Travel Footprints

Before February ended, Mr. Rono and I decided that we’ll take a break from our training routine for Nepal and join members (and non-members) of the Wild Bird Club of the Philippines on a bird-watching trip. The thought of just sitting back watching birds was appealing to me especially after a nasty fall on my mountain bike while riding the trails of San Mateo, Rizal on Saturday.

Ouch is an understatement!

Besides, my young sister and youngest brother are both avid members of WBCP for more than two years now and have long wanted to bring the family to a bird-watching trip so we gladly obliged on this lazy Sunday.

And off to Candaba, Pampanga we went…

…for some serious birding action!”

That’s me (Mrs. Rono), my brother and my mom with the beautiful Mt. Arayat at the background. The real ‘birders’ – my younger sister and brother – had gone here several times before and they were a bit disappointed that there were fewer birds on this trip than their usual. Personally, it was ok for my first bird-watching experience, we saw common kingfisher, blue-tailed bee-eater, yellow bittern, cattle egret, little egret, purple and grey herons, island-collared doves, red turtle doves, zebra doves and whole lotsa ducks – tufted duck and garganey! Oh, I sound like an expert rattling off bird names like that but I honestly wouldn’t have the slightest idea what they’re called other than, uh, birds, if the WBCP members weren’t there to guide me (so hooray for guided tours!)

Sometimes we see these birds perched on a branch like this common kingfisher -

Or, flying back to their homes after a day-long sumptuous buffet in the swamps of Candaba.

It was amusing how the ‘birders’ get excited when they spot a species and consult each other to identify it correctly. My younger sister even have the ‘Birds of the Philippines’ guidebook as a ready reference to show to us. For Mr. Rono and I, the experience was made more relaxing with the lovely breeze of the countryside and way more enjoyable with a dash of creativity where Mr. Rono imagines he is guarding the perimeter, on the watchout for the silhouette of imaginary enemy soldiers at the horizon. It happens when you’re watching late night re-runs of Band of Brothers.

Mrs. Rono shouts ‘Banzai!’ just to amuse Mr. Rono while he takes his post surveying the land (yes, with his pinky finger up!).

I’d love to do bird-watching on a regular basis but time is always a limiting factor. Well, UNLESS, Mr. Rono can mountain-bike first to where the birds are. That’s a thought to consider at least – MOUNTAIN-BIKING with BIRD-WATCHING!

For one thing, I do have a bragging right of sorts for being the first among our group to spot a white-browed crake idling playfully somewhere near the pond *pat on the back* Peak season for bird-watching is said to be November to February when migratory birds flock this area of Candaba by the hundreds to escape the cold northern hemisphere. And I don’t wonder why –

Candaba really does look like any bird’s tropical paradise!