In previous years we would avoid going to the refuge in May because it was so unbearably hot. This year however we had a lot of rain. Not just light summer showers but solid rain with thunder and lightning!
Ollie enjoys playing in the rain
Ollie playing with his soft frisbee. It’s easy to throw and easy for him to catch!
When the sun came out again, Ollie surprised me by going into the pool by himself! This was the first time he did this.
Our interesting birds this month were:
Plain Bush Hen – it was hanging around while Tonji was flattening the path beside the water lily pond
Rhabdornis – it was perched on the tall (non-native) tree near the camping area. We don’t see them that often.
Red Junglefowl – we finally photographed one at the refuge! Unfortunately it was with our iPhones. But still!
Can you spot the female Red Junglefowl on the left side of the path???
Philippine Nightjar – I forgot to write that in March we saw Philippine Nightjars flying around the pool and taking sips of water!
We are back at the farm! The Covid-19 quarantine kept us away for more than three months. It felt so good to be back! The farm never fails to surprise us with new things.
Tonji was walking around when he smelt a beautiful fragrance. It was coming from this tree! This is Flueggea virosa. It is a shrub or small tree that will eventually have white waxy fruits! It is known in other countries as a medicinal plant. According to this website , extracts from the bark are lethal to mice. Our caretakers call this small tree Suliak Daga. Not sure if that means lethal to mice.
What is that wonderful scent?
Flueggea virosa or Suliak-daga
It’s hard to imagine that back in September 2019 this shrub looked very pitiful and was full of hard brown galls. What a pleasant surprise to see it bounce back from its previous gall-ridden state!
This is what it looked like in September 2019. Galls are caused by insects or a virus.
One of the first things I did when I got to the farm was check the seedlings in the nursery. I was very pleasantly surprised to see so many of them were ready to be planted outside.
In June 2019 I planted 18 Taluto seeds that I got from Cel Tungol. I even sketched them. The Taluto seeds were tiny.
It was just a seed in June 2019
One year later in June 2020 we planted 16 Taluto that were almost as tall as me!
June 2020
This is a low weedy plant growing by the path to the cottage. Even this little plant has a surprise! From the top it is all stiff angles and thorns.
But when you lift it up it has dainty white flowers growing on the underside! This plant is called Canthium pedunculare.
Our trip to the farm coincided with Momo’s birthday. Momo turned 11! Happy birthday Momo!
It was so good to be back, walk around, and discover the surprises that await us.
We should take wandering outdoor walks, so that the mind might be nourished and refreshed by the open air and deep breathing.
How do you observe wildlife without disturbing them? With a trail camera! A trail camera is motion-activated camera that takes videos or stills. It’s also known as a camera trap. It runs on rechargeable batteries, has a waterproof housing, and can be left outdoors. A crittercam is something else, it’s a camera that you attach to an animal so you can see things like what it looks like to swim underwater like a whale. A trail camera is positioned in one spot, usually an area where animals are known to congregate. Then the camera takes photos or videos of whatever wildlife is in the field of view of the camera. Continue reading “Trail Camera Test”
I was out for a nice morning stroll with Momo and Barkley when to my horror I noticed flowers on the hagonoy! Aaaarrrgghhh! The hagonoy is in bloom! Continue reading “Fear! Panic!”
Tonji and Sylvia's Wildlife Refuge 