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romy ocon | profile | all galleries >> Wild Birds of the Philippines (Photos) >> Bird Galleries by Location >> Archives of Older Galleries by Location >> Archives - Part 12 >> Scouting the Sierra Madre mountains tree view | thumbnails | slideshow

Scouting the Sierra Madre mountains

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Thanks to pioneering sorties by fellow members of Philippine Bird Photography Forum, I was introduced to this wonderful place - the Bongabon-Baler Road.
It's a fine gateway to access the Sierra Madre mountains, where the last few stands of good forest in Luzon can still be found. The foothills at Bongabon are
about 4-5 hours drive from Manila and the rough, unpaved mountain road itself is at least 60 km long. At a non-birding mountain driving pace of 20-30 km/hour,
one can cross the Sierra Madre in 2 - 3 hours. If one birds along the way, this stretches to a whole 11-hour sortie (6 am - 5 pm). Overnight accommodation is
available and reasonably priced at Baler, where the people are very friendly and the local food suits my taste very well.

It rained almost all the time during this two-day scouting sortie, but the trip was still worth it. I got documentary shots of an endemic lifer (Olive-backed Flowerpecker),
plus I've identified good birding spots for future trips. Watching and photographing the local boys ride the waves was another bonus. :)
Olive-backed Flowerpecker (a Philippine endemic) Scientific name - Prionochilus olivaceous parsoni Habitat - forest and second growth, below 1000 m. [SIERRA MADRE, SAN LUIS, AURORA, 5D2+ 500 f4 IS + Canon 1.4x TC, bean bag]

Olive-backed Flowerpecker
(a Philippine endemic)

Scientific name - Prionochilus olivaceous parsoni

Habitat - forest and second growth, below 1000 m.

[SIERRA MADRE, SAN LUIS, AURORA, 5D2+ 500 f4 IS + Canon 1.4x TC, bean bag]

Olive-backed Flowerpecker (a Philippine endemic) Scientific name - Prionochilus olivaceous parsoni Habitat - forest and second growth, below 1000 m. [SIERRA MADRE, SAN LUIS, AURORA, 5D2+ 500 f4 IS + Canon 1.4x TC, bean bag]

Olive-backed Flowerpecker
(a Philippine endemic)

Scientific name - Prionochilus olivaceous parsoni

Habitat - forest and second growth, below 1000 m.

[SIERRA MADRE, SAN LUIS, AURORA, 5D2+ 500 f4 IS + Canon 1.4x TC, bean bag]

Olive-backed Flowerpecker (a Philippine endemic, immature) Scientific name - Prionochilus olivaceous parsoni Habitat - forest and second growth, below 1000 m. [SIERRA MADRE, SAN LUIS, AURORA, 5D2+ 500 f4 IS + Canon 1.4x TC, bean bag]

Olive-backed Flowerpecker
(a Philippine endemic, immature)

Scientific name - Prionochilus olivaceous parsoni

Habitat - forest and second growth, below 1000 m.

[SIERRA MADRE, SAN LUIS, AURORA, 5D2+ 500 f4 IS + Canon 1.4x TC, bean bag]

Philippine Fairy-Bluebird (a Philippine endemic) Scientific name - Irena cyanogaster cyanogaster Habitat - forest canopy, below 1500 m. [SIERRA MADRE, SAN LUIS, AURORA, 5D2+ 500 f4 IS + Canon 1.4x TC, bean bag]

Philippine Fairy-Bluebird
(a Philippine endemic)

Scientific name - Irena cyanogaster cyanogaster

Habitat - forest canopy, below 1500 m.

[SIERRA MADRE, SAN LUIS, AURORA, 5D2+ 500 f4 IS + Canon 1.4x TC, bean bag]

Yellowish White-eye (a Philippine endemic) Scientific name - Zosterops nigrorum Habitat - Lower second growth and forest. [SIERRA MADRE, BONGABON, NUEVA ECIJA, 5D2+ 500 f4 IS + Canon 1.4x TC, bean bag]

Yellowish White-eye
(a Philippine endemic)

Scientific name - Zosterops nigrorum

Habitat - Lower second growth and forest.

[SIERRA MADRE, BONGABON, NUEVA ECIJA, 5D2+ 500 f4 IS + Canon 1.4x TC, bean bag]

Spotted Wood-kingfisher (a Philippine endemic, male) Scientific name - Actenoides lindsayi Habitat - Lowland forest understory, perches motionless in dark recesses. [SIERRA MADRE, BONGABON, NUEVA ECIJA, 5D2+ 500 f4 IS + Canon 1.4x TC, 475B/3421 support]

Spotted Wood-kingfisher
(a Philippine endemic, male)

Scientific name - Actenoides lindsayi

Habitat - Lowland forest understory, perches motionless in dark recesses.

[SIERRA MADRE, BONGABON, NUEVA ECIJA, 5D2+ 500 f4 IS + Canon 1.4x TC, 475B/3421 support]

 A ROAD CROSSING THE SIERRA MADRE. This is one of the better portions of the circa 60-km long Bongabon-Baler Road that cuts across the low portions of the Sierra Madre. The highest road elevation that I noticed is about 550 m ASL, somewhat much lower than the 800 m elevation where montane forest birds start to be seen. [40D + Sigma 10-20, hand held, resized full frame]

A ROAD CROSSING THE SIERRA MADRE. This is one of the better portions of the circa 60-km long Bongabon-Baler Road that cuts across the low portions of the Sierra Madre.
The highest road elevation that I noticed is about 550 m ASL, somewhat much lower than the 800 m elevation where montane forest birds start to be seen.
[40D + Sigma 10-20, hand held, resized full frame]

 ENJOYING THE FOREST WHILE IT’S STILL THERE. Fog and clouds roll in over the lower slopes of the Sierra Madre in the distance. There are many areas adjacent to the mountain road where vegetation is still thick, but there are much more areas where the slopes are already barren. Along the road, I heard a constant din of chainsaws coming from not so far away. I also saw some folks loading illegally cut wood boards into trucks that haul coconuts, presumably they’ll conceal the contraband with mounds of coconuts in bringing these to the end-users. [40D + Sigma 10-20, hand held, near full frame resized to 1200x800]

ENJOYING THE FOREST WHILE IT’S STILL THERE. Fog and clouds roll in over the lower slopes of the Sierra Madre in the distance.
There are many areas adjacent to the mountain road where vegetation is still thick, but there are much more areas where the slopes are already barren.
Along the road, I heard a constant din of chainsaws coming from not so far away. I also saw some folks loading illegally cut wood boards into trucks
that haul coconuts, presumably they’ll conceal the contraband with mounds of coconuts in bringing these to the end-users.
[40D + Sigma 10-20, hand held, near full frame resized to 1200x800]

 BALER, AURORA PROVINCE. 1DM2 + Sigmonster (Sigma 300-800 DG), Manfrotto 475B/3421 support, near full frame resized to 1200x800

BALER, AURORA PROVINCE. 1DM2 + Sigmonster (Sigma 300-800 DG), Manfrotto 475B/3421 support, near full frame resized to 1200x800

 BALER, AURORA PROVINCE. 1DM2 + Sigmonster (Sigma 300-800 DG), Manfrotto 475B/3421 support, near full frame resized to 1200x800.

BALER, AURORA PROVINCE. 1DM2 + Sigmonster (Sigma 300-800 DG), Manfrotto 475B/3421 support, near full frame resized to 1200x800.

BALER, AURORA PROVINCE. 1DM2 + Sigmonster (Sigma 300-800 DG), Manfrotto 475B/3421 support, near full frame resized to 1200x800.

BALER, AURORA PROVINCE. 1DM2 + Sigmonster (Sigma 300-800 DG), Manfrotto 475B/3421 support, near full frame resized to 1200x800.

BALER, AURORA PROVINCE. 1DM2 + Sigmonster (Sigma 300-800 DG), Manfrotto 475B/3421 support, near full frame resized to 1200x800.

BALER, AURORA PROVINCE. 1DM2 + Sigmonster (Sigma 300-800 DG), Manfrotto 475B/3421 support, near full frame resized to 1200x800.

BALER, AURORA PROVINCE. 1DM2 + Sigmonster (Sigma 300-800 DG), Manfrotto 475B/3421 support, resized full frame.

BALER, AURORA PROVINCE. 1DM2 + Sigmonster (Sigma 300-800 DG), Manfrotto 475B/3421 support, resized full frame.

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