Philippine flashback

Over at Bill of the Birds, Bill Thompson III has been blogging about Birdfair and the Philippines. Have a read, and even more importantly, listen to his podcast interview with Lisa Marie Paguntalan. It's a great story - moving and inspiring for anyone interested in conservation.

The picture of us in the Phillippines (I'm hiding under a Tilley Hat) was taken at the entrance to the Subterranean River on Palawan. David Tipling, one of the world's top bird photographers, is lurking at the back, having just fallen into the sea while trying to get out of the boat. Good job it was warm.

Cebu Flowerpecker

You may or may not know that the critically endangered Cebu Flowerpecker is the poster bird for this year's British Birdwatching Fair (at Rutland Water, August 21st-23rd).

While I was in the Philippines earlier this year, we attempted to see the elusive little fellas. Only two of our party managed it (yours truly wasn't among them), but it was a fantastic experience all the same, and American birder Bill Thompson III, editor of Bird Watcher's Digest, interviewed local conservationist Lisa Marie Paguntalan about her work in trying to save the bird from extinction.

You can hear a podcast of the interview here, and read more about the bird and the interview here. There's also my article about the Cebu Flowerpecker in the August issue of Bird Watching, due out July 20th, and a five-page feature on birding in the Philippines, plus a chance to win a great birding holiday there, in our special Summer Issue, due out August 10th. Shameless advertising, I know, but ultimately it's in a worthy cause.

More from the Philippines

I'm far too poor a photographer to take any worthwhile photos of birds, although I might post a few landscapes from my recent trip. But one of my fellow travellers, Bill Thompson III, editor of American magazine Bird Watcher's Digest, has been posting quite a few pics over at his blog, Bill of the Birds.

The falconet was a great bird, but the bee-eaters even better. To see a whole colony of them at such close quarters was a real treat, but keep an eye on Bill's blog, because there are plenty more to come.

Back home

I've been away in the Philippines for the last two weeks, on a 'fam' trip for work, and hugely enjoyable it was too. Very hot, lots of spectacular locations, very friendly people, and of course plenty of great birds, of which more later this week when I've had a chance to go through my lists. The only American member of our party, Bill Thompson III, has already posted a few pics here, at his excellent blog. I can be seen on one of them, complete with Tilley Hat, looking suitably baffled by something flitting around the forest canopy.

Never having been birding in Asia previously, most of the species we saw were new to me, with only a handful of familiar birds cropping up here and there. Among them were Yellow Wagtails (albeit a diffferent subspecies to the one we see here), which were common around the edges of paddyfields.

As it happens, they're the subject of this poem which appears in the new issue of Shit Creek Review. Have a browse through what's another fine issue.