Kit Lens Birding

[Toto Gamboa]

I haven't been going birding lately and I think I am on a rut. Then last weekend, I went away off the grid for a 3 night camping and ... went fishing. And for several times now, I consciously went without my birding lens and just brought along a kit lens (the 18-55mm f3.5-5.6).

And often, when you don't have your birding gears, things align. Then the birder in you gets awaken and you are in a rush all of a sudden. However, here is what happened when you only have a kit lens.



Canon 50D, Shot @ 55mm, 1/800sec, ISO200, Handheld.


Canon 50D, Shot @ 55mm, 1/800sec, ISO200, Handheld.


Canon 50D, Shot @ 37mm, 1/800sec, ISO200, Handheld.

With the kit lens, I was able to stalk the bird for like 30 minutes and the closest I had was around 10 meters. I have to shoot from the knee deep water as I notice the bird doesn't mind I am there as long as I stay in the water.

[Ely Teehankee]

It certainly would have been more exciting had you brought your gear. Well at least you had fun with your kit lens and taken some nice sceneries. Well done Toto & Mabuhay.

[des]

Wow! Just look at the terrible state of those hillsides. They should be covered in forest with hornbills and parrots! Even the trees by the resort look like exotics.

[luisitoco]

The reef egret is just one element that composed this very beautiful landscape (pic #3) . Thanks for sharing Sir Toto.

[Toto Gamboa]

Thanks folks! Des, some locals told me that those mountains used to be where the Americans practice their bombing runs with their fighter jets when they still had their military bases in Clark and Subic some decades ago.

The trees on the beach on the other hand were brought about by the Mount Pinatubo explosion. I don't know if that is true but seems all the coves in the area seem to be littered with pine trees. The locals said the beaches were treeless eversince they knew prior to the explosion.

[Neon Rosell II]

Wow! nice scenery, Toto! Love the environmental shot!

[Bob Kaufman]

Lessons learned. ;D But you did best with what you have. Now you have to tell me where this is because the Reef Egret would be a lifer for me.

[Toto Gamboa]

Thanks Neon and sir Bob.

Sir Bob, the pacific reef egret is a guaranteed fixture in Nagsasa Cove, Pundaquit Zambales. A 1.5 hours boat ride from Pundaquit. It is I think very used to tourists, so you will be guaranteed full framers from long canons to wide kit lens type shots

For 3 camping days, the bird would feed at around 4pm to sundown (100% guaranteed) where the golden sun hits its beautiful plumage. The time it feeds though will force you to probably stay and camp out at night in the cove (no electricity, no accommodations, amenities but only the bare essentials like toilets, mini enterprising sarisari stores na walang laman hehe) unless you want to brave the boat ride back to Pundaquit because of darkness and rough seas. The sea begins to get rough in the afternoon. Tents, cooking utensils and some essential stuff can be rented from boatmen.

But the beauty of the place is superb! You will fall in love with the place!

ADDED INFO: for 4 days that I was there, there were a few bird calls unknown to me. Never bothered to look for them though as I dont have the gears. While traveling along the coast on our way back home, I saw 3 of those reef egrets together with a white egret on the high mountain walls facing the ocean. I also saw a kingfisher hovering like a hummingbird for 15 seconds or so above the water just before it darts itself to pick up some fish.

[Mark Itol]

LOL. It always pays to happen to have your gear with you always. Love the scenery, Toto. Looks like it's a great place to unwind (and perhaps bird).

[Mick Harris]

Nice shots ... brings back memories of my visit there in December last year although no Reef Egrets there then.

[tina mallari]

Very nice shots Toto. I like shots with the scenery in them. I enjoyed looking at these photos. It's great that you were able to take these photos even if you had kit lens with you lang.

I had a strong feeling that this was taken in Zambales and I was right :-)

[Toto Gamboa]

Thanks Mark, Mick and Tina

[Michael R. Anton]

Wow nice set, Toto!;-)