My first Peregrine Falcon...

One of the "Ok" photos I got that day.

12/20/14 - Saturday. It was my wife's day off and a chance to go out and bird. I quit my job just recently since we no longer had the luxury of being able to choose our work shifts. My wife and I used to work for the same company under the same department and we could request to have our shifts set alternately. When she goes to work, I should be at home watching over our little 2 yr. old and vice versa. Recently, she got hired at another company and this posed a big problem for us. We no longer had control over our shifts. Anyway, I had to quit and be a full time "house-band". It was my first day out birding since I quit my job - which I don't necessarily miss except for the fact that I do need to earn a living. I could get a home-based job though, but I guess we weren't ready for that since I could barely get my hands on my laptop, not when you have a 2 yr. old who would throw a tantrum whenever you try to get your hands on it because he's watching cartoons on youtube. The only time I could use it undisturbed is when he's napping or already asleep for the night.  Anyway, I had to go out since I have not been out for a while. I decided to go to Mountain view Nature's park. It's the closest place I could go to bird whenever I didn't have the luxury of time to travel farther. All was well, until I got there. I didn't realize that it was Saturday until I noticed that there were a lot of people already. One section of the park even got closed for a private party. This meant that I will probably not have good views.

Peregrine Falcon - ernesti sp.

It was already mid morning when I thought it was going to be a dull day until I saw a young Brahminy kite flying low as I was ascending one of the stairs that lead to the top part of the park. I ran to get a better look but was too late. The bird already had its, well, vents when I got it on my view finder and it disappeared among the trees as it kept circling north. Then, just a little over a minute, I saw a shadow just where I saw the previous bird. I thought it was the same one, however, something was odd about it.  The wings didn't have the pale patches that Brahminy kites have and were narrower. I aimed and got it in frame, but was under exposed and backlit against a bright white overcast sky. But I was glad it was in focus when I chimped at my lcd. I was able to discern a black hood over the bird's head which told me that it was a Peregine!! It was too soon to celebrate but I was hopeful.

 I spent the rest of the morning with some Elegant tits and a pair of rather pesky Pied fantails which kept driving the tits away just when I had a good shot. The weather started to get worse as it began to drizzle. Sun came out a bit and went to make a few stops before I headed home. I was able to confirm the id of the bird and yes! Peregrine Falcon!

Everette's Whiteye

Other birds that day:
Everett's Whiteye -a lot but usually in the canopy and/or flying by
Philippine Bulbul -I lost interest in counting
Olive-backed Sunbirds - quite a number of them there
Brahminy Kite - one juvenile
Elegant Tits -about 3 birds, feeding.
Magnificent Sunbird - one male driven away by Pied fantails
Pied Fantails - a pair
Philippine Coucal - heard
Grey-streaked Flycatcher - one individual
Brown shrikes - about 4 to 5.
Yellow-vented Bulbul - 3
Pied Triller - one female/juvenile
And some swiftlets that I really really really still need to identify.