Don't get me wrong, I didn't just wait for it, I really went out to find some. I studied the behavior, what kind of flowers it likes, how it feeds and the time of day. Then I often found myself staking out a row of red and single-petal hibiscus flowers only to go home empty handed. It was frustrating at some point that the OBS (Olive-backed Sunbird) has climbed up to number one on my hitlist.
Then.. at the last month of this year (2009) my birding buddy Gabs Buluran alerted me to a small, very quaint and I must say, beautiful restaurant inside UP Diliman. He said there was a family of sunbirds who are residents there and feed around the restaurant's garden.
So off I went! And these are my favorite shots that i was able to take:
another one:
This is an immature male OBS based on the plumage. This one has only a purple stripe from the throat to the chest area. The adult male has this color completely covering the throat and chest. next mission: to take a photo of a mature male and female.And of course I shared the joy by posting these in the Philippine Bird Photography Forums and Nikon Club Philippines Forums. Then I got a message from a member of the Philippine Bird Photography Forums. Her name is Lydia Robledo, a naturalist and environmentalist from Pasig who just happens to have some special flowers in her garden that is very attractive to sunbirds. Actually she has a pair of residents in her backyard.
So again.. off I went!!!!
Spent half a day in her garden taking photos of her Sunbirds and here, a mature male, and a mature female.
The mature male:
and the mature female:
Ahhh.. all the while I thought the year would pass with me not having a single sighting of a sunbird. But with the help or friends.. I was able to fulfill what I set out to do.The joys of avian photography are endless. :)
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