WITH birding gaining a lot of followers, there is a reason for all Provincial Governments to ensure that they still have the birds that birders would love to have photos of.
Like the one in Compostela Valley that is caught between its mineral-rich mountains and forests.
Which has greater bearing, the gold and copper that need to be mined or the birds that need the forests that miners would just love to cut down?
While the locals ponder on that, birders can make hay and just snap whatever they can, while the birds are there. I managed to get photos of several, among them: Island Thrush (Turdus poliocephalu), Philippine Serpent Eagle (Spilornis holospilus), a male Lina's Sunbird (Aethopyga linaraborae), a female Little Pied Flycatcher (Ficedula westermanni), a female Blue rock thrush (Monticola solitarius), Turquoise flycatcher (Eumyias panayensis), Gray wagtail (Motacilla cinerea), a Mountain white-eye (Zosterops montanus), Philippine bulbul (Hypsipetes philippinus), Olive-backed sunbird (Cinnyris jugularis), and Short-tailed starling (Aplonis minor) although not all were perfect shots.
I also saw the Rufous-headed tailorbird (Phyllergates heterolaemus) but my camera refused to focus as it stared back at me, as if taunting. Then there was a red-headed birth and a cinnamon and black one that likewise perched at close distance at the time when my camera was finding it difficult to focus.
In one trip, on one location, there were loads of birds on a birder’s wish list, there could be more, had there been time to explore further. It was an awesome short break that needs to be repeated.