egrets of Candaba
The wetlands of Candaba in Pampanga is (2nd) home to a variety of migratory birds during the months of November to February (late autumn - winter in the northern hemisphere). The birds are plentiful during those months.
I revisited the bird sanctuary last weekend on a mountain bike (68km one way, whew!). Biking to a wildlife/bird sanctuary seemed like a good "clean and green" statement to start the year :).
The fields around the sanctuary were being prepare for planting. During the rainy season these fields are underwater so they are used as fish ponds. When the planting season comes, they are drained and the fish harvested. The small fishes, frogs and snails make up the smorgasbord for the birds.
the birds are used to human presence
I notice that egrets and terns are particularly numerous, sharing the feeding grounds (terns and egrets are fish feeders).
egrets and terns
I was amused at how a flock of Black-winged Stilts(shore birds) and Whiskered Terns(sea birds) just stood there, at exactly the same spot, for hours. These stilts and terns breed in warmer areas and the abundance of food in Candaba this time of the year makes it a perfect nesting ground. Thanks to Romy Ocon for identifying the birds for me.
stilts (on the water) and terns (on the dike)
According to wikipedia: " The breeding habitat of all these stilts are marshes, shallow lakes and ponds. These birds pick up their food from sand or water. They mainly eat insects and crustaceans."
I spotted several specifies of egrets there - Great Egrets, Lesser Egrets, and Chinese Egrets just to name a few. I'm sure there are other species, I'm not just knowledgeable enough to identify them.
a Great Egret foraging
I love watching the terns do their aerial acrobatics. They twist, turn sharply, or dive abruptly. The gull billed terns do not usually dive for fish, instead they catch insects in mid-flight. That must explain their superb flight agility.
Whiskered terns in flight
The egrets on the other hand are a graceful contrast to the jaunty terns. They glide and land without making much of splash on the water.
graceful in flight
preserving the wetlands
Most of the locals (farmers) are conscious about the preservation of the sanctuary. Some admitted that they used to hunt wild ducks there but now guard the area against hunters and poachers.
The town of Candaba also held its first Ibon-Ebon Festival (Ibon means bird, Ebon means egg) last February 1-2 of 2008 to enhance the public's awareness of the conservation efforts and to promote the wildlife reserve as an eco-tourism destination as well as highlight the town's duck-egg industry.
easier access to Candaba
The road linking the bustling town of Baliuag (in the adjacent province of Bulacan) to Candaba is now being concreted (roads like this are part of the "farm to market road" initiative). This road, impassable during the wet season, runs right near the reserve area. If this road becomes a busy highway, it would certainly have environmental impact on the birds.
nice nice takes bai. lalo na yung lumilipad na terns. bumalik ka pala. sarap nga sana magshoot dyan kaya lang wala akong mas mahabang lente.
ReplyDeleteAng ganda! nakakatuwa at ang dami nila ulit. Season na talaga nila ngayon. And the first shot - Astig!
ReplyDeleteGeesh, you pedalled your way there for 4 hours? That is coolness, and weary you must be is an understatement... Gosh, I could not pedal a kilometer now, seems like i'm gonna cry reaching a kilometer's distance. Oh well, that is a virtue. The sacrifices you make as a photographer, and it's just worth it. last Sunday, Hubby woke me up at 3am in order to reach Gumasa, and catch the sunrise. Drats, it was gloomy there, but we enjoyed the trip anyway.
ReplyDeletegaling allan. as much as im amused with the photos im amazed with how these birds fly from different countries to the Philippines. i also noticed terns at the airport grounds and the sound of the planes arriving doesnt even disturb them. one time makakasama rin ako sa yo magmountain bike.
ReplyDelete@dom - thanks! I think we are very fortunate to have them here, I just hope they will keep coming. sure bro, bike tayo minsan
ReplyDelete@mimi - thanks! hit and miss thing, out of several shots I only "hit" a few :)
Wow...great capture of those migrating birds... went there last year...it is a beautiful region...but I don't have the guts to do this on a bike !
ReplyDeleteI'm glad that there is awareness in conserving wetlands like this. The birds are a sight to behold. Fantastic post.
ReplyDeletewow...i didn't know these beautiful birds existed in pampanga! so much to learn about our islands!
ReplyDeleteawesome shots, as always.
ReplyDeletewhy pedal for 4 hours when coastal road/paranaque is just few minutes away? marami rin dun, nakikita ko sila araw-araw lalo na kapag low tide, parang fiesta! :)
@miss igorota - they are there till Feb if you want to visit them :D
ReplyDelete@zherwin - why pedal for 4 hours? because I can :D. I love biking and I wanted to revisit Candaba, so its 2 birds with 1 stone hehe. I know about the migratory birds near the coastal roads from photos by friends who go there for birding, but I don't like the garbage there ;)
@kyawster - haha, well not really just to take photos, otherwise I could have just taken the public transportation. Partly bike trip na rin :D
ReplyDeleteI salute you for biking your way to Candaba. Well, it's not an easy feat for many of us. Hehe.
ReplyDeleteYour photo of the birds in flight is just beautiful. The photos really made me realize how magnificent our planet is and it's such a shame that we are not taking great care of Mother Earth.
@dyosa - We indeed live in a magnificent planet :). Though it is in a bad shape right now (due to our own doings), people nowadays are becoming aware and receptive to the efforts to save our planet. Hopefully its not too late :).
ReplyDeletere biking - the greatest reward in biking is being able to defeat one's self. Thanks for dropping by!
Wow, been wanting to do this since 4 years ago. Maybe I should na no? hehe! Great shots. I love the flight of the egret, they are indeed graceful. Thanks for sharing. BTW, I'm enjoying your blog :-)
ReplyDelete68 kms. wow.
ReplyDeleteang ganda ng mga birds in flight photos mo. i tried to shoot flying birds in a bird sanctuary in bataan kaso i did not like most of my shots. sana matutuhan ko din yan in due time.
Love the shots of the egrets particularly...
ReplyDeleteWhat a great life you have. Wow ..
ReplyDeleteWonderful shots and info on the birds, they are fascinating.
ReplyDeleteWhat a wealth of birdlife such a rich food source attasts. Great post, great place.
ReplyDeleteThanks Arija, Candaba's rich ecosystem does help in attracting the birds.
ReplyDeleteGlad you enjoyed the photos Gaelyn, right now we are seeing in Candaba a great synergy of using the land and maintaining the ecosystem.
Wow, I've never seen such great photos of egrets and to add you did well on it. Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteWow, you did a magnificent job, of course with a li'l sacrifice on your part. They are just awesome, what an excellent prize for you biking to reach the place. You are also a gifted photographer.
ReplyDeleteWow! I'm lucky if I see one egret at a time. I'd be in egret heaven to see so many at once. :-) Your shots are wonderful!
ReplyDeletewow---u captured it well...perfect timing when that creatures soar---
ReplyDeleteand so very nice---Pampanga is it? Just amazing picture---