Birding Sites in Negros Oriental

[alainpascua]

Here are some pictures of the birding sites in Negros Oriental. Entry to the province by air is thru Dumaguete City airport.

Twin Lakes of Balinsasayao and Danao in Sibulan, Negros Oriental. The two lakes which are just adjacent to each other and separated only by a mountain range are crater formations. Sibulan is just adjacent to Dumaguete City and the Twin Lakes can be reached by 4X4 vehicle or motorcycle (habal-habal). There are mountain trails around the lakes and in the sorrounding mountains:


Canon 350D 35mm@21mm 1/2000 f6.3 iso1600 handheld


Canon 400D 35mm@40mm 1/200 f10.0 iso400 handheld


Canon 400D 35mm@18mm 1/320 f11.0 iso400 handheld


Canon 400D 35mm@18mm 1/15 f3.5 iso400
With Cris, my brother-in-law, and the president of the people's organization that is guarding the Twin Lakes and protected area.

Pictures below are the forest areas after Valencia. The rising steams in the pictures are from the Geothermal Plant in Valencia that provides electricity in Negros Island. Valencia enjoys a certain amount of free electricity for hosting the geothermal plant. The birding area here is reacheable by motorcycle (habal-habal)


Canon 400D 35mm@18mm 1/400 f11.0 iso400 handheld


Canon 400D 35mm@18mm 1/200 f16.0 iso400
With bird guide Rene Vendiola and habal-habal driver

The pictures below are that of trees growing in small lakes. The first two pictures are of trees found in the small lake below the Twin Lakes in Sibulan, while the last two are picture of the same kind of trees but are found in Valencia, at the back of Lake Balinsasayao. It seens only these two areas having small water formations have this kind of trees. They are not touched by the local folks as they believe these trees are enchanted (engkanto) and spirits are guarding them. Folks call them Bali or Balit.


Canon 350D 35mm@18mm 1/1000 f6.3 iso1600 handheld


Canon 350D 35mm@49mm 1/1000 f6.3 iso1600 handheld


Canon 400D 35mm@18mm 1/200 f22.0 iso1600


Canon 400D 35mm@18mm 1/500 f14.0 iso1600

Not in the pictures is the garden of Rene Vendiola where sunbirds, kingfishers, flowepeckers, etc. can easily be found.

[Edu Lorenzo Jr]

What a site to behold.. just being there is a treat. Wow..

[Toto Gamboa]

Woooooooow. I should go there to do landscapes. Birding can take a backseat if that is the kind of 'scapes you got there. Ok .. unless some rare/extinct monarch suddenly appears.

[mantarey]

Wonderful sceneries Alain, would love to visit this place.

[Mark Itol]

I can prolly forget about birding if the site is as beautiful as this.

Beautiful images, Alain. I shouldn't miss this place when I visit the home province (Neg. Occ.).

[alainpascua]

Thank you Edu, Toto, Rey, Den and Mark!

These pictures are actually poor representations of the landscapes, naturescapes and seascapes/waterscapes that can be found in the province as my focus at those times are on birding. Site pictures are just documentation to me at that time, my mistake actually. But I will shoot them again by December to faithfully represent the scapes!

[Lawrence Lo]

Hi Alain, got to visit this place, once in a while I go to Dumaguete for some R&R and this place is amazing.

Can you give me little more detailed direction going to this place, and is it a mountain resort over night stay is possible? Its a great landscape location.

TFS BTW Im from bacolod so road trip to Sibulan is another bonus

[Neon Rosell II]

I'll add some more photos of this area from my sortie there last September 13.

A bit of a warning, don't go there during the rainy season if your gonna do bird photography.

Not the best of lighting conditions but I have to do with what is presented to me since I'm there by chance.

DENR View Deck and Restaurant.




Lake Balinsasayaw




Bird Guide Rene Vindeola, one of the best!!


Watch Tower on a ridge that separates Lakes Balinsasayaw and Danao.






Now I know where Godzilla originated...

[Neon Rosell II]

I finally got the time to compile the video footages I took from my Dumaguete sortie.

[mantarey]

WOnderful set Neon including the awesome video production.

This is the best lanscape shot for me.