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!

Look to the Rainbow

It was still dark as we traversed the road going to Infanta. There was intermittent precipitation - sometimes a soft drizzle, other times a good amount of rainfall. Somehow this did not discourage us. We've been through this experience before and almost always it became sunny when we arrived at our destination. Actually we were glad that finally rain came. There was an ongoing water crisis in MetroManila attributed to the drought caused by El Nino. This downpour would somehow mitigate such problems.

The sun was up when were about half-way to where we intend to go birding. We stopped by the roadside so we could enjoy our takeout breakfast. As I looked behind me I saw this gorgeous rainbow in the horizon.

Rainbows are symbols of hope and of promises of good things to come. We took that as an assurance that we would have a good birding morning.

About half past seven, we were at the Asuncion property. We asked Hanny, the caretaker, if the Philippine Dwarf Kingfisher, which our friend, Bong, saw and photographed just two days ago, was still there. Unfortunately, not anymore, he said. Even the Cream-bellied Fruit Dove was already gone, he told us almost apologetically. Was seeing the rainbow not working at all?

We proceeded to km 107 and our hoped for Paddyfield Pipit gave our diminishing hopes a much needed boost.

Then a Blue Rock Thrush added more zeal to our photographic endeavors.

Pacific Swallows were taking a break from their morning flights.

Actually, what we were really looking for was the fruiting hagimit tree (trees?). Friends have posted photos recently of the various birds enjoying such fruits. Eventually we found one. However, the fruits were now almost gone. The only bird

we saw there was a Buzzing Flowerpecker.

We did see other birds such as a Bicolored Flowerpecker, a Guaiabero, and a Philippine Fairy Bluebird, but they were so skittish that we were not able to get any shots at all.

It was while waiting and hoping that more birds would come to the fruits that a mixed flock came passing by - led by a Sulphur-billed Nuthatch.

The Elegant Tits were bolder and sometimes would perch not far from we were, albeit not too long, as they would go after some unfortunate insect.

The Blue-headed Fantails were also very active in their pursuit of their morning repasts.

After the flock left, we also decided to look for more hagimit trees. Sad to say none of those we saw had fruits in them. Before we called it a day we stopped by the only tree with the fruits. Despite a long wait we didn't see anything new except for some Philippine Bulbuls.

Even though we did not see the species we were hoping to photograph (and possible lifers) we were still happy that we got good pictures of some colorful birds of the area. Sometimes it is when we do not get what we wanted that we get to appreciate the things we tend to overlook.

It was like looking at the rainbow all over again.

At the End of a Rainbow

Eos softly wiped the darkness from the skies as we traversed the newly constructed highway towards Balagtas, Bulacan. Friends recommended this route because it has relatively less vehicular traffic. Well, that was true but what our friends didn't tell us was the abundance of people!  - joggers, runners and even whole families taking a leisurely walk alongside (and dangerously close) to the road.

Nevertheless it was a beautiful dawn and as we approached the turn towards Baliuag, I saw the ends of a double rainbow. 

I parked our car at the shoulder (carefully avoiding the throngs of people passing by) so that my wife and I can better enjoy the view. As I got off the car, lo and behold the rainbow was now a complete arch of colors! I can't remember the last time I saw one like this. I grabbed my cellphone and took pictures determined to capture the image of this wonder of nature.

A rainbow is certainly a good omen and Cynthia and I hoped that we will find what we drove some 80 kms for. 

The road near the "back door" to the Candaba Wetlands were Bittern territory that morning. Typical of the this family, the bitterns would remain hidden from view and would only flush out when we are just a few feet from them. Thankfully some of them settled in full view at not too much of a distance, thus allowing us to take their photographs. 

Near the ricefields a single Common Greenshank did not seem lost nor forsaken.

We entered through the "back door" and immediately saw swarms of Chestnut Munias. The usual Striated Grassbirds were already singing odes to Phoebus.

As we drove towards the Mayor's house we would stop every so often to look for birds. It was during one these stops that I noticed some plain-looking medium-sized birds that were neither turtle doves nor zebra doves cavorting under the leafy canopy of the tree beside our car. I raised my binoculars to my eyes and almost dropped them. White-shouldered Starlings!

"Quick, hand me the camera!" I told my wife who was sitting next to me. First, she handed me her lighter 300mm gear which was sitting on her lap. The starlings remained unperturbed after I had taken several shots so I asked her to get my 500mm which was sitting by itself in the back seat. More photos followed.

We parked near the Mayor's house and proceeded to the spot beyond the goat corral. Almost immediately we saw the bird we came to see. The GISS (General Impression of Size and Shape) - not to mention its coloring and skulking habit - definitely said "Dusky Warbler".  Taking a picture of this rare bird was a challenge we were not able to meet. To make things even worse an Arctic Warbler appeared at the same area adding doubts to our earlier sightings.

Our way out was punctuated by sightings of the usual suspects: Ducks (yes, they're still there - mostly Wandering Whistling, Philippine and Tufted), Little Grebes and Zitting Cisticolas.

We had a noontime appointment in Magalang some 30 kms away so we had to cut short our birding activities that morning.

That afternoon as we rode towards the sunset, we saw another rainbow, albeit just a tiny portion of it. 

I pointed it to Cynthia and said, "Confirmed?"

"Confirmed: Dusky," she agreed, "a rainbow will not lie to us."