I finally got up to Makiling on Sunday and met up with another expat birder. An excellent day with plenty of endemics on show. First birds were a small group of Greater Flameback, which disturbed a small accipiter which was almost certainly a Besra. In the same area a small flock of Balicassiao. Several bird parties through the trees. Constituent birds included Elegant Tit, Stripe-headed Rhabdornis, Sulphur-billed Nuthatch, Black-naped Monarch, Philippine Bulbul, Yellow-wattled Bulbul, Arctic Warbler, Philippine Woodpecker, Flaming Sunbird, Yellowish White-eye and Red-keeled Flowerpecker. Several Scale-feathered Malkoha were calling at various points, with at least 2 being seen. Other calling birds not seen included many Philippine Tailorbird, and White-browed Shama, and singles of Philippine Coucal and Plaintive Cuckoo. White-eared Brown Dove were also calling constantly, with several sighted. In gaps in the forest Glossy Swiftlet and House Swift were overhead. It was a very good day for raptors. Apart from the unidentified accipiter already mentioned a pair of distant Philippine Falconets were nice, and both Philippine Serpent Eagle and Philippine Hawk-Eagle were seen overhead. A third large raptor overhead could even have been the endemic race of Oriental Honey Buzzard, but only extremely brief views were obtained. The Hawk-Eagle was a particularly exciting find. In very heavy moult, the bird had a strongly, but narrowly barred tail combined with narrowly barred underwings, broad wings and a buffy breast and belly.
Snipe spp.
Snipe spp.
Brown Shrike ssp. lucionensis
Yellow Wagtail juvenile
Yellow Wagtail M. f. tschutschensis
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