Too Little, Too Late

Recent postings in Facebook of some beautiful birds taken in Infanta by our friends made us consider going there to try our luck. Again, because I was told that there are several checkpoints on the way, I was a bit concerned that we may not be allowed to go through, being senior citizens. Then Cynthia wisely said, we wouldn't know unless we tried.

Saturday we were set to go. To my shock, our car wouldn't start! I did a quick prayer and tapped on the battery terminal. Thank God the car started and never gave us any trouble afterwards. At the first checkpoint in Tanay, the soldiers were very strict. The vehicle ahead of us was asked to turn around. When it was our turn, the soldier asked where we are going. I replied (in English) that we plan to go birdwatching along the road in Real going to Infanta. To our surprise, he smiled and let us go through. 

As we reached our destination, our first stop was at Francis' house. Unfortunately he was at work. His wife was so nice and even pointed a Pacific Swallow perched just below their roof.

We thanked her and we moved on. Surprisingly, there weren't birds by the roadside probably because the hagimit trees were no longer in fruit. We proceeded to the area behind the chapel. There we met a group of bird photographers led by Mark Ghee. They told us that they saw an Amethyst Brown Dove and Philippine Fairy Bluebirds. As we waited for these birds to reappear, one of the guys pointed at a tiny bird moving around. We took some photos of the very active Buzzing Flowerpecker.

Without any more birds seen or heard the group decided to leave. Cynthia and I stayed behind hoping that some bird, any bird, would appear. Then came a flash of yellow-orange. "Scarlet Minivet!" I excitedly told my wife. This was the first time we've seen this species here in the Philippines!

Happy that we got good shots of this colorful species, we climbed back to where our car was parked. At an open space we saw a couple of Large-billed Crows at a distance roosting on a pine tree. I got a shot at one of them. 

That open space was where we used to see a Paddyfield Pipit. However, we didn't see any this time. As  we exited that place, by the roadside, we saw two Paddyfield Pipits!

It was almost 11 am and as we were about to leave, we made a short stop at Gina's Garden. There Cynthia was able to get a shot at a Philippine Fairy Bluebird.

It was quite disheartening that in more than 3 hours of birding we only were able to photograph six bird species! We were too late because the usual trees that attract the birds were no longer fruiting.

Malaysia Birding, Day 4 - Filling the Gap

We still had the whole morning to spare before we go to Kuala Lumpur for our flight back home. As we had decided yesterday, we planned to tackle the Hemmant trail. Our agreement was as soon as we encounter a bird wave then we go back after that. Quite honestly, my wife and I were no longer expecting to see any more lifers within the planned two hour excursion into the trail.

Serendipity, however, happened as soon as we stepped out of our hotel. I saw a largish bird alight on the tree right in front of us. Curiosity aroused, I followed the dark object move up the trunk (the sun wasn't fully up yet). 

"What is it?" Cynthia asked noticing the smile on my face.

"Lesser Yellownape!" I pointed to the woodpecker. "Another lifer for us!"

Our luck did not end at the Shazan Hotel parking lot. At the entrance to the Hemmant trail, the Rufous-browed Flycatcher provided a deja vu (shall I say, deja view?)

Inside the trail, the hoped for wave never came. Well, it did about several meters from the entrance as were already on the way out. There was one bird in the group (composed mostly of Mountain Fulvettas and Mountain Tailorbirds) that kept warbling but stayed under the leaves most of the time. Patience only gave us documentary shots of another lifer, the Chestnut-capped Warbler.

At the trees overlooking the golf course, we spotted some dark birds. There was a female Black-and-Crimson Oriole, an all black, unassuming bird which we had seen before at the Jelai area. Then a flash of red! At last, the male came into view showing the red breast for which it was named.

We walked jauntily back to the hotel, packed our luggage and waited for the car that will take us to the airport. When we arranged for the transport we asked the hotel manager if it was ok to request the driver to stop if we see a bird along the way, particularly at the Gap Road. He smiled and said the driver was already used to transporting birders and that stopping for a bird would not be a problem.

Noon and we're off. Unfortunately that was the time of day when only a few birds were active. Even at the Gap Road - a renowned birding place. Serendipity still happened when we saw a pair of Scarlet Minivets, our final lifer for the trip.

As we approached the outskirts of Kuala Lumpur, I asked the driver if we could still stop whenever we see some urban birds to which he happily agreed. So we got pictures of the Common Myna and the White-vented (Javan) Myna. Gap-fillers they may be, but still interesting to see them in the city.

Common Myna

White-vented Myna