Hi all… I thought i’d try to as briefly as i can, let you know about a few birding moments in Manila/ La mesa eco park/ tagaytay/lake taal/volcano area. For those that have already been, this will be nothing new to you, but for those that might like to keep an eye out on their trip to this area of the philippines can have some prior idea of whats around. Main birds seen in Manila metropolis when i briefly looked were…
– Pied Fantail – Eurasian Tree sparrow – Scaley breasted munia – Chestnut munia – Yellow vented bulbul
Thats about all i can recall.
For the area of Tagaytay, lake taal area, i saw….
– White breasted woodswallow – a Rainbow bee eater type looking bird that almost looks identical to the one in oz…??? – little Egret – Black crowned night heron – Whiskered tern
For the area near the base of the active volcano/caldera at lake taal and at the top of the active volcano i observed….
– Coppersmith Barbet – Black naped oriole – Pied bushchat (rather tame too) – Bright capped cisticola (rather tame) – Striated grassbird – Olive backed sunbird – Large billed crow – lowland whiteye
For the area at La mesa Eco park at Quezon city/ roughly 45 minutes from metro manila (beautiful patch of forest ) i observed:
– White collared kingfisher (very vocal) – Philippine Pygmy woodpecker x1 – Pechora pipit x1 – Hooded pitta x1 – Grey? backed tailor bird x2 – Mangrove blue flycatcher (adult and young/eating termites) – Ashy ground thrush (x3) – very obliging/had a nest also
I just have to say a HUGE thankyou to Adrian constantino who was referred to us by Dion hobcroft. I posted a message on birdingaus, asking for good places to go birding in manila area and Dion kindly referred me to Adrian constantino and his wife trinket. A wonderful, VERY helpful/generous/fun couple to hang out with. We organised to meet up with them at La mesa eco park/Quezon city and i can’t praise their services enough. I saw every bird on my wish list except for Red bellied pitta…it was in hiding…Hooded pitta made up for it though which was wonderful 😀
In 6 days i saw a total of 25 new birds…not bad for not having that much time. After all, i didn’t really go there for birding, but of course it had to be part of the itinerary somewhere 😀
Kirri savannahhardy66@yahoo.com.au ===============================
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