Post by Ramon Quisumbing on Jul 1, 2012 3:22:05 GMT
BLUE PARADISE-FLYCATCHER (Terpsiphone cyanescens) – an uncommon endemic of Palawan.
I went birding in Capayas Creek outside Coron, Busuanga, Palawan last June 7-8 and again on June 26-27. I was assisted by superb bird guide, Erwin Edonga, who lives at Capayas Creek. Capayas Creek is part of the watershed of Coron and has lush forest on both creek banks, although the areas beyond the creek banks have been cleared and there are several houses. Nevertheless, in an area of one-half hectare alongside the creek, there is an amazing number of spectacular, endemic bird species thriving and breeding. I have just purchased 1,300 square meters and plan to purchase another 800 sqm or more – which I will fence off and preserve as a permanent bird haven with Erwin Edonga as caretaker. The future “Capayas Creek Bird Preserve” will, of course, be accessible by birders and tourists.
Erwin showed me this nest of Blue Paradise-Flycatchers about 5 feet off the ground in a sapling. The Kennedy Guide says: “Birds with enlarged gonads recorded in Apr. A nest was found in Jul. about 2 m from the ground.” -- with no mention of eggs or nestlings. So, this may be a rare photo-record of a BPFC nest with eggs and nestlings. Ely Teehankee documented a BPFC nest in Mt. Darala, Coron last year, which might have been this same nesting pair.
Canon 1D Mark IV camera, 800 mm lens, remote trigger, tripod.
Female BPFC sitting in the nest.
F/10, ISO-10,000, 1/3 second, manual focusing and exposure. This was taken at 7 am, and the lighting under the forest canopy was so poor that the auto-focus would not work.
I found it unusual that during the 4 days (June 7-8 and 26-27) that I periodically checked the nest, I saw the female only this once, when she sat on the eggs in the very early morning of June 7. The rest of the time, I only saw the male sitting on the eggs on June 7-8, and then feeding the nestlings on June 26-27.
Male BPFC sitting in the nest.
F/8, ISO-3200, 1/20 second, manual exposure.
When the parents were gone, I took this close-up of the 3 BPFC eggs with my iPhone camera.
The bump under the twig is actually a half-eaten cicada being held by this male BPFC with its left foot.
F/5.6, ISO-1600, 1/100 second, manual exposure.
The male BPFC then tossed the half-eaten cicada in the air and caught it with its beak.
F/5.6, ISO-1000, 1/60 second, manual exposure.
I seldom saw the female BPFC, even away from the nest. This is my only clear but partial photo of the female.
F/5.6, ISO-1250, 1/80 second, manual exposure.
There are Black-naped Monarchs in Capayas Creek, and it is difficult to distinguish the female PBFC from the female BNM. The female BPFC is bigger, has a longer bill and has no blackish feathers in the nape. As for the males, the male BPFC has an all-blue body, is bigger, and has no black nape.
Three weeks later, I went back to Coron, and 2 of the 3 eggs had hatched. The nest is not built under leaves, so the poor nestlings get rained on.
Taken with iPhone camera when the father was away.
The father is feeding the 2 nestlings.
F/8, ISO-5000, 1/30 second, manual exposure.
I watched the male energetically bringing live insects to the nestlings. I saw it fly off in the distance to catch more, and when I looked back at the nest, it was miraculously there again with a different insect. I quickly checked my photos and realized that this was a DIFFERENT male BPFC. Unlike the adult male in the previous photo, this male has less developed black feathers in the lores and chin, has a whitish instead of blue belly, and has a shorter tail. My guess is that this is a "helper bird" (a term I learned last week from Desmond Allen), probably an offspring from the previous brood. He was helping feed his younger siblings! Amazing! Des / Steve, your expert opinions please.
F/8, ISO-5000, 1/40 second, manual exposure.
F/8, ISO-5000, 1/30 second, manual exposure.
After a day of near-continuous rain, the sun came out -- and I saw a pair of BPFCs calling and playing with each other. This male is clean and fresh with a "blow-dried" look. In my opinion, the BPFC is one of our most beautiful birds.
F/5.6, ISO-2500, 1/160 second, manual exposure.
So far, I have counted 2 pairs of BPFCs, a helper male and the 2 nestlings - or a total of 7 BPFCs in this 1/2 hectare area of Capayas Creek, even though the KG says they are uncommon. It's so heartening to see them thriving there.
I went birding in Capayas Creek outside Coron, Busuanga, Palawan last June 7-8 and again on June 26-27. I was assisted by superb bird guide, Erwin Edonga, who lives at Capayas Creek. Capayas Creek is part of the watershed of Coron and has lush forest on both creek banks, although the areas beyond the creek banks have been cleared and there are several houses. Nevertheless, in an area of one-half hectare alongside the creek, there is an amazing number of spectacular, endemic bird species thriving and breeding. I have just purchased 1,300 square meters and plan to purchase another 800 sqm or more – which I will fence off and preserve as a permanent bird haven with Erwin Edonga as caretaker. The future “Capayas Creek Bird Preserve” will, of course, be accessible by birders and tourists.
Erwin showed me this nest of Blue Paradise-Flycatchers about 5 feet off the ground in a sapling. The Kennedy Guide says: “Birds with enlarged gonads recorded in Apr. A nest was found in Jul. about 2 m from the ground.” -- with no mention of eggs or nestlings. So, this may be a rare photo-record of a BPFC nest with eggs and nestlings. Ely Teehankee documented a BPFC nest in Mt. Darala, Coron last year, which might have been this same nesting pair.
Canon 1D Mark IV camera, 800 mm lens, remote trigger, tripod.
Female BPFC sitting in the nest.
F/10, ISO-10,000, 1/3 second, manual focusing and exposure. This was taken at 7 am, and the lighting under the forest canopy was so poor that the auto-focus would not work.
I found it unusual that during the 4 days (June 7-8 and 26-27) that I periodically checked the nest, I saw the female only this once, when she sat on the eggs in the very early morning of June 7. The rest of the time, I only saw the male sitting on the eggs on June 7-8, and then feeding the nestlings on June 26-27.
Male BPFC sitting in the nest.
F/8, ISO-3200, 1/20 second, manual exposure.
When the parents were gone, I took this close-up of the 3 BPFC eggs with my iPhone camera.
The bump under the twig is actually a half-eaten cicada being held by this male BPFC with its left foot.
F/5.6, ISO-1600, 1/100 second, manual exposure.
The male BPFC then tossed the half-eaten cicada in the air and caught it with its beak.
F/5.6, ISO-1000, 1/60 second, manual exposure.
I seldom saw the female BPFC, even away from the nest. This is my only clear but partial photo of the female.
F/5.6, ISO-1250, 1/80 second, manual exposure.
There are Black-naped Monarchs in Capayas Creek, and it is difficult to distinguish the female PBFC from the female BNM. The female BPFC is bigger, has a longer bill and has no blackish feathers in the nape. As for the males, the male BPFC has an all-blue body, is bigger, and has no black nape.
Three weeks later, I went back to Coron, and 2 of the 3 eggs had hatched. The nest is not built under leaves, so the poor nestlings get rained on.
Taken with iPhone camera when the father was away.
The father is feeding the 2 nestlings.
F/8, ISO-5000, 1/30 second, manual exposure.
I watched the male energetically bringing live insects to the nestlings. I saw it fly off in the distance to catch more, and when I looked back at the nest, it was miraculously there again with a different insect. I quickly checked my photos and realized that this was a DIFFERENT male BPFC. Unlike the adult male in the previous photo, this male has less developed black feathers in the lores and chin, has a whitish instead of blue belly, and has a shorter tail. My guess is that this is a "helper bird" (a term I learned last week from Desmond Allen), probably an offspring from the previous brood. He was helping feed his younger siblings! Amazing! Des / Steve, your expert opinions please.
F/8, ISO-5000, 1/40 second, manual exposure.
F/8, ISO-5000, 1/30 second, manual exposure.
After a day of near-continuous rain, the sun came out -- and I saw a pair of BPFCs calling and playing with each other. This male is clean and fresh with a "blow-dried" look. In my opinion, the BPFC is one of our most beautiful birds.
F/5.6, ISO-2500, 1/160 second, manual exposure.
So far, I have counted 2 pairs of BPFCs, a helper male and the 2 nestlings - or a total of 7 BPFCs in this 1/2 hectare area of Capayas Creek, even though the KG says they are uncommon. It's so heartening to see them thriving there.
