500 f4 L IS invades Mt. Makiling Photo Gallery by romy ocon at pbase.com

500 f4 L IS invades Mt. Makiling

Mike Sanchez of the Raptor Center sent me a most welcome SMS yesterday - the "Makopa" trees are abloom in Mt. Makiling, and there's a lot of small birds activity. I promptly arranged an early morning visit today (May 10, 2006) to check the area.

This is my third year of birding Mt. Makiling, and I've known that it is a very unpredictable birding place. Sometimes hardly any birds can be seen. In other times, particularly when a bountiful source of food is available, the birds congregate in distinct places.

This sortie was one of those rare instances when it seemed the birds decided to meet in one place - the blooming "Makopa" tree - and conduct a chow party.

I got some pics of the rarely photographed Naked-face Spiderhunter and Flaming Sunbird (both uncommon Philippine endemics and photo-lifebirds for me), and detailed pics of the Handsome Sunbird and Spotted Wood-Kingfisher (also both endemics), and of a male Plain-throated Sunbird . I used exclusively the 20D + 500 f4 L IS (mostly with Canon 1.4x TC) on this sortie to check how my new lens performs in the low light of the rainforest understorey.

A million thanks Mike for the tip.

ADDENDUM - I went back to the same spot today (May 11, 2006), and got some more shots of the sunbirds.

IMG_0012_1-720x540.jpg Handsome Sunbird (A Philippine endemic) Scientific name - Aethopyga bella Habitat - Thickets, forest edge and forest below 2000 m. [20D + 500 f4 L IS + Canon 1.4x TC, on tripod]	Naked-faced_Spiderhunter-IMG_0005 Naked-faced Spiderhunter (Arachnothera clarae, A Philippine endemic) Habitat - Forest, forest edge and clearings Shooting info - Mt. Makiling, Laguna, May 11, 2006, 20D + 500 f4 L IS + Canon 1.4x TC, 700 mm, f/5.6, 1/80 sec, ISO 800, 475b/3421 support, manual exposure in available light.	IMG_0022-800x600.jpg Flaming Sunbird (a Philippine endemic, sub-adult male) Scientific name - Aethopyga flagrans flagrans Habitat - Uncommon in forest, edge and second growth up to 1350 m. [20D + 500 f/4 L IS + Canon 1.4x TC]	IMG_0064_1-800x600.jpg Handsome Sunbird (A Philippine endemic) Scientific name - Aethopyga bella Habitat - Thickets, forest edge and forest below 2000 m. [20D + 500 f4 L IS + Canon 1.4x TC, on tripod]	IMG_0059-800x600.jpg Plain-throated Sunbird (Male) Scientific name - Anthreptes malacensis Habitat - Coconut groves, mangroves, second growth near coast and forest. [20D + 500 f4 L IS + Canon 1.4x TC, on tripod]
IMG_9902-600x800.jpg Spotted Wood-kingfisher (a Philippine endemic, female) Scientific name - Actenoides lindsayi Habitat - Lowland forest understory, perches motionless in dark recesses. [20D + 500 f4 L IS, on tripod]	IMG_0027-1000x750.jpg Purple-throated Sunbird (Male) Scientific name - Nectarinia sperata Habitat - Coconut groves, mangroves, second growth and cultivated areas. [20D + 500 f4 L IS + Canon 1.4x TC, on tripod]	IMG_9926-1200x900.jpg Guaiabero (A Philippine endemic) Scientific name - Bolbopsittacus lunulatus Habitat - Forest and forest edge, usually below 1000 m. [20D + 500 f4 L IS + Canon 1.4x TC, on tripod]	IMG_0041_1-900x600.jpg Naked-faced Spiderhunter (A Philippine endemic) Scientific name - Arachnothera clarae Habitat - Forest, forest edge and clearings [20D + 500 f4 L IS + Canon 1.4x TC, on tripod]	IMG_0079-1000x750.jpg Plain-throated Sunbird (Male) Scientific name - Anthreptes malacensis Habitat - Coconut groves, mangroves, second growth near coast and forest. [20D + 500 f4 L IS + Canon 1.4x TC, on tripod]
IMG_0059_1-800x600.jpg Handsome Sunbird (A Philippine endemic) Scientific name - Aethopyga bella Habitat - Thickets, forest edge and forest below 2000 m. [20D + 500 f4 L IS + Canon 1.4x TC, on tripod]	IMG_9870-800x600.jpg Spotted Wood-kingfisher (a Philippine endemic, female) Scientific name - Actenoides lindsayi Habitat - Lowland forest understory, perches motionless in dark recesses. [20D + 500 f4 L IS + Canon 1.4x TC, on tripod]	IMG_9994-1000x750.jpg Handsome Sunbird (A Philippine endemic) Scientific name - Aethopyga bella Habitat - Thickets, forest edge and forest below 2000 m. [20D + 500 f4 L IS + Canon 1.4x TC, on tripod]	IMG_0105_1-1000x750.jpg Plain-throated Sunbird (Male) Scientific name - Anthreptes malacensis Habitat - Coconut groves, mangroves, second growth near coast and forest. [20D + 500 f4 L IS + Canon 1.4x TC, on tripod]	IMG_0103-800x600.jpg Plain-throated Sunbird (Female) Scientific name - Anthreptes malacensis Habitat - Coconut groves, mangroves, second growth near coast and forest. [20D + 500 f4 L IS + Canon 1.4x TC, on tripod]
IMG_9875-720x540.jpg Spotted Wood-kingfisher (a Philippine endemic, female) Scientific name - Actenoides lindsayi Habitat - Lowland forest understory, perches motionless in dark recesses. [20D + 500 f4 L IS + Canon 1.4x TC, on tripod]	IMG_0001-720x540.jpg Plain-throated Sunbird (Female) Scientific name - Anthreptes malacensis Habitat - Coconut groves, mangroves, second growth near coast and forest. [20D + 500 f4 L IS + Canon 1.4x TC, on tripod]	IMG_0076-800x600.jpg Plain-throated Sunbird (Male) Scientific name - Anthreptes malacensis Habitat - Coconut groves, mangroves, second growth near coast and forest. [20D + 500 f4 L IS + Canon 1.4x TC, on tripod]	IMG_0097-720x540.jpg Purple-throated Sunbird (Male) Scientific name - Nectarinia sperata Habitat - Coconut groves, mangroves, second growth and cultivated areas. [20D + 500 f4 L IS + Canon 1.4x TC, on tripod]	IMG_0126-1000x750.jpg Plain-throated Sunbird (Male) Scientific name - Anthreptes malacensis Habitat - Coconut groves, mangroves, second growth near coast and forest. [20D + 500 f4 L IS + Canon 1.4x TC, on tripod]

comment |

David		25-Oct-2007 22:54
Many thanks for the wonderful photos Romy

tess		02-Aug-2007 09:06
The more I go over your galleries, the more impressed I get. You're really great and great also are your pictures tess soriano

arnee		06-Feb-2007 05:15
you guys are doing great jobs! it helped me a lot! really COOL pix!

g gilbert		26-Dec-2006 00:21
magnificent birds, magnificent pictures. love feather detail.

Guest		14-Jun-2006 10:30
Your galleries are such a treat for the eye and this one is awesome. Beautiful colorful birds! Your talent for photographing these beauties of nature always amazes me!

Guest		15-May-2006 03:07
ang galing naman ng kuha mo 'dre. ayos!

Guest		13-May-2006 11:18
Very nice gallarie! Beautifull colourfull pictures!

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