The PHILIPPINES: Bohol – Part 2: Rajah Sikatuna & Flying Lemurs

We spent an afternoon and morning at Rajah Sikatuna Protected Landscape, a popular destination for birders. This 9,000 hectare national park is characterized by rolling hills with remnant natural forest on steep limestone terrain, surrounded by plantations, deforested area and grassland.

In the opening glade, we found Bi-colored, Red-keeled (above), Pygmy and Orange-breasted Flowerpeckers feeding on the outsides of branches.

A beautiful Yellow-breasted Fruit-Dove (above) was sitting on a sparse twig nest in a tree. We also had a Brush Cuckoo, and a Scarlet Minivet posing nicely, contrasting with the tough scope views of Black-faced Coucal.

We enjoyed watching several Flying Lemurs (above) clinging to a tree trunk, with one hanging upside down (below) on a branch.

These are neither lemurs, nor do they fly! This 2-foot long nocturnal mammal looks like a cross between a bat and a sloth, and it glides from tree to tree. This peculiar family is supposedly the closest living relative to primates, i.e., humans!

An early morning visit produced a Streaked Ground-Babbler, Yellow-breasted Tailorbird, and great looks at a singing Steere’s Pitta perched in the open. Walking the lush Brahminy and Oriole forest trails lined with numerous Strangler Fig roots, we found Red-breasted Pitta on the ground, and a nice mixed species flock that included Blue Fantail, Brown Tit-Babbler, Philippine Tailorbird, Philippine Leaf-Warbler, Yellow-bellied Whistler and a female Wattled Broadbill. Buzzing Flowerpecker, Philippine and Black-naped Orioles were found along the trail.

A Black-capped Babbler showed well, as did the Philippine Trogon (above), which was seen fanning its tail upwards.

After the wonderful experiences on Bohol, we took a 2-hour ocean jet ferry (above) ride north from Tagbilaran Pier to the next island of Cebu.