Compiled by Mike Lu
October 2025
October 11, 2025 – World Migratory Bird Day at the Las Piñas-Parañaque Wetland Park
In celebration of World Migratory Bird Day, the Protected Area Management Office of the Las Piñas-Parañaque Wetland Park in partnership with the Wild Bird Club of the Philippines, the Society of the Conservation of Philippine Wetlands, and the Biodiversity Management Bureau invited other NGOs to conduct different activities at the wetland park. On behalf of the WBCP, members conducted guided birdwatching walks and gave talks on the migratory birds in the wetland park. The highlight of the event was the inauguration of the bird hide at Pond 1 sponsored by Megawide Construction.
October 12, 2025 – Club trip in Masungi Garden Cottage in Baras, Rizal
WBCP members were met by a sudden shower as they arrived at the Garden Cottage area of the Masungi Georeserve for a club trip. The rains stopped after half an hour and the eager birders headed for the Silayan events venue where a Luzon Hornbill perched out in the open to preen its wet feathers and flock of hungry Ashy Minivets fed noisily.
After 2 hours, the group re-assembled at the Cottage at the Stone Garden to listen to Masungi personnel speak about the threats of a wind farm being built by Vena Energy within the reserve’s property. The talk was interrupted when a Chinese Goshawk flew into view to consume its prey at a nearby branch. Later on, birders went down to the stream to look for the resident Indigo-banded Kingfisher.
The trip was led by WBCP president Mike Lu and joined by Louise Celestino, Mengji Chen, Robert Cortes, Anthony & Weng Custodio, Jan Denn, Anna Gonzales, Lia Infante, Dan & Josephine Juanillo, Stevie and Sophia Mehta, Andrew & Erika de Pano, Ravie Piansay, Leonard Rizada, Tina & Third Bagro with kids Inigo, Cara and Amia.
October 19-20, 2025 – 27th Taipei Bird Fair at Guandu Nature Park, Taipei City, Taiwan
The Wild Bird Club of the Philippines participated in the 27th Taipei International Bird Fair (TBIF) from October 18-19, 2025 held at the Guandu Nature Park. The theme for 2025 was “The Passing Traveler.” The fair highlights the 500 bird species that pass through Taiwan during the migration season along the East Asian Australasian Flyway. The TBIF is one of the biggest and long-running bird fairs in Asia with more than 70 local and foreign exhibitors. The WBCP has been a annual participant since 2005. This year, the club was represented by Vice President Cristina R. Cinco and her sister Jessica.
October 26, 2025 – Guided trip at the Las Piñas-Parañaque Wetland Park
The October guided trip finally pushed through after it was rescheduled from the previous week due to a typhoon. More than the usual number of participants registered and slots filled up fast. The club organized a special group with a smaller number of participants using only Optisan binoculars and went on the Freedom Island trail including the boardwalk at the mangrove forest. The Optisan group group was led by Mads Bajarias, LuAnn Bajarias, and Rene Calado.
The main group was given a birdwatching basics orientation and watched birds at the Wetland Center before walking to the Long Island Lagoon to see more waterbirds. WBCP volunteers from this group were Mike Lu, Shaw Bongo, Micah Lim, and Jolo Choo.
October 31- November 3, 2025 – 14th Asian Bird Fair, Seosan City, South Korea
The Wild Bird Club of the Philippines, one of the founding organizations of the Asian Bird Fair, participated in the 14th edition of the Asian Bird Fair in Seosan City (Korea) on October 31- November 3, 2025. The Asian Bird Fair is the first continental bird fair in the world and is hosted by a different Asian city each year.
The 14th Asian Bird Fair was participated in by NGOs, optics companies, and tour companies from 18 countries. WBCP delegates led by VP Tinggay Cinco include Anna Gonzales, Ana Alcantara, Karen and Subra Ramakrishnan. WBCP president Mike Lu represented the ABF Executive Committee and WBCP secretary Maia Tañedo was present as the ABF Secretary.
Seosan City Mayor Lee Wan Seop hosted the Welcome Dinner at the ballroom of the Benikea Hotel Seosan. The program commenced with speeches from the City Mayor and ABF representative Victor Yu followed by a video presentation of Seosan City and the ABF venue. Delegates garbed in traditional attire from their countries were then led to partake of a sumptuous dinner buffet. Entertainment came in the form of a group playing traditional Korean instruments set to a modern beat. The program ended with the mayor exchanging gifts with the participating organizations.
The 2-day bird fair was held at the Seosan Birdland situated on a hill surrounded by wheat fields in the city outskirts. The Opening Ceremony started with a quartet of Korean male singers followed by remarks from Seosan City City Mayor Lee Wan Seop and ABF Execom Mike Lu. To officially mark the opening of the bird fair, city officials and ABF Execom members were each given a giant egg on a make-belief nest on stage. The party then hiked a short distance uphill to plant a pine tree to commemorate the event as a K-pop singer took the stage.
The different levels of Seosan Birdland hosted separate activities. On the lower level were folk arts and crafts, the middle level had a museum and an activity where magic shows were held as well as a food park. The top level hosted the tent housing all the booths of the participating NGOs and commercial companies. There was also a conference room where lectures were held such as the presentation of WBCP VP Tinggay Cinco with the title: More Fun and Loving Birdwatching in the Philippines.
During the 2-day bird fair, exhibitors promoted their conservation projects and birdwatching awareness activities as well as sell merchandise from their organizations and from their countries. It was also a chance for the exhibitors to learn and network with each other.
After the Welcome Dinner on the first evening, the succeeding dinners were also a chance for delegates to get to know each other. The second night was the Cultural Dinner where delegates enjoyed Korean barbeque and played the human bingo. The third Night was the Fellowship Dinner where delegates contributed items from their countries for a fund-raising raffle. Both dinners were hosted by Mike Lu and Maia Tanedo.
The last day was allocated for birdwatching and visit to a temple. The Turnover Dinner in the evening was hosted by the Xiamen Birdwatching Society. The program started with the showing of the promotional video, a message from the XBWS president, followed by a raffle and concluded with a song number participated by the ABF delegates.
November 8-14, 2025 – East Asia-Australasia Flyway Meeting of Parties, Shangrila-Mactan, Cebu City
The WBCP was invited by Wetlands International Philippines to contribute photographs of wetland birds for the exhibit during the EAAF Meeting of Parties 12 hosted by Cebu City. Particularly, photos of birds that would help advocate for the designation of Zamboanga Sibugay, Agusan Marsh, and Lake Mainit as Network Sites. A number of WBCP members contributed their photos for the exhibit which was setup in the Wetlands International Philippines booth shared with DENR-BMB.
November 16, 2025 – Guided Trip at La Mesa Ecopark, Quezon City
A guided birdwatching trip was held at the La Mesa Ecopark led by 10 WBCP members, LuAnn Bajarias, Mads Bajarias, Louise Celestino, Robert Cortes, Anthony & Weng Custodio, Iori Espiritu, Yuan Josol, Mike Lu, and Leonard Rizada. More than 30 species were recorded within 2 hours, most notable was a pair of Narcissus Flycatchers (with both male and female seen together.) Other species seen were Philippine Nightjar, Stripe-headed Rhabdornis, Philippine Coucal, and migrants Brown Shrike and Common Sandpiper.
November 23, 2025 – Guided trip at Tagalag Eco Park, Valenzuela
A guided birdwatching trip at the Tagalag Eco Park was held for 20 participants. The expected migratory birds were nowhere to be found, except for the Common Kingfisher. Fortunately, the resident Purple Heron, Eurasian Moorhen, and Black-crowned Night Heron were aplenty. One highlight was a White-breasted Waterhen foraging with 3 chicks still with their black fluffy down feathers. WBCP volunteer guides were Mike Lu, Ravie Piansay, and Leonard Rizada.
December 5, 2025 – Regional Ecotourism Council Ocular Trip at the Arroceros Forest Park, Manila
WBCP President Mike Lu joined members of the Regional Ecotourism Council-NCR for an ocular trip to assess the Arroceros Forest Park in Manila as an ecotourism site to be promoted by the council. The council was accompanied by the City of Manila LGU led by the Department of Tourism, Culture and Arts Manila (DTCAM) and the Parks Development Division.
December 9, 2025 – LPPWP PAMB meeting at the Las Piñas-Parañaque Wetland Park
The 4th quarter meeting LPPWP Protected Area Management Board was attended by President Mike Lu as representative of the WBCP. The meeting agenda included the presentation of CEPA (Communication, Education & Public Awareness) activities in 2025 and proposed activities for 2026, presentation and approval of resolution allowing the PA Supervisor to approve research studies, and the coastal biodiversity assessment report of the LPPWP and the Tanza Marine Tree Park and the presentation of the ERDB Limits of Acceptable Change study of the park.
December 8, 2025 – Guided trip for Living Learning Homeschoolers at the Ninoy Aquino Park, Quezon City
A guided birdwatching activity was held at the Ninoy Aquino Park for students (including their parents) of the Living and Learning Homeschool Manila and Quezon City clusters. The skies were overcast and it drizzled intermittently. The few species that showed up were seen very well by the participants, such as Black-crowned Night Heron, Pacific Swallow, Common Kingfisher, and Little Egret. We searched for the resident pair of Philippine Eagle Owls but failed to find them. The group then proceeded to the hornbill and raptor enclosures where the guides gave a talk about the role of hornbills as seed dispersal agents and raptors as apex predators in the forest ecosystem. WBCP volunteer guides were Irynn Abano, Mike Lu, Juan Mesquida, and Leonard Rizada.
December 17, 2025 – Department of Agriculture – Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) – National Capital region (NCR) Gawad Kabalikat Recognition of Partner Agencies at the Great Eastern Hotel, Quezon City
The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (NCR) gave the Wild Bird Club of Philippines an award acknowledging its contribution in strengthening its support for the endeavors of BFAR (NCR) in the Las Piñas-Parañaque Wetland Park. The Gawad Kabalikat Recognition of Partner Agencies centered on the theme of “Honoring Excellence, Collaboration.” The WBCP was one of the awardees from the private sector. Accepting the recognition in behalf of the WBCP was Vice President Cristina R. Cinco and Secretary Maia Tañedo.
December 28, 2025 – Guided trip at the Las Piñas-Parañaque Wetland Park
Wintering waterbirds such as the Black-winged Stilt, Great Egret, and Common Kingfisher were the highlights during the last guided trip of the year at the Las Piñas-Parañaque Wetland Park. The participants started at the Wetland Center and birded by the roadside and proceeded to the boardwalk at the mangrove forest with a stop at Pond 1 where Black-crown Night Herons dominate. Other waterbirds at Pond 1 were Nankeen Night Heron, Eurasian Moorhen, and Common Kingfisher. WBCP guides who led the activity were Joshua Cerdenia, Mike Lu, and Stevie Mehta.
December 30, 2025 – Guided trip at Tagalag Eco Park, Valenzuela City
The last guided birdwatching trip of the year was held at the Tagalag Eco Park for 30 participants. The first 30 minutes started slow with the resident Black-crowned Night Herons, Eurasian Moorhens, and Purple Herons dominating the landscape. Soon enough more species showed up including Pink-necked Green Pigeon, Barred Rail, Little Grebe, and all 3 resident bitterns – Yellow, Cinnamon and even Black! A small flock of 7 Wandering Whistling Ducks also made a flyby, ending the day with 25 species in 2 hours of birding. WBCP bird guide volunteers were Mike Lu, Micah Lim, and Jolo Choo.
