Rockjumper Birding Tours - Netfugl.dk

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Monday May 16 th : North Luzon. Drive to Tuguegarao, and trekking to Camp 1 on Mt. Dos
Carneros, Northern Sierra Madres Mountains.
Our next destination in north Luzon was the Sierra Madres Mountains along the North-East coast.
We drove to Tuguegarao, and from there to a small village called Baliwag. It is the closest you can
get to the mountain forest. Our goal the first day was “Camp 1” at the foot of the mountain, and the
next day to climb to the so-called Hamut Camp high up in the mountain forest, a camp established
by a group of Danish birders in the 1990’s (Arne Jensen, among others).
We arrived at Baliwag at noon in very hot and sunny weather. A group of porters was arranged in a
house with a friendly family, and off we went from 2 pm. to 18.15 pm in the baking sun. Four hours
of strenuous walking through hilly, open grassland, before we reached the forest and the foot of the
mountain Dos Carneros. Our fitness state was severely tested during this tortuous trip. Not
unexpectedly, the three young, fit men from Rockjumper were doing better than Bob, Erling and
Tim. The worst factor was the heat – rather than the walk itself. However, all of us reached Camp 1
at the foot of the mountain in reasonable time. The porters had already etablished the camp, tents
and dinner was soon ready. Before that, we cooled down with a blissful shower in a nearby stream.
During the walk we saw a beautiful pair of Pied Harriers close by in the glowing afternoon sun,
possibly a breeding pair. Other grassland birds were Tawny Grassbird, Striated Grassbird,
Spotted Buttonquail, Buff-banded Rail, Golden-headed and Zitting Cisticolas and Oriental
Skylark. At the village near Camp 1 Shack, Adam and Hoddinott were lucky to see a flock of the
rare, endemic Green-faced Parrotfinch. This species had an irruption year in 2004 that we
probably did benefit a bit from. Best observation in Camp 1 was after dark at bedtime, when a
Northern Luzon Slender-tailed Cloud Rat was found climbing in a tree right above our tents.
This Luzon endemic, red-listed mammal is very rarely seen, being strictly nocturnal. Fine digital
pictures and video were obtained by Shack and Adam. Unfortunately, Tim was already fast asleep.
Northern Luzon Slender-tailed Cloud Rat
Butterfly in Luzon
Tuesday May 17 th : North Luzon, Mt. Dos Carneros from Camp 1 to Hanut Camp, Northern
Sierra Madres Mountains.
We started out with a morning walk at 5 am.in the vicinity of Camp 1, before leaving. Birding here
was fine: Our first Philippine Falconet, stunning views of Scale-feathered Malkoha, Rufous
Coucal, several Rufous Hornbills – a magnificent bird, Blackish Cuckoo-shrike, Lemonthroated
Warbler, Golden-crowned Babbler and White-lored Oriole. Best bird observation of
the morning was when Tim picked out a call from the rare White-fronted Tit, and spotted it flying
over an open grass area. It landed shortly in a big tree, at a distance. Field identification marks were
seen sufficiently well (black body, white front), but better views were desired. It was not seen well
by the whole group.