The Grey Herons Have Arrived

The Grey Herons have finally arrived at Jugan Fishponds in Consolacion, Cebu, Philippines. These large birds usually come in late and are also among the last to leave. We counted only 3 this time, down from the usual 5 or 6 birds, but perhaps the others are still on their way.

A Day with a Friend

I spent the whole daylight hours with my good friend Osawa San today. We went to the SRP where we found some Philippine ducks (just 2) and some Javan Pond herons (5 counted) among other common species. However, since the government has cleared the area of trees and tall shrubs, we had to shoot only from the car - no luck at all.

Anyway, as we were leaving the SRP on our way to Tabor Hills, we came across this fellow: A Brown Shrike (Migrant Species)



Oh well, better that than nothing ...

We had better luck at Tabor Hills, where we spotted a Grey-streaked Flycatcher:



And some very lively Everett's White-eyes, among others:



We packed up around 4 PM 'cause some nasty clouds were heading our way and we decided to check our shots over at a nice coffee shop not far from our location - just as the rains started! Whew, if it had caught us in the open, we'd have some really wet cameras and lenses to worry about tonight!

It's nice to have a good friend to hang out with. Friendships that we form and nurture as we travel the road of life brings color and variety to what would otherwise be a dull and lonesome experience. Choose your friends wisely, and you can be sure of a truly rewarding journey. Keep Wondering! :-)

Tonight's Full Moon

The Moon has always fascinated this Wonderer. With the advent of Digital Photography, I am now able to take acceptable shots of the moon. Gone are the days when I had to guess the proper exposure for a film camera to come out with the correct shadow and highlight details that the moon exhibits in its fullness.

I shot this by attaching a Kenko 1.4X 300 DG TC and a Sigma 2X EX/DG TC on to a Canon 400mm F/5.6L set at F/9 and exposed for 1/40th of a second. The EOS 50D was used in this shot to take advantage of the additiona 1.6 Crop Factor.

Wondering with my Partner

Instead of joining the crowds at the cemetery yesterday, my wife and I spent a good part of the day at a fishpond in Consolacion Town, in Cebu.

While we were there, I captured an image of a Javan Pond Heron - once thought not to range in Cebu at all:



I also came across a Clamorous Reed Warbler amongst the bushes that line the ponds there:



While my ever-supportive wife trained her 5DMK2, with the Sigma 150-500, at a flying raptor - a Brahminy Kite - with its meal grasped firmly in its claws. The shot was taken from behind 'cause the bird had just flew past us when we noticed it:



A closer look:

Activities with your partner strengthen the bonds that bind you. I thank God each day for giving me both a good wife, and a natural Wonderer, all in one. :-)

A Recent Acquisition - The Sigma 150-500mm F/5-6.3 OS/DG/HSM Zoom Lens

I recently acquired a Sigma 150-500mm Zoom lens to complement my workhorse birding lens (Canon 400mm f/5.6L Prime). I had long wanted to cover the shorter focal lengths, as well as get a bit longer reach, and looked around for an affordable, light-weight Zoom for the purpose. The Canon L Lenses are great, but they are heavy and cost a lot, too! That left me with 3rd party lenses.

My first choice would have bee the Tamron 200-500 (because of its weight), but I could not find the lens here in the Philippines, so I took a look at Sigma. JT Photoworld in Manila just happened to have the Sigma 150-500 Lens, so I ordered it from my local Photoshop . They shipped it the following day and I got it just two days after ordering - great job, Peter!

Needles to say, I went out and tested the lens the first chance I had and came away with some interesting, but well-established findings:

1. The lens is a bit on the heavy side.
2. At 500mm full open (f/6.3) it is soft, but sharpens very well when stopped down to F/8 thru F/11.
3. It can take a 1.4X Teleconverter and still come up with lovely images.
4. The Optical Stabilizer really helps when hand-holding this lens.

A few samples:







I'm glad it turned out that the Sigma did as well as one would expect at that price range (less than USD 1,000.00) - it's a real value-for-money investment. It's a lens that any would-be bird photographer can start taking satisfying bird photos with - at an affordable price.

First Steps ...

Here is my first attempt at posting Bird Photos on this site - I hope the images comes out as I want them to :-)



That is a Coppersmith Barbet and it's a race specific to Cebu, hence its Scientific Name: Megalaima haemacephala cebuensis.

The photo was taken during a trip I made with some other birder friends to a place in Cebu Province called Alcoy - a known habitat of the very rare Black Shama - a species found only in Cebu, and nowhere else in the world. We had spent the previous day looking for the bird - and found it:



Now, we had some idle time to kill before heading home, and well, I got lucky with the Barbet. I was the only one who captured the Barbet's image at that time, and I think this is still one of the best around :-)

The Weary Wonderer Starts Wandering

I have at last decided to start a Blog (whoever coined this word must have a sense of humor!). It may contain information from the trivial to the sublime; my perceptions and that of others I know, my meanderings, as well as photos that I want to share with the world.

I am an amateur photographer, and I "specialize" in nature photos, specially Birds. I have co-authored a Book on these avian wanderers and continue to take photos of them as often as I can. However, my interest has expanded recently, and I now dabble in Macro and Scenic work, as well as the usual Candid Shots of people in everyday life - my fellow wanderers, and perhaps co-Wonderers, as we struggle and face head on, the journey of Life.

About the Book:

The title of the book is simple and straightforward: "Birds of Cebu and Bohol, Philippines" and my co-authors are Nilo Arribas and Raul Benjamin Puetespina. It contains photographic records of birds in the wild, not caged or in the hand, just the real wild birds. It has basic information about the birds, their feeding habits, and descriptions, etc.

The book is now on its 3rd Revision: