Post by Ramon Quisumbing on Sept 17, 2012 5:15:19 GMT
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!
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!