White-bellied Sea Eagle
Haliaeetus leucogaster
Danjugan Island
Negros Occidental
The Philippines
13.04.11
Asian Glossy Starling - "The Addict Bird"
Aplonis panayensis
Danjugan Island
Negros Occidental
The Philippines
13.04.11
It's not just the birds, it's the place. I got a complete rest for a few days with none of the modern world's diversions; in a Philippine context it is very pleasant to get away from the dirt, pollution and mayhem of most cities. Limited (solar) electricity, no mobile phone coverage, no internet, no roads, no cars, no air conditioning apart from sea breeze and the only sounds are those of nature: the wind, the sea, the birds, the insects and the bats. And no Bob Marley!
Black-naped Oriole - Canon EOS
Oriolus chinensis yamamurae
Negros Occidental
The Philippines
13.04.11
Indeed it's not just the birds: pythons, turtles, baby sharks, bats....... a veritable bonanza of biodiversity awaits. A very useful survey dating back to 2001 can be found at Coral Cay Conservation, UK based specialists in tropical rainforest and reef conservation. To quote the introduction to the survey:
"Danjugan Island is a small (approximately 43 hectares), coral fringed island covered in tropical forest, 3km west of Negros just off the coast of Bulata in the Sulu sea, and is one of over 7000 islands that make up the Philippine Archipelago. The island has six lagoons, of which two are open to the sea and all but one are surrounded by mangrove stands. However, there is no permanent standing fresh water on the island. The terrain is rugged and characterised by limestone geology, which has permitted the formation of several caves around the perimeter of the island....."
White-breasted woodswallow
Artamus leucorynchus
Danjugan Island
12.04.11
The island is managed by the Philippine Reef and Rainforest Conservation Foundation (PRRFCI) and you need to contact them if you wish to make an overnight stay. I love the accommodation: we stayed at Sunset Beach in thatched, mud huts. Very comfortable and atmospheric with white muslin mosquito nets draped over our beds. No one appeared to have any problem sleeping. Great food too, in fact a constant supply of meals and snacks and drinks.
Lesser Frigate Bird
Fregata ariel
Danjugan Island
Negros Occidental
The Philippines
13.04.11
So what about the birds? For me the highlight undoubtedly was sighting 5 Lesser Frigate Birds on Thursday 14th April 2011 and I was able to digiscope a couple of record shots. They were a considerable distance away, probably over 1 km, so I am very pleased to have managed to get some shots and in this respect digiscoping comes into its own so long as you can get the birds into the view finder and get some sort of focus. Let me assure you I have a pile of out of focus blurred shots of these birds. Of course the shots are heavily cropped.....how I wish I could have been closer to these birds! They are a visual feast as they swoop down and then up in an effortless glide. I make at least three of them juveniles due to the reddish brown on their heads.
Lesser Frigate Bird
Fregata ariel
Danjugan Island
Negros Occidental
The Philippines
13.04.11
I was also pleased to get a shot of a Pink-necked Green Pigeon, an incredibly difficult shot of a reasonably common bird. It may be common but a real beauty. Next time I am going to bring back a bucket load of shots of this fellow as he is truly photogenic but alas, very camera shy! One flew over my head to reveal undertail coverts to match his orange breast. Sublime!
Pink-necked Pigeon
Treron vernans vernans
Negros Occidental
The Philippines
13.04.11
* the lower shot was taken using Canon EOS
Danjugan's signature species is the White-bellied Sea Eagle which nests high in the trees above the lodgings and to whose high-pitched screech we woke. Of course when two eagles put on a bit of an aerial display I was in a kayak without a camera!
I sighted many of the common birds: the asian glossy starling which the reserve staff call "the addict bird" on account of its wild red eyes, the impossible to photograph but ubiquitous black-naped oriole, collared king fisher, olive-backed sunbird, white-breasted wood swallow, golden-bellied gerygone, pied triller, glossy swiftlet, little heron and Pacific swallow.
Common Sandpiper
Actitis hypoleucos
Danjugan Island
Negros Occidental
13.04.11
This common sandpiper demanded to be photographed as it was within 10 feet of me and seemed to be very comfortable close to humans. I got a glimpse of a Tabon fowl but that was only as a result of flushing it accidentally. I have had a good look at this bird on Palawan I am still waiting to get see it properly on Danjugan.
I saw and photographed
another two birds, (crap, blurry shots!) which to me are reasonably common, a Grey Wagtail and a Common Kingfisher, but neither are listed on the Danjugan island species list. I am sure the list has probably not been updated. With the Grey Wagtail I only got one shot of it and it was gone!
Grey wagtail
Motacilla cinerea
Danjugan Island
Negros Occidental
13.04.11
One bothersome unidentified bird, medium sized, red and black, on the rocks which we disturbed early in the morning. If only I had brought a field guide and likewise with a coucal species I saw in the trees of the first lagoon. Finally as we waited for the boat to take us back to the mainland a stork-billed kingfisher flashed past us - another real beauty and the only stork-billed I saw on this trip.
Sunset from Typhoon beach - tweaked a little!
Fishing in the Sulu Sea - not for the faint-hearted!
Bats
Living quarters at Typhoon Beach
As I sit here in my hotel in Bacolod writing this I have to say this was a well nigh perfect few days. I could have seen more birds, I could have......, I could have ........! But I had a great time, my companions did too including two young nephews who appear to be developing an interest in wild birds. I am also getting to know the island a bit better so I expect that will help in future trips. And of course,
I will be back! This really is a gem of a place, probably the best of its kind in The Philippines and better than anything I have seen in Thailand.
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