| Date:
April 12, 2003
Location:
Forestry road in the morning and Pook ni Maria Makiling (Jamboree)
in the afternoon by Mads Bajarias with Dindo Llana and Lala
Española
Dindo
Llana and I were also in Makiling on Saturday, April 12, while
Ned and Marilyn Liuag were exploring the length of the molave
plantation ridge trail. We mainly stayed near the entrance
where the tickets are issued and only strayed as far as the
"mahogany plantation" sign. In the afternoon, we
went to Pook ni Maria Makiling with biologist Lala Espanola
and her friend.
What
we saw:
1.
Chinese Goshawk (Accipiter soloensis) - saw 1 silently
perched at the left-hand trail opposite the ticket "office."
a cemented footpath leads to some houses. it had orange cere
and yellow eyes. small size at first made me think it might
be a dove from behind. JC Gonzalez' book has a different English
name for it (Crested Lizard Hawk).
2. Hodgson's Hawk-cuckoo - Saw 1, heard another. this
took us about 100m in the underbrush. Following its sound,
we left the main trail where the "Mahogany Plantation"
sign is. After what seemed like ages spent peering in the
middle-storey we finally saw it. This is the "hysterical
bird" we always missed out in the past. Finally seeing
it brought great relief. Hay salamat.
3. Oriental Cuckoo - 1 near the "Pook ni Maria
Makiling" swimming pool. Around 4pm we went there along
with Lala and her friend Renz(?). Curiously, this species
is not in Gonzalez' Makiling checklist. We only saw it when
it moved, otherwise, its colors make it blend with color of
branches and difficult to see. at times, it even perches parallel
to the branch so it looks like a "bump" on the wood.
4. Red-crested Malkoha - 1 in the same place as the
goshawk and didn't seem to mind the breakfast noises.
5. Scale-feathered malkoha - 1 in deep in the left-hand
trail opposite the "Flat Rocks" sign. Dindo waited
for it a long time to show. Rewarded with great looks. Definitely
worth the wait!
Bee-eaters - c.10. A mix of Blue-throated and Blue-tailed
species perched.
Stripe-headed Rhabdornis - 6. Dindo saw them everywhere (almost)!
On trunks, branches, on fruiting trees...
6. Philippine Bulbuls - 4
7. Balicassiaos - 2
8. Red-keeled Flowerpeckers - c.5
9. Bicolored Flowerpeckers - c.10
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