Exclusive: Nesting Balicassiao at Subic! Photo Gallery by romy ocon at pbase.com

Exclusive: Nesting Balicassiao at Subic!

"Nest and eggs not described." - Kennedy Guide, published year 2000. I'm not sure if this is the first record ever of the nest of this Philippine endemic, but I'm pretty certain that these are among the first photographs ever taken of it.

I actually visited the same area in Subic rainforest last March 7, 2006, and noticed some peculiar activity of a couple of Balicassiaos - they always returned to the same tree even when I was within their view. These birds are common forest endemics, but they always fly away and keep their distance whenever I see them in Mt. Makiling, Subic or other areas. I didn't suspect and notice any nest during that sortie.

Yesterday's (March 14, 2006) sortie was different however. I saw one of the birds fly into the same tree and disappeared from view right before my very eyes. I'm acutely color-blind but I think I can distinguish without difficulty a black bird on green foliage. Then I saw some movement about 30 feet up, and realized that the bird is inside a nest! I quickly grabbed some shots, then took my Kennedy Guide from the vehicle to confirm the importance of the find. Indeed, the nest wasn't described yet as of the guide's writing (2000).

The nest must have been newly built (within the last week). A bottom view shows no eggs yet inside. I quickly but carefully took a series of documentary photographs, then quietly left the area so the bird can lay its eggs in peace. I plan to return within a week to check out the eggs, with least disturbance on the birds of course. The Sigmonster's extreme reach should allow me to shoot without violating their comfort zone.

Whew...... this is wild bird photography at its most exciting and fun phase...;-)

UPDATE - MARCH 21, 2006: A cluster of 3 eggs is now in the nest. Too bad that the nest is found in the smaller branches of the tree, which are too small to support the weight of a man. I thought of asking an Aeta guide to climb up the tree to take photos of the eggs up close, but decided against the idea because of the danger involved.

IMG_7170-800x600.jpg Balicassiao (a Philippine endemic) Scientific name - Dicrurus balicassius Habitat - Forest and forest edge usually below 1200 m. [20D + Sigmonster (Sigma 300-800 DG)]	IMG_7191-800x400.jpg Balicassiao (a Philippine endemic) Scientific name - Dicrurus balicassius Habitat - Forest and forest edge usually below 1200 m. [20D + Sigmonster (Sigma 300-800 DG)]	IMG_7186-800x600.jpg Balicassiao (a Philippine endemic) Scientific name - Dicrurus balicassius Habitat - Forest and forest edge usually below 1200 m. [20D + Sigmonster (Sigma 300-800 DG)]	IMG_7199-900x600.jpg An environmental view of the nest.	IMG_7215-1200x800.jpg Blackish Cuckoo-Shrike (Coracina coerulescens, a Philippine endemic) Habitat - Canopy of forest in the lowlands. Shooting info - Subic rainforest, Bataan, March 14, 2006, 800 mm, f/9, ISO 200, 1/125 sec, 475B/3421 support
IMG_7177-750x500.jpg Bar-bellied Cuckoo-shrike (Male) Scientific name - Coracina striata striata Habitat - Forest and forest edge. [20D + Sigmonster (Sigma 300-800 DG)]	IMG_7142-720x540.jpg Scale-feathered Malkoha (a Philippine endemic) Scientific name - Phaenicophaeus cumingi Habitat - Forest, edge and second growth up to 2000 m. [20D + Sigmonster (Sigma 300-800 DG)]	IMG_7128-800x600.jpg White-eared Brown-dove (a Philippine endemic) Scientific name - Phapitreron leucotis Habitat - Wide range, from second growth to montane forest to 1600 m. [20D + Sigmonster (Sigma 300-800 DG), 1/30 sec without MLU, ISO 3200]	KZ2L1993-800x600.jpg Blue-throated Bee-eater Scientific name - Merops viridis Habitat - Cleared fields adjacent to forest, open country and grasslands. [1DM2 + 400 5.6L, hand held]	IMG_7330-800x600.jpg Grey Wagtail Scientific name - Motacilla cinerea Habitat - Streams and forest roads at all elevations. [20D + Sigmonster (Sigma 300-800 DG)]
IMG_7297-800x400.jpg Grey Wagtail Scientific name - Motacilla cinerea Habitat - Streams and forest roads at all elevations. [20D + Sigmonster (Sigma 300-800 DG)]	KZ2L1972-600x900.jpg Blue-throated Bee-eater Scientific name - Merops viridis Habitat - Cleared fields adjacent to forest, open country and grasslands. [1DM2 + 400 5.6L, hand held]	IMG_7401-800x600.jpg Green Imperial-Pigeon Scientific name - Ducula aenea aenea Habitat - Lowland and middle elevation forest. [20D + Sigmonster (Sigma 300-800 DG) + Sigma 2x TC, 1600 mm, 60++ m distance]	IMG_7401-100crop.jpg Green Imperial-Pigeon Scientific name - Ducula aenea aenea Habitat - Lowland and middle elevation forest. [20D + Sigmonster (Sigma 300-800 DG) + Sigma 2x TC, 1600 mm, 60++ m distance]	KZ2L2039-800x400.jpg Blue-throated Bee-eater Scientific name - Merops viridis Habitat - Cleared fields adjacent to forest, open country and grasslands. [1DM2 + 400 5.6L, hand held]
IMG_7399-800x600.jpg Green Imperial-Pigeon Scientific name - Ducula aenea aenea Habitat - Lowland and middle elevation forest. [20D + Sigmonster (Sigma 300-800 DG) + Sigma 2x TC, 1600 mm, 60++ m distance]	KZ2L2094-800x400.jpg Blue-throated Bee-eater Scientific name - Merops viridis Habitat - Cleared fields adjacent to forest, open country and grasslands. [1DM2 + 400 5.6L, hand held]	IMG_7213-800x600.jpg Bar-bellied Cuckoo-shrike (Female) Scientific name - Coracina striata striata Habitat - Forest and forest edge. [20D + Sigmonster (Sigma 300-800 DG)]	IMG_7209-900x600.jpg The empty nest seen from below. In a few more days, I expect the mother Balicassiao to lay some eggs in it.	IMG_7764-800x600.jpg Balicassiao (a Philippine endemic, nesting) Scientific name - Dicrurus balicassius Habitat - Forest and forest edge usually below 1200 m. [20D + Sigmonster (Sigma 300-800 DG)]
IMG_7774-800x600.jpg BALICASSIAO NEST SEEN FROM THE BOTTOM. A cluster of three eggs can be seen outlined against the bright sky in this March 21 photo. As of March 14, the newly completed nest was empty. To have an idea of relative size of the eggs and nest, I carefully compared objects of known size at similar distance from me as the nest. In my best estimate, the diameter of the branch to which the nest is attached is about 20 mm.	KZ2L1978-750x500.jpg Blue-throated Bee-eater Scientific name - Merops viridis Habitat - Cleared fields adjacent to forest, open country and grasslands. [1DM2 + 400 5.6L, hand held]

comment |

unknown from singapore		16-Aug-2007 12:48
hi nice to meet you I love the photos you have taken in singapore.(yishun)

Dave of Iloilo		16-Mar-2006 08:18
We have observed the Balicassiao a couple of times but this definitely is a first! Job well done.... a fitting reward for your effort and sacrifices to document our beloved Philippine birds! More power Romy! (and more finds in the future!).

csmallari		15-Mar-2006 16:02
I am so happy for you Romy. I can just imagine all the excitement you must have felt and are still feeling up to now. Boy, you must have been way up, up, up in the clouds when you first realized what you have just stumbled upon. My husband says I am totally on a different plane whenever I discover birds that I have seen for the first time - according to him, the smile on my face is an ultimate high for him to see ... so I can just imagine how you must have felt since you are so passionate about birds too :-)

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