One of the best things about the Wild Bird Club of the Philippines is the diversity of its members, their backgrounds and their interests. Sometimes I feel that their colorful characters could  rival that of the 600 or so species in the country! This fledgling issue of our monthly club newsletter, superbly incubated and hatched…

Ixi Mapua writes about why San Roque Dam is a special birding place that she would re-visit in a heartbeat. click on the play button to view the photos as a slideshow photo by Ixi Mapua CLUB TRIP TO SAN ROQUE DAM, PANGASINAN by Ixi Mapua Did you know that the San Roque Dam is…

WBCP Vice-President Alain Pascua discovers new birds in a familiar birding spot THERE’S A PITTA IN LA MESA! by Alain Pascua When my wife Nendith asked me to bring her and our son Gio to school at six in the morning one Thursday, I was hesitant to agree. I knew that it would mean having…

Can you ID this bird? CLUE: This bird was seen at one of the club trips held in August! The answer is at the end of this newsletter.

A hunter is caught in the act by a sharp-eyed and quick acting bird photographer photo by Fred Serrano SNIPES, RAILS, AND POACHERS by Fred Serrano I was at the usual waiting spot in UP Los Baños trying to get closer pictures of a pair of Greater Painted Snipes. They were hesitant to come out…

Bird guide Mark Jason Villa shares his tips for successful birding at Coastal Lagoon photo by Sylvia Ramos COASTAL LAGOON by Mark Jason Villa One of the nearest and easiest sites to go birding in Manila is the Coastal Lagoon. It is just a good 15 minutes on the way south of Manila. It holds…

Think: Birder Slumbook! We are reviving the 80’s slumbook birder-style. Get to know your fellow bird club members Anna Gonzales, Mike Lu, and GIna Mapua  through this monthly feature. We asked our newest set of club officers 7 simple questions about being birdwatchers and about some of their preferences and experiences in the field (so you…

A WBCP member encounters wildlife vendors and reports them to the police photo by James Biron ILLEGAL WILDLIFE VENDORS by James Biron “If not me, then who will?” “If not now, then when?” These were the questions that flashed in my mind when I saw three men selling bundles of birds along the national highway…

A WBCP TEAM SURVEYS MANGROVE AREAS AND ENCOUNTERS UNUSUAL BIRDS Bridled Tern photo by Adri Constantino WBCP TAKES PART IN WORLD BANK PROJECTS by Trinket Canlas A small group of WBCP members recently spent several days in July assessing bird life in various mangrove areas in Southern Luzon as assistance for the World Bank. Coordinated…

Leni Sutcliffe describes what it’s like to go birding in Switzerland Erratic boulder Haute Savoie by Leni Sutcliffe DIPPER, DOLMEN, IBEX, DIOT AND ERRATICS by Leni Sutcliffe “Have you seen the Dipper?” Mike, our soft-spoken guide with an encyclopedic knowledge of everything (so it seemed) asked as he drove us from Geneva, Switzerland along pretty…