Date: 26
January 2008
Location: Malasi Lakes, Municipality of Cabagan,
Isabela Province, Luzon
Birders: Merlijn van Weerd & Jan van
der Ploeg
Trip report by Merlijn van Weerd
Bird List by Merlijn van Weerd
Photos taken on-site by Romy Ocon, http://www.pbase.com/liquidstone
We try to count the ducks at the Malasi
Lakes every year towards the end of January since we found
these lakes in the municipality of Cabagan during a survey
of wetlands and waterbirds in Cagayan Valley in 2001/2002
(results published in Forktail 20: Van Weerd and Van der Ploeg
2004).
Wandering Whistling Ducks fly
above the Malasi Lakes |
In January
2002 we counted 1320 Philippine Duck Anas luzonica here
making the two tiny Malasi Lakes a wetland of international
importance under the 1 % population criterion of the
RAMSAR convention. This criterion is triggered when
a wetland contains more than 1 % of the total estimated
global population of a water bird species; the total
population of the endemic Philippine Duck is estimated
at 10,000 individuals.
Unfortunately, the number of congregating
Philippine Ducks in the Malasi Lakes seems to be decreasing
steadily from year to year despite the fact that the
lakes themselves have been awarded some protection by
the DENR and the Local Government Unit of Cabagan which
has decreased duck hunting in the area. |
Perhaps the causes of the decline are caused by factors that
impact the breeding success of the ducks or their survival when
they disperse into the surrounding grasslands from March to
October.
|
The Malasi Lakes remain an interesting area however with
Philippine Ducks always present during November –
February as well as large numbers of resident Wandering
Whistling-Duck and variable numbers of migratory duck
species.
The reed-beds and grasslands surrounding the lake are
also good for open area raptors such as Pied Harrier,
Eastern Marsh-Harrier, Black-shouldered Kite and the
occasional Osprey. This January 2008 we were treated
with the spectacle of a Peregrine Falcon attacking ducks
in flight, with success. That sort of hunting is difficult
to control we understand. |
The seldom-seen White-shouldered
Kite resides in Lake Malasi |
Bird List:
1. Little Grebe Tachybaptus ruficollis - 1
2. Purple Heron Ardea purpurea - 3
3. Great Egret Egretta alba – 2
4. Little Egret Egretta garzetta – 1
5. Wandering Whistling-Duck Dendrocygna arcuata –
200
6. Northern Pintail Anas acuta – 200
7. Green-winged Teal Anas crecca – 6
8. Philippine Duck Anas luzonica – 235
9. Eurasian Wigeon Anas Penelope – 3
10. Garganey Anas querquedula – 30
11. Northern Shoveler Anas clypeata – 2400
12. Tufted Duck Aythya fuligula – 3
13. Osprey Pandion haliaetus – 1
14. Black-shouldered Kite – 1
15. Eastern Marsh-Harrier Circus spilonotus –
2
16. Pied Harrier Circus melanoleucus – 1
17. Peregrine Falcon Falco peregrines - 1
18. Blue-breasted Quail Coturnix chinensis - 2
19. Common Moorhen Gallinula chloropus – 4
20. Spotted Dove Streptopelia chinensis – 1
21. Blue-tailed Bee-eater Merops philippinus –
2
22. Brown Shrike Lanius cristatus – 1
23. Long-tailed Shrike Lanius schach – 2
24. Zitting Cisticola Cisticola juncidis –
2
25. Scaly-breasted Munia Lonchura punctulata –
1
26. Chestnut Munia Lonchura malacca – 20
|
