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Post by Ramon Quisumbing on Jan 10, 2012 22:06:47 GMT
Thanks, Ely, on behalf of Dion.
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Post by Ramon Quisumbing on Jan 10, 2012 21:00:14 GMT
Thanks, Mark. Come on down to BK.
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Post by Ramon Quisumbing on Jan 10, 2012 20:59:20 GMT
Thanks, Neon and Ely.
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Post by Ramon Quisumbing on Jan 10, 2012 13:48:33 GMT
Ely, I looked hard but could not find any birds. Lots of feathers but no birds.
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Post by Ramon Quisumbing on Jan 10, 2012 13:45:00 GMT
I only just now saw this posting. Thank you very much, Bob, Clemn, Neil, Neon, Steve and Fred!
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Post by Ramon Quisumbing on Jan 10, 2012 13:34:30 GMT
Dion Pullan, owner of BK Valley and protector of Mt. Banahaw's forests, just sent me this photo taken with a camera phone earlier today. Sorry for the poor quality, but it documents an incredible flock of at least 9 Tarictic Hornbills in a tree near the restaurant. Bird heaven!
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Post by Ramon Quisumbing on Jan 10, 2012 13:02:57 GMT
Has anyone gone birding in Lake Bulusan, Sorsogon? My family and I are going to Legazpi City for the long weekend this January, and I am planning to check out Lake Bulusan, about 2 hours south.
I was there once before. It's a crater lake that has heavy forest all around. There is a pathway all around the edge of the lake. It may be a national park because the forest is well-preserved and there are no barrios on the lake. I bet there are good birds there.
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Post by Ramon Quisumbing on Jan 10, 2012 12:49:08 GMT
It's a pity not more of the upperparts can be seen. Many of the Brown Shrikes I see have very pale heads and mantles, which is all we can see of this bird. I've been checking for images online, as well as the various books I have and I cannot find an image of a juvenile/ young Mountain Shrike anywhere. I can also find no image that shows the white supercilium to be as extensive as the one showing on this bird. My copy of Lefranc & Wolfork ( Shrikes, A Guide to Shrikes of the World) says the juvenile is "not examined; supposed to be very similar to juvenile Grey-backed Shrike" which has chestnut flanks as well as lightly barred underparts, neither feature is vissible here. It also indicates that the distribution of Mountain Shrike on Luzon is "confined to the Cordillera Central and Sierra Madre". Were this to be a Mountain Shrike it would be a considerable range extension. I had been told that Mts. Banahaw and San Cristobal are part or an extension of the Sierra Madre mountain chain. I am now kicking myself for not taking more photos of this bird. I just took the 2 shots for practice. I will definitely be on the lookout for this shrike on my next trek, hopefully this weekend. If any birders want to join me, you are welcome. I will provide free rooms at the new BK Mountain Lodge.
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Post by Ramon Quisumbing on Jan 10, 2012 12:39:38 GMT
Thanks, Mick.
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Post by Ramon Quisumbing on Jan 10, 2012 10:02:28 GMT
Beautiful and super clear BIF of the BC Night-Heron, William, including its red eye. The Yellow Bittern was really ogling you.
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Post by Ramon Quisumbing on Jan 10, 2012 9:01:49 GMT
Thanks, Paul. I will leave it to you experts to decide. I note however that your Brown Shrike has brown shoulders or upperparts, whereas my bird has gray shoulders or upperparts. The KG says the Mountain Shrike is the "only shrike with uniform gray upperparts". Maybe my bird is a hybrid offspring of a lonely MS and a BS (JOKE!)
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Post by Ramon Quisumbing on Jan 10, 2012 8:01:40 GMT
Nice captures, Ramon. It is a mountain shrike, congratulations on the captures. Wow, thanks William for the confirmation that this is a Mountain Shrike! An uncommon endemic found above 1000 meters, according to the KG. That's a lifer for me! If I had known it was a MS and not a BS, I would have taken lots more photos because it was giving me lots of looks. I will look for more MS's on my next trek up the mountain, hopefully this weekend. Although this MS has the gray upperparts of a MS (and the KG says the MS is the only shrike with uniform gray upperparts), it does not have the rufous flanks of a MS. Is this an immature? The KG has no info on immature MS. Anyway, I will modify my posting accordingly. Thanks again to you and Neon for alerting me that this is a Mountain Shrike.
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Post by Ramon Quisumbing on Jan 10, 2012 7:41:36 GMT
Thanks, Dennis.
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Post by Ramon Quisumbing on Jan 10, 2012 2:31:11 GMT
Wow, not bad for a bad day, Ramon! The pygmy flowerpecker is quite different from what we normally see, could be a different race! And the brown shrike? At first look, it didn't look like one that we normally see, need to check some reference on this, haven't seen a juvenile Mt Shrike as well! any other photos? I'm like a cat that can't shit out here. Wow, I just assumed it was a Brown Shrike, so I did not take more photos. Here is the only other one I have. I have never seen a Mountain Shrike before. I am holding my breath.
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Post by Ramon Quisumbing on Jan 10, 2012 1:00:55 GMT
Thanks, Ariel.
The difference between Costa Rica and the Philippines is that in CR, the people recognize the tourism and environment value of protecting birds and their habitat.
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Post by Ramon Quisumbing on Jan 9, 2012 23:47:29 GMT
While it seems like everyone is heading to the swamps of Candaba for waterbirds, I have remained focused on Mt. Banahaw and montane birds. Dion and I made plans to trek up a horsetrail to an overlook ridge that is about 1,000 feet above my house in BK Valley, or about 3,500 feet above sea level. Dion had gone up 2 days before and got these documentary photos of a Metallic-Winged Sunbird with his little camera - which would be a lifer for me. I was excited about capturing a MWSB and because Dion said there are different and bigger montane birds at that elevation in the mossy forest. Unfortunately, on early Sunday morning, it was drizzly and foggy. I was impatient and we decided to push through anyway in the hope that the weather would clear when we got up there. We had 3 horses and locals to carry us and my camera gear. The horsetrail, which had been dry and easy the day before, was now muddy and slippery from all the rain. We made it to the overlook ridge in an hour. Bad luck however because the weather did not get any better except for a very few breaks when we got fantastic views of Mt. San Cristobal and Batangas and Quezon Provinces all the way to Tayabas Bay. There was very little bird action to see because of the drizzle and fog - but I enjoyed the tranquility and stunning beauty of the dense mossy forest. We saw an unidentifiable Leaf-Warbler, Flowerpeckers and White-Eyes in the distance but no good photos. At 1 pm, we gave up and headed back down. We loaded one of the packhorses with garbage left behind by a local farmer. On the way down, we saw a flowering tree with feeding Colasisi about 80-90 meters away. Canon 1D Mark IV, Canon 800 mm lens, tripod with half-gimbal, F/8, ISO-1000, 1/800 sec. Too bad I did not have time to put on my 1.4x teleconverter. At 3,000 feet above sea level, I was a bit surprised to see what I thought was a Brown Shrike hunting. But it might have been a Mountain Shrike, which according to the KG is an uncommon endemic found above 1,000 meters above sea level, and which would have been a lifer for me. But the majority view is that it was only a Brown Shrike with variations. I intend to go back ASAP to get more photos, which would hopefully show that it is a Mountain Shrike. Canon 1D Mark IV, Canon 800 mm lens, tripod with half-gimbal, F/8, ISO-1000, 1/200 sec., about 25 meters away. We also saw a little fruiting tree with 2 kinds of Flowerpeckers feeding. Buzzing Flowerpecker Canon 1D Mark IV, Canon 800 mm lens, tripod with half-gimbal, F/8, ISO-1000, 1/800 sec., 15 meters away. Female Pygmy Flowerpecker feeding. Canon 1D Mark IV, Canon 800 mm lens, tripod with half-gimbal, F/8, ISO-1000, 1/500 sec., 15 meters away. Male Pygmy Flowerpecker pooping. Canon 1D Mark IV, Canon 800 mm lens, tripod with half-gimbal, F/8, ISO-1000, 1/1250 sec., 15 meters away. Not a very productive day, but I plan to go up again on a clear and dry day.
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Post by Ramon Quisumbing on Jan 9, 2012 21:31:15 GMT
Nice BIF shot, Mick.
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Post by Ramon Quisumbing on Jan 9, 2012 21:25:18 GMT
Nice capture of the White-Browed Crake, Mick. I have yet to see one.
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Post by Ramon Quisumbing on Jan 9, 2012 21:17:45 GMT
Nice shots, Mick.
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Post by Ramon Quisumbing on Jan 9, 2012 21:14:48 GMT
A wonderful set, Ely. Congrats!
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