Bicol birds

[Enrique Frio]

I had a fun time birding with Christian Perez and Mark Wallbank of the WBCP in the Bicol region a few weeks ago. The trip report can be accessed in the WBCP e-group files. Here are a few photo-lifers.

Enjoy!
Enrique

All photos: Canon EOS 7D, 100-400 IS L, FocalLength - 400 mm, Evaluative metering + compensation
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Plaintive Cuckoo (Cacomantis merulinus), DENR wetlands project, Bicol

1/400s, f10, Manual exposure control, ISO 800, SubjectDistance - 18.10 m



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Whiskered Tern (Chlidonias hybridus), DENR wetlands project, Bicol

1/1600s, F 7.10, Manual exposure control, ISO 400, SubjectDistance - 44.40 m



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Scale-feathered Malkoha (Phaenicophaeus cumingi), Mt. Isarog National Park, Bicol

Manual focus through branches, 1/250s, F8, ISO 1600, SubjectDistance - 10.80 m, 420EX Flash fired



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Red-Crested Malkoha (Phaenicophaeus superciliosus), Mt. Isarog National Park, Bicol

1/160s, f 5.6, Manual exposure control, ISO 800, SubjectDistance - 30.30 m, 420EX Flash fired

[Edit - I replaced the former image with a "truer" one that shows the bird as black and not bluish. ]



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Black-headed Gull (Chroicocephalus ridibundus), Bicol

1/1000s, f 5.6, Manual exposure control, ISO 1600, SubjectDistance - 22.80 m, 420EX Flash fired



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Black-winged Stilt or Common Stilt (Himantopus himantopus), farmland area on the way to Bicol

1/1600s, f 7.10 Manual exposure control, ISO 400, SubjectDistance - 18.10 m



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Lesser Coucal (Centropus bengalensis), DENR wetlands project, Bicol

1/250s, f8, Manual exposure control, ISO 800, SubjectDistance - 14.90 m, FocalLength - 400 mm



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Scaly Ground-Thrush (Zoothera dauma), [rare migrant?] Mt. Isarog National Park, Bicol

1/40s, f8, ISO 1250, SubjectDistance - 14.90 m, 420 EX Flash fired, FocalLength - 380 mm [lens creep!], monopod + ball head

[Mark Itol]

Congrats on the harvest, Enrique! You sure look like you had a blast.

[Enrique Frio]

Mar 16, 2011 16:55:38 GMT Mark Itol said:

Congrats on the harvest, Enrique! You sure look like you had a blast.

Thanks, Mark, I did! Hopefully this is just the start of many trips and photos!

[Sylvia Ramos]

Nice set! I like the Scale Feathered Malkoha and the Lesser Coucal.
Looks like you covered a lot of ground on your trip!

[Ely Teehankee]

With the varieties of birds that you got I too would have a lot of fun. Well done Enrique & Mabuhay.

[Enrique Frio]

Mar 17, 2011 6:45:52 GMT Sylvia Ramos said:

Nice set! I like the Scale Feathered Malkoha and the Lesser Coucal.
Looks like you covered a lot of ground on your trip!

Thanks, Sylvia! We did, and there were many birds but they were either too far or too fast.

[Enrique Frio]

Mar 17, 2011 8:17:25 GMT Ely Teehankee said:

With the varieties of birds that you got I too would have a lot of fun. Well done Enrique & Mabuhay.

Thanks, sir Ely! I was thinking about your avatar as we saw a flameback on a tree at the Quezon National Park - the 800 mm would have been so useful.

[James Biron]

Nice set Enrique! My fave is the Scaly Ground Thrush pic, this is the best pic i've seen of this bird

[Enrique Frio]

Mar 17, 2011 22:33:13 GMT James Biron said:

Nice set Enrique! My fave is the Scaly Ground Thrush pic, this is the best pic i've seen of this bird

Thanks, James! It was tricky to shoot - as I hid behind a tree, this shot was the least obscured of the 4 frames I got. It also moved in and out of the ground foliage a lot. Note: it is very skittish when flashed, but there was no other way to capture it in good light. The 1/40s + ISO1250 shows how dark the forest floor was. (I had the flash set to fill light rather than main light to avoid harsh shadows)

[alainpascua]

What a bountiful harvest you have there, Enrique! I like the Coucal, Stilt and Gull most.

[Edwin Matias]

Congrats on your harvest Enrique, Great Series

Regards,

[Enrique Frio]

Mar 19, 2011 1:11:25 GMT @alainpascua said:

What a bountiful harvest you have there, Enrique! I like the Coucal, Stilt and Gull most.

Thanks! It was a good trip.

[Enrique Frio]

Mar 19, 2011 5:21:42 GMT Edwin Matias said:

Congrats on your harvest Enrique, Great Series

Regards,

Thanks, sir Edwin! I am starting to feel the need for more focal length ....

[mantarey]

That's quite a bounty Enrique. My favorites are the Stilt and Coucal.

[Enrique Frio]

Mar 20, 2011 10:10:17 GMT @mantarey said:

That's quite a bounty Enrique. My favorites are the Stilt and Coucal.

Thanks, sir Rey! I hope to get more in my next trips.