Last day in Belar

Taking the advice of our local driver, I took a walk around the base of the hills with two local young chaps as guides. Again birds were few and far between, as we climbed up a steep a big stony and winding riverbed, with little on show, the guys did call imitations to try and get something going, nothing but then a small flew bird flew down and perched, I could see it was a sunbird, scoped it and quickly concluded it was my first Flaming Sunbird. We set off for lower ground, glimpsing Philippine Coucal en route in the jeep.

We then set off on foot thru a mixture of coconut plantations, rice fields and river beds, all the while Purple Throated Sunbirds were omnipresent. The boys pointed out Reddish Cuckoo Dove, Red Turtle Dove, and later a lone Spotted Dove.

We crossed a river twice and I picked up a lone Common Sandpiper, White Breasted Crake, 2 Cinnamon Bittern in flight, Large Billed Crow, then 2-3 Striated Grassbird feeding around a Water Buffalo.

As we progressed, 2 other bird calls taunted me, but I was not to see what they were, then as we crossed into paddy fields, 4-5 small brown jobs were fluttering around the rough grass, scoping confirmed Paddyfield Pipits, a form of Richard's.

Crossing the rice paddies.

Then a Philippine Coucal flew across and landed, 95% obscured, so produced this fine shot.

It was time to call it a day and with the temperature rising to near 34 degress, I was in need of some refreshment.

We left for Manila a few hours later and like the journey North I was keeping my eyes peeled most of the way home too, picking up White-throated Kingfisher, Blue-Tailed Bee-Eater.

I forgot to post my shots of Yellow Wagtails, Cattle and Intermediate Egret in the rice paddies outside Baler on the first morning, so here they are.