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Barred Rail - Subic -photo by Stijn De Win

 

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White-bellied Woodpecker - Subic

 

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Whiskered Treeswift - Subic

 

Philippine Tarsier - Bohol

 

Philippine Colugo - Bohol

 

Luzon Hornbill - Subic

 

Blue-throated Bee-eater - Subic

 

Philippine Woodpecker - Subic

 

Bilar - Bohol

Access town to Rajah Sikatuna NP

 

Philippine Falconet - Subic

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Philippines                                Scroll down for tour photo gallery.

Mindanao, Cebu, Bohol & Luzon

 

Tuesday 16th February – Monday 1st March 2010 

 

Tour leader; Stijn De Win

 

The Philippine archipelago has been geographically isolated from mainland Asia

for a long period of time resulting in an avifauna with extremely high endemism.

Birds in the Philippines are special.  The first time visitor will be amazed by such

strikingly attractive species as Silvery Kingfisher, Philippine Trogon or Steere’s

Pitta, but sadly enough the habitat of these birds is severely threatened.

On this tour, we visit some of the last remaining but excellent rainforests in

which we should find many of the wonderful rarities and endemics.

Experience has learned us that the Philippines is much easier travelled and much

more safe and friendly than many guidebooks or travel companies would suggest.

This is a relatively short tour with an emphasis on comfortable and relaxed travel

to some of the most enjoyable birding areas in the country.  A refreshing change

from those tiring long hard-core birding journeys the Philippines has become

renowned for.  Still, we visit some of the very best birding sites that never fail to

deliver on superb birds.  We will serve you the extraordinary Philippines

experience!

Check our February 2009 tour report!  With numerous tour photographs.

 

Silvery Kingfisher - Bohol                        Photos Stijn De Win                       Philippine Trogon - Bohol

 

Tour itinerary

  

Arrival in Manila on Monday 15th or early Tuesday 16th.

 

Day 1

An early morning flight will take us from Manila (new terminal since Aug. 2008) to Cagayan de Oro where our driver and minivan waits to transfer us to Damitan village from where we walk  up in the Kitanglad mountains to the Del Monte lodge. This walk isn’t steep and nothing too strenuous so we should make it easily in time for lunch.

We spend the afternoon looking for the first of the endemic bird species and other specialties above the camp.  One of the first birds to notice and very common indeed is the Cinnamon Ibon, a handsome species certainly not done any justice in the field guide. Note that Ibon is the word for ‘bird’ in Tagalog. Of course it will be the more elusive species we will focus on, some of the plenty goodies to look for are Apo Myna, -worth the trip alone-, as well as Blue-capped Wood Kingfisher, Stripe-breasted Rhabdornis, Mc Gregor’s Cuckooshrike, Red-eared Parrotfinch, Mindanao Racquet-tail and Long-tailed Ground-Warbler.

Day 2 + 3

‘The’ star bird on Mt.Kitanglad and of course our main target indeed is the Philippine Eagle (Monkey-eating Eagle) and we’ll head straight up to the Eagle viewpoint on our second day.

Also the trail above the viewpoint needs a visit as the forest at this slightly higher altitude is the best spot to look for White-cheeked Bullfinch, Apo Sunbird, Amethyst Brown-Dove and better chances on Mindanao Racquet-tail.

Evenings around the camp come with possibilities on Philippine Frogmouth, Philippine Nightjar, Bukidnon Woodcock and with a bit more luck even Mindanao and Giant Scops Owls. All are present in the immediate vicinity of the lodge.

Day 4

Another full morning to catch up on any bird species we might still need on Mt.Kitanglad. After lunch we head down again to make it back to Cagayan for our short evening flight to Cebu where we stay for the night.

Day 5

Early morning start for our trip to Tabunan forest to try for the critically endangered Cebu Flowerpecker in this last remnant of tall forest on Cebu.  While chances to see this bird are slim, we’ll certainly pick up the endangered Black Shama, they are endemic to CebuIsland and make the place live up with their exceptional song. Other specialties at the site include White-vented Whistler, Mangrove Blue Flycatcher  and Streak-breasted Bulbul.

In the afternoon we return to Cebu and the seaport for the short ‘SuperCat’ hop to Bohol. If time allows after check-in we head out again to watch the flocks of Asian Glossy Starlings coming in roosting at the town square, a spectacle described “In Focus”.

Day 6+7

Two full days at Rajah Sikatuna National Park and a couple other spots nearby.  Bohol’s many specialties is what we’re looking for and these will indeed provide us with the perfect alternative for Picop, -minus the long daily uncomfortable jeepney rides and 8 hours travel from Kitanglad to get there! In our view Bohol gets underrated and is under watched, with species (specialties) overlap as compared with Picop including; Steere’s Pitta, Blue Fantail, Streaked Ground-Babbler, Rufous-lored Kingfisher, Silvery Kingfisher, Black-faced Coucal and Rufous-fronted Tailorbird.

Both Rufous Hornbill and Mindanao Bleeding-heart occur but are seldom reported.

 

Visayan Wattled Broadbill, Samar Hornbill and Yellow-breasted Tailorbird are the endemics otherwise not found outside the Visayas with Black-crowned Babbler another extra species common on Bohol and not regularly found at any of the other well visited birding sites in Philippines.

 

A few other species are more widespread but nowhere common, with Bohol a good place to look for them; Bicolored Flowerpecker, Red-bellied Pitta, Philippine Trogon, Philippine Oriole, Philippine Fairy Bluebird, Yellow Wattled Bulbul and Blue-crowned Racquet-tail.

Rajah Sikatuna is a good spot to look for night-birds too and they are represented with  Philippine Frogmouth, Philippine Nightjar and Philippine Scops Owl.

We’ll certainly make an effort too, to see the Philippine Tarsier.

Lunch at Chocolate Hills and the butterfly garden.

Day 8

Another morning birding on Bohol, followed by an afternoon flight to Manila and 3 hour transfer to Subic where we stay in a new luxury hotel inside the Subic Bay Freeport Zone.

Day 9 + 10

A full host of new endemics and other delights wait for us in the excellent forest on the Subic Bay naval base. Some of the most easy, enjoyable yet rewarding birding found in the country.

Green Racquet-tail, Blue-naped Parrot, Sooty and White-bellied Woodpecker, Rufous Coucal, White-lored Oriole, White-fronted Tit, Purple Needletail, Yellow-breasted Fruit-Dove, Blackish Cuckoo Shrike, Red-crested Malkoha, Scale-feathered Malkoha, Philippine and Great-eared Nightjar, White-browed Shama, Philippine Hawk Owl, Philippine Falconet, Philippine Serpent Eagle, Spotted Buttonquail, Barred Rail, Plain Bush-hen, Luzon Hornbill, Stipe-sided Rhabdornis…

Day 11

Another full morning is certainly needed to do the Subic rainforest any justice.

After lunch we travel to Candaba Marsh, a good spot to get the Philippine Duck on our list as well as a host of waterbirds inclusive the now on Philippines rare Purple [Philippine] Swamphen. At dusk we hope to get good views of the resident Grass Owl.

Day 12

Transfer to Los Banos - Mt Makiling for birding the rest of the day on the campus and lower part of the track up this volcanic mountain, which preserves some of the best rainforest left on Luzon. Birding can be very slow here but with the plenty time birding Subic we had, our target species list for this site got reduced greatly.

Over 50 endemic bird species have been found here and species we would likely still want to look for include Indigo-banded Kingfisher, Spotted Wood Kingfisher and Spotted Buttonquail.

Day 13

Full day on Mt.Makiling where we will be birding at different altitudes along the summit track as well as the botanic gardens and the spacious green Los Banos university grounds.

Day 14

A last day on Mt Makiling before returning to Manila to connect with international flights.

        

General info : Comfortable accommodation in good standard hotels with private

facilities. Transport by air-conditioned minibus.  Walking is easy and

most birding is done on level roadside/tracks/trails, but the occasional

steeper trail might get us to the best birds.  Weather is mostly pleasant

at this time of the year. Some rain can be expected however and on sunny days it

might get fairly hot at noon.

        

Coleto is common at Subic...                         while Green Racquet-tail makes for a real target species.

 

  

Blue-naped Parrot,                                   Sooty Woodpecker                        and Philippine Falconet.

  

   Photos Stijn De Win  

Steere's Pitta - Bohol - Feb. 09 Tour                                              Guaiabero - Subic - Feb. 09 Tour

 

                        The famous Chocolate Hills make for a nice spot to have lunch.

 

 

Pompadour [Philippine] Green Pigeon        - Subic, Feb. 09 Tour -                 Stripe-sided Rhabdornis.

 

Yellow Bittern - Candaba Marsh - photographed on Feb. 09 Tour.

 

Mount Makiling, with its 1090m high summit here in the clouds, supports excellent forest on the slopes.

 

All photographs taken by Stijn De Win.