UPDATES #3 & #4 - Progress of Nesting BESRAs in BK

[Ramon Quisumbing]

UPDATE 6/1/12

I checked the Besra nest today. First, I saw the female moving in the nest. Then the female left, and to my surprise, the male arrived (this was only the second time I had seen the male in the nest).

Here is a photo of the male Besra.

Canon 1D Mark IV camera, 800 mm lens, remote trigger, tripod. F/8, ISO-3200, 1/100 second, manual exposure, manual focusing.

After a while, the male left, and the female arrived. She then surprisingly started adding twigs with leaves inside the nest. My guess is she added more or softer lining to the nest, because her eggs have hatched or are about to hatch.


Canon 1D Mark IV camera, 800 mm lens, remote trigger, tripod. F/8, ISO-3200, 1/100 second, manual exposure, manual focusing.

I commended and gave the nest guardian another bonus.

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UPDATE 5/26/12

I checked the Besra nest today, and for an hour or so, the female Besra sat quietly on the nest with its tail sticking out. No sign of the male. I concluded that the female was still sitting on her eggs.

I commended and gave the nest guardian another bonus.

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UPDATE 5/5/12

I checked the Besra nest at 6 am today, and did not see either Besra. I set up my camera gear on Live-View with my new wireless trigger, and waited for an hour with no luck. I took test shots of the nest every few minutes. I was hoping I would not be unlucky like Ely Teehankee last Sunday, who waited a long time without seeing the Besras.

Then, when I was looking at my LCD screen on 5x Live-View, I saw a glimmer of movement through the tiny gaps between the twigs of the nest. It was only then that I noticed the end of the brown barred tailfeathers of the female Besra. She had been sitting still and totally hidden in the deep nest -- which likely means that she has laid her eggs!

Then, 2 noisy Balicassiaos came close to the nest calling loudly. But the female Besra did not budge. Good for her!

When I downloaded my test photos, I could see the ends of her tailfeathers in all the photos. The female Besra had been in the nest all along.

Here is one photo where the female shifted so that her tail stuck out for a minute.

Canon 1D Mark IV camera, 800 mm lens, wireless trigger, tripod. F/5.6, ISO-500, 1/125 second, manual.

I gave the nest guardian another bonus. He will text me when he sees the Besras bringing food to the nest for the nestlings, which will mean that the eggs have hatched. I hope to be able to take photos of the nestlings, although I note that the nest is quite deep. This is exciting! I am not aware of anyone ever having photographed Philippine Besra nestlings.

* Ely, you should check your photos of the nest from last Sunday. I bet you'll see the ends of the female's tailfeathers.

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UPDATE 4/28/12

I returned to check the Besra nest 6 days later on April 28, and the nest construction is progressing.

We had built a blind at the vantage point, because Des Allen cautioned me that 30 meters is too close to the Besra nest and we might spook them. The blind apparently works because the Besra no longer looked at me. Moving farther away is not feasible because the nest is not visible because of the foliage.

I am shooting from behind and underneath the blind. The blind has a top cover because Des warned that the male will fly over to check us out. The male did fly over us twice on our first visit on April 21.


I do not believe the female Besra has laid its eggs yet, because after 7 am, she leaves the nest for long periods.

F/5.6, ISO-1600, 1/100 second, manual exposure.


F/5.6, ISO-800, 1/200 second, manual exposure.

When the female Besra left the nest at 7 am, I thought we were done and started packing my gear. I then saw movement in the nest and thought the female had returned. But it was the male! This was my first opportunity to capture the smaller and more colorful male. But I could only get these documentary photos.

F/5.6, ISO-800, 1/160 second, manual exposure.


F/5.6, ISO-800, 1/200 second, manual exposure.

I hope to go back this weekend to find the female laying on her eggs.

Canon 1D Mark IV camera, 800 mm lens, tripod.

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ORIGINAL POSTING - 4/24/12

We started a nest reporting/bonus program as part of our bird conservation efforts in BK Valley. Last week, a local farmer availed of the bonus and reported a nest of small hawks on a tall tree in the forest (exact location kept confidential). He has been appointed as the nest's guardian with instructions to discourage people from approaching the tree.

What a bonus! They are lifers for me. Des Allen has identified this as a BESRA (Accipiter virgatus confusus), a resident of the Philippines. This is the female in the nest. Taken 4/22/12.

Canon 1D Mark IV camera, 800 mm lens, tripod.

1.4x extender, F/8, ISO-1600, 1/60 second, manual exposure.


F/5.6, ISO-1600, 1/160 second, manual exposure.


1.4x extender, F/8, ISO-1600, 1/80 second, manual exposure.

[tina mallari]

Wow another big plus for BK Valley. You guys are really doing more than a great job at protecting the birds at BK Valley and that incentive for the farmers is really working :-)

I know I have said this before but you are so lucky to have a place there and the birds are so lucky that they have people there who appreciate them and will look after them.

GREAT JOB Ramon, Dion and the farmers and their families.

[Ely Teehankee]

The first and only time that I saw a Besra was in Bohol. In fact it was very far but I was still happy to have seen the bird and photograph it for the first time. Now that you have seen and photograph it real close it is more beautiful than I thought. The nest seems to be unfinished. I would imagine that there would be a soft spot for the bird to lay its eggs and be able to incubate it. Right now the twigs seems to be so far apart that the eggs can just fall in between the branches. I am sure that the bird knows what to do and it is going to be exciting when the hatchlings are being fed. Well done Ramon & Mabuhay.

[Michael R. Anton]

Great job on the incentive program, Ramon! Congrats! Beautiful captures!

[Ramon Quisumbing]

Apr 24, 2012 1:45:18 GMT tina mallari said:

Wow another big plus for BK Valley. You guys are really doing more than a great job at protecting the birds at BK Valley and that incentive for the farmers is really working :-)

I know I have said this before but you are so lucky to have a place there and the birds are so lucky that they have people there who appreciate them and will look after them.

GREAT JOB Ramon, Dion and the farmers and their families.

Thank you, Tina. So far, under our program, the locals have reported and guarded this Besra nest, 3 Plain Bush-Hen nests (I photographed 2 hatchlings that have since fledged), 2 Tawny Grassbird nests (I photographed 2 hatchlings last weekend), 3 Striated Grassbird nests, 1 Long-Tailed Shrike nest (with 5 eggs), and 1 Buttonquail nest. We hope to see bigger bird populations in BK in the next few years.

[Ramon Quisumbing]

Thank you, Ely and Michael.

[Tirso Paris]

Congrats on your conservation program. We hope to see the Besra as well as other species forever at BK Valley.

[Ramon Quisumbing]

Thanks, Prof. Tirso. Dion Pullan's and my goal is to make BK Valley the bird haven of the Philippines, hopefully similar to Costa Rica.

[Neon Rosell II]

Wow! congratulations, Ramon! Your program is doing wonders to our avian friends! Thank you for spearheading this project as it would be much easier for us to take photos of some hard to find species. :-)

[Ramon Quisumbing]

Thanks, Neon.

[Ariel Matias]

Congratulations Ramon! Your program really works!

[Ramon Quisumbing]

Thanks, Ariel. Too early to tell though that our program is working. We'll see in the next few years if there is an increase in bird populations in BK and Mt. Banahaw.

[Bobby Kintanar]

Very nice bonus indeed! A nesting pair is really an outstanding find - big congrats! :-)

[Ramon Quisumbing]

Thanks, Bobby. It is really exciting to see the nesting Besras and to monitor their progress. I'm going back to BK tomorrow.

[Sylvia Ramos]

Congrats on the pictures and the program!! It sounds like a good plan, I hope it works! Kudos on starting something like that in BK.

[Ramon Quisumbing]

Thanks, Sylvia.

[Jessar Inocencio (JOYiNO)]

Congrats sir Ramon for the wonderful conservation project...i really admire your work..Hope someday i can visit BK valley...

[Elvin Sansona]

Nice shots!

[Burr Patterson, Jr.]

They put "The Eye" on you.

Nice, very sharp!!

Thanks

[Carmela Balcazar]

The farmers are aware of nests around. They just take it for granted since they live with these animals on a daily basis. It takes visitors and outsiders to open their eyes and hearts to the beauty of their place and instill pride in their community's natural treasures.

I would also reiterate that it is NOT enough that we tell them how lucky they are or beautiful their place is. These farmers and their communities have to survive as well. Bird and Butterfly watchers, as well as Wild Bird Photographers play a vital role in sustaining the custodianship of these sites. Patronize local businesses, pay fees, hire local guides and don't be stingy. A few hundred pesos goes a long way for these communities and ensures the survival of the wild life for generations.