Rockjumper Birding Tours - Netfugl.dk

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them. We walked back through some cabbage fields, and encountered a family group of the endemic
Mountain Shrike, and a Pechora Pipit walking on the ground.
Sunrise at Mt. Polis
Mt. Polis scenery
Later in the morning, we continued birding along the asphalt road leading down along the north side
of the mountain. Bird life was rich here, and the road gave good opportunities to see them at eye
level or from above. Good mountain birds were, among others, Green-backed Whistler,
Mountain White-eye, Chestnut-faced Babbler, White-cheeked Bullfinch, Metallic-winged
Sunbird, Island Thrush, Citrine Canary-Flycatcher, Mountain Verditer-Flycatcher and Blueheaded
Fantail. We heard the enigmatic Whiskered Pitta calling from a distant valley, and in the
river deep below at the village of Bay-yo we scoped four Luzon Water Redstarts sitting on rocks
in the rushing rapids. Over the mountain top a Mountain Racquettail was racing by, and we saw a
local breeding pair of European Buzzards (Japanese subspecies), and a Philippine Serpent-Eagle.
We spent some time listening to singing Benguet Bush-Warblers in open pine-forest grassland,
but never managed to see any birds.
The day was very productive. Our last target bird was the rare Flame-crowned Flowerpecker, and
after waiting some time at a roadside fruiting tree our patience was rewarded by a brief visit to the
tree by fine male. At 17.45 we drove down the mountain, and spent the night at the hotel in Banaue,
after an excellent birding day.
Terraces at Mt. Polis