Imagine This

Imagine this: An uncommon black and yellow-orange bird that is so lovely that birders and bird photographers alike dream of seeing one. It is a migrant so chances of it being seen can only happen from October to March.

Imagine that this bird appeared in such unlikely places as near a school library or inside a subdivision.

Imagine a bunch of birders seeing it and bird photographers getting photos of this beauty. Except me and my wife.

For 5 years we never saw it despite several attempts.

So painful was my frustration that I even created a video using Adolf Hitler as my alter ego ranting that the Narcissus Flycatcher was only a figment of imagination. 

Please click the link below to watch the video.

http://ornithographer.blogspot.com/2012/11/figment-of-imagination.html

Imagine how we felt when we learned that another male was recently seen and photographed at a small garden near the Baclaran church!

November 1. All Saints Day. A holiday. Which means very minimal traffic. I can no longer hold my excitement. I told my wife we had to go. Now! We arrived at Baclaran from our home in Quezon City in half an hour. Via EDSA. Imagine that!

Imagine how easy it was to finally see and photograph our dream bird. 

Thanks to dear friends Ruth, who informed me about this, Maia, for encouraging me to go and also to Conrad Olayres for diligently looking for and showing us the male Narcissus. Thanks to new friends Tony Lim and Dan Galvan, and old birding pal, Sean Melendres, for keeping us company.

Imagine Hitler now smiling.