Whiskered Pitta, Hamut Camp, Luzon Photo by tour participant Leif Gabrielsen
The post-tour extension to Hamut Camp in the northern Sierra Madre Mountains of Luzon was a great success with highlights including Flame-breasted Frit-Dove, Grand Rhabdornis (the final member of this endemic family), Blue-breasted Flycatcher, Luzon Striped-Babbler, Rusty-faced Babbler and quite amazing views of the enigmatic Whiskered Pitta. Our total of 134 species included 61 endemics of which 11 were tour-exclusives.
The following day we took advantage of our first lie-in in a month and made the leisurely drive north to Tuguegarao accompanied by Blue-tailed Bee-eaters, White-breasted Woodswallows and Striated Grassbirds on roadside wires, and a surprise fly-by Island Collared Dove. The next morning we departed early for Baliwag village on the edge of the northern Sierra Madre Mountains disturbing a feeding Barred Rail from the road en route. From here we set off for the trek into the mountains, initially across the denuded foothills, albeit fortunately in the relatively cool of the early morning. A wintering Japanese Yellow Bunting provided some early excitement perched in a bare tree alongside striking Coppersmith Barbets. In the open grassy hills black-headed nasutus Long-tailed Shrikes, Paddyfield Pipits & Black-headed Munia were numerous and we located a pair of Oriental Skylarks. We also located a single Island Collared Dove among the commoner Spotted Doves and a pair of Savanna Nightjars that gave great views in flight but which we never managed to pin down on the ground. As we approached the forest more interesting birds began to appear; Philippine Serpent Eagles soaring overhead, fast-flying Colasisi and a Violet Cuckoo in song flight.
Arriving in our camp at the forest edge in the late morning we took an early lunch before heading off into the forest. The afternoon bird activity was a little low but we added White-eared Brown-Dove, Luzon Blue-headed Fantail, several Metallic-winged Sunbirds, Philippine Pygmy Woodpecker and a Luzon Rufous Paradise Flycatcher glowing orange in the undergrowth. Finally our efforts were rewarded with a smart Furtive Flycatcher next to the trail which sang continuously but was typically elusive, showing only occasionally. A shy Scaly Thrush was flushed from near the trail and the distinctive calls of the rare Sierra Madre Crow heard in the distance.
We finished with a fine pair of Rufous Hornbills which came in to investigate our camp in the evening shortly before the Great-eared Nightjars and Philippine Boobooks came out to play at dusk.
The following morning we awoke to calls of Spotted Wood Kingfishers, one of which showed close to the camp. During breakfast an impressive dawn chorus included the distinctive song of the enigmatic Whiskered Pitta echoing from the nearby forested slopes and quickly headed off in pursuit but we found it far away in an inaccessible area. We spent the next few hours exploring the trail system and trying hard to find a closer calling pitta but had to be content with some interesting feeding flocks which included a very surprising Celestial Monarch, our first Luzon Striped and Golden-crowned Babblers, Green-backed Whistler, Luzon Rufous Paradise Flycatcher, Scarlet Minivets, Sulphur-billed Nuthatch, Philippine Tailorbird and Luzon Blue-headed Fantail. A high pitched song alerted us to the present of a Rusty-faced Babbler and playback produced several reasonable views of a pair these large but fast-moving babblers which are a product of the recent splitting into two species of ‘Rabor’s Wren Babbler’. A clearing gave us great views of Scale-feathered Malkoha and a pair of Ashy Woodpeckers before heart-rates rose again when heading back to our camp as a Whiskered Pitta began to call, but this time a little closer to the trail. After just a couple of calls of playback the bird became silent and we waiting with baited breath before the bird suddenly appeared in the gully below us. As we waiting, silent and motionless, the bird continued its approach until it was just a few metres from our position and then apparently unconcerned by our close proximity, it began to call, with each reverberating note of the song accompanied by an elaborate bow of the head. The bird continued to perform like this for more than half an hour, giving stunning close views and even posing in the open on the trail beside us on occasions – these were quite simply the best views imaginable of this rare and elusive bird, which instantly became one of the star birds of the tour.
Our walk up to the main camp was taken at a leisurely pace and was enliven by some good birding. Several more Luzon Striped-Babblers were seen; nice views of Blackish Cuckoo-Shrike and Philippine Fairy Bluebirds visiting a fruiting tree, Striped Flowerpecker, Luzon Rufous Paradise Flycatcher, single White-browed Shama and Rusty-breasted Cuckoo were also seen. Rufous Hornbills were common and vocal and we enjoyed magnificent views as well as a small group of smaller but equally entertaining Luzon Hornbills. Overhead the common Philippine Serpent Eagles were joined by 2 Oriental Honey Buzzards and a single Luzon Hawk Eagle.
A Luzon Bleeding-heart was twice flushed up from the side of the trail before flying across the trail and landing on an open branch down the slope below us – where is sat, nervously bobbing its head, before flying off again down the slope.
We finished late afternoon close to the camp where fruiting rattan attracted good numbers of White-eared Brown-Doves and we had our first brief views of Cream-bellied Fruit-Dove.
Most of the next day was spent along the ridge trail above our camp. Frugivores were abundant with the usual White-eared Brown-Doves accompanied by several Amethyst Brown-Doves which are surprising common and easy to see here compared to elsewhere in the archipelago. We also managed good views of three Cream-bellied Fruit-Doves and two Yellow-breasted fruit-Doves but a calling Flame-breasted Fruit-Dove was only seen in flight and another bleeding-heart was flushed from its hidden feeding spot in a hallow of the trail.
We also saw rather striking Philippine Fairy Bluebirds, non-descript Blackish Cuckoo-shrikes, high speed Purple Needletails, Rusty-breasted and Violet Cuckoo, Scale-feathered Malkohas, Bicoloured Flowerpecker, a brief Blue-breasted Flycatcher and a very obliging White-browed Shortwing which unusually sang from an open branch allowing us not only to enjoy great views but also to note the very distinct vocalisations from birds we had seen elsewhere on the tour.
In the afternoon a large feeding flock contained Stripe-headed Rhabdornis (rather than the hoped for Grand Rhabdornis) and a brief Ashy-breasted Flycatcher among the regular but no less enjoyable Elegant Tits, Yellow-bellied Whistler and Sulphur-billed Nuthatches. We finished with fantastic views of a pair of Spotted Wood Kingfishers taped-in to super-close range near to our camp at dusk.
The following day was again spent along the highly productive ridge trail. Several Philippine Cuckoo Doves, White-eared and Amethyst Brown-Doves were again seen, a single Luzon Bleeding-heart was again flushed but we did have excellent perched views of Cream-bellied Fruit-Doves.
In the mid-morning the distinctive calls of the Sierra Madre Crow echoed from far down the slopes and fortunately they responded extremely well to playback by quickly flying into the nearby trees. Here we enjoyed excellent views of this species, widely accepted as a split from the ‘Slender-billed’ Crow complex on the grounds of ecological and vocal differences.
Today we continued further onto the steeper sections of the trail where Flame-breasted Fruit-Doves were more abundant and we saw no less then seven individuals, although good views of these shy birds were difficult and we had several near misses before we all enjoyed prolonged and unobscured views of an obliging individual. Today also gave our first sightings for the extension of Philippine Trogon, Greater Flameback, White-bellied Woodpecker and a noisy but skulking group of Rufous Coucals.
We also had 3 encounters will Blue-breasted Flycatchers, on 2 occasions getting caught right in the middle of entertaining territorial disputes between neighbouring pairs.
The following day dawned with low cloud and light drizzle which encouraged a Whiskered Pitta to call very close to our camp in the early morning. Given the less than ideal birding weather, we opted to head slowly down the mountain rather than birding at the higher altitudes and this proved an excellent decision. One of our first birds was a Eurasian Woodcock on the trail ahead of us which quickly disappeared into the surrounding vegetations – one of only a few confirmed records of this species in the Philippines. Next were reasonable flight views of a pair of flushed Luzon Bleeding-hearts, before a timely breakfast break at a view point gave our first wintering Brown-headed Thrushes and sharp eyes picked out a distant perched Grand Rhabdornis which was joined by a second bird as they fly close overhead, calling. The remainder of the trek gave nice views of a shy Scaly Thrush, Philippine Trogon, Whiskered Treeswift, Stripe-headed Rhabdornis, Citrine Canary Flycatcher, Amethyst Brown Dove and Philippine Fairy Bluebird then Pygmy Swiftlets, Violet Cuckoo, Pygmy and Bicoloured Flowerpeckers as we enjoyed our picnic lunch at the forest edge.
In the afternoon we birded in the lowest patches of forest where Philippine Drongo Cuckoo, Luzon Balicassiao and White-lored Oriole were new to the extension. We also managed rather unsatisfactory of Green-faced Parrotfinches, calling as the zoomed bullet-like overhead and Plain Bush-hens called from the thick understory continuing our frustration with this widespread but incredibly elusive endemic.
At dusk there was a chorus of Philippine Boobooks and irregular calls of Philippine Scops Owls to accompany our dinner under star-lit skies as Great-eared and Philippine Nightjars fed overhead.
Our final day allowed us to snatch some early morning birding time and it proved a fitting finale with fine views of one of a pair of Green-faced Parrotfinches in dying bamboo near the camp and nice views of several wintering Brown-headed Thrushes. Our walk back to Baliwag again produced flushed Savanna Nightjars but this time we were lucky enough to relocate them for nice views on the deck as they blended perfectly with the surrounding vegetation. A Barred Rail was seen in flight as it disappeared into an overgrown stream, a single Australasian Bushlark was seen and the Japanese Yellow Bunting was again in its favoured maize field. Back to civilisation it was time for us to return to Tuguegarao and take the short flight back to Manila where the waiting cold San Miguel Beers were particularly appreciated as we toasted another successful and enjoyable Philippines adventure.
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