Fraser's Philippine Birding: Ashy Thrush comes good

Arrived La Mesa 05:35 and marched up to where I heard it sing some days ago. As usual there were a lot of people jogging etc, so I kept going up into the East corner of the mini forest. A Grey Streaked Flycatcher alighted briefly over the Orchidarium, then another showed quite well, then I heard my first Mangrove Blue Flycatcher, sadly it sang only briefly towards the far East corner. A Philippine Pygmy Woodpecker called and perched just long enough to get an okay shot.

Back Naped Oriole sang quietly, Pied Fantail, Brown Shrike, Philippine and Yellow Vented Bulbul, Golden Bellied Flyeater, Arctic Warbler, Lowland White-Eye, plus 2-3 calls remain unidentified. But a squarky one I kept hearing, this and other times, turned out to be Philippine Fairy-Bluebird.

I was passed by some cyclists 2-3 times and decided it was going to be one of those mornings, but as it seemed quiet anyway, I was determined to give the Ashy Thrush a good go.

Another mountain biker seemed determined to annoy me by passing by 3 times in 5 minutes, then climbed the high ground above where I was heading and I thought "well that's blown it". I headed for the path towards the amphetheatre and stopped when I saw a tiny movement, a pause, a squint.....it was a Brown Shrike.

I waited thinking there was a lot of leaves here on either side and only 5 minutes went by when something shot across the path so quickly I thought it was a a tiny bird perhaps a Tailorbird? I crouched and lifted my bins and side on an Ashy Ground Thrush stood 12 feet from me for about 3 seconds, it moved so quickly, I got another 2-3 seconds on it before it moved deeper into the vegetation. I could hear the occasional leaf movement, so I know it was still there, but could not get onto it properly before I decided my time was up, but felt totally relieved and happy to have found it myself and what a great looking thrush it is.