Rockjumper Birding Tours - Netfugl.dk

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With sore buttocks, we climbed down again, and returned to Cebu City. Went straight to the harbour
to embark the good ship of “Lady of the Rule” – a passenger ship bound for Cagayan de Oro
on the island of Mindanao. Tim had arranged comfortable luxury cabins, a meal in the restaurant
and we enjoyed being on board.
Tuesday May 31 st : Mindanao. Mt. Kitanglad
Our last goal on the trip was Mindanao, the large island to the south. No other island in the
Philippines holds so many endemic bird species as Mindanao does. And this is the place where the
national bird of the Philippines, the Great Philippine Eagle, should be seen. The icon of nature
protection in the Philippines. And by some global twitchers considered to be the most wanted bird
species on Earth! (See Don Roberson: www.the best bird in the world )
In Mindanao, we visited three localities: Mt. Kitanglad, PICOP lowland jungle at Bislig and Mt.
Sinaka, in the mentioned order.
We arrived at Cagayan de Oro in the Bukidnon Province of northern Mindanao in the morning at
7.15 a.m., and drove to a fine hotel at the seaside in the outskirts of town, to have a good breakfast.
Then off to Mt. Kitanglad, the home of the Philippine Eagle! We reached the village of Dalwangang
and turned off towards the small village of Damitan, arriving at 10.30 a.m. From here, we started a
trek up the mountain. Our luggage was packed on horses.
We spent three nights at Del Monte Lodge, an old wooden house used by bird groups. It had an
open ground floor with a kitchen, a long dining table and a toilet. On first floor, there was a large
dormitory, where we could sleep on the floor on mattresses. The lodge was situated only an hour’s
trek up the mountain, and was surrounded by fields and small forest lots. Each day, we took treks
further up the mountain to the different view-points, where we had a wonderful view over vast
mountain rain forest and wooded gorges.
However, before our trek started, we had to go through a religous ceremony in the village below, at
an old man’s house, in order to be approved. The old man was the religious head of the village.
Many different items were placed on an offering table, the man spoke out a long prayer and
performed a trance-like song. As a final, he slit the throat of a chicken with a sharp knife, and let the
blood run into a little bowl. He then dipped a feather in the blood, and smeared it into our palms,
and on some coins on the table.
Then the ceremony was over, the coast was clear, and the mountain gods had approved our visit to
the holy mountain!
Our expectations were great, since a pair of Philippine Eagles used to breed on the mountain. And
in some years, it has been possible to look right down into the nest. This year, the pair was
supposed to stay around with their young one, that was still being fed by its parents. Tim had seen
them on all his previous four trips this year!
The trek only took one hour and five minutes, including birding, and it was very easy. Nothing
compared to the cross-country trek towards Hamut in Luzon! We walked mostly through fields,
since the forest has been cut away in all the low lying parts. The weather was nice and cool, and
dry. There was a fine view towards the mountain tops.