Subic Bay / Bataan, Philippine Dec 2012

Female - Blue-rock Thrush (at Subic)

Been planing to visit Subic Bay (a former US base situated at Philippine island) and the Candaba Wetlands for quite some time. Finally made there and it was a nice place and the birds were not disappointing. Here are some pictures that I managed to photograph but it all just a record piece. However my pictures from Candaba was not great due to poor lighting  (because we arrived late). Below list:-

Candaba:- Long-tailed Shrike, Striated Grass Bird, Barred Rail, Common Water-hen,  Bunting ?, Common Sandpiper, Yellow Bittern, Black-winged Stilt, Cattle Egret.

My aim was to see the Coleto, a starling family (which we name one of the streets here). I was fascinated to know more of this creature and on the first day of birding it did not disappoint me. This birds were quite easy to see at Subic well kept forest as they fly in flocks just like its other starlings family. This birding trip was indeed a nice and easy birding and below are the lifers that I managed to take. Wish had a better camera.

Black-naped Oriole

Blue-throated BeeEater

Brown-shrike

Coleto

Red-jungle fowl 

A pair of Philippine Serpent Eagle

Long-tailed Shrike - Nasutus

Tarictic Hornbill - rare 

Whiskered-tree Swift

White-throated Kingfisher

White-throated Kingfisher

The Malaysia Peninsula and Continental Asia White-throated Kingfisher has a larger and longer white spot that runs down almost to the vent area. But in this Philippine sps it has only a small spot right up the neck/throat area. Very interesting observational as the Malaysia  and Continental Asia cousin should be renamed as White-breasted Kingfisher. Reference www.orientalbirdimages.org 

White-bellied Woodpecker

Happy Birding.