Romblon birds

[Enrique Frio]

Romblon birds

I went birding with Mark Wallbank in Romblon island and we recorded 56 bird species while there. The surprise bird was the endemic streak-breasted bulbul (Ixos siquijorensis) which we found thriving quite well on the island, although not as plentiful as the Asian glossy starlings. I'm not sure which race it is (siquijorensis or cinereiceps).

Here are some of the birds we saw - enjoy!

-Enrique

All shots: Canon 7D, Canon 100-400L IS lens
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White-breasted Woodswallow (Artamus leucorynchus)

1/1250s // f11 // ISO 800 // 365mm // Canon 420EX Flash fired




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Pied Bushchat (Saxicola caprata)

1/250s // f9 // ISO 400 // 400mm // monopod + ballhead // Canon 420EX Flash fired




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Streak-breasted bulbul (Ixos siquijorensis) - race?

A Philippine endemic, clearly the star bird of our trip. Very dark shooting conditions. It is nesting as we saw it tearing away some of the palm tree's trunk fibers and flying away with it.

1/200s // f7.1 // ISO 3200 // 340mm // Canon 420EX Flash fired




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Pink-necked Green Pigeon (Treron vernans), male in breeding plumage

Gorgeous colors!

1/125s // f5.6 // ISO 640 // 400mm // hand-held // Canon 420EX Flash fired



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Pacific reef egret (Egretta sacra), dark morph, catching a fish

1/250s // f9 // ISO 800 // 380mm [lens creep!] // monopod + ballhead //



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Olive-backed Sunbird (Cinnyris jugularis) fledgling calling

1/2000s // f5.6 // ISO 400 // 400mm // monopod + ball head //



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Olive-backed Sunbird (Cinnyris jugularis) male

1/320s // f14 // ISO 800 // 400mm // monopod + ballhead // Canon 420EX Flash fired



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Olive-backed Sunbird (Cinnyris jugularis) fledgling balancing in the wind

1/320s // f10 // ISO 400 // 400mm // Full- frame // monopod + ball head




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White-collared kingfisher (Todirhampus chloris)

1/200s // f8 // ISO 800 // 400mm // Manual focus through swaying leaves and branches // monopod + ball head




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Black-chinned fruit dove (Ptilinopus leclancheri) - adult male

1/200s // f9 // ISO 800 // 400mm // tripod + ball head // Canon 420EX Flash fired




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Black-chinned fruit dove (Ptilinopus leclancheri) - juvenile [full-frame]

I stalked this dove for 15 minutes as it rested in a fruiting tree, proceeding down the slope slowly behind a fallen dead tree and tall grass. I was able to close in at 4.97 meters and get full-frame shots. I was intrigued by the alternating green and turquoise blue colors in its wing feathers. Of all my shots, this semi-frontal view of the head shows the black chin feathers the best.

1/200s // f9 // ISO 320 // 400mm // Full- frame // Handheld - manual focus through branches //



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Black-chinned fruit dove (Ptilinopus leclancheri) - juvenile, head shot

The dove's eye (I love the angled parts that break the circular outline of the eye), red part at the base of the bill's lower mandible, and black chin feathers were so cool to see up close (100% crop downsized to 800 pixels wide).

1/250s // f9 // ISO 320 // 400mm // Handheld - manual focus through branches //




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Purple-throated sunbird (Nectarinia sperata), adult male

Currently my favorite bird! More photos of this male at: birdphotoph.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=photo&action=display&thread=7384

1/160s // f10 // ISO 1000 // 340 mm // Canon 420EX Flash fired



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Purple-throated sunbird (Nectarinia sperata) , adult female

1/160s // f10 // ISO 1000 // 400 mm // Canon 420EX Flash fired



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Purple-throated sunbird (Nectarinia sperata), adult male, head shot

Different colors show depending on the quality and angle of light hitting the feathers. One can see the various purple hues (violet and blue) of the throat feathers, and the yellow-green-gold hues of the crown feathers. The variable iridescence is so beautiful!

1/500s // f9 // ISO 800 // 400mm // Canon 420EX Flash fired // (100% crop downsized to 800 pixels wide)



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[Jun Gregorio]

Great set. I'm particularly interested because I have the same lens. But having a hard time getting used to it.

[William Lim]

Bountiful harvest, Enrique.

[tomvandenbrandt]

They are all very beautiful, well done!!

Regards, Tom

[Neon Rosell II]

Wow! wonderful captures, Enrique! With a harvest this much on a single sortie, I'll add Romblon to my list of "must see" birding areas. I think this is the first posted photos of birds from that place. Thanks for blazing the trail.

[des]

Very nice! It is Ixos (s.) cinereiceps.

[Renoir Abrea]

Great Harvest' Congrats

[mantarey]

Excellent series Enrique, the adult Black-chined and the Purple-throat tops them all for me. Congrats, very fine job.

[Mick Harris]

Great Sunbird shots

[Edwin Matias]

Enrique,
Wonderful Series, Thumbs Up.

Regards,
Edwin

[Mark Itol]

Wonderful harvest, Enrique!

[Enrique Frio]

Apr 16, 2011 16:36:19 GMT Jun Gregorio said:

Great set. I'm particularly interested because I have the same lens. But having a hard time getting used to it.

Thanks, Jun! Every lens and camera combo has its own specific interactions and it took me a while to get more ready with the 7D+100-400L IS lens. Also I find that a monopod and ball head (I use the Manfrotto Hydrostatic Ball Head with RC4 Rapid Connect System - it can move fluidly for following birds, and a quick release lock enables switching to hand held BIF shots quickly) is great for long hours of shooting. Practice a lot and look at the exif data of your shots to see where improvements can be made.

[Enrique Frio]

Apr 16, 2011 21:37:32 GMT William Lim said:

Bountiful harvest, Enrique.

Thanks, sir William! There were 56 species we encountered but the rest were either too far or too fast.

[Enrique Frio]

Apr 17, 2011 0:45:50 GMT Neon Rosell II said:

Wow! wonderful captures, Enrique! With a harvest this much on a single sortie, I'll add Romblon to my list of "must see" birding areas. I think this is the first posted photos of birds from that place. Thanks for blazing the trail.

Thanks, Neon! Your shots are Neonific! Your long lens can get you closer shots than mine. The history of the place and the marble products were a treat as well.

[Enrique Frio]

Apr 17, 2011 16:57:03 GMT des said:

Very nice! It is Ixos (s.) cinereiceps.

Thanks, Des! We were under the impression that the SBB is very threatened on Romblon Island, and perhaps extinct in Tablas. Mark and I were elated to find a few on RI. Is the Siquijor population still good?

[Enrique Frio]

Apr 17, 2011 21:48:00 GMT Renoir Abrea said:

Great Harvest' Congrats

Thanks, Renoir! It was challenging but fun!

[Enrique Frio]

Apr 18, 2011 9:43:19 GMT @mantarey said:

Excellent series Enrique, the adult Black-chined and the Purple-throat tops them all for me. Congrats, very fine job.

Thanks, sir Rey! I thought the BCFD was far, but there was sufficient detail for a web sized photo, though I wouldn't mind getting a beter shot of it next time.

[Enrique Frio]

Apr 18, 2011 22:08:02 GMT Mick Harris said:

Great Sunbird shots

Thanks, Mick! Sunbirds have a rhythm in their movements, and I waited for their profile "pose" [among many others[ before pressing the shutter. They are also hard to get all in focus, hence the high f-stop numbers. They're very skittish as well.

[Enrique Frio]

Apr 19, 2011 2:31:35 GMT Edwin Matias said:

Enrique,
Wonderful Series, Thumbs Up.

Regards,
Edwin

Thanks, Edwin! There are many more I'd like to get better photos of.

[Enrique Frio]

Apr 19, 2011 4:42:35 GMT Mark Itol said:

Wonderful harvest, Enrique!

Thanks, Mark! Congrats on your new lifer!