BIRDS OF SINP, SAMAR

[Ramon Quisumbing]

Twice in the past 6 weeks, I went to Samar Island Nature Park in Paranas and San Rafael in the interior mountains of Samar. I tried to hook up with Nelson Petilla, but he was tied up with work both times.

I saw eight (8) lifers! ;D
- Yellow-Wattled Bulbul
- Stripe-Breasted Rhabdornis (see my 9/12/12 posting)
- Visayan Tarictic Hornbill
- Handsome Sunbird
- Little Spiderhunter (now Orange-Tufted Spiderhunter)
- Philippine Fairy-Bluebird
- Amethyst Brown-Dove
- Yellow-Bellied Whistler

All photos were taken with Canon 1D Mark IV camera, 800 mm lens and tripod, with manual exposure, unless stated otherwise.

There is very good "dude" birding along the east-west road that bisects Samar. [Tina M., take note!]

BLUE-THROATED BEE-EATER (Merops viridis)
The americanus race is endemic.

1.4x extender, F/10, ISO-2500, 1/500 second.

VISAYAN TARICTIC HORNBILL (Penelopides panini) - Male
Endemic. This was a long-distance shot. The skin around the eye is white, whereas in the Luzon Tarictic Hornbill the skin around the eye is pink.

F/5.6, ISO-1600, 1/2000 second.

HANDSOME SUNBIRD (Aethopyga bella) - Male.
Endemic.

1.4x extender, F/8, ISO-800, 1/100 second.

ORANGE-TUFTED SPIDERHUNTER (Arachnothera flammifera), formerly Little Spiderhunter.
Uncommon endemic. I thought this was just one of many female sunbirds that can be seen along the road, so I did not pull my 800 mm lens out of the car. Darn!

100-400 mm lens, handheld, 400 mm, F/5.6, ISO-1600, 1/640 second.

I then went into the old-growth forest in San Rafael, where the tree canopy is 40+ meters up.

PHILIPPINE FAIRY-BLUEBIRD (Irena cyanogaster)
Endemic - near threatened status. This ellae race is found in Samar, Leyte and Bohol. This PFB was about 30 meters up.

F/5.6, ISO-3200, 1/400 second.


F/5.6, ISO-3200, 1/400 second.

Then I saw the STARS of the entire trip --

PHILIPPINE TROGON (Harpactes ardens) – Male.
Endemic. This is presumably the linae race found in Samar, Leyte and Bohol. This male PT was about 40+ meters up.

1.4x extender, F/8, ISO-3200, 1/160 second.

PHILIPPINE TROGON – Female. She landed about 10 meters above me.

1.4x extender, F/13, ISO-3200, 1/125 second.


F/5.6, ISO-4000, 1/320 second.

I even saw 2 female Trogons together on the same branch for just a few seconds, but was not able to capture them.

AMETHYST BROWN-DOVE (Phapitreron amethystina)
Endemic and the largest of the Brown-Doves. This is presumably the amethystina race. This ABD was about 30 meters up.

1.4x extender, F/8, ISO-3200, 1/640 second.

YELLOW-BELLIED WHISTLER (Pachycephala philippensis)
Endemic. This is presumably the apoensis race found in Samar, Leyte and Mindanao. This was a long-distance shot from 30+ meters below.

1.4x extender, F/8, ISO-3200, 1/200 second.

There were other colorful birds in the tree canopy that I did not capture, including a possible Celestial Monarch. Samar is well worth a return trip!

[oespena]

wow.. nice set sir!! I always hope i could shoot the Philippine Trogon someday!

[Ely Teehankee]

I like all the birds especially the Philippine Trogon which is the most colorful one. Of course I also like the Handsome Sunbird. It would be nice to wait for that one good pose with good lighting for any of these birds. You must have enjoyed yourself photographing these birds. Well done Ramon & Mabuhay. Nice to go there.

[Ramon Quisumbing]

Thank you, Onnie and Ely.

[Tirso Paris]

Wonderful harvest, especially of lifers Ramon! Easily, the trogons and the handsome sunbird are my favorites. Thanks for sharing.

[Ramon Quisumbing]

Thanks, Prof. Tirso. The Trogons are my favorites also.

[Sylvia Ramos]

Great set Ramon! And that was dude birding by the roadside? Wow, even better!

[Ramon Quisumbing]

Thanks, Sylvia. You and Tonji should check out SINP some time.

[tina mallari]

What a variety of birds !!!! Thanks for the heads up, Dude birding places are ALWAYS a welcome blessing. I like the trogons a lot too and would love to see a Philippine fairy bluebird since I have never ever seen one. Oh I also like the Visayan Tarictic :-) Sigh, maybe when Wency retires in the future we will be able to travel around the Philippines again.

[Ramon Quisumbing]

Thanks, Tina. Just go for it! Samar awaits!

[Ariel Matias]

Hornbills, like toucans, are the ones I like. Same goes with the PH Trogon. Well done!

[Ramon Quisumbing]

Thank you, Ariel. I hope to make it to Costa Rica someday.

[Tateo Osawa]

Congratulations for many lifers, Ramon. All nice shots.

[Ramon Quisumbing]

Thank you, Tateo san.

[Mark Itol]

Wonderful harvest, Ramon! Big congrats!

[Ramon Quisumbing]

Thanks, Mark.

[Michael R. Anton]

Wow! Congratulations on the lifers, Ramon!

[Ramon Quisumbing]

Thanks, Michael.

[Edwin Matias]

Sir Ramon,

Great Series/ Captures

Regards,
Edwin

[steve pryor]

Hi Ramon,
I am wondering about the second image of the Harpactes. The third image (apparently female) does not seem the same bird, and I am wondering about some of the features demonstrated by the second bird. There is a persistence of a horn color on the anterosuperior aspect of the upper mandible which could indicate immaturity (not a juvenile however). I am also wondering about the difference of the color of the crissum (vent + undertail covert area) which appears to have an orange wash (this could be a lighting artefact). Could it be an immature male bird?

Now that I have looked through the Forshaw (Trogon monograph), I also am starting to have some doubts about the sex of the third bird. The problem is the apparent blackish coloration of the head. Prout Forshaw, the adult male H. ardens linae has the most diffusely blackish head coloration of all the races, and the adult female linae is supposed to have the head coloration of the adult female ardens ardens, that is, dark olive-brown. None of these photos would seem to have birds with dark olive-brown heads. So, I just have questions.

Would appreciate Des's input on this. I spent a lot of money on what proved to be a rather huge coffee table monograph on Trogons, and I hope that the information in it is worth something!

By the way, the Spiderhunter is now considered a Philippine endemic. Orange-tufted Spiderhunter, Arachnothera f flammifera..