Lesser Coucals of San Manuel (Pangasinan)

A wide grassland, criss-crossed by dirt roads, located near the San Roque Dam at San Manuel (Pangasinan) has one of the denser population of this species I've seen. 

An irrigation channel from the dam runs in the middle of this unpopulated area, and surrounded at both sides by tall cogon grass. The thick vegetation, abundance of surface water and lack of human inhabitants make the place an ideal habitat for many grassland avi-fauna. Most of the area is accessible by car, hence birding is quite convenient as well.

Here's a couple of captures of this skulker taken this morning during my second visit to the place in as many days.

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Lesser Coucal (Centropus bengalensis, resident)

Habitat - Grassland and open country. 

 Shooting info - San Roque, San Manuel, Pangasinan, Philippines, July 6, 2017, EOS 7D MII + EF 400 f/4 DO II + EF 1.4x TC III,
560 mm, 1/2000 sec, f/6.3, ISO 640, manual exposure in available light, hand held, major crop resized to 800 x 450.

 High-res 1600 x 900 version

Shooting info - San Roque, San Manuel, Pangasinan, Philippines, July 6, 2017, EOS 7D MII + EF 400 f/4 DO II + EF 1.4x TC III,
560 mm, 1/2000 sec, f/6.3, ISO 320, manual exposure in available light, hand held, near full frame resized to 800 x 533.

 High-res 1500 x 1000 version

A quail fight in the middle of a dirt road

Like two wrestlers, these two female quails were locked in combat in the middle of a dirt road when I chanced upon them at the grasslands of San Manuel, Pangasinan.

Light was coming from up front (note the shadow of the bird at left), rendering the subjects severely backlit. Nevertheless, I immediately squatted to lower the shooting angle, and took some insurance shots. I was planning to backtrack and circle around the combatants from a good distance until the sun is behind me. Unfortunately, a motorcycle rider came along the dirt road and the fighters got spooked. I had to make do with the insurance shots I managed to capture earlier.

I did some major exposure surgery during RAW conversion and post processing to mitigate the backlighting. Too bad that such action weren't captured under better light!

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Barred Buttonquail (Turnix suscitator, both female)

Habitat - Drier grassland and scrub, often seen along highways or on dirt roads. 

Shooting info - San Roque, San Manuel, Pangasinan, Philippines, July 6, 2017, EOS 7D MII + EF 400 f/4 DO II + EF 1.4x TC III,
560 mm, 1/1250 sec, f/6.3, ISO 320, manual exposure in available light, hand held, uncropped full frame resized to 800 x 533.

High-res 1500 x 1000 version

And here's the original exposure as captured, before exposure recovery in post process - uncropped full frame resized to 800 x 533. 

One of the combatants is body slammed onto the jagged rocks of the dirt road.

Shooting info - San Roque, San Manuel, Pangasinan, Philippines, July 6, 2017, EOS 7D MII + EF 400 f/4 DO II + EF 1.4x TC III,
560 mm, 1/1250 sec, f/6.3, ISO 320, manual exposure in available light, hand held, near full frame resized to 800 x 533. 

High-res 1500 x 1000 version

When the fighters got tired, they took a breather, staying relatively inactive while locking beaks. Both appeared to be unhurt in the melee - each one flew in a different direction when the motorcycle rider  came barrelling by their combat arena.

Shooting info - San Roque, San Manuel, Pangasinan, Philippines, July 6, 2017, EOS 7D MII + EF 400 f/4 DO II + EF 1.4x TC III,
560 mm, 1/1250 sec, f/6.3, ISO 320, manual exposure in available light, hand held, near full frame resized to 800 x 533.

High-res 1500 x 1000 version