Ambassador Philip Goldberg visits; brahminy kites and sea-eagles with chicks

We've been busy since our return from our annual "Ghost Soldiers" tour a week ago.  We were very honored to be asked to host the newly appointed U.S. Ambassador to the Philippines, Philip S. Goldberg, for his first visit to Corregidor.  It was wonderful to have a more relaxed time together, unlike the busy atmosphere of his quick meeting with members of our Valor Tours group on April 9th at Mt. Samat.

In our most recent newsletter we included two photos of a newly-spotted White-bellied Sea-eagle and its nest.  Since coming home to the island, we have been able to return to the nesting site for pictures of both adults and their two chicks.  Also, we have been keeping tabs - and camera - on a Brahminy Kite nest which is very close to the site used last year by the sea-eagles.

Lunch poolside at the Corregidor Inn with Ambassador Goldberg, arranged by Sun Cruises staff members

Steve, Island Manager Ronilo Benadero, Ambassador Goldberg, and Marcia pose with General MacArthur, photo courtesy of Sylvia Bondoc

Two Brahminy Kite eggs in tree-top nest below hiking trail

Adult kite on nest (closeup below)

Closeup; notice chick in foreground below parent's beak, and egg in shadow of adult's body

Kite parent soaring over nesting area, well below our viewing spot atop the cliff

Two White-bellied Sea-eagle chicks (see closeup below) in nest, about eye-level to our viewing spot from hiking trail

Closeup; the face of the second chick (directly above the word "facing" in lower text) is somewhat hidden by a stick from the nest as well as being camouflaged because of being in front of its sibling's body

Parent 1, the smaller of the two

Parent 2, the larger of the pair

Adult eagle soaring near nesting area

We'll be keeping eyes on both the kite and eagle nests and hope for better luck than last year, when neither eaglet survived to adulthood.

Steve and Marcia on the Rock