THREE months was all it took for me to photograph more than 30 different kinds of birds within the Shrine Hills area alone. By Shrine Hills, I am referring to the expanse bounded by Maa Road, Diversion Road and Macarthur Highway.
Dabawenyos are familiar with birding areas here in this location - like the ponds near Davao Memorial Park and at Gardena Fresca inside Coca Cola Village at the eastern tip; the big trees inside the Shrine Hills Church compound at the ridge; and, Gap Farms at the western end.
Not too many are aware however that within the area are so many artesian springs. Water + Trees = lots of birds.
And, we are not just talking of the cute-sized birds like flowerpeckers, flycatchers, bee eaters and sparrows. Thick-billed crows, herons, waterhens, doves and the endemic (found only in the Philippines) Philippine Coucal - all are medium to fairly large-sized birds that made Shrine Hills part of their home.
The bigger thing is, this is but one of the so many number of great birding sites within an hour’s drive from the city center. Other sites that people all over spend so much money just to go to are Bucana, Crocodile Park, Punta Dumalag, Eden as well as other nearby areas like the Panabo coastal road to the north and the Sirawan river mouth at Darong.
I had zero knowledge on birds and birding 3 months back. Everything started when I noticed during my early morning walks that there are so many different kinds of birds perched on the electric wires.
So, I just armed myself with a camera one day and clicked on as many as I could without regard for composition, picture sharpness or what not and simply posted them at my FB page, hoping that someone among my friends know the difference between a shrike and a starling. A friend referred me to a friend who referred me to the bird experts. Talk about how fb can connect anyone to everyone - now I’m hooked into birding!
The whole adventure is vastly rewarding. I discovered some people I know from way back are certified bird gurus and I am having a grand time reconnecting while learning. On a personal note, birding surely has a lot to do with the way my blood pressure level went down. The calming effect of how one learns to sit patiently for that picture opportunity is the perfect prescription to those who lead stressful lives.
Birding also provides people a refreshing mind set. In the words of pro-birder Nilo Arribas, jr. author of the nationally awarded book: Birds of Cebu and Bohol, Philippines - “(birding teaches us) that as individuals... we are not really in ‘control’ and that applies to even the most basic like natural lighting on a tiny bird.”
Want to try birding? Check out the fb accounts of the Wild Bird Club of the Philippines and the Philippine Bird Photography forum – FB group.
They are a friendly lot who are more than willing to help newbies through. Martin Y. Pineda