Tadlac Lake in Los Baños Laguna: Birding On The Fly

I'm writing this post coming off the doldrums of being house- and bed-bound due to a bout of food poisoning.  Maybe, recalling some sunshine from a week ago to remind me that perhaps, sunnier days await the dark days.  Anyway, I'm also posting this to update my bird list (not that I'm keeping a tight count) spotted during trips.  As I wasn't feeling well during the assist-work days, I decided to sleep right after a late dinner on our penultimate shoot day so I can perhaps go down to the lake in the early morning to spot some of the wildlife before the resort overnight guests awaken after a rather-long-in-the-night revelry and the daytrippers arrive in droves.

Little Egret (?)

We were lucky to catch a good sunrise, considering that it has been raining on and off the past two days.   The blue and red kingfisher was there alright.  I was able to shoot him closer than my Nikon B700 middle of the range zoom but alas, the drybag where I stored it overnight wasn't sealed properly, hence the perfunctory drying off period.  The bright plumed bird flew off to the edges of the lake, never alighting on any of the huts in the middle.  Incidentally, he has a mate but they keep to themselves (can't blame them as the din of the resorts would keep any wildlife away anyway).  With the help of Ma'am Alice Villa Real of Wild Bird Club of the Philippines, we were able to positively ID him along with the other birds.

Tadlac Lake, Laguna: Taking a Break from Work and Catching a Sony / Sunny Sunrise

Tadlac Lake Sunrise, Laguna • Handheld Sony A6000 + Samyang 12mm f/2

Just want to share a hand-held sunrise shot taken during a break from photoshoot assistance work for a friend in Los Baños, Laguna.    Location is Tadlac Lake, formerly known as Alligator Lake, about two hours travel from Manila.  A good time as any to test the Sony A6000 paired with a Samyang/Rokinon 12mm f/2 lens (so I've taken the mirrorless path after more than a decade shooting with Nikon).  

After typhoon Domeng and the rains caused by the habagat (southwest monsoon) we were blessed with a day of intermittent drizzles, squalls and somewhat sunny conditions on days 1 and 2 of the shoot; we were entertaining thoughts of a milky way night sky over the lake (not!) but nonetheless, the heavens cleared up on the morning we were set to wrap up work.  Among photographers, we share this universal joke akin to Murphy's Law -- the weather improves just when you are leaving.   Very much like what they say about life, it's "weather-weather" or in the vernacular, pana-panahon lang.  May my season finally come then.