The Black-faced Coucal (Centropus melanops) is often heard around our backyard but until today it’s been a challenge to photograph. I was happy to get a few shots of this Philippine endemic cuckoo as it moved around the trees next to the river this morning.
Today was the opening of Lolo’s Taco, a self-described Surfer Cantina located on the main drag of barangay Pacifico here on Siargao island so we thought we’d go check it out!
We spotted this Philippine pygmy squirrel climbing a coconut tree near our front porch very early this morning. Found only in the Mindanao Faunal Region this endemic species is also called the Mindanao pygmy squirrel. Locally it’s known as “buot“.
Found in wetlands around the country the Philippine duck (or mallard) is the only duck endemic to the Philippine archipelago.
The White-browed crake (Amaurornis cinerea) is a bird in the family of rails (Rallidae). I’ve found it be somewhat secretive and it usually runs quickly for cover when spotted so I was happy to get this series of pictures in a flooded rice field a few days ago.
The Paddyfield pipit, as its name suggests, is often associated with rice cultivation. It also inhabits other open areas and grasslands.
A solitary Javan pond heron in the rice fields of Siargao. This migratory heron can be seen here with its prominent breeding plumage.
A Whiskered tern (Chlidonias hybrida) seen this morning in the rice paddies of Del Pilar here on Siargao Island,
We recently explored Tayangbang cave in Pilar and cooled off in its refreshing swimming holes before picnicking in the lush garden setting
Today we went to Paghungawan Marsh to watch the release into the wild of twenty-nine critically endangered Philippine crocodiles.