not be able to join him (because I wasn't sure if the current pause in the stormy weather would last long enough). He wanted to know where to find the nightjar and the  blue rock thrush so I gave him the directions.

Somehow I felt a little guilty on not giving a precise description of the whereabouts of these two birds that he wanted to see. I discussed the situation with Cynthia and she suggested we go meet up with Peter. I texted him right away and told him we were on our way there.

We met up across Miranda Hall where I last saw the Blue Rock Thrush. Unfortunately, the janitor was cleaning the roof at the very spot where the migrant likes to stay. "Scratch the thrush, " I told our friend, "and let's go see the Nightjar instead." That endeavor was more successful. The nocturnal bird was exactly at the same spot where my wife and I saw it one week ago.

We returned to Miranda Hall. Peter saw a very cooperative female Olive-backed Sunbird perched unperturbed at eye level.

We did a quick foray at the MSI (Marine Science Institute) grounds where the only photographable birds were the Shrikes - the bully Brown and the lovely Long-tailed.

Ominous dark clouds covered the skies and it wasn't long before we felt the cold, tiny drops. Peter wanted to stay a bit longer so we bade our goodbyes.

It was during Santi's pause that we were able to accomplish our good deed. It felt good.

To Health and Back

"For breakfast, instead of cereal with milk, why don't you try coconut milk and pinipig (pounded and toasted glutinous rice flakes). It is healthier and more beneficial to your digestive system."

That was the advice my wife and I got from a respected albulario (folk medicine man). I had been feeling physically down in the dumps lately and my enthusiasm for birding was at a dismal low. The meeting with the albulario lifted up my spirits and I felt a little better after undergoing a hilot (massage) treatment.

That evening as Cynthia and I mulled on the suggested breakfast for the following morning. We looked at each other in an intense mental communication trying to merge our brain waves into one.

"Guinumis!" we both shouted simultaneously.

"Cafe Via Mare!" we chorused.

The plan was set: Go birding at U.P. (University of the Philippines) in the morning then head to our favorite breakfast place in that area afterwards.

Early Saturday morning we were there. We were greeted by fellow bird photographer Steve Albano who had been hoping for the migrant Blue Rock Thrush to show up. Soon we were joined by "local" (he teaches at the University) birder, Bert Madrigal. So far nothing but Yellow-vented Bulbuls and Brown Shrikes were present. After a while, we were joined by another fellow bird photographer, Crisnick Lorenzo who imformed us that the Philippine Nightjar was at its usual roost. Inasmuch as this would be a lifer for Steve, we hurried over. It didn't take long for Bert to locate the nocturnal bird peacefully sleeping on a branch.

"We last saw the Blue Rock Thrush near the Miranda Hall not too far from here," Bert informed us. "But it hadn't been seen lately, though."

Nevertheless we wanted to try our luck. The tree where the thrush was last seen was indeed teeming with birds - the usual Yellow-vented Bulbuls and Brown Shrikes. Then I saw something whitish.

"Pied Triller!" I told my companions.

While we were taking pictures of the Triller, a noisy Coppersmith Barbet called attention to itself. 

Then a chunky reddish bird flew from that tree and landed on the roof of the Miranda Hall.

"Blue Rock Thrush!" I yelled.

Bert couldn't believe our luck in so easily finding this uncommon migrant as Steve and I kept on clicking our shutters excitedly. The Thrush eventually flew off. My wife and I bade goodbye to our friends.

Time to have that coconut milk with pinipig breakfast to nourish me back to health.

Beta than Nothing

Two straight weeks without going birding weighed heavily on my shoulders. It had been raining almost daily since the beginning of the month and that dampened any desire to leave the house. Not wanting to risk exposing our camera gears - not to mention our elderly bodies - to the prospect of a wet outing, my wife and I confined ourselves to the comforts of home.

However the birding itch continued to pester me. A forecast of an oncoming typhoon narrowed our choices to nearby places where we can avoid the "gates of hell" traffic that will be a certainty as soon as a heavy downpour happens. To our surprise Saturday morning was quite sunny (PAGASA the Philippine Weather Bureau had been known to flub their forecasts every so often).

"So where do we go?" Cynthia asked at 5 in the morning.

"U.P." was my unhesitating answer.

Deep within I knew that we always have a fallback option in case birding at the university campus would turn out to be unsatisfactory.

Unsatisfactory it was. A teaser of a Long-tailed Shrike which kept calling for attention and yet hiding under the leafy shadows. 

Not seeing much at the usual places, I contented myself at photographing the white pigeons perched at the library building. (Aren't they supposed to symbolize peace? Then how come my grumbling inner being doesn't feel that peace?)

As we turned into the Beta Way, a Pied Triller flew into view! Since I was using the smaller 300mm lens, the bird was just a white spot in my viewfinder. It was not my best shot. Not even a mediocre shot. It was a borderline "documentary" shot. But at least it was better than nothing.

"It's time to make lemonade out of lemons" I told my wife. To which she heartily agreed because she already knew what it will be.

A sumptuous breakfast at Cafe Via Mare was, as always, the best "lemonade" we could make out of a disappointing birding day.

Birding as an Excuse?

Friday night. My wife and I were playing word games on our respective computers. Buckets of rain were pouring outside our bedroom window punctuated now and then by apocalyptic roars of thunder and flashes of lightning.

"So, are we going birding tomorrow?" Cynthia asked without looking up from her laptop.

Rain, thunder, lightning were foremost in my mind. And I hate admitting it to myself - even a touch of lassitude sort of dampened the tiny vestiges of birding enthusiasm in me. Then it hit me.

I turned away from my iMac and faced my wife. Somehow she sensed that I have an earth-shaking announcement to make. She set down her laptop and looked at me with eyes that sparkled in anticipation albeit tinged with the slightest amount of suspicion.

"Why don't we go to U.P. Diliman early tomorrow?" I suggested, my own eyes twinkling.

"How early?"

"Oh, about 6 am."

She knew! Our vibes were so much in synch that Cynthia was able to figure out right away that I was just using birding at U.P. as a convenient excuse.

We were at the campus grounds even before six. At the parking area in front of the Marine Science Institute (MSI) building we hoped to see the colorful annual migrant, the Blue Rock Thrush. It probably was still too early in the year for its arrival for we did not see it despite a very thorough search.

What we saw, thanks to its very loud "pi-piyaw" calls, was a Black-naped Oriole raiding the fruits of a ficus tree.

A Collared Kingfisher also presented itself rather loudly.

We then went to the parking area of the Main Library. After a short while we met some members of the Wild Bird Club of the Philippines (WBCP): Jops, Maia, Ternel and Tin-tin. They were there to lead the members of the U.P. Mountaineers (UPM) on a bird-watching tour. While waiting for the UPM group to arrive, we were all entertained by Coppersmith Barbets, themselves gorging on the fruits of a nearby tree then perching to enjoy the early morning sun.

At about eight am, we hurriedly bade our friends goodbye. They must have wondered why we were in such a rush. But we were too embarrassed to tell them the truth that our real reason for being at U.P. that morning was not just because of the birds. It was definitely shamefully something else.

It was the mouth-watering crispy adobo flakes and oh so crunchy boneless dilis (small dried fish) that nearby Cafe Via Mare was serving for breakfast.

crispy adobo flakes

crunchy boneless dilis

Nothing but Thrush

I'd been feeling quite trashy these past few days. Runny nose and all those trashy stuff that comes with the common cold kept me housebound. And Cynthia even had it worse!


Saturday morning and my condition was a little better. A quick trip to nearby University of the Philippines' campus would cure me of my birding itch and maybe even my viral ailment. Who knows? The outdoors might be the thing I really needed. My wife preferred to spend her miseries in bed.


Besides I promised our new birding friend, Peter Ting, that I'd meet up with him there. He has not yet seen the annual sweetheart of U.P. birders, the colorful male Blue Rock Thrush. I pretty much guaranteed him that he will definitely, without doubt, get to photograph this bird.


Welllllll........


Of course, he did!


Thankfully, just as soon as Peter got off from his car, the Blue Rock Thrush came flying in, as if on cue, and landed on a branch not that far from us. It was quite a satisfying photo session that ensued afterwards. The thrush even granting us opportunities to take its picture while feasting on those red palm fruits.

Even good things had to come to an end. Our search for other birds near the Vargas Museum turned out to  be so fruitless that we had to resort to photographing butterflies. The area by the beltway was even worse.  By the end of our morning birding sortie we had nothing but thrush to show for our efforts.


At least Peter got his lifer!