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Post by Agerico M. De Villa on Apr 11, 2009 10:13:01 GMT
Rey Sta. Ana and I, together with Jenny, Mia and some others, have just finished surveying Baler and Casiguran, Aurora Province. We are planning on going back to Baler which is a 4-hour trip away. This means a minimum of three days. The road trip themselves are going to be birding trips. If only for another shot at the Philippine dwarf kingfisher just arms length away along the roadside, it looks to me the trip is worth it. Is anyone interested in a trip back to Baler (just Baler, not Casiguran)? Any suggestion when?
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Post by mantarey on Apr 11, 2009 11:21:27 GMT
Rey Sta. Ana and I, together with Jenny, Mia and some others, have just finished surveying Baler and Casiguran, Aurora Province. We are planning on going back to Baler which is a 4-hour trip away. This means a minimum of three days. The road trip themselves are going to be birding trips. If only for another shot at the Philippine dwarf kingfisher just arms length away along the roadside, it looks to me the trip is worth it. Is anyone interested in a trip back to Baler (just Baler, not Casiguran)? Any suggestion when? Thanks so much for inviting me to join the Baler survey Prop. I would definitely like to go back again. Maybe the long weekend on May 1st would be a good time to go. |
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Post by Agerico M. De Villa on Apr 12, 2009 8:57:20 GMT
I agree, May 1-3 is a good time to visit.
For those interested, the birds of interest in Baler as I remember without getting back to my notes are the following -- all within camera reach except for two (BIFs) in this list: Philippine fairy bluebird, Philippine dwarf kingfisher, flaming sunbird, buzzing flowerpecker, Philippine trogon, rufous hornbill, Philippine pygmy flowerpecker, striped flowerpecker, Philippine reddish cuckoo-dove, Philippine bulbul, yellow-wattled bulbul, spotted wood kingfisher. The Philippine coucals here are tame compared to those in Makiling. There is a Eurasian curlew that is a regular at the mouth of the river close to the resorts. The white-bellied munias are right along the roadside early in the morning. The purple throated sunbirds are all over the place, they literally outnumber the Eurasian tree sparrows. This is the same with the plain-throated sunbirds. These birds are those we have spotted along the road; we have yet to check-out for ourselves the birds along the trails up the mountains and hills. Also, we have yet to see the highly recommended area along a popular waterfalls and its adjacent watershed nearby (over an hour drive away from Baler). Also, we have yet to see for ourselves the birds along the bike trails up the forested hills just along the town (walking distance from the town itself).
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Post by ppaaoolloo on Apr 12, 2009 19:05:34 GMT
How are the roads to Baler? Is it true that there is rebel activity in the area?
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Post by Agerico M. De Villa on Apr 13, 2009 1:26:03 GMT
No encounters or prospect of encounters within or around Baler, so far as I know. Our spot in Diteki, San Luis is a peaceful baranggay albeit it has a company of soldiers. Looks like encounters are at least 4 hours drive away from Baler, meaning near or around Casiguran -- more like the driving time between Manila and Alaminos City. Baler is bustling with tourists who love to surf. For everyone's information, Baler is where the first surfing activities have all started in the Philippines in the mid-1980s -- at a resort named MIA, for Make It in Aurora which used to be a secret hideaway of Japanese surfers.
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Post by Lydia Robledo on Apr 13, 2009 2:32:11 GMT
Butterflies, there are lots of butterflies there, for sure! tely:D
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Post by Toto Gamboa on Apr 13, 2009 3:01:53 GMT
I've been frequenting Baler for countless of times for almost 4x a year several years ago overseeing some projects there and mas maraming nakainom than 'nice people around'  Too bad I was not into photography that time. My last visit was in 2006 i think and the road conditions are not really encouraging. There are 2 ways to get to Baler, one is via zigzag road they called 'Villa' and one is thru Pantabangan Dam if am not mistaken. Am not sure of the road conditions anymore but two of my staff in the office are from Baler and they frequently go home. I'll ask around. There is a bus stop in the "Villa" where, if you get lucky, you could sometimes see Philippine Eagle hopping high up from tree to tree. I think they made this place a sanctuary for Philippine Eagle. I am hoping to visit this nice place once again soon. |
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Post by Agerico M. De Villa on Apr 14, 2009 4:31:48 GMT
That is Villa Aurora National Park, if I am not mistaken. The plan is to take this longer route on the return trip and to spend the whole morning exploring the roadside of forests (far as your eyes can see) within this national park area. There are plenty of streams and mini waterfalls along the roadside together with trails going up or goind down the forest. We have stopped at this place you mention and, true enough, there have been a number of raptors around despite it being noon time already at the time of the stop. Foray into this area is only possible during summer where there are no expectations of landslides. At the start of our return trip, we have encountered a young P.U.P. professor and two girl friends who have made it to Baler via this route on a Honda Jazz; I guess this means, other bigger vehicles should be able to make it too.
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Post by Ding Carpio on Apr 14, 2009 10:45:43 GMT
He-he. Would love to go but Manny Pacquiao beckons that weekend
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Post by eman campos on Apr 17, 2009 20:20:20 GMT
I've been to Baler several times as well. We had a branch there (telco). I've noticed a lot of interesting birds there. My avatar is proof of my visit there. The best place then was a river that cuts the road leading to Baler when you're coming from the Nueva Ecija side. A busy community encircling the bridge thrived then. I said "then" because the place is now gone. Do you remember the giant flashflood that literally washed away a baranggay in Aurora some years back? That's it. There was also a DENR office there right near the bridge. All you'll see now are rocks covering the whole stretch of the river bed in both sides. Even i couldnt believe what I saw. I just couldnt imagine how a busy and thriving barrangay disappeared just like that. By the way, i remember seeing a Coucal in Baler. It was the first time I ever saw such a mysterious-looking bird. And i only found out what its name is here in this forum. I saw more but now I couldnt remember exactly how they looked. I remembered the Coucal much because it was my first sighting of that mysterious-looking bird. It looks more like this one below;  photo by CS Mallari |
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Post by eman campos on Apr 17, 2009 20:30:01 GMT
That is Villa Aurora National Park, . It's Aurora Memorial National Park. This is where President Manuel Quezon's wife was killed in an ambush. A very simple monument was erected along the road that cuts through the park. www.aurora.ph/towns.html |
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Too bad I was not into photography that time.
