Canon EF 800mm f/5.6L IS USM

Very photogenic part of the bay. The locals harvest the water lilies, dry them out and make handicraft out of it. Like bags, footware, etc.

IMAGE LINK: http://www.flickr.com/​photos/alabang/8206514​915/
Crimson-breasted Barbet (Megalaima haemacephala) by alabang, on Flickr

Settings: 1/500 ƒ/6.3 ISO8000 800mm

Taken in: Muntinlupa City, Philippines

The Coppersmith Barbet, Crimson-breasted Barbet or Coppersmith (Megalaima haemacephala), is a bird with crimson forehead and throat which is best known for its metronomic call that has been likened to a coppersmith striking metal with a hammer. It is a resident found in the Indian Subcontinent and parts of Southeast Asia. Like other barbets, they chisel out a hole inside a tree to build their nest. They are mainly fruit eating but will take sometimes insects, especially winged termites.

http://en.wikipedia.or​g/wiki/Coppersmith_Bar​bet

IMAGE LINK: http://www.flickr.com/​photos/alabang/8252034​186/
Camara Island by alabang, on Flickr

You have the option to cuddle up in warm fabrics.

Imagine this bird's eggs hardening from the frost around it.

It's a cool 86F but it feels like 90F here in the islands. With a low of 77F.

IMAGE LINK: http://www.flickr.com/​photos/alabang/8254605​650/
Camara Island by alabang, on Flickr

Florida belted Kingfisher, female, I think. I've had a difficult time getting close to these birds. These shots are heavily cropped from the Canon 1DIV format. They seem to ignore me if I'm in a car, so these employed a beanbag on the window with engine off. Nonetheless as soon as a walker and dog comes by, the bird was gone. I needed every bit of the 800mm and should have brought a 2X with me.

IMAGE LINK: http://www.flickr.com/​photos/clgriffin/83329​86337/
E03G1178a_resize by C L Griffin/Advaitin, on Flickr

Funny how the head feathers can change color with light and direction.
IMAGE LINK: http://www.flickr.com/​photos/clgriffin/83329​88479/
E03G1159a_resize by C L Griffin/Advaitin, on Flickr

IMAGE LINK: http://www.flickr.com/​photos/clgriffin/83329​89119/
E03G1143a_resize by C L Griffin/Advaitin, on Flickr

Great photos Zet! I should also employ the TCs more liberally in the future while using backfocus.

IMAGE LINK: http://www.flickr.com/​photos/alabang/8468309​752/
Chestnut Munia, (Lonchura atricapilla) by alabang, on Flickr

The Chestnut Munia, (Lonchura atricapilla) (formerly considered as a subspecies of the Tricoloured Munia Lonchura malacca atricapilla) also known as Black-headed Munia, is a small passerine bird. This estrildid finch is a resident breeding bird in Bangladesh, Brunei, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Burma, Nepal, Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, Vietnam and Hawaii. Known as mayang pula ("red maya", to distinguish it from the predominantly brownish Tree Sparrow which is also called maya) in the Philippines, perhaps because of its brick red patch on the lower back that shows only when it flies. The Black-headed Munia is the former national bird of the Philippines (the Philippine national bird is now the Philippine eagle).

Source: http://en.wikipedia.or​g/wiki/Chestnut_Munia

Settings: 1/640 ƒ/5.6 ISO640 800mm

Taken at Candaba, Philippines

Thank you Zethar! Your nuthatch sure looks super!

IMAGE LINK: http://www.flickr.com/​photos/alabang/8527998​113/
Philippine Duck (Anas luzonica) by alabang, on Flickr

Anas luzonica is endemic to the Philippines, being recorded from all the major islands and eight smaller islands. Records since 1980 derive from c.30 localities, most on Luzon and Mindanao. Records from Siquijor and the Sulus remain unsubstantiated. A steep population decline was evident by the mid-1970s, with high numbers recorded at only a few sites in the following decade, e.g. Candaba Marsh (Luzon) which probably supported many thousands in the early 1980s. Subsequent local extinctions and near-disappearances have occurred in several significant sites, including Candaba Marsh and Buguey wetlands (where several thousand were recorded in 1983). Important current areas include Polillo Island (240 seen and an estimated 3,000 present in 1996), Subic Bay (600 seen in 1997), Magat dam (2,000 were seen in 2001) and Malasi lakes (1,320 were recorded in 2002), Luzon. Other recent records come from Mangatarem, Pangasinan (east of Zambales Mountains IBA) where 70 individuals were counted on the Barabac River inside the Manleluag Spring National Park, Cantilan mangroves in Surigao del Sur and from a mangrove fishpond in Bicol Region, Southern Luzon (B. Tabaranza in litt. 2007). In 1993, its population was estimated at 10,000-100,000, but by 2002 fewer than 10,000 birds were thought to remain.

Source: http://www.birdlife.or​g …eciesfactsheet.​php?id=439

Settings: 1/160 ƒ/8 ISO320 800mm

These uncaptive birds were recorded in the Philippines

IMAGE LINK: http://www.flickr.com/​photos/alabang/8532100​024/
Great Egret (Ardea alba) by alabang, on Flickr

With its long, white breeding plumes, orange-yellow bill, and green facial skin, the Great Egret at the height of the breeding season is stunning to behold. Even at other times of the year, when it loses its plumes and its face and bill return to their typical dull yellow, this large, white wader is difficult to overlook. Male and female Great Egrets are similar (38 inches) at all times of the year. The Great Egret is widely distributed across warmer parts of the globe. In North America, the Great Egret breeds primarily in the southeastern United States, with smaller pockets of breeding territory in the Great Plains, the northeast, and in the west. Most of the Great Egrets in the southeast are permanent residents, but those in cooler climates migrate south for the winter, where they may be found along the coast of California, in the southwest, and in Texas. This species also breeds in Eurasia from southern Europe east to east Asia, wintering in North Africa, India, and Southeast Asia. Populations also exist in South America, Australia and New Zealand. Great Egrets live in and around small bodies of water. In summer, Great Egrets nest in colonies, called ‘rookeries,’ in trees surrounding lakes and ponds. This species utilizes similar habitats during the winter. Great Egrets mainly eat fish, but may also take crustaceans and small vertebrates (such as frogs, lizards, and mice) when the opportunity arises. Great Egrets may be best observed wading in shallow water, where they may be seen plunging their bills into the water to catch fish. It is also possible to see Great Egrets at their rookeries, especially when they return to roost at sunset, or while flying with their feet extended and their necks pulled in. Great Egrets are primarily active during the day.

Source: http://eol.org/pages/1​178488/overview

Taken at the International Rice Research Institute, Los Baños, Philippines

Settings: 1/2000 ƒ/6.3 ISO640 800mm