Island Clicks - Photo Treks, Philippines

06/09/2021

23/02/2020

Meet Manila Bay's Unsinkable Battleship, Floating Fort and Forgotten Island. (Fort Drum, El Fraile Island) near Ternate, Cavite
- Completed in 1914, the century-old fortification of El Fraile is still impressively intact after several bombardment during WWII and decades of neglect.
Fort Drum is one of a kind and we need to restore her to her former glory because she's one of the Military wonders.

03/11/2013

The Whiskered Tern is a small, tubby marsh tern with a slightly forked tail. It has a black crown and white cheeks and sides of neck. The upperparts, upperwings and tail are medium grey, the underparts dark grey to slate grey and the undertail is white with the underwings mainly white. The eye is brown and the bill and legs are red. It is also known as the Marsh Tern or Black-fronted Tern

In the Philippines, Terns are usually found in marshes, fishponds and mangrove forest edges as these birds prefer shallow terrestrial freshwater wetlands, freshwater swamps, brackish and saline lakes, sewage farms, irrigated croplands and large dams.

24/10/2013

Goryon

The Eurasian Tree Sparrow commonly called "goryon" is widespread in the towns and cities all over the Philippines. It is one of the most common birds to shoot as it doesn't seem to mind living with people. The Eurasian Tree Sparrow's extensive range and large population ensure that it is not endangered globally.

The Eurasian Tree Sparrow's untidy nest is built in a natural cavity, a hole in a building. The typical clutch is five or six eggs which hatch in under two weeks. This sparrow feeds mainly on seeds and the typical life span is about two years.

Join IBiS Birding Workshops and Treks in Negros, Bohol, Palawan and Bukidnon and get to shoot the best of Philippine wildlife. Hike, camp out, set out in an adventure and live a dream.

25/06/2013

The Olango Wildlife Sanctuary

A lone Great Egret (Ardea alba) fishes for its next meal at the Olango Wildlife Sancturay. It feeds in shallow water or drier habitats, feeding mainly on fish, frogs, small mammals, and occasionally small reptiles and insects, spearing them with its long, sharp bill most of the time by standing still and allowing the prey to come within its striking distance of its bill which it uses as a spear.

Olango Wildlife Sanctuary is a major refueling station for approximately 40,000 migratory birds. It is located in the Central Visayas region of the Philippines. The 1,030 hectare of sandflats and mangroves is a haven for the birds that come from Siberia, Northern China and Japan. These birds flock to the island seeking refuge from the winter climate of these countries.

Olango Wildlife Sanctuary supports the largest concentration of migratory birds found so far in the Philippines. There are 97 species of birds in Olango, 48 of which are migratory species, while the rest are resident birds of the island.

Please conserve, protect and advocate our wildlife sanctuaries. Its a legacy we give our children's children :)

23/06/2013

14/05/2013

The Black-winged Stilt, Common Stilt, or Pied Stilt (Himantopus himantopus) is a widely distributed very long-legged wader in the avocet and stilt family. It is a large black and white wader with long orange-red to pink legs and a straight black bill. It has black on the back of the neck, a white collar and a red iris. Both sexes are similar, and the plumage does not change during the year. Black-winged Stilts give a repeated high-pitched barking call. Young Black-winged Stilts lack black on the back of the neck and have grey-brown wings and back, speckled with white. They have a smudged grey crown, which extends down the back of the neck as the birds get older.

Black-winged Stilts are related to Banded Stilts, Cladorhynchus leucocephalus, which have a broad chestnut band across the breast (absent in young birds) and lack the black on the back of the neck. Young Banded Stilts can be separated from young Black-winged Stilts by their all white back and black wings.

Join IBiS Basic Birding Treks in Negros, Bohol, Puerto Princesa and Coron and get to shoot the best of Philippine wildlife. Hike, camp out, set out in an adventure and live a dream.

14/05/2013

The Olive-backed Sunbirds are the smallest and most common sunbird in the Philippines and are found almost everywhere except the deepest forest. They survive mainly on nectar, although they may snack on insects occasionally.

Like other Sunbirds, the Olive-backed male is more colorful than the female. The juveniles look similar to females.

14/05/2013

The Yellow-vented Bulbul (Pycnonotus goiavier) is a member of the bulbul family of passerine birds. It is resident breeder in southeast Asia from southern Thailand and Cambodia south to Borneo and the Philippines. It is found in a wide variety of open habitats, but not deep forest. It is one of the most common birds in cultivated areas.

These birds builds a well-camouflaged but fragile, loose, deep, cup-shaped nest from grass, leaves, roots, vine stems, and twigs. It lays 2-5 eggs in February to June. The Yellow-vented Bulbuls eats berries and small fruits. They also sip nectar, nibble on young shoots, and take some insects.

Join IBiS Basic Birding Treks in Negros, Bohol, Puerto Princesa and Coron and get to shoot the best of Philippine wildlife. Hike, camp out, set out in an adventure and live a dream.

14/05/2013

The Olive-backed Sunbird is a small honeyeater-like bird with a distinctive down-curved bill. On the male, the head is yellowish-olive with a yellow supercilium and a yellow moustachial stripe. The upperparts are also yellowish-olive except for the tail, which is black with a white tip. An iridescent dark-bluish or dark-violet gorget extends from the chin to the upper breast; the rest of the unnderbody is bright yellow. The upperwing is dark brown and the underwing is yellowish white with brownish grey flight feathers. The bill is black and the feet dark grey. The female appears similar but a little paler, and lacks the iridescent gorget, being wholly yellow underneath.

Join IBiS Basic Birding Treks in Negros, Bohol, Puerto Princesa and Coron and get to shoot the best of Philippine wildlife. Hike, camp out, set out in an adventure and live a dream.

02/05/2013

The Asian Glossy Starling (Aplonis panayensis) often appears black, but the conspicuous bright red eyes light up the glossy plumage of this beautiful bird. Both sexes are similar. The adult has black plumage with greenish gloss overall, except on vent which is matt black. On the head, we can see a small black mask on the lores and around the eye. Nape and neck exhibit more elongated feathers which are fluffed up according to the situation and the mood of the bird. The strong bill, legs and feet are black. The eyes are bright red.

"Galansiangs" as they are called in Cebuano, frequent forests, including edges and clearings, secondary growths, mangroves, coastal vegetation, gardens and plantations. It is usually seen from the lowlands up to 700 metres of elevation, but not higher. They often roost in urban areas. These roosts may contain up to 15, 000 birds and they often gather with Common Mynas and White-vented Mynas.

These birds are mainly resident in its range, and only performs some local movements. However, some dispersal can be over fairly long distances to find fruiting trees, and they travel in nocturnal movements. They perform direct and fast flight, usually at treetop level.

Join IBiS Basic Birding Treks in Negros, Bohol, Puerto Princesa and Coron and get to shoot the best of Philippine wildlife. Hike, camp out, set out in an adventure and live a dream.