Typhoon Brings Whiskered Terns to Ayala Alabang!

[Sylvia Ramos]

This was at around 7am on October 31st as Typhoon Santi was battering Manila with signal #3 winds. We were at home wondering what happens to the birds when a strong typhoon hits. Do they stay in the trees? Go under a roof? Well, we were very surprised to find out that around 360 Whiskered Terns, 1 Asian Golden Plover, and 1 Common Sandpiper waited out the storm in the middle of the polo field of Ayala Alabang Country Club! This was our first time to see those birds in Alabang.

Tonji also saw an Osprey right outside our house at around 6.30 am, but no photo of that.

All of the Whiskered Terns are hunched down, facing towards the wind. Amazing to see! We took quick pictures from the car, as it was still raining. The cameras were also moving a lot because of the strong wind

I was using a 300mm lens with a 1.4tc and couldn't fit all the birds in the viewfinder.







More pictures in our smugmug gallery:
tonjiandsylviasbirdlist.smugmug.com/Birds-Doing-Stuff/typhoon/10149464_AmS7s/1/698089662_eVR37

[ppaaoolloo]

What a find sylvia I wonder what you would've found at the golf course. I'll check out the place tomorrow. Are they migrating South?

[Ely Teehankee]

That is really very interesting. They face the wind so they can withstand the pressure and not be blown away. The birds look so discipline, they are all facing in one direction. Thank you for sharing this wonderful documentation of this rarely seen event. Well done Sylvia. Mabuhay.

[JP Cariño]

i ahd a similar experience at the polo field and filinvest 8 years back during a storm. unfortunately i didnt know what the birds were back then

[Neon Rosell II]

Wow, nice catch, Sylvia, thanks for documenting and sharing this behavior

[Toto Gamboa]

Woooooooow. Great capture. Dagdag kaalaman to THanks for braving the wind to take these shots.

[alainpascua]

Wow, what a find! I noticed this same behavior in Balanga, Bataan, whenever the terns are on land, and they really face in the direction where the wind is coming from. Not only terns, but shanks and stilts as well.

[Sylvia Ramos]

Glad you all found this interesting too. I have to give kudos to Tonji though, he was the one who went out in the first place and found them!