Post by Ely Teehankee on Apr 3, 2013 1:51:42 GMT
I have been to a lot of places in the Philippines to photograph birds in the wild, but Coron, Busuanga is where I have been the most number of times. To start with there are a lot of birds to see and you stand a better chance to see them closer than any other place. I saw the same birds this trip as the ones that I have seen before and it was more fun to see them again. Some were far and some were very near. It is best to see them near but those that were far, reminds me that this is part of the many challenges of bird photography. I was able to buy a one peso fare to Coron this time but had to take an afternoon flight in going there. As it was too late to go birding for that day, it gave me a chance to go around Coron and see so many new hotels that have come up since I first went there more than 3 years ago. There are two more hotels that have started construction and I am told that there will be 300 rooms in one of them. There are at least 5 airlines that flies to Coron twice a day. The competition certainly gives travelers the chance to choose the airline and fare that they prefer.
Canon EOS 1DX, Canon EF 800mm f5.6L IS USM, Gitzo GT3530LS tripod, M-3.6 Mongoose Gimbal Action Head. Manual exposure in available light.
I was at Mount Darala before the break of dawn. There is hardly enough light to be able to take any good pictures but it is always good to be ready should a good looking bird decide to come close and give you that picture that will be a good start for the day. The first bird of this trip was the Common Emerald-Dove (Chalcophaps indica) 10 inches starting early to look for food to eat before the sun comes up.
1/60sec., f/5.6, ISO 800
It is not every time that I get to see a Hooded Pitta (Pitta sordid) 6 1/2 inches but it is really a challenge to be able to photograph this bird. It is constantly moving and looking for insects & worms underneath the moist leaves. It could be frustrating as the bird moves in a wide area. But there are times that it pauses or rest and that is when the opportunity of getting a good picture comes. A lot of people likes to shoot to the right, meaning they like to take their pictures on the bright side and it works for them. I personally prefer to take the pictures on the dark side so as not to burn the bright spots of the bird and it seems to work for me.
1/250 sec., f/5.6, ISO 1600
Another bird that I have not seen for some time is the Blue Paradise-Flycatcher (Tersiphone cyanescens) 8 1/2 inches. I used to confused this bird with the Black-nape Monarch. Having seen both in the wild several times, has made me more familiar in identifying these birds. Both birds are endemic to the Philippines. At this time of the year they seem to be shy but when the nesting season starts there should be some opportunity to see them at a closer distance.
1/1600 sec., f/5.6, ISO 1600
Taken on another day, I still did not have a chance to get close to this bird. Maybe on my next trip, it would be more accommodating.
The Ruddy Kingfisher (Halcyon liane) 11 inches, is alway a delight to photograph as with all the other kingfishers. This specie could be endemic to Palawan. The positive side is that they stay stationery for some time as long as you remain inconspicuous. On the other side is that they are more often than not under the canopy where it is dark making it more difficult to photograph than those birds who are out in the open. I like this particular picture as it looks like the RKF has a beard.
1/13 sec., f/5.6, ISO 100
This one is getting ready for a dive to capture a shrimp, fish, or crab.
1/10 sec., f/5.6, ISO 100
The target disappears and he goes back to his waiting stance for a prey to come into view. For a small bird he has a very large beak which can really get a good grip of anything that it comes across. The details seen with my present set up also gives me a better image quality.
1/13 sec., f/5.6, ISO 100
The Capayas Creek Bird Reserve was created by Ramon Quisumbing when he acquired several properties specifically to protect the birds from boys who uses sling shots on the birds just for the fun of it. This is where I saw the Rufous-backed Kingfisher (Ceyx rufidorsa) 5 1/2 inches, the form occurring in the Philippines. I was not able to get as near as I wanted to this time but perhaps on my next visit. The back view of this bird show the different shades of Rufous on its feathers.
1/15 sec., f/8, ISO 3200
The front view shows the ruffled feathers on its chest that indicates the bird has recently dived into the water to catch his meal. I was not able to see that.
1/60 sec., f/8, ISO 3200
The Palawan Blue Flycatcher (Cyornis lemprieri) 6 1/4 inches was classified as uncommon by the Kennedy Guide Book. Now this bird can be seen almost daily on the same spot giving me the opportunity to have a clear shot of this beautiful endemic bird. I don't know if the visits of birders at Mount Darala has helped increased awareness of the value of birds in the environment that also helped increased the presence of this bird in the area.
1/200 sec., f/5.6, ISO 3200
This was a wonderful moment for me as I was photographing the bird, he crouch and got ready to take off. Just as I squeeze the shutter, the bird took off giving me this unusual pose.
1/60 sec., f/5.6, ISO 3200
The Black-naped Monarch (Hypothymis helenae) 5 1/4 inches was some distance away but not having seen one for some time I gave it a shot. This endemic male is as handsome as ever.
1/250 sec., f/5.6, ISO 3200
Another endemic bird to the Philippines is the White-vented Shama (Copsychus niger) 7 1/4 inches. This bird is not as shy as other birds and sometimes you can get quite close to them.
1/80 sec., f/5.6, ISO 1600
Attracted by the grass seed, the White-bellied Munia would come during the early morning. You got to position yourself ahead of them otherwise they would just fly off as you approach them.
1/1000 sec., f/5.6, ISO 1600
The Palawan Flowerpecker (Prionochilus olivaceus) 3 1/2 inches is another Philippine endemic that is not too difficult to see especially if there is a fruiting tree nearby that it could go to. The problem is how to be catching the moment as the birds would be looking for fruits, like banana, guava, macopa, and cashew. Perpetually suspicious of its surroundings it would continuously take a bite off the fruit and alternately looking around its surroundings. The bird would approach the fruit by landing nearby to assess the fruit, than it flies in and starts eating rapidly. When satisfied, it would move to a nearby branch and clean its bill and take off to another destination.
Depending on the angle of the bird's head the red crown patch can be seen from time to time. The challenge here is to be able to photograph the bird showing the red crown patch visible.
1/200 sec., f/8, ISO 800
The female Palawan Flowerpecker may not be as colorful as the male and looks distinctively different but nevertheless still a good looking bird.
1/320 sec., f/8, ISO 800
This handsome looking Palawan Flowerpecker made my day complete when I was able to photograph him in the open.
1/200 sec., f/8, ISO 800
On the second day, I chanced upon this Hooded Pitta atop a tree making a call for his mate.
1/50 sec., f/5.6, ISO 1600
The Hooded Pitta is a delight to watch and photograph. Here he is standing upright and somehow it reminds me of a penguin.
1/160 sec., f/5.6, ISO 1600
Life of a bird is not easy. They have to wake up early to catch the early worm ahead of the other birds as they don't have any kind of storage. They have to stay away from predators. What was surprising to me was that the dogs at Mount Darala do not harm them. They would come up and be right beside the bird and it does not scare the bird at all. Scenes like that makes one wish that there could be peace like this one in our world.
1/125 sec., f/5.6, ISO 1600
It is seldom that one can see a Hooded Pitta. I am glad that I had the opportunity to see this bird everyday while I was in Mount Darala. I was there last December and I did not see this bird at all.
1/125 sec., f/5.6, ISO 1600
The Hooded Pitta looks like a different bird when it sits in this position. He looks like a plumb bird rather than a skinny one when it is standing erect.
1/80 sec., f/5.6, ISO 1600
It is the start of the breeding season and some birds like this Olive-backed Sunbird (Nectarinia aurora) 4 1/2 inches already has a nest hanging from a coconut tree.
1/80 sec., f/8, ISO 800
The Olive-backed Sunbird at Mount Darala is different from the ones we see in Metro Manila. They have orange feathers on their breast instead of it being all yellow. This male sunbird stands guard over the nest. The beauty of God's creation never ceases to be so amazing.
1/20 sec., f/8, ISO 800
For the second day in a row, I get to see the Rufous-backed Kingfisher further down Capayas Creek where the water has gone down to a slow trickle. It is just the start of summer and I can imagine how dry it is going to be this coming months.
1/80 sec., f/5.6, ISO 1600
The back of this bird is more colorful but one really does not have a choice to take the front or back. I am just happy to have been able to see this bird and photograph it.
1/80 sec., f/5.6, ISO 1600
Every kingfisher has their unique colors and the Philippines must have at least 15 kinds of them. We are so fortunate to have such a wide variety.
1/60 sec., f/5.6, ISO 1600
Another day, another Ruddy Kingfisher. It is not easy to find birds but in Coron it is not as difficult as other places. It really depends on a lot of other factors affecting the behavior of the birds.
1/100 sec., f/5.6, ISO 1600
This time it was like a prospector finding gold. I saw this Ruddy Kingfisher with a crab on its beak. I am glad that the 1DX focuses faster than my previous camera enabling me to capture this crab struggling to escape and the RKF determined to have his meal.
1/40 sec., f/5.6, ISO 1600
After all the beating of the crab on the bamboo perch that the RKF is standing on, the crab loses all its feet and claws and the bird is getting ready to swallow the crab.
1/60 sec., f/5.6, ISO 1600
He flips the crab around to get it to a better position to swallow it all and that he does with the greatest of ease.
1/80 sec., f/5.6, ISO 1600
Hair Crested Drongo (Dicrurus hottentottus palawanensis) 14 inches also known as Palawan Drongo.
1/200 sec., f/5.6, ISO 1600
For the second day in a row I got to see the Palawan Blue Flycatcher.
1/200 sec., f/8, ISO 800
For the third day in a row I got to see the Hooded Pitta again. It was by chance that the back was turned to me and the iridescent blue was visible on both sides. I like that color combination with the green feathers.
1/250 sec., f/5.6, ISO 800
Of all the pictures of the Hooded Pitta that I had on this trip, this would be my favorite.
1/200 sec., f/5.6, ISO 1600
I saw the Palawan Flowerpecker again and this time he gave me a pose that will make me go back to Mount Darala that gave me a sense of fulfillment for this trip.
1/500 sec., f/5.6, ISO 1600
On our way out of Mount Darala, my bird guide Erwin saw a bird landing on a tree. Even if it was far and backlighted I was able to photographed the picture of the Crested Goshawk (Accipiter trivirgatus palawanus) 13 inches. I have not seen this bird in Coron for a long time and it is good to know that they are still around.
1/800 sec., f/5.6, ISO 1600
I made a last minute stop hoping to be able to see the Rufous Night-Heron (Nycticorax caledonicus) 25 inches. It is slightly bigger than the Black-crowned Night-Heron but similar in nature but different color. Lia Ramos who own the Maquinit Hotspring Resort has been asking me to take a picture of this bird. Very often I would see them but they would be partially hidden by the leaves or branches. This time I was able to get some photographs of them in the open. This one with his stance make him look skinny.
1/80 sec. f/5.6, ISO 1600
This Rufous Night Heron looks plumb and clean. So nice to photograph.
1/80 sec. f/5.6, ISO 1600
I was hoping that this bird would look in my direction but he never did and I had to catch my plane. Perhaps next time.
1/80 sec. f/5.6, ISO 1600
Canon EOS 1DX, Canon EF 800mm f5.6L IS USM, Gitzo GT3530LS tripod, M-3.6 Mongoose Gimbal Action Head. Manual exposure in available light.
I was at Mount Darala before the break of dawn. There is hardly enough light to be able to take any good pictures but it is always good to be ready should a good looking bird decide to come close and give you that picture that will be a good start for the day. The first bird of this trip was the Common Emerald-Dove (Chalcophaps indica) 10 inches starting early to look for food to eat before the sun comes up.
1/60sec., f/5.6, ISO 800
It is not every time that I get to see a Hooded Pitta (Pitta sordid) 6 1/2 inches but it is really a challenge to be able to photograph this bird. It is constantly moving and looking for insects & worms underneath the moist leaves. It could be frustrating as the bird moves in a wide area. But there are times that it pauses or rest and that is when the opportunity of getting a good picture comes. A lot of people likes to shoot to the right, meaning they like to take their pictures on the bright side and it works for them. I personally prefer to take the pictures on the dark side so as not to burn the bright spots of the bird and it seems to work for me.
1/250 sec., f/5.6, ISO 1600
Another bird that I have not seen for some time is the Blue Paradise-Flycatcher (Tersiphone cyanescens) 8 1/2 inches. I used to confused this bird with the Black-nape Monarch. Having seen both in the wild several times, has made me more familiar in identifying these birds. Both birds are endemic to the Philippines. At this time of the year they seem to be shy but when the nesting season starts there should be some opportunity to see them at a closer distance.
1/1600 sec., f/5.6, ISO 1600
Taken on another day, I still did not have a chance to get close to this bird. Maybe on my next trip, it would be more accommodating.
The Ruddy Kingfisher (Halcyon liane) 11 inches, is alway a delight to photograph as with all the other kingfishers. This specie could be endemic to Palawan. The positive side is that they stay stationery for some time as long as you remain inconspicuous. On the other side is that they are more often than not under the canopy where it is dark making it more difficult to photograph than those birds who are out in the open. I like this particular picture as it looks like the RKF has a beard.
1/13 sec., f/5.6, ISO 100
This one is getting ready for a dive to capture a shrimp, fish, or crab.
1/10 sec., f/5.6, ISO 100
The target disappears and he goes back to his waiting stance for a prey to come into view. For a small bird he has a very large beak which can really get a good grip of anything that it comes across. The details seen with my present set up also gives me a better image quality.
1/13 sec., f/5.6, ISO 100
The Capayas Creek Bird Reserve was created by Ramon Quisumbing when he acquired several properties specifically to protect the birds from boys who uses sling shots on the birds just for the fun of it. This is where I saw the Rufous-backed Kingfisher (Ceyx rufidorsa) 5 1/2 inches, the form occurring in the Philippines. I was not able to get as near as I wanted to this time but perhaps on my next visit. The back view of this bird show the different shades of Rufous on its feathers.
1/15 sec., f/8, ISO 3200
The front view shows the ruffled feathers on its chest that indicates the bird has recently dived into the water to catch his meal. I was not able to see that.
1/60 sec., f/8, ISO 3200
The Palawan Blue Flycatcher (Cyornis lemprieri) 6 1/4 inches was classified as uncommon by the Kennedy Guide Book. Now this bird can be seen almost daily on the same spot giving me the opportunity to have a clear shot of this beautiful endemic bird. I don't know if the visits of birders at Mount Darala has helped increased awareness of the value of birds in the environment that also helped increased the presence of this bird in the area.
1/200 sec., f/5.6, ISO 3200
This was a wonderful moment for me as I was photographing the bird, he crouch and got ready to take off. Just as I squeeze the shutter, the bird took off giving me this unusual pose.
1/60 sec., f/5.6, ISO 3200
The Black-naped Monarch (Hypothymis helenae) 5 1/4 inches was some distance away but not having seen one for some time I gave it a shot. This endemic male is as handsome as ever.
1/250 sec., f/5.6, ISO 3200
Another endemic bird to the Philippines is the White-vented Shama (Copsychus niger) 7 1/4 inches. This bird is not as shy as other birds and sometimes you can get quite close to them.
1/80 sec., f/5.6, ISO 1600
Attracted by the grass seed, the White-bellied Munia would come during the early morning. You got to position yourself ahead of them otherwise they would just fly off as you approach them.
1/1000 sec., f/5.6, ISO 1600
The Palawan Flowerpecker (Prionochilus olivaceus) 3 1/2 inches is another Philippine endemic that is not too difficult to see especially if there is a fruiting tree nearby that it could go to. The problem is how to be catching the moment as the birds would be looking for fruits, like banana, guava, macopa, and cashew. Perpetually suspicious of its surroundings it would continuously take a bite off the fruit and alternately looking around its surroundings. The bird would approach the fruit by landing nearby to assess the fruit, than it flies in and starts eating rapidly. When satisfied, it would move to a nearby branch and clean its bill and take off to another destination.
Depending on the angle of the bird's head the red crown patch can be seen from time to time. The challenge here is to be able to photograph the bird showing the red crown patch visible.
1/200 sec., f/8, ISO 800
The female Palawan Flowerpecker may not be as colorful as the male and looks distinctively different but nevertheless still a good looking bird.
1/320 sec., f/8, ISO 800
This handsome looking Palawan Flowerpecker made my day complete when I was able to photograph him in the open.
1/200 sec., f/8, ISO 800
On the second day, I chanced upon this Hooded Pitta atop a tree making a call for his mate.
1/50 sec., f/5.6, ISO 1600
The Hooded Pitta is a delight to watch and photograph. Here he is standing upright and somehow it reminds me of a penguin.
1/160 sec., f/5.6, ISO 1600
Life of a bird is not easy. They have to wake up early to catch the early worm ahead of the other birds as they don't have any kind of storage. They have to stay away from predators. What was surprising to me was that the dogs at Mount Darala do not harm them. They would come up and be right beside the bird and it does not scare the bird at all. Scenes like that makes one wish that there could be peace like this one in our world.
1/125 sec., f/5.6, ISO 1600
It is seldom that one can see a Hooded Pitta. I am glad that I had the opportunity to see this bird everyday while I was in Mount Darala. I was there last December and I did not see this bird at all.
1/125 sec., f/5.6, ISO 1600
The Hooded Pitta looks like a different bird when it sits in this position. He looks like a plumb bird rather than a skinny one when it is standing erect.
1/80 sec., f/5.6, ISO 1600
It is the start of the breeding season and some birds like this Olive-backed Sunbird (Nectarinia aurora) 4 1/2 inches already has a nest hanging from a coconut tree.
1/80 sec., f/8, ISO 800
The Olive-backed Sunbird at Mount Darala is different from the ones we see in Metro Manila. They have orange feathers on their breast instead of it being all yellow. This male sunbird stands guard over the nest. The beauty of God's creation never ceases to be so amazing.
1/20 sec., f/8, ISO 800
For the second day in a row, I get to see the Rufous-backed Kingfisher further down Capayas Creek where the water has gone down to a slow trickle. It is just the start of summer and I can imagine how dry it is going to be this coming months.
1/80 sec., f/5.6, ISO 1600
The back of this bird is more colorful but one really does not have a choice to take the front or back. I am just happy to have been able to see this bird and photograph it.
1/80 sec., f/5.6, ISO 1600
Every kingfisher has their unique colors and the Philippines must have at least 15 kinds of them. We are so fortunate to have such a wide variety.
1/60 sec., f/5.6, ISO 1600
Another day, another Ruddy Kingfisher. It is not easy to find birds but in Coron it is not as difficult as other places. It really depends on a lot of other factors affecting the behavior of the birds.
1/100 sec., f/5.6, ISO 1600
This time it was like a prospector finding gold. I saw this Ruddy Kingfisher with a crab on its beak. I am glad that the 1DX focuses faster than my previous camera enabling me to capture this crab struggling to escape and the RKF determined to have his meal.
1/40 sec., f/5.6, ISO 1600
After all the beating of the crab on the bamboo perch that the RKF is standing on, the crab loses all its feet and claws and the bird is getting ready to swallow the crab.
1/60 sec., f/5.6, ISO 1600
He flips the crab around to get it to a better position to swallow it all and that he does with the greatest of ease.
1/80 sec., f/5.6, ISO 1600
Hair Crested Drongo (Dicrurus hottentottus palawanensis) 14 inches also known as Palawan Drongo.
1/200 sec., f/5.6, ISO 1600
For the second day in a row I got to see the Palawan Blue Flycatcher.
1/200 sec., f/8, ISO 800
For the third day in a row I got to see the Hooded Pitta again. It was by chance that the back was turned to me and the iridescent blue was visible on both sides. I like that color combination with the green feathers.
1/250 sec., f/5.6, ISO 800
Of all the pictures of the Hooded Pitta that I had on this trip, this would be my favorite.
1/200 sec., f/5.6, ISO 1600
I saw the Palawan Flowerpecker again and this time he gave me a pose that will make me go back to Mount Darala that gave me a sense of fulfillment for this trip.
1/500 sec., f/5.6, ISO 1600
On our way out of Mount Darala, my bird guide Erwin saw a bird landing on a tree. Even if it was far and backlighted I was able to photographed the picture of the Crested Goshawk (Accipiter trivirgatus palawanus) 13 inches. I have not seen this bird in Coron for a long time and it is good to know that they are still around.
1/800 sec., f/5.6, ISO 1600
I made a last minute stop hoping to be able to see the Rufous Night-Heron (Nycticorax caledonicus) 25 inches. It is slightly bigger than the Black-crowned Night-Heron but similar in nature but different color. Lia Ramos who own the Maquinit Hotspring Resort has been asking me to take a picture of this bird. Very often I would see them but they would be partially hidden by the leaves or branches. This time I was able to get some photographs of them in the open. This one with his stance make him look skinny.
1/80 sec. f/5.6, ISO 1600
This Rufous Night Heron looks plumb and clean. So nice to photograph.
1/80 sec. f/5.6, ISO 1600
I was hoping that this bird would look in my direction but he never did and I had to catch my plane. Perhaps next time.
1/80 sec. f/5.6, ISO 1600
