Feathered frenzy

MANILA, Philippines - Years ago, in my previous life, witnessing the sights and sounds of the Philippines – birds included – were all in a day’s work.

During a preview of the Ibon-Ebon Festival in Pampanga, I was treated to a dress rehearsal of a street dancing parade, highlighted by a pair of giant bird replicas. Ibon-Ebon, one of the biggest fiestas in the region, celebrates the Candaba Swamp, the bird sanctuary, where several thousands of our feathered friends are known visit on their winter migration.

It was my introduction to birdwatching, which traces its roots to 18th-century Europe and has been practiced commercially in the Philippines since the 1980s.

Intrigued about Pampanga’s birding potential, we were glad to have been taken to a site in the 32,000-hectare Candaba Swamp for a bit of birdwatching, my first stab at searching the skies and foliage for herons and swamphens and all matter of winged delights.

Our genial host Mayor Jerry Pelayo loaned us the most essential gear – basic yet all-important binoculars – which allowed me to view the subjects perched on tree tops or zooming overhead in greater detail. That is, if I was lucky.

The more experienced birders were immediately able to spot these birds. But, even with their patient guidance – they would point to a branch in a tree where a Perigrine Falcon or Northern Pintail would be located – I simply could not catch these beautiful creatures in my viewfinder.

Only later did I find out that these crafty creatures were doing their utter best to blend with their surroundings. I looked over to my expert companions, all of them just over the moon upon spying one kind of bird after another. They would hurriedly write notes in their journals and then take more photos.

Meanwhile, I kept on looking – and looking.

Serendipity greeted me when I came back to Manila and the headquarters of the then Philippine Convention and Visitors Corporation. The attached marketing agency of the Department of Tourism (DOT) was set to release the first of two planned volumes on birds, Birdwatching in the Philippines, which, for me, was also a chance to learn more about my new discovery. In addition to heritage and culture, cuisine and shopping, snorkeling and diving, the Philippines prides itself as a great destination for nature and adventure.

Birdwatching adds another avenue for exploring the islands. And why shouldn’t it be, when our country is a year-round birding destination with a very large and very diverse winged population?

“There are, in fact, over 600 bird species found all over the archipelago, and almost 200 of these are endemic or found only in the Philippines,” attests Carlos Libosada, writer of Birdwatching in the Philippines.

According to the Wild Bird Club of the Philippines (WBCP), the intrepid group that helps maintain the master list of birds in the country, our 7,107 islands is a hot bed of mega diversity. Aside from the very happy, very familiar, and forever hopping mayas, there are grebes, darters, boobies, bitterns, crakes, coots, curlews, godwits, snipes, noddies, frogmouths, nightjars, needletails, treeswifts, babblers, and old world warblers zipping in and out of our tropical skies.

And these are just a sampling of the swarm. This year, several newly discovered birds were added to the ever growing list.

Soon after, the DOT was invited to the world’s biggest bird fair and convention of serious birders and its supporting industries. Held in the outskirts of London, the event put the spotlight on the pavilion of the Philippines, which was the featured country for that particular season.

We were taken to a marsh within the greater city limits, and I knew I was a bit more prepared, having been initiated in Candaba, read the book about birdwatching to-dos, and spotted a few birds. With some success, I was able to keep up with the other guests.

Back home in the metropolis, I have admittedly become more aware of birds. The uninitiated may proclaim that there are no birds to be found anymore, especially in the hard, grey concrete jungle that continues to grow. But they are here.

Trust me. My aunt Ethel Garcia, who lives in Greenhills in what is probably the very first condominium ever built in the country, showed me the birds that crowd the window sill of her ground-floor unit when she offered them palay.

When I visited the artist Impy Pilipal, who lives in a gated Makati village, she likewise attracted feathery friends with sacks of rice and bird feed.

Similarly, my sister Honey Loop in Cebu maintains fruit trees in her garden. I saw that these were very popular with songbirds. In exchange for food, they gathered among the branches and performed symphonies throughout the day.

In my condominium, I often get winged visitors on the ledge outside my home office window, even though I don’t do anything special like scatter palay or rice or grow fruit trees or flower beds. The birds just drop by and then quickly fly away.

According to the WBCP, the most common birds found in the city include the Eurasian tree sparrow, yellow-vented bulbul, zebra dove, pied fantail, spotted dove, golden-bellied flyeater, and crested myna.

As for the most elusive in the country? Count your lucky stars if you spot the Sulu bleeding-heart, Negros fruit dove, Cebu flowerpecker, or Benguet bush warbler.

More attuned to the world of birds, I now remember the kingfishers of my boyhood, as well. They would flit about in the mangrove right beside our ancestral home in our hacienda in Leyte. I remember their colorful feathers, their musical sounds, and their agile movement, dropping from above to reach their food in the sea. Their sight today brings me wonderful childhood memories.

It’s not difficult to imagine why many people have taken a liking to birding. I like it for several reasons: It’s easy and inexpensive. You can do it in your own backyard. If you want richer pickings, the Philippines is blessed with many birdwatching sites, including very accessible hotspots like Mt. Makiling in Laguna.

These locations, according to Libosada, are, in fact, spread across the country, from the very tip of the archipelago, in Pagudpod in Ilocos Norte, to the ends of the islands, in Pasonanca Natural Park in Zamboanga.

And accessing these birds has become easier as tour operators now include six- to 10-day programs.

For the more serious hobbyists, try this roundup from Libosada: Hundred Islands National Park in Pangasinan lets you observe black-naped terns and little herons while astride a boat. The marshlands and wetlands that make up the Bicol River Estuary in Camarines Sur feature the purple swamphen and Siberian rubythroat.

In Alcoy Forest in Cebu, 91 species of birds, including the highly endangered black shama and Cebu flowerpecker, are found.

Down in Davao, the Philippine Eagle Center is dedicated to the propagation of the Philippine eagle, the majestic bird that swoops through forests in search of monkeys and small deer.

If you wish to explore birdwatching further, there are many groups and resources available. The WBCP and the Gallery of Birds of the Philippines – accessed through their online album, www.facebook.com/philippinebirds – are great places to start.

In this, my smell-the-roses phase of my life, when I have become more tranquil and less impatient, the pace of birdwatching is ideal. Today, I try to make birdwatching a part of my travel itinerary. It soon has become a must-do in every city I visit, every building I go to, every forest trail I take. Aside from enjoying the sights, heritage, arts, culture, cuisine, and whatever else a destination has to offer, I tend to look up and scan the skies for a glimpse of my feathered friends.

I have mellowed through the years, and I hope to embrace this restful experience. Although I don’t think I can be a serious birder, traveling up and down the country or the world in pursuit of these sky creatures, nevertheless I will go my merry way, welcoming the birds that say hello. I am convinced that it is never too late to take up a new hobby, especially one that only requires you to look up.