The Philippines - Birdtour Asia

The next day our aim was to hike higher up the mountain to find some of the higher altitude Mindanao
endemics but there was still plenty to see along the way and we soon enjoyed excellent looks at Tawny
Grassbirds, Pied Triller and Cinnamon Ibon in addition to those seen the previous day. In the open grassy areas
a pair of Blue-breasted Quail were flushed, a Philippine Falconet sat atop a distant dead tree, more Stripebreasted
Rhabdornis showed and the first flock of Mindanao Racquet-tails for the day zoomed past. Once we
reached the higher forests McGregor’s Cuckooshrike and a funky Apo Myna appeared in quick succession,
White-cheeked Bullfinch gave closer views than the previous day and a Mindanao Racquet-tail perched
unobtrusively in the canopy was ‘scoped. At our highest point the target bird was Apo Sunbird and it took some
time watching flowering trees and listening for calls before we finally all watched an obliging male perched up.
On the walk down, those of us that stuck it out were able to get brief looks at our final possible montane
endemic, the skulking Red-eared Parrotfinch, and of course we couldn’t resist more looks at the Bukidnon
Woodcocks at dusk or the Giant and Everett’s Scops Owls late at night.
Rufous Hornbill and Chocolate Boobook, PICOP, Mindanao
Celestial Monarch and Short-crested Monarch, PICOP, Mindanao
The next day was mostly a travel day but we squeezed in some birding around the camp before leaving,
rewarding us with Yellow-bellied Whistler, several Buzzing Flowerpeckers, a single Fire-breasted Flowerpecker
and at last, a nice perched view of Yellow-breasted Fruit Dove. The walk down to our waiting vehicle added
Philippine Coucals, both Tawny and Striated Grassbirds, Philippine Cuckoo Dove and our first Red-keeled
Flowerpeckers before we hit the road for the long journey all the way around the north-eastern tip of Mindanao
and down to the former logging hub of Bislig on the east coast.