Bird-watching at Sumilon Island

While I shared that I was disappointed at not seeing any birds during our trek of the island as I only heard bird calls, I was happy to later find out otherwise.  

The first birds I saw were small and black and very noisy.  I am not sure what they're called though.

Then I found this pigeon, which was the most difficult to photograph among them as it would walk away fast at the tiniest detection of movement.  I chased it for maybe 10 minutes and took about a dozen photographs before getting an acceptable, not blurry one.

Then there's this shot I took while I was having a massage.  Yup, I took this while I was lying face down and having my back kneaded.

I actually have a favorite shot of a bird among a colorful sea of flowers  but I will cover that in my next post.

Yellow Flowers Galore at Sumilon Island

While I was organizing my Sumilon Island photos, I could not help but notice that the only three flora photos I got bore the color yellow.

First off is this photo.

I just googled "Yellow Vine Flower" and got lucky with the results as it identified the flower above to be Allamanda, also known as Yellow Bell, Golden Trumpet or Buttercup Flower.

Next is this photo I got of a calachuchi, also known as Plumeria or Frangipani.

Last is this photo of a cluster of yellow flowers.

I tried searching its name but failed.  But this is a very common flower in the Philippines as I see it in many houses, especially in provinces.  I even remember that our neighbor has this and when I was a child, I would make a crown out of these flowers.

Strolling Along Sumilon Island

After our rather disappointing lunch, we rested a bit.  My friends then decided on kayaking, which is also included in the day tour package, while I opted to book for a massage at 3 PM and just roam the island to take pictures.

I started at the pavilion where I took photos of their sungka (a Philippine mancala game) and the cute wooden chairs carved like animals.

Going down the beach, I spotted this hammock where I laid down to enjoy the breeze.

I was also able to take a photo of my friends having fun kayaking.

Noticing how colorful the roots of mangrove trees were, I zoomed in for a closer shot.

And here are some of the scenic shots I took.

Doesn't the clear and vivid blue-green water look so inviting?