The Unicorn Remains

I’ve been wishing to see the male Narcissus Flycatcher for years. Five years to be exact. I’ve actually seen the female back in 2011 and have always dipped on any attempt to see the male, sometimes missing out on the bird by a few minutes. Yellow and black, the male Narcisuss Flycatcher is much more striking than the brown female but its elusiveness has earned it a title of “Unicorn Bird” — as if it was a mystical creature that doesn’t really exist (and is also a rationalization for those of us who have continually missed out on seeing it.)

Recently, a number of male Narcissus Flycatchers have been seen and photographed in different locations: Baguio City, Manila, Quezon, Palawan, and also in nearby LPPCHEA (Las Pinas-Paranaque Critical Habitat and Ecotourism Area.) So I went with Chin and Mark to LPPCHEA and try my luck there (plus I’ve really missed seeing waders!)

The tide was quite high but there were some exposed sandy parts of the beach.

We decided to skip the beach and go straight to the trails and try to find the Narcissus Flycatcher. As we were registering with the DENR personnel, he pointed out a young Reticulated Python coiled up on a low branch in front of the birdwatching station.

Reticulate means “resembling a net or network;
especially :  having veins, fibers, or lines crossing”
(www.merriam-webster.com)

We entered the trail and kept our eyes open for any movement around us. There were a lot of Philippine Pied Fantails and Arctic/Kamchatka/Japanese Warblers flitting around the trees. I saw a large-ish bird and recognized the tail of a cuckoo but the bird flew as soon as a Brown Shrike called! Further down the trail, Mark spotted the cuckoo and we were able to observe a beautiful hepatic Oriental/Himalayan Cuckoo feeding on a tall tree.

Oriental/Himalayan Cuckoo

We observed the cuckoo for a while until it disappeared from view and we refocused on finding the Narcissus Flycatcher. We went deeper into the trail and more birds were coming out. Golden-bellied Flyeaters and Yellow-vented Bulbuls came in big groups to feed and Grey-backed Tailorbirds sang unseen around us. As we slowly walked the trail, Mark suddenly pointed out a bird, busy whacking a worm on a tall branch: Blue and White Flycatcher!

Blurred photo but I’m happy the bird’s colors can be seen

We didn’t expect to find this bird! But there it was, busy with its meal! After eating the worm, it adjusted its perch, looked around, and flew away. Lifer! We trudged on, still looking for the Narcissus Flycatcher. We were nearing the end of the trail and I managed to spy a Yellow Bittern through the leaves near the first pond.

There was a big group of students at the birdwatching station and Mark pointed out the python to them. They also swarmed around Chin, curious about his attire and gear, asking if he was a soldier ;)

Mark being swarmed my students

Sir Chin's turn to be swarmed with students 

The girls moved on and so did we to the beach. There were some egrets by the water’s edge and some large waders foraging in the sandy trash (or trashy sand.) Upon closer inspection, more waders came into focus! Whimbrels, Pacific Golden Plovers, Kentish Plovers, Common Greenshanks, and Common Redshanks walked along the beach searching for food. We also spotted one Chinese Egret on the beach as well as a couple of Terek Sandpipers and Bar-tailed Godwits!

  

Bar-tailed Godwit

Pacific Golden Plover (foreground) and Common Redshank (background)

Chinese Egret (L) and Little Egret (R)

Can you spot the Terek Sandpiper?

Whimbrel

We also spotted a huge flock of Red-necked Stints that would fly across the water and land on the shore again. Among the stints were some larger and whiter birds… my second lifer of the day: Sanderlings! I missed seeing them in LPPCHEA years before and I was thrilled to finally tick them off this year! They stayed long enough for me to study their markings and compare them to the other waders beside them.

Stints on the move!

 

Bad photo but I can see a Sanderling there!!!

We decided to move towards the main road and hope for a better vantage point but we didn’t get better views. We returned to our original spot and after some more time with the waders decided to try one last time for the Narcissus in the trail.

Let me just say that after rounding the trail one more time, the Unicorn remained a Unicorn and the closest I ever came to seeing a Narcissus that day was in the colors of this insect.

‘Til my next attempt, Unicorn Bird.

Checking Out The Migrants

The migration season has started and it was time to check out the nearest "hotspot" for these wintering visitors - the Las Pinas-Paranaque Critical Habitat and Ecotourism Area or LPPCHEA.

We scheduled a guided trip to LPPCHEA last Sunday afternoon and from the highway, we could already see lots of terns and egrets in the area. The low tide that afternoon wasn't very low, so the mudflats where waders usually forage in weren't exposed. It was also a windy day that even the chunky Black-crowned Night Herons struggled against the wind.

But, we did get to see lots of Whiskered Terns flying over the water, diving to catch food, and flying around again. In the same area, a big group of Little Egrets flew in to start foraging in the shallow water to the delight of the first-time birders who were peeping through a gap in the mangroves =)

Whiskered Terns 

Little Egrets

We were very near the egrets and terns!

While enjoying the spectacle of white birds, we got distracted by the appearance of a Grey-tailed Tattler on the beach, weaving its way through the trash.

Grey-tailed Tattler

The larger and more solid-colored tattler was much easier to spot among the multi-colored garbage on the beach. We did get to see the larger but well-camouflaged Asian Golden Plovers. When they stood against the sea of garbage, they would actually blend in! The smaller waders were more of a challenge to find but we did get to see Kentish Plovers, Common Sandpipers, and a lone Ruddy Turnstone. A handsome Common Kingfisher also posed for us, giving everyone really good views.

Common Kingfisher
(This shot was actually taken a few weeks ago in LPPCHEA.)

Venturing into the inner pond, we saw a Yellow Bittern, busy preening half-hidden in the brambles, and a lone Common Sandpiper which landed smack in the center of the pond!

Yellow Bittern

Can you spot the Common Sandpiper standing on one foot?

Soon, the Manila Bay sunset was upon us and the Black-crowned Night Herons started flying in, signaling us to start walking back to the cars. We decided to walk along the beach and of course, we saw some interesting stuff. Among the shells, I saw (and picked up) a bleached cat skull (thank you for the identification, Nikdye!) They also saw a dead (and headless) sea snake, already bloated lying among the trash. Our friend Ned was also able to find a dog skull. It pays to watch where you step in that beach!

Bleached cat skull

Dead sea snake

It wasn't such a birdy day, given the not-so-low tide and strong winds, but I was really happy for my friends who got lots of lifers that afternoon. Waders are really the best! And I am really looking forward to our next trip to see more of them! =)

A Windswept Lifer

A storm or typhoon in the Philippines can be a major inconvenience, with the very high probability of flooding that usually comes with it. For birders though, there is the rare chance of spotting a few pelagic species, usually just one to three birds, that are blown in by the strong winds. Some of our birder friends have been lucky enough to spot some seabirds during storms. Back in September 2011, our friend Mark Jason was able to spot a Bulwers Petrel and Red-footed Boobies from his place along Roxas Boulevard which looks out to Manila Bay. Just last January, our friend Jasmin was also lucky to photograph a Christmas Island Frigatebird flying over La Mesa Ecopark when a low pressure area brought strong winds and rains... and that’s in the middle of the city!

Christmas Island Frigatebird in Quezon City.
Photo by Jasmin Meren

Seeing their reports and hearing their stories, I wished I would get a chance to experience something like that, but deep down inside I knew my chances were slim. And then there was last Sunday.

Mike, Jops, and I were in the Las Piñas-Parañaque Critical Habitat and Ecotourism Area (LPPCHEA) on a stormy Sunday morning. We were there primarily for an activity with Earth Island Institute (EII) and Save Freedom Island Movement (SFIM), two NGOs fighting to save the area from reclamation. Dark clouds covered the sky and the high tide crashed to the garbage-laden beach. 

We were hoping to see some early waders and we spotted some Common Sandpipers perched on the exposed rocks. I worked with our friends from EII and SFIM by the beach while Mike and Jops walked around to find more birds. I saw lots of flyby Little Egrets, some Great Egrets, and quite a number of Black-crowned Night-Herons. Mike and Jops walked past the grotto and were able to spot some Grey-tailed Tatlers atop an abandoned barge. They passed by our group on the beach and headed towards the inner ponds where they saw a Rufous Night-Heron. On their way back, the rain started to pour. We all stayed under the tents that EII put up for the activity and waited for the rain and wind to stop.

I was looking out to sea when, from the far left, I saw a huge, dark bird flying very close to the water’s surface. At first I thought it was a gull, but as it came closer, it became very clear what it was… a Booby! It flew parallel to the beach and right in front of us banked its body showing its underparts - pale almost conical bill, solid brown head and neck which was very clearly contrasted with a white breast and belly! Brown Booby! In Manila Bay! An awesome windswept lifer!

There goes the Brown Booby!

It continued flying over the road and out of sight. Jops ran after it but the huge bird did not make a u-turn and kept flying away from us. We weren’t able to photograph this complete surprise of a lifer but we got superb views and took in all its field marks as our jaws dropped at this totally unexpected sighting. Jops and I did get to experience seeing a storm-blown bird!

Marked my field guide as soon as I could!

Brown Boobies are seabirds, foraging out in open sea and living and breeding on small islands. I think the best  place to find them are on the islands in the Tubbataha Reef so I feel super lucky to have seen it in Manila Bay. What an unforgettable experience! Who knows what birds the next storm will bring! =)

Coastal Lagoon Level-Up!

The Coastal Lagoon or the Las Pinas-Paranaque Critical Habitat and Ecotourism Area (LPPCHEA) is the last remaining wetlands in Metro Manila. After the neighboring mudflats and wetlands have been reclaimed and converted into the Mall of Asia, the soon-to-open casino complex, condominiums, and other establishments, the LPPCHEA is the last place in the Metro that houses mangrovesas well as a lot of bird species.

View Las Pinas - Paranaque Coastal Lagoon in a larger map

Aside from being the place where most of the city's garbage accumulates, the Coastal Lagoon also houses 47 migratory bird species which flock to the area during the migration season. Among these are Great Egrets, Black-winged Stilts, Asian Golden-Plovers, Whiskered Terns, the vulnerable Chinese Egret, and more. 

The beach in the LPPCHEA. Thanks to the clean-up efforts of different
groups, the garbage is being cleared revealing the sand underneath.

Yet many migratory birds find it a suitable habitat during the
wintering months.

Plans of reclaiming the LPPCHEA have been a major concern not only for birdwatchers but for other conservation groups as well as some officials of the local government who understand and value the importance of the place. 

Just last March 15, the LPPCHEA was officially included in the Ramsar List of Wetlands of International Importance, a monumental milestone in conserving and saving the site. It is the 6th site to be included in the list joining the Agusan Marsh Wildlife Sanctuary in Mindanao (included in November 1999), the Naujan Lake Natural Park in Oriental Mindoro (November 1999), the Olango Island Wildlife Sanctuary in Cebu (July 1994), the Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park in Palawan (June 2012), and the Tubbataha Reefs National Park in the Sulu Sea (November 1999.)

The site was actually designated as a Critical Habitat through a Presidential Proclamation in 2007 but this does not seem to serve as any "protection" from threats of reclamation stemming from the Philippine Reclamation Authority. Hopefully, the government will now open its eyes to the real significance of the LPPCHEA as an important natural heritage the country can be proud of. The international conservation community has seen it, our local conservation organizations have always seen it... why can't our government?

Deeper than the beauty of the Manila Bay sunset is a critical habitat
that needs the governments support to conserve it.

Of course, this inclusion in the Ramsar List would not be possible without the efforts from our dedicated friends from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) who have worked hard to get this designation for LPPCHEA. Hopefully, the upper echelons of the department will see this with the same perspective they have and support all efforts to conserve the area. After all, they are the ones with the decision-making powers.

Now, the next question is: will the Philippine government see the true value and importance of LPPCHEA or will it continue to turn a blind eye and choose to see profit and development disguised through destruction? Will they listen this time? I hope so.

Birdwatchers on the "Toxic Beach" of LPPCHEA