Post by Ely Teehankee on Aug 11, 2012 4:12:56 GMT
It has been raining for the past 3 weeks and I could not plan for any birding trip. Last Friday the sun started to shine and I decided that it would be a good time to go to Palay Palay, Cavite. I was hoping that the birds would be coming out to dry their feathers. I was not disappointed. They did come out and the coucal looks kind of funny when he was drying out in the sun. They all had one thing in common in thier behavior. They seem to be wary of people so I suspect that hunting to some extent still exist in the area.
Canon EOS 1D Mark IV, Canon EF 800mm f5.6L IS USM. Manual exposure in available light. Bean bag on car window as lens support.
White-throated Kingfisher (Halcyon gularis) 265 mm (10 1/2 inches) Endemic to the Philippines. The small white patch on the throat makes it different from those found in other countries where the patch is bigger and extends to the breast.
Ever since it was declared endemic to the Philippines, I have always wanted to photograph this bird. It was always on the electric wire rather than on a tree. Being able to photograph this bird even not on an ideal perch was better than nothing. The closest I got to this bird was at Mambukal, Bacolod. birdphotoph.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=photo&action=display&thread=8236
1/100 sec., f/8, ISO 800
Philippine Coucal (Centropus viridis) 420 mm (16 1/2 inches) Endemic to the Philippines. This medium size bird knows how to dry his feathers in the sun. He spread opens his wings and I don't know how he manages to open up the rest of his feathers making him look so funny with a grouchy face.
1/250 sec., f/8, ISO 1600
Lesser Coucal (Centropus bengalensis) 355 mm (14 inches) One thing in common with this councils is that they like to perch on cogon grass and they would perch on the lower half of the leaves so it would have enough mass to support their weight. They would be jumping from one place to the other, probably in search of some nest for them to eat the hatchlings of other birds.
1/1250 sec., f/8, ISO 800
Striated Swallow (Hirundo striolata) 190 mm (7 1/2 inches) I am not sure if my ID is correct but it looks like the ones that I saw at UP Los Baños. birdphotoph.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=photo&action=display&thread=7746
1/500 sec., f/8, ISO 800
Yellow-vented Bulbul (Pycnonotus goiavier) 190 mm (7 1/2 inches) Next to the Eurasian Tree Sparrow this must be the most common bird in the Philippines. The mischievous face with the tomahawk crest and yellow vent, it is still an interesting subject to photograph in lieu of other birds that are not present.
1/640 sec., f/8, ISO 800
Coppersmith Barbet (Megalaima haemacephala) 146 mm (5 3/4 inches) was a pleasant surprise. I saw the Bulbul feasting on this small black seeds or fruits of this tree with a smaller bird. I wonder what tree this is as there are several of them along this new road that they are building. I decided to take some pictures and it turned out to be a Barbet. I wished it had stayed longer for his protrait shot.
1/640 sec., f/8, ISO 800
Asian Glossy Starling (Aplonis panayensis) 202 mm (8 inches) The red eyes of this bird reminds me of Dracula. It is always a challenge to take a picture of this bird because their feathers are so shiny and comes in different shades of colors.
1/640 sec., f/8, ISO 800
Coleto (Sarcops calvus) 230292 mm (11 1/2 inches) Endemic to the Philippines. The Phantom of the Bird Kingdom which reminds me that the play will be coming soon and if you get a chance to watch it, it will surely be very entertaining. The bare pinkish flesh makes it easy to ID this bird.
1/250 sec., f/8, ISO 800
My favorite bird of the day, taken at the garden when I came home. It was chirping and I immediately set up my gear and started to look for it. This is an immature male Olive-backed Sunbird (Nectarinia jugulars) 114 mm (4 1/2 inches) feeding on the flowers of a plant given to me by Raymond where I took pictures of the same bird specie but with a deformed beak.
birdphotoph.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=photo&action=display&thread=6521 That was almost two years ago and it is very possible that the sunbirds have a good memory of this flowers and come to feed on the nectar occasionally. I have seen both adult and young ones in the garden.
1/800 sec., f/8, ISO 800
There is a new road being built that will connect the Palay Palay Road, Cavite to a road in Batangas near Pico de Loro. It is now 3 kilometers in length up to this tunnel. It may not open this year but when it does it may be a new place to bird along the road. This is where I saw the Yellow-vented Bulbul, Coppersmith Barbet, Asian Glossy Starling and Coleto.
Canon EOS 1D Mark IV, Canon EF 800mm f5.6L IS USM. Manual exposure in available light. Bean bag on car window as lens support.
White-throated Kingfisher (Halcyon gularis) 265 mm (10 1/2 inches) Endemic to the Philippines. The small white patch on the throat makes it different from those found in other countries where the patch is bigger and extends to the breast.
Ever since it was declared endemic to the Philippines, I have always wanted to photograph this bird. It was always on the electric wire rather than on a tree. Being able to photograph this bird even not on an ideal perch was better than nothing. The closest I got to this bird was at Mambukal, Bacolod. birdphotoph.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=photo&action=display&thread=8236
1/100 sec., f/8, ISO 800
Philippine Coucal (Centropus viridis) 420 mm (16 1/2 inches) Endemic to the Philippines. This medium size bird knows how to dry his feathers in the sun. He spread opens his wings and I don't know how he manages to open up the rest of his feathers making him look so funny with a grouchy face.
1/250 sec., f/8, ISO 1600
Lesser Coucal (Centropus bengalensis) 355 mm (14 inches) One thing in common with this councils is that they like to perch on cogon grass and they would perch on the lower half of the leaves so it would have enough mass to support their weight. They would be jumping from one place to the other, probably in search of some nest for them to eat the hatchlings of other birds.
1/1250 sec., f/8, ISO 800
Striated Swallow (Hirundo striolata) 190 mm (7 1/2 inches) I am not sure if my ID is correct but it looks like the ones that I saw at UP Los Baños. birdphotoph.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=photo&action=display&thread=7746
1/500 sec., f/8, ISO 800
Yellow-vented Bulbul (Pycnonotus goiavier) 190 mm (7 1/2 inches) Next to the Eurasian Tree Sparrow this must be the most common bird in the Philippines. The mischievous face with the tomahawk crest and yellow vent, it is still an interesting subject to photograph in lieu of other birds that are not present.
1/640 sec., f/8, ISO 800
Coppersmith Barbet (Megalaima haemacephala) 146 mm (5 3/4 inches) was a pleasant surprise. I saw the Bulbul feasting on this small black seeds or fruits of this tree with a smaller bird. I wonder what tree this is as there are several of them along this new road that they are building. I decided to take some pictures and it turned out to be a Barbet. I wished it had stayed longer for his protrait shot.
1/640 sec., f/8, ISO 800
Asian Glossy Starling (Aplonis panayensis) 202 mm (8 inches) The red eyes of this bird reminds me of Dracula. It is always a challenge to take a picture of this bird because their feathers are so shiny and comes in different shades of colors.
1/640 sec., f/8, ISO 800
Coleto (Sarcops calvus) 230292 mm (11 1/2 inches) Endemic to the Philippines. The Phantom of the Bird Kingdom which reminds me that the play will be coming soon and if you get a chance to watch it, it will surely be very entertaining. The bare pinkish flesh makes it easy to ID this bird.
1/250 sec., f/8, ISO 800
My favorite bird of the day, taken at the garden when I came home. It was chirping and I immediately set up my gear and started to look for it. This is an immature male Olive-backed Sunbird (Nectarinia jugulars) 114 mm (4 1/2 inches) feeding on the flowers of a plant given to me by Raymond where I took pictures of the same bird specie but with a deformed beak.
birdphotoph.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=photo&action=display&thread=6521 That was almost two years ago and it is very possible that the sunbirds have a good memory of this flowers and come to feed on the nectar occasionally. I have seen both adult and young ones in the garden.
1/800 sec., f/8, ISO 800
There is a new road being built that will connect the Palay Palay Road, Cavite to a road in Batangas near Pico de Loro. It is now 3 kilometers in length up to this tunnel. It may not open this year but when it does it may be a new place to bird along the road. This is where I saw the Yellow-vented Bulbul, Coppersmith Barbet, Asian Glossy Starling and Coleto.
