Reflections

Today, October 24, 2021 I turn 75. I'm so blessed to have good health at this age. However, recent incidents made me reflect on my life. Yesterday, my wife and I planned to go birding in Baras and maybe even Infanta - both places quite a distance from our home. After we loaded gas at the Shell Station in Marcos Highway in Marikina, I felt a little dizzy, I don't know why. I told Cynthia that I don't think I'd be able to drive all the way to our destination. "Let's try birding at Greenmeadows and Temple Drive," I told my wife. Somehow I felt a little better after visiting the usual birding spots and seeing a good number of birds. Much better that I even decided that we should continue birding at U.P. Diliman.

As I was processing our photos later that day I noticed a lot of postings in Facebook of birders who twitched on an uncommon winter visitors - the Common Shelduck and Little Gull - in Tanza, Navotas. That species would have been a lifer for me, but the thought of going through horrendous traffic and sloshing some distance through a muddy shore or taking a boat ride, sort of discouraged me. I don't think my aged body could handle that kind of ordeal.

With these in mind, will we still be able to go birding at the usual birding spots - such as Candaba, Mt. Palay-palay, Subic, etc - which unfortunately, are all far from our home? Those which are closer such as LPPCHEA and La Mesa Ecopark don't allow seniors over 65 to get in.Considering all these, our birding activities would most likely be confined to areas close by. I think that is ok for me, after all my wife and I had some wonderful times birding at many places including other countries and had taken some pictures of beautiful birds. I'm happy with that.