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Post by alainpascua on Aug 31, 2010 3:35:13 GMT
At the invitation of fellow birdwatcher and Bislig City Vice Mayor Conrad Cejoco, a group of bird photographers were organized to visit the former PICOP concession area and document the wild birds of Bislig City.
Three bird photographers from Manila - Rey Sta. Ana, Ely Teehankee and Alain Pascua - and two from the Visayas - Nilo Arribas of Cebu and Clemn Macasiano from Bacolod - made up the team that summoned the call of Mayor Conrad to help him capture in pixels the wild birds in Bislig and PICOP amidst the unhampered destruction of their forest brought about by illegal logging.
So on August 26 up to August 30, Team Bislig explored the forest of Bislig and PICOP under the guidance of Zardo Goring, the professional bird watching guide trained and developed by Tim Fisher 16 years ago. He was a former PICOP Forest Guard and used to accompany foreigners led by Tim Fisher, providing their security until such time as he learned the trade of birding guide.
Nobody can beat Zardo in Bislig/PICOP forest in birdwatching guide. He can even summon a Frogmouth in the forest in the middle of darkness where only the lights of the fireflies can be seen, and show to us by using his flashlight at the last instance where it is perched. We were all stunned and surprised to see that Frogmouth perched at a nearby branch, that even our quick reflexes were overwhelmed by the find.
This birding sortie is also quite exceptional. Imagine the birders carrying 1DM4, 5DM2, 7D, 50D, 40D, 800mm, 600mm, 500mm, 300mm f2.8, 100-400mm zoom, 1.4 and 2X TCs! Canon Philippines even loaned their 7D and 300mm f2.8 lens to a couple of team members to make sure they have enough firepower.
But equally astounding are the birds encountered there! Imagine facing the Monarchs, the Paradise Flycatchers, the Blue Fantails, etc. all in one flock - feeding at the same time in same place! Truly, very exciting! Imagine Apache Rey announcing with excitement his capture of more than 20 lifers!
Watch this thread, folks... All the pictures will be posted here!
We can't wait to share them all to you, but please bear with us as there are tons of pixels we have to process. Never mind if we have walked more than 4 to 8 kilometers every single day, and woke up at 3am for the last 5 days, we will recover our strength as we process our pictures for every lifer is like a magic for us!
We will not fail you, for we will give you the best shots of birds in the forest of Bislig/PICOP!
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Post by mantarey on Aug 31, 2010 10:44:44 GMT
Thanks Alain for starting the thread. The Bislig sortie is really one of the best birding trips I've ever had. The light-hearted and friendly rapport with fellow birdnuts was one of the highlights of this trip which goes the same with the warm hospitality of our amiable and very gracious host, Vice Mayor Conrad Cejoco. I remember that incident on the road when we were near Bislig City, when a White Collared Kingfisher suddenly flew from the right side of the street and hit our windshield. Good thing we were not traveling that fast that the bird was not seriously hurt. For a few seconds the bird was actually on its back on the windshield before it flew on its own. I remember thinking, wow this place must be full of birds, normally bugs will hit windshield as you travel in the provinces but in this place it's birds and not bugs. Are the birds as numerous as the bugs in this place.  Well, I found out later that it wasn’t the case but when the waves of mixed feeding flocks come, you would think that they maybe as numerous as the bugs at least in that instance. Enough of the long tall stories and allow me to share, one of my target species which I was fortunate enough to capture. I was trying to get this bird for the last three days when I finally got it in the last day. They are tough to photograph because these birds will always choose the canopies of the tallest trees in the area because they are hunted for food by the locals. Good thing a pair perched on a branch that wasn’t too high early morning on our last day. It’s not the prettiest photo that I got but it’s good enough for me. Mindanao Tarictic Hornbill (Penelopides affinis), PICOP, Bislig City, 8-3-10 EOS 7D + EF500, f5.0, 1/320, ISO 800, Spot Metering, Manual Exposure, Handheld  |
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Post by gabriel buluran on Aug 31, 2010 12:09:48 GMT
congrats bislig team!!! eagerly awaiting your posts!!!
ray, i love how you let the markings on the bill show! can't wait for your 20 lifers!
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Post by Jun Osano on Aug 31, 2010 12:55:50 GMT
Wow.....I envy you guys! Congrats on the lifers Team Bislig!
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Post by Ely Teehankee on Aug 31, 2010 13:23:50 GMT
I might not have gone to Bislig had I known that I will be doing a lot of walking and carrying my heavy gear most of the time. However having experienced the camaraderie of friends like Alain, Boy Mac, Nilo, and Rey makes me happy that I joined the group. I have never seen so many lifers and endemics on a single birding trip as this one. I also had the opportunity of meeting gentle and soft spoken people like Vice Mayor Conrad Cejoco of Bislig, and our bird guide Zardo Goring. It was sad to see the cutting of the trees all over the place. On our way to Bislig from Butuan which is about 200 kilometers and about 3 hours of travel time Alain counted 34 units of 10 wheeler trucks fully loaded with cut lumber. As you travel down the road you will see piles of lumber stock up besides the road waiting for the trucks to pick them up. We were told that this was going to be made into plywood. Picop which was the only integrated newsprint plant in Asia and was doing very well as they planted more trees for every one that they cut. This is to insure that 10 years down the line the planted trees will be ready for harvest. Unfortunately the company went bankrupt and close down. The people lost their job. The Vice-Mayor has plans to use our bird pictures to make the people aware of the environment and the value of the forest and birds. He has plans to put up a seaport to give jobs to the people of Bislig. We hope that he will succeed for the sake of the people of Bislig. The Philippine Leafbird (Chloropsis flavipennis) is endemic to the Philippines. This was taken on the first full day of birding on August 24 at Road 1 - 4. We bird and walk for over two kilometers that morning. It is hard to see this bird as its green color blends very well with the tree. It is a skittish bird and it was a delight to have been able to photograph this bird. Canon EOS 1D Mark IV, Canon EF 800mm f/5.6L IS USM. Gitzo GT3530LS Tripod, Wimberley WH200 Head. Manual exposure in available light. This picture was taken full frame and you can see how well the bird blends with the leaves of the tree. f/8, ISO 800, 1/1000 sec.  f/8, ISO 1600, 1/2000 sec. Full frame.  f/8, ISO 1600, 1/2000 sec.  f/8, ISO 1600, 1/2000 sec.  f/8, ISO 1600, 1/250 sec. Full Frame.  |
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Post by Ivan Sarenas on Aug 31, 2010 13:38:05 GMT
Wow! That is the best Ph Leafbird photo I have ever seen! Or maybe I should reserve my comments after everyone has posted. Excited to see your harvests guys! Congrats to everyone on this worthy adventure ;D
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Post by Toto Gamboa on Aug 31, 2010 14:01:55 GMT
20+ lifers for a veteran birder? This is major major harvest! excited to see more. Great initial shots from sir Rey and Sir Ely! |
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Post by Clemn A. Macasiano Jr. on Aug 31, 2010 17:50:04 GMT
It was by chance that I took part in the Bislig sortie, I was lucky enough to be invited by Nilo to join the expedition as Bobby K. can't make it. After consulting with Alain regarding the change of roster it was all green light for me. Being part of the Bislig team it was a great opportunity to explore the beauty of nature in the province of Surigao del Sur. We are very grateful to Vice Mayor Condrad Cejoco for the hospitality that was extended to us and to Zardo Goring our very professional bird guide who is so well versed in his turf (PICOP). The Bislig trip was an experience to remember, starting with the packing of equipments which is obviously huge and heavy and sorting out personal effects which was a dilemma for traveling light and taking into account the baggage allowance which is very modest. No matter what i still have to pay for the excess  the very early wake up call was a challenge especially for a person who sleeps early in the morning ;D the long drive with us holding our cameras and lenses and the long 4-8 km. trek with a varied and unfamiliar terrain was absolutely interesting. But in spite of it all it was a successful trip and there was a camaraderie amongst us 5 gentlemen of different caliber. Mindanao Tarictic Hornbill ( Penelopides affinis ) Locally called Taric ( Male )
1/200 sec at f/7.1, ISO 400, 700mm ( EF500 f/4L IS USM+1.4xTC ), Gitzo 3545xls , Wimberley II Gimbal
Partial metering on available light ( Manual Exposure ) |
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Post by ppaaoolloo on Aug 31, 2010 18:57:22 GMT
Excellent captures gents. Show us more! |
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Post by Ely Teehankee on Aug 31, 2010 21:45:27 GMT
Wow! That is the best Ph Leafbird photo I have ever seen! Or maybe I should reserve my comments after everyone has posted. Excited to see your harvests guys! Congrats to everyone on this worthy adventure ;D Thank you Ivan for your appreciation. Even if there are better pictures than this I am happy enough to have been able to get this bird decently compared to what I was able to get before. The main intention here is to share the bird pictures with everyone who is interested to know what kind of birds there are in Bislig. It is exciting to see the birds that we were able to photograph as each bird has a different characteristic. The anticipation and excitement to see one is incomparable. Some never stop moving and you are lucky if you are able to nail a shot. Some are so distant that you can only hope that it will be good enough to ID the bird. |
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Post by William Lim on Aug 31, 2010 21:49:17 GMT
Congratulations, Team Bislig. Awaiting for all your posts of exotic birds of Bislig.
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Post by Ely Teehankee on Aug 31, 2010 21:51:01 GMT
Thank you Toto.
Apache Rey - you got a good shot at that Tarictic which I did not even get to see. Just shows what a veteran you are.
I saw that Tarictic that you posted Boy but I was not able to get the picture because I saw it only seconds before it took off. Well done Boy. Mabuhay.
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Post by mantarey on Aug 31, 2010 23:02:02 GMT
congrats bislig team!!! eagerly awaiting your posts!!! ray, i love how you let the markings on the bill show! can't wait for your 20 lifers! Thanks a lot Gabs, that was actually the effect of the early morning sunlight passing through the bird's beak. |
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Post by mantarey on Aug 31, 2010 23:10:15 GMT
20+ lifers for a veteran birder? This is major major harvest! excited to see more. Great initial shots from sir Rey and Sir Ely! Thanks a lot Toto. It was actually a record harvest for me, the highest I've ever had but I believe Nilo has more than 30 lifers, that's about 50% more. |
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Post by mantarey on Aug 31, 2010 23:15:29 GMT
Mindanao Tarictic Hornbill ( Penelopides affinis ) Locally called Taric ( Male )
1/200 sec at f/7.1, ISO 400, 700mm ( EF500 f/4L IS USM+1.4xTC ), Gitzo 3545xls , Wimberley II Gimbal
Partial metering on available light ( Manual Exposure ) [/quote] Wow, fantastic shot Doc, this could be one of the best captures in this sortie. Big congrats. |
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Post by mantarey on Aug 31, 2010 23:18:19 GMT
Thank you Toto. Apache Rey - you got a good shot at that Tarictic which I did not even get to see. Just shows what a veteran you are. I saw that Tarictic that you posted Boy but I was not able to get the picture because I saw it only seconds before it took off. Well done Boy. Mabuhay. Thanks a lot Ka Ely, was just fortunate that the bird perched very near my position. |
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Post by Dennis Alfaro on Sept 1, 2010 0:50:50 GMT
great set guys! congrats!
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Post by Nilo Arribas Jr. on Sept 1, 2010 1:04:13 GMT
Hello Friends, I had the pleasure of birding with fellow PBP members Alain, Rey, Ely and Dr. Boymac in Bislig for five days. I’m glad that birding in the forest was not as difficult as I imagined specially because we are blessed with good weather and great company!! The former PICOP logging concession area of Bislig is truly a birding treasure trove. It is difficult to imagine that such vast irreplaceable natural forest heritage is being transformed into temporary agricultural patches by settlers. There are several facets to this issue and obviously our group does not have the solution to all of these. However, with the limited time spent in the field, I can see that there are still opportunities to help. The experience has given us more reason to further the conservation agenda in our own small way. The local government of Bislig particularly the enthusiastic Vice Mayor Conrad Cejoco has shared with us the key initiatives that will hopefully turn around the destruction of the forest. There is a saying that "a picture is worth a thousand words". I can say that a single picture may not be enough to give justice to the Avian Treasures of Bislig. Special thanks to our host Vice Mayor Conrad Cejoco, his staff, our guide ‘Nong Zardo and the rest of the Bislig birding team. Here’s my share of the Tarictic Hornbills: These birds are always wary of human presence and difficult to approach in the forest. Mindanao Tarictic Hornbill, male Photo info: Canon 40D + 600mm + 1.4x TC at 840mm, f/6.3, 1/400Sec, ISO-800, EV+1, Gimbal and Tripod.  Mindanao Tarictic Hornbill, male Photo info: Canon 40D + 600mm + 1.4x TC at 840mm, f/6.3, 1/320Sec, ISO-320, EV+1, Gimbal and Tripod  Mindanao Tarictic Hornbill, female Photo info: Canon 40D + 600mm + 1.4x TC at 840mm, f/5.6, 1/200Sec, ISO-200, EV+2, Gimbal and Tripod.  Below are series of photos of a male Mindanao Tarictic Hornbill (possibly immature since the casque is not yet fully developed) feeding on a local fruiting tree. Photo Info: Canon 40D + 600mm + 1.4x TC at 840mm, f/5.6, 1/80Sec, ISO-400, EV+2/3, Gimbal and Tripod.     |
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Post by alainpascua on Sept 1, 2010 1:49:25 GMT
Rey and I were not able to get pictures of the Mindanao Tarictic Hornbills during our second day in the forest. After late breakfast, we took some nap and while we were asleep, Ely, Nilo, Clemn and Zardo sneaked out without waking us up, perhaps taking into consideration that sleep is more important than birding especially after one day of tiring birding, afterwards they were able to get nice shots of the hornbill. ;D But alas, on the last day of our sortie, we were given an opportunity to fire some shots at that species, and so here's my version. Mindanao Tarictic Hornbill Penelopides affinis, Bislig City, Surigao del Sur, August 30, 2010 Canon EOS 50D + EF 300mm f2.8... 1/000, f/2.8, iso640, Handheld, Frame Series  Normally, the picture below falls below the realm of standard quality bird picture, but I'm posting it as docu shot to show to everybody another endemic hornbill we saw in Bislig. They perched too high in the tallest trees for they fear humans who always hunt them for food. We were still to far away, but they flew away as soon as they have spotted us, denying us to photograph them in nearer positions. Writhed Hornbill Aceros leucocephalus, Bislig City, Surigao del Sur, August 27, 2010 Canon EOS 50D + EF 300mm f2.8 + 2X TC + Benro Half-Gimbal Head and Tripod... 1/320, f/5.6, iso120  |
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Post by Ariel Matias on Sept 1, 2010 1:59:33 GMT
Great sets!!! I'm one of those who will be waiting for more from this thread! Thanks for sharing!
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Well, I found out later that it wasn’t the case but when the waves of mixed feeding flocks come, you would think that they maybe as numerous as the bugs at least in that instance.
the very early wake up call was a challenge especially for a person who sleeps early in the morning ;D the long drive with us holding our cameras and lenses and the long 4-8 km. trek with a varied and unfamiliar terrain was absolutely interesting. But in spite of it all it was a successful trip and there was a camaraderie amongst us 5 gentlemen of different caliber.
