Trip report by Debbie McGuinn
Bird list by Tere Cervero
We had a fun and productive birding trip to
Mt Palay-Palay and Coastal Lagoon on Sunday
February 25, 2007. The entire day was
fabulous! This was Dave and my first birding
trip in the Philippines. We moved here only
six weeks ago from the mountains of northern
Arizona in America (it's been snowing
there). We were fortunate to be able to join
the trip organized for a guest from
Singapore, Gloria Seow. It was exciting to
be able to experience birds we have never
seen or heard before! All the bird species
we saw and heard were life birds for us,
except for the barn swallow (which we have
back in America). Having such an experienced
bird guide, Nicky Icarangal, was so
wonderful. Everyone on the trip was a
teacher to us, too. We also want to learn
the songs and calls of the birds of the
Philippines, and we have a good beginning.
We feel very fortunate to have gone birding
with such a nice group of people who are very
knowledgeable and enthusiastic! We hope to
share many more birding outings.
Something to note is that there were informal
settlers at the birding site. They are
making charcoal from the trees in the
forest. We are afraid that they will
negatively affect the birds and their habitat.
Birdlist:
Osprey - 1
Brahminy kite - 9
Crested serpent eagle - 4
Philippine Falconet - 2
White eared brown dove - ho (heard only)
Black-chinned fruit dove - 4 (heard more)
Luzon bleeding heart - ho
Guiabero - 5
Colasisi - 6
Red-crested malkoha - 4
Philippine coucal - 4 (heard more)
Philippine hawk owl - ho
Island swiftlet - many
Pygmy swiftlet - many
Philippine trogon - ho
Spotted wood kingfisher - ho
Tarictic hornbill - 17
Rufuos hornbill - 2
Coppersmith barbet - 2
Sooty woodpecker - ho
Red-bellied pitta - ho
Barn swallow - many
Bar-bellied cuckoo shrike - 2
Yellow vented bulbul - many
Philippine bulbul - many
Philippine fairy bluebird - 4
Black-naped oriole - 4
Elegant tit - 2
White-browed shama - 1 (heard more)
Blue rock thrush - 8
Grey-backed tailorbird - ho
Grey-streaked flycatcher - 4
Brown shrike - 3
White-breasted woodswallow - many
Coleto - 5
Red-keeled flowerpecker - many (? not sure of
the
count)
Pygmy flowerpecker - at least 4
Coastal Lagoon - Paranaque
Grey heron - 3+
Great egret - 10+
Little egret - 40+
Whiskered tern - 30+
Black-winged stilt - about 50
Collared kingfisher - 1
