PHILIPPINES
First country record of Demoiselle Crane One new country record was reported for the period:
a Demoiselle Crane Grus virgo photo- documented on Calayan
Island, Babuyan Islands, Luzon on 30 September. The bird, captured
by a local farmer in October 2008, was later released but was
still around in the area where it was first observed (CO, CL).
Records of rare or accidentally occurring migrant species included
a 2nd country record of Black-winged Cuckoo-shrike Coracina
melaschistos: a pair observed at Subic, Zambales on 24 February
(SW), and the country’s 4th and 5th records of Black Drongo
Dicrurus macrocercus: one bird photo-documented at Consuelo,
Masantol, Pampanga on 11 October (AT) and two birds at the International
Rice Research Institute (IRRI), Los Baños, Laguna in November
(PB).
Among rare wetland birds are a record of Great
Bittern Botaurus stellaris on 25 November at Candaba
Marsh, Pampanga (RO), and the 2nd country record of Long-billed
Dowitcher Limnodromus scolopaceus on 10 January at San
Juan, Batangas (CE). The same wetland hosted a Grey-headed Lapwing
Vanellus cinereus on 30 October (NR, RO) and on 27 December this
species was found in Candaba Marsh, Pampanga (LL). A Temminck´s
Stint Calidris temminckii was observed on 3 October at
IRRI, Los Banos, Laguna (PB, TF), and again on 10 February when
two birds were found in a wetland at Narra, Palawan (JH). The
country’s 3rd Common Shelduck Tadorna tadorna roosted
in a newly identified wetland site at Consuelo, Macabebe, Pampanga
from 10 to 17 January (LG). A Great Cormorant Phalacrocorax
carbo resided in the same wetland from 14 January to 22 February
(CP, ET); 5 to 10 Caspian Terns Sterna caspia, together
with an immature Black-tailed Gull Larus crassirostris,
were spotted there on 17 January (LG). On 22 February an impressive
2,000 Black-headed Gulls Larus ridibundus also roosted
in the wetland (CP).
At Candaba Marsh rare and accidental records
included a single male Mallard Anas platyrhynchos and
a Spot-billed Duck Anas poecilorhyncha together with
no less than 1,000 Grey Herons Ardea cinerea on 6 December (TF).
In January 2010 18,700 waterbirds were counted
at the wetlands of Balanga, Bataan. The count included 900 Pacific
Golden Plovers Pluvialis fulva, almost 4,000 Kentish Plovers Charadrius
alexandrinus, more than 2,000 Black-winged Stilts Himantopus
himantopus and about 4,600 Whiskered Terns Chlidonias
hybrida (AJ, WBCP).
The water reservoirs of Metro Manila hosted good
numbers of raptors, including up to 10 Ospreys Pandion haliaetus
(suspected breeding attempt) on 19 December at La Mesa Dam and
Watershed, Quezon City/Rizal. The same locality had a pair and
an immature Grey-headed Fish-Eagle Ichthyophaga ichthyaetus
on 19 and 30 December (GC). This species was also reported from
Ipo Dam, Rizal within the Sierra Madre Mountain Range on 13 November
(AP). The raptor migration along the Sierra Madre Mountains started
traditionally in 2010 with good numbers of Grey-faced Buzzards
Butastur indicus migrating north in March; e.g. 222 individuals
in the morning of 22 March at Tanay, Rizal (JV).
Storms and low pressures brought seabirds to
the shoreline in Metro Manila on 4 and 6 October, when Great Frigatebird
Fregata minor and Wedge-tailed Shearwater Puffinus
pacificus could be observed at close range in the coastal
lagoon of Parañaque and at the Mall of Asia, Pasay City
(HN). Around and within Metro Manila a large influx of Blue-and
white Flycatcher Cyanoptila cyanomelana was noted in
Mt. Palay-Palay National Park, Cavite where at the least five
birds were recorded on 25 October (JB). The species was also found
in January in Quezon City, Metro Manila (JN). Metro Manila’s
first Pond-Heron Ardeola sp was spotted at the university
campus of Diliman, Quezon City on 2 November (TC) and Asian Brown
Flycatcher Muscicapa dauurica, normally not known from
Luzon, was photo-documented at Mt. Banaue, Laguna on 20 February
(NR). Other rare passerines observed for the period include 11
Japanese Yellow Bunting Emberiza sulphurata on 17 April
at Laoag City, Ilocos Norte (RR) and a Little Bunting Emberiza
pusilla at Pagudpud, Ilocos Norte on 18 October (HN).
At Dalton Pass, Nueva Vizcaya, a search for the
Streaked Reed Warbler Acrocephalus sorghophilus in October
to December brought no results, but an endangered Japanese Night-Heron
Gorsachius goisagi caught by local trappers was released
on 16 October (PR). From 15 to 24 November no less than 10, mainly
immature, Brown-banded Rails Lewinia mirifica were caught
and released in the same area together with a Spotless Crake Porzana
tabuensis on 24 November (DA).
Several records of rare starling species were
reported from different localities. The records include White-shouldered
Starling Sturnus sinensis with one record on 20 September
at the University of the Philippines, Los Banos, Laguna (RA, NR),
two birds observed on 19 October at Pagudpud, Ilocos Norte (HN),
and five on 28 November in Laoag City, Ilocos Norte (RR). Laoag
City also hosted five Red-billed (Silky) Starlings Sturnus
sericeus on 28 November and a single individual was recorded
at Basco, Batanes on 28 January (CP).
Contributors:
Arne Jensen (AJ), Alain Del Pascua (AP), Alex
Tiongco (AT), Carmela Espagnola (CE), Carl H. Oliveros (CO), Cynthia
Layusa (CL), Christian Perez (CP), Ely Teehankee (ET), Geodino
Carpio (GC), Herman Nuytemans (HN), James Biron (JB), Jeremy Hurley
(JH), J.V. Noriega (JN), Jonathan Villasper (JV), Linda Gocon
(LG), Luis Limchiu (LL), Neon Russell (NR), Paul Bourdin (PB),
Philip Round (PR), Rey Sta. Ana (RA), Romy Ocon (RO), Richard
Ruiz (RR), Stijn de Win (SW), Trinket Canlas (TC), Timothy Fisher
(TF) and the Wild Bird Club of the Philippines (WBCP).
