Compiled by Mike Lu
April 2025
April 1, 2025 – Guided trip to Forresta Café, Villar City in Dasmarinas, Cavite
In partnership with the Villar City, the Wild Bird Club of the Philippines (WBCP) conducted the first Birding and Breakfast guided trip at Forresta Café. Twenty-five first-time birders showed up and recorded more than 30 species of grassland bird species. Highlights were 3 Philippine Jungle Crows disturbing a suspected nesting flock of 40+ Oriental Pratincoles, thermalling Chinese Goshawks, and an Osprey. WBCP bird guides were Yani Barcenas, Alan and Myles Holar, Mike Lu, and Edgar Zeta-Yap.
April 6-9, 2025 – DOT Region 1 Birding Caravan around Pangasinan, La Union, Ilocos Sur, and Ilocos Norte
The Department of Tourism (DOT) Region 1 organized a Birding Caravan for birdwatchers, bird photographers, DOT and Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) stakeholders for an ocular and assessment tour of birdwatching sites in the northern Luzon provinces of Pangasinan, La Union, Ilocos Sur, and Ilocos Norte.
The caravan travelled to a number of birding sites representing a variety of ecosystems, from the dry scrublands of Mt. Balungo (Pangasinan) to the highlands of Cervantes (Ilocos Sur), the lush coastal forest of Kalbaryo-Patapag Natural Park (Ilocos Norte) and the mangrove forest of Agoo-Damortis Protected Landscape and Seascape.
The week-long caravan ended at the Northwestern University in a simple ceremony attended by representatives of the DOT, DENR, the Ilocos Norte provincial government and the Northwestern University. Bird photographs taken during the trip were put on display. WBCP members who joined the caravan were Karl James Gavero, Mike Lu, Vinz Pascua, Richard Ruiz, Ivan Sarenas, and Djop Tabaranza.
April 9, 2025 – Guided trip for Homeschool Global at the University of the Philippines – Diliman, Quezon City
The WBCP guided a group from Homeschool Global in the University of the Philippines Diliman Campus in Quezon City. The club guides brought the families around the UP Science Complex and saw a total of 16 species that morning. Everyone had great views of the birds even in the sweltering morning heat and were treated to interesting bird behavior including some Philippine Pygmy Woodpeckers creeping along low branches, a Black-naped Oriole busy building a nest, and two Chinese Sparrowhawks thermalling way up in the sky.
Led by Maia Tanedo, the other members who assisted were Irynn Abano, Mitch Bonsay, Ynah Daliwag-Crudo, Weng Custodio, Jorge de Ramos, Lia Infante, Denise Samson, and Sanne Unson.
April 9-11, 2025 – DENR Regional Consultation Workshop at Royce Hotel, Clark, Pampanga
The Luzon cluster of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources organized the Regional Consultation Workshop for the Formulation of Environment and Natural Resources Framework. This was held on April 09-11, 2025 at the Royce Hotel in the Clark Economic Zone, Pampanga. The workshop was hosted by DENR Region 3 and was participated in by all the five DENR regions in Luzon together with the National Capital Region. The WBCP was invited as the lone Civil Society Organization from the National Capital Region. Attending on behalf of the WBCP was Club Vice President Cristina Cinco. Inputs gathered from the workshop will be used in the framework for the DENR’s national policy up to 2040. Focus centered on the preservation of the ecosystems with the inevitable challenges brought about by climate change.
April 26-28, 2025 – Club trip to Zamboanga City
Last April 26-28, Enrico Legaspi, Jayanti Pandey, and Frances Lee went on the WBCP club trip to Zamboanga and visited numerous sites, including Pasonanca Natural Park, La Paz, and the Zamboanga State College of Marine Sciences and Technology (ZSCMT.) Zamboanga is the home of a number of rare Mindanao endemics, such as the Wattled Broadbill, Pinsker’s Hawk-Eagle, Writhed Hornbill, and Southern Silvery-Kingfisher, along with other difficult-to-find birds like the Glossy Ibis, Jerdon’s Baza, and Black-naped Fruit-Dove. Amazingly, the group was able to spot all of these species in just three days—a rare but very welcome experience in birding!
April 27, 2025 – Guided Trip in the University of the Philippines, Diliman, Quezon City
In partnership with the Diliman Environmental Management Office of the University of the Philippines in celebration of Sustainability Fiesta 2025, the WBCP conducted a bird walk through the campus led by WBCP co-founder Dr. Carmela Espanola. The walk commenced from the College of Science Library. Campus resident birds seen were the Black-naped Oriole, Long-tailed Shrike, and Colasisi/Philippine Hanging Parrot among others while late migrant species include the Brown Shrike and the Grey-streaked Flycatcher. The walk concluded at the Sunken Garden where talks on food & transport sustainability were held. There were also booths selling organic food and environment-friendly products, used clothing, books, and others items.
April 27, 2025 – Club trip with visiting birder David McLachlan-Karr in Mt. Makiling, Los Baños, Laguna
The WBCP assisted visiting birder Mr. David Mclachlan-Karr on his birding trip to Mt. Makiling in Los Baños, Laguna. With the help of local birders, David was able to spot lifers such as the Indigo-banded Kingfisher, Brown-breasted Kingfisher, Grey-backed Tailorbird, and Yellow-wattled Bulbul. WBCP members JC Gonzales, Ian Cary Prado, Nancy Dimayacyac, Carmel Eje, and local Makiling birders warmly welcomed and guided him during his visit.
MAY 2025
May 1, 2025 – Guided trip at Forresta Café in Dasmariñas, Cavite
In partnership with Villar City, the WBCP conducted the 2nd Birding & Breakfast at the Forresta Café in Dasmariñas (Cavite.) Twenty participants joined the 2-hour birding from the view deck of the café which overlooks the grasslands. Notable sightings were the appearance of 2 Java Sparrows mingling with of a flock of Scaly-breasted Munias, a nesting colony of Oriental Pratincoles, Blue-tailed Bee-eaters digging what seem to be a nesting hole, and a flyby of 3 Philippines Ducks. Participants also saw the resident White-breasted Woodswallow, Striated Grassbird, and Spotted Dove.
May 12, 2025 – Ocular Trip at Orchard Golf & Country Club in Dasmarinas, Cavite
WBCP members Mike Lu, Myles and Allan Holar were invited for a short ocular tour. Despite the heavy downpour an hour earlier, the group recorded 32 species within 1-1/2 hours. The resident Philippine Ducks were nowhere in sight although they were seen a day earlier. Mike also brought bird-friendly seedlings of native trees such as malabulak and cupang.
May 22, 2025 – Radio Interview on International Day for Biological Diversity “Kuwentuhang Green Mindset” on Radyo Magasin 1278 AM
The Wild Bird Club of the Philippines was featured in “Green Mindset Story” last May 22,2025 for Radyo Magasin – 1278 AM under the Presidential Broadcast Service-Bureau of Broadcast Services. Program host for “Green Mindset” was radio announcer and producer Manuel Francisco. WBCP Vice President Cristina Cinco provided a phone patch interview on behalf of the WBCP covering the club’s nature advocacies, guided bird watching trips including sharing personal experiences during these activities.
May 25, 2025 – Guided trip at La Mesa Ecopark in Quezon City
The WBCP, in partnership with the La Mesa Ecopark, conducted another guided trip at the park for close to 30 participants. The highlight species on this trip were two Philippine endemics, the well-camouflaged Philippine Frogmouth and a family of White-eared Brown Doves seen well by all the participants. Some participants also saw Osprey, Hooded Pitta, and Spotted Wood Kingfisher. More joint trips are planned in this Metro Manila oasis where forest birds can be seen.
