Flights of Fancy eBook Excerpt: Olive Bellied Flowerpecker Spotted in Maligcong, Bontoc

The Olive Bellied Flowerpecker is part of a noisy group I found feeding along the main road to Sitio Makonig every approaching sunset hour.     And when I say noisy, I don't mean it to sound like I hate the sound.  On the contrary, I dig their joyful chatter; it's wonderful to note that they seem to find a lot of flowers, fruits and insects to feed on around here in Maligcong.  My friend, Suzette, who owns her Maligcong Homestay noted that most of the birds I captured seem to be well-fattened.  Maybe a testament to the abundance of food which is good to know. | © 2019 Oggie Ramos | Taken with a Nikon B700, Handheld, Manual Mode 

Flights of Fancy eBook Excerpt: Mountain Shrike Spotted in Maligcong

The Lanius family is well represented in Maligcong, as I keep finding out, after first spotting it at the backyard of the Banaue Ethnographic Museum last November.  I was trying to spot a Malkoha in the vicinity of what the Maligcong locals call the "Lonely Tree" near the jump-off to Mt. Fato when I spotted this black and white creature perched on a distant tree.  Well, nature is unpredictable indeed -- it can give you something you didn't expect instead of what you are searching for in the first place.  For that, I am thankful.  | © 2019 Oggie Ramos • Taken with a Nikon B700, Manual Mode, Handheld

Dog Days, Rainy Afternoons and Starry Mornings in Maligcong

A shot two or so years in the making - light painting the terraces

The rains followed me from my overnight stay in Baguio. I really meant to go birding for an hour or so after doing errands like picking up the Bone Talk books that our friend, Philippine-born author, Candy Gourlay, purchased from Mt. Cloud Book Shop for giving as gifts to friends in Maligcong as well as the Bontoc Municipal Library. I can hear birds twittering from the trees along Brent Road as I try to walk my way back to Bed and Breakfast at Station 120 on Lower General Luna but it was beginning to drizzle. As I was carrying a nice picture frame bought from SM Baguio, I decided to hail the first cab that passed my way. With dark clouds hovering and my cab driver corroborating my suspicions (he said it rained the past three afternoons), I lost interest in venturing to the Camp John Hay Eco Trail for birding. Nor walking to Session Road for dinner and coffee, contenting myself with the P145 buffet at the Station 120 resto upstairs (well worth it) and the good coffee at Scoops Coffee Shop on the ground floor. 

We toploaded on the first afternoon jeep headed to Maligcong from Bontoc, it left one hour early at 1:30 and prayed the rains wouldn't soak us until we get to Suzette's Maligcong Homestay. Thank heavens, the heavens opened after we got there (not that I minded getting soaked but I wouldn't want that to happen to my cameras and lenses). My canine friends are there to greet us, Maku and TamTam taking off where we left off last January, following me to our designated room.  Kunig, my other loyal companion, is content staying outside where it's cooler.