Hidden Treasures!

And God said, “Let the water teem with living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the vault of the sky.”

Genesis 1:20

The history of ornithology is rich and varied and this is the comment that introduces the “The Guide to the Birds of the Philippines” by Robert S. Kennedy et al. It goes on to say that “despite the efforts of numerous scientists and, more recently, bird watchers, the birds of the Philippines are still among the most poorly known in the world”.

Fast forward, my customer and now, a dear friend, tickled my interest by sharing with me his personal interest to protect and make known some of the rearrest and most sought after species of birds in the Philippines and I am just so very grateful to Dr. Miguel David De Leon for sharing his discoveries, where he spent days and hours first locating and identifying and lawfully making it all so easy for his friends to have the joy of witnessing and learning, an opportunity that 99% of the population does not have, mainly due to lack of interest or accessibility. Its the blessings one can count, the ability to see, the ability to learn and the wonderful opportunity to just know that it is so rear, so hard and not something one can see in our daily routine in life. I therefore join the Psalmist:

Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good;
his love endures forever.

Psalm 107:1

My first WOW moment, and it had to be the National Bird of the Philippines!

Philippine Eagle

pithecophage jefferyly.

Its Endemic and very rare and known to be the most endangered species on the planet, due to hunting, capture for private and public display, forest destruction, agriculture and increased human population. It is considered the largest of the extant eagles in the world in terms of length and wing surface and is among the rarest and most powerful birds in the world

An hour and half flight, an further hour to our friend, a 3 hour road trip, a one hour trek up the mountain in thick undergrowth and the wait for hours makes it all worth the effort!

Blue-Capped wood Kingfisher

Actenoides hombroni

Uncommon, poorly known and very hard to see, known to be one of the toughest kingfishers to find! Web search has much reference to this bird.

Streaked Ground Babbler

Ptilocichla mindanensis

Endemic to the Philippines, very hard to find and not easy to capture as it moves very fast!

Bagobo Babbler

Leonardina woodi

the Lord has done this, and it is marvelous in our eyes.

Psalm 118;23

It is such a joy, such a pleasure to marvel at His creation. There are so many hidden treasures that we are not aware of, when we get to appreciate it, its only gratitude!

I must thank my customer and friend, Dr. Adel Samson, for sharing his lovely Sigma 600mm lens. It made the difference for sure!