TREES and nearby areas only
August 10, 2008
5:30am to 10:30am
Cloud: 1/8; 2/8
Observer: Mads Bajarias
BY MADS BAJARIAS | Sometime last week I met a veterinarian who used to work for a famous exotic bird trader. He has relatives in the community near the foot of Mt. Makiling and mentioned that his cousins have been seeing a group of "kalaw" in the area recently.
Although JC Gonzalez has Rufous Hornbill in his pictorial guide (2000), no one has reported Rufous Hornbills in Makiling in recent memory so I thought it was a good lead to check.
The birds were said to be seen at the foot of Makiling across the stream from TREES. I waited for a bit and about 6am I saw a group of about 10 tarictics making their way to TREES from across the stream. They perched on a fruiting tree behind TREES and made a lot of trumpety noises. They were the largest tarictics I've ever seen (which may have led to the confusion with RH). In a few minutes smaller groups of threes and twos joined the larger group in the tree, where they fed on its reddish marble-sized fruits.
I noticed that one of the larger males tended to jump around and shake the branches twice followed by a loud call. This seemed to momentarily drive off the other males in the group. A female sometimes joined him and together they'd shake the branch they were on twice and then they'd call loudly. I waited if the pair varied the number of shakes but they seemed to always stop at the second shake. They'd move to another part of the branch or a different branch, shake it twice and call. They repeated this for a few minutes. It was interesting to watch.
But one can't help fearing that all the courtship(?) noises will attract predators. As Ned pointed out a few months ago, the stream that runs below TREES (part of which joins "Flatrocks and the Botanical Garden) is used as a trail for people who, for various reasons, want to avoid passing through the gate.
If anyone wants to see the tarictics up close, just wait for them at the parking area at the back of TREES over the stream. One hopes the presence of birders might stop potential hunters here.
Also spent some time walking along the stream and exploring the foot trail there. The path was well-worn and led up to Flatrocks bypassing the gate. A pair of malkohas calling to each other led me to a serpent-eagle feeding on earthworms on the ground; it wasn't alarmed at all by my presence (maybe the malkohas were alerting the raptor about me!).
Where the stream meets the Botanical Garden I spotted Indigo-banded and a few meters above it, a White-throated Kingfisher, an unexpected pairing.
1. Crested Serpent-Eagle [Spilornis cheela] - 1 adult. Feeding on earthworms on the ground. Viewed at close range for more than 10 minutes on the ground and then it perched on a branch. Seemed to be habituated to humans; no leg-bands.
2. Philippine Falconet [Microhierax erythrogenys] - 3.
3. Common Emerald Dove [Chalcophaps indica] - 1 perched on branch.
4. Guaiabero [Bolbopsittacus lunulatus] - 2 perched.
5. Cuckoo sp. - 1
6. Scale-feathered Malkoha [Phaenicophaeus cumingi] - 3. Two were calling to each other. Between them, on the ground was the serpent-eagle.
7. Red-crested Malkoha [Phaenicophaeus superciliosus] - 1. Also in vicinity of serpent-eagle.
8. Indigo-banded Kingfisher [Alcodeo cyanopecta] - 1. Perched on rocks on stream.
9. White-throated Kingfisher [Halcyon smyrnensis] - 1. Calling over stream.
10. Tarictic Hornbill [Penelopides manillae] - 17. Feeding on reddish fruits (photo of fruit taken).
11. Coppersmith Barbet [Megalaima haemacephala] - 3 seen, more heard.
12. Philippine Pygmy Woodpecker [Dendrocopos maculatus] - HO
13. Bar-bellied Cuckoo-shrike [Coracina striata] - 2 perched, possibly more in flight.
14. Blackish Cuckoo-shrike [Coracina coerulescens] - 6. Vocal.
15. Black-and-white Triller [Lalage melanoleuca] - 4
16. Yellow-vented Bulbul [Pycnonotus goaivier] - 6
17. Philippine Bulbul [Hypsipetes philippinus] - 10
18. Balicassiao [Dicrurus balicassius] - 3, more heard.
19. Stripe-headed Rhabdornis [Rhabdornis mystacalis] - 2
20. Warbler sp. - 1 (possibly Lemon-throated Leaf-warbler; silent)
21. Grey-backed Tailorbird [Orthotomus derbianus] - HO
22. Striped Flowerpecker [Dicaeum aeruginosum] - 1. ID'ed mainly from size, streaked underparts and flicking tail.
23. Red-keeled Flowerpecker [Dicaeum australe] - 6.
24. Flowerpecker sp. - 10
Fruits eaten by hornbills.
Crested Serpent-Eagle (yellowish facial skin visible in this bad photo).
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