Balinsasayao Twin Lakes Natural Park, Dumaguete, Negros Oriental

Tarictic Hornbill

Penelopides panini

Balinsasayao Natural Park

Negros Oriental

16.10.10

I finished off the birding element of my holiday this morning with a spectacular motorcycle taxi ride up to the Balinsasayao Twin Lakes Natural Park. It takes about one hour from Dumaguete and in places it is really steep and rough. This ride is an event in its own right and it affords spectacular views over to Cebu. The treat on arrival is no less spectacular. The only surprise was there were so few people there.

I managed to sight a fair few tarictic hornbills but they didn't linger long enough to allow me a decent picture. If you look closely at the above there is a hornbill in the middle! It is the same species as the Luzon hornbill but a different subspecies, Panini, whereas the  Luzon is Manillae. The Panini can be distinguished by its rufous belly. It was frustrating not being able to get such a good bird into the viewfinder. Likewise with a crested serpent eagle that I did get into the viewfinder as it soared high in the sky but the shot was badly out of focus.

Bar-bellied Cuckoo-shrike

Coracina striata panayensis

Balinsasayao Natural Park

Negros Oriental

16.10.10

In truth the birds were quite slow today but I managed a few decent shots. I like this bar-bellied cuckoo-shrike, coracina striata panayensis, which I did manage to capture. Another lifer I hasten to add. There was a spell during the morning when  had ballicassiaos, black-naped orioles, Philippine bulbuls and coletos in a tree opposite a covered jungle platform/viewing tower so it was ideal for taking pictures. Below not the best picture of a black-naped oriole but the yellow is very striking.

Black-naped oriole

Balinsasayao Natural Park

Negros Oriental

16.10.10

Now the coletos wouldn't sit still but I did manage a couple of decentish shots so please indulge me if I showcase this beautiful bird, another lifer and an endemic, with a  few pictures of different perspectives. This bird is from the melanonotus sub-species which is "mostly black; large featherless areas on head pinkish flesh; mantle, lower back, rump, uppertail coverts, and flank silvery grey...". ( A Guide to the Birds of the Philippines, Kennedy et al. ) I think I got the right bird and sub-species!

Coleto

Sarcops calvus melanonotus

Balinsasayao Natural Park

Negros Oriental

16.10.10

I also missed out on a close-up of a crimson sunbird. The bird was below me and I simply couldn't get it into the viewfinder. The frustrations of digiscoping! Elsewhere I am fairly sure I managed to sight a few Philippine needletails with white patches extending from their axillaries. I don't think there is any other similar bird with this specific diagnostic; so I'll claim another endemic and a lifer. The usual suspects were also present notably collared kingfisher and brown shrike. I like this photograph of a juvenile. Initially I thought it might be a tiger shrike but as there has only been one record of this bird ( in 1887!) I'll happily accept it is a juvenile brown shrike. I have one unidentified, a silvery/grey breasted flycatcher-like bird.

Brown shrike, juvenile

Balinsasayao Natural Park

Negros Oriental

16.10.10

As with just about everywhere else I have birded in the Philippines this place needs more time. I parked myself for most of the morning in the viewing platform between the two lakes, an ideal spot to set up for photographers. I am sure continuing on foot or taking a boat would yield a lot more birds.  But an excellent location and great birds.