Birding in Lake Holon, Tiboli, South Cotabato

At the onset of July I found some good relief after a busy June brought by some changes of personnel in the workplace. Lake Holon was the very first site off Southern Mindanao that I visited this month together with Sean for a birding adventure in a lesser-known Simedo Trail on July 8-10. With Pete Simpson taking charge of the coordination and practically everything about the trip, I met for the first time international birder Forest Jarvis and Allan Barredo from Koronadal City.

Forest Jarvis is a good birder and mentor

It was a long travel from Sta. Cruz all the way to the town of Tiboli in South Cotabato which had us picking up Forest in between at General Santos Airport on July 8. We waited close to 2 hours in the airport and delightedly saw open grassland birds Pied Bushchat and Paddyfield Pipit among others while praying for glimpse of a Black-shouldered Kite which did not show up.

This place is indeed as good as advertised. I got 5 lifers here, a good record of special Mindanao montane endemics. The first part was the site of flocks of Short-tailed Starling, Coppersmith Barbet and Stripe-breasted Rhabdornis, a bird I noticed appeared singly in other parts of Mindanao. A significant patches of forests in Simedo Trail was sacrificed for some horizontal infrastructures built by the government for some unviable reasons. Despite that, bird species considered this an abode because of a very good ration of native vegetation which were frequented by Philippine Hanging Parrot, Warbling White-eye, Olive-capped Flowerpecker, Red-eared Parrotfinch, Buzzing Flowerpecker, Bicolored Flowerpecker, Flame-crowned Flowerpecker, Little Pied Flycatcher, Philippine Mountain Leaf Warbler and the interesting Tiboli Sunbird.  

Stripe-breasted Rhabdronis

Coppersmith Barbet

Flame-crowned Flowerpecker

Buzzing Flowerpecker

Olive-capped Flowerpecker

Little Pied Flycatcher

Warbling White-eye

Just before lunch we headed off a steep trail with a good sightings of Cinnamon Ibon, Black and Cinnamon Fantail, a pair of McGregor’s Cuckoo Shrike, Yellow-breasted Fruit Dove, Philippine Pygmy Woodpecker and Rufous-headed Tailorbird, the latter often heard than seen. Our morning highlight was the often-shy Long-tailed Bush Warbler which appeared very shortly. White-browed Shortwing was another calling bird in the site which we all considered excellent birding place in the next two years until maybe when somebody whom they said “bought” the land converts it into a resort or a rest house.  

Yellow-breasted Fruit Dove

Philippine Pygmy Woodpecker

McGregor's Cuckoo Shrike

Rufous-headed Tailorbird

Long-tailed Bush Warbler (Record Shot)

Tiboli Sunbird (Record Shot)

Sean was excited to witness Mindanao Lorikeets in their kingdom just below the first site but before proceeding we were given good view of Citrine Canary Flycatcher (this one a lifer to me as I have not seen one in Mt. Apo), Rusty-breasted Cuckoo, Turquoise Flycatcher and Rufous-headed Tailorbird, this time appeared more visible. Our drive off the Lorikeet kingdom was interrupted with presence of couple Mindanao Hornbill and Coleto, but that did not ease the urge to continue to check on the Mindanao Lorikeet. Alas, there were around 30 of them, playing around after waiting for 30 minutes. Mindanao Lorikeet is a near-threatened species according to International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) but here they settled freely even more dominant than other invasive birds like Yellow-vented Bulbul and Philippine Bulbul (in Tiboli’s case could become a local endemic bird in the future). The presence of Lorikeets in Tiboli sends a strong message that government functionaries should re-assess its plans on putting up more road projects in the future otherwise Mindanao Lorikeets will further move up to distressing conservation status.

Mindanao Hornbill

Mindanao Hornbill

Mindanao Lorikeet

Buff-spotted Flameback

Mindanao Hornbill Family with Coleto 

Turquoise Flycatcher

Citrine Canary Flycatcher

A solitary Whiskered Tree Swift, a feeding Buff-spotted Flameback and a Mindanao Hornbill were another beholding scene in the Lorikeet Valley.  Our attention were captured specifically by the Mindanao Hornbill which approaches to its nest in around 10 minutes and then flew back to the other side of the mountain to collect food items and vice versa, very intimate background provided only by the kindness of Mother Nature in this lovely place. Wow, that Day 2 experience deserved an early bed time in a cozy hotel located at the heart of Poblacion Tiboli.

Prior to driving back home on July 10 we took another half-day birding in Simedo just to have second look of the incredible avian species of Lake Holon which I consider birder’s paradise. Yes, this place is a must-visit attraction in Mindanao for birding and bird photography.

Lastly, thank you Pete Simpson for organizing the activity which could never have happened without your effort. I am happy that Sean was able to join a serious birding outside Davao Region and able to mentor two other kids in the Simedo village, his first ever and definitely an unforgettable experience in an early birding life of this little boy. Thank you Gabo for the lens you provided at least for that session. 

It was great meeting you for the first time in person Forest and Allan.