Start U.P.

Cynthia and I decided to start our birding year at U.P. Diliman. Start U.P. - that brought to mind a Korean drama that I watched recently (and was actually very popular). So I sort of played around with the idea of my wife and I posing as the lead characters of that drama. So here is Seo Dal Mi and Nam Do San in their 70s.

Now back to birding. On the way to U.P.  we decided to pass by Temple Drive because we've seen a number of birds just a week ago when we passed by this road. True enough, the bare trees hosted some avian visitors. There was a Philippine Pygmy Woodpecker and a Coppersmith Barbet. 

A pair of Black-naped Orioles was a surprise.

Another surprise was a huge flock of Scaly-breasted Munias feeding on the grass right beside the road.

From there we went to the Hardin ng Rosas. By the roadside was a nonchalant Zebra Dove.

At the pond, there were even more Black-winged Stilts than the last time we were here.

Even the Common Moorhens were out and about.

Perched on the electric wires behind us a group of White-breasted Woodswallows were basking in the morning sun. It had been a while since we last saw this species and I was so happy to be able to get good photos of them.

From Hardin our next stop was at Rodic's to enjoy the best tapsilog in town. Happy with a very delicious breakfast, we then proceeded to the front of the MSI building. A Brown Shrike was right in front of the parking lot.

After some waiting we were able to get shots at the pair of Olive-backed Sunbirds.

Next stop was by the Astronomy building for the Long-tailed Shrike. Of course, it was there, as if waiting for us.

What we didn't expect was a very friendly Pied Triller who even flew close to us.

At past ten and with the sweltering heat, we ended our first birding trip of the year. We are hoping that 2021 would be a better year and that this was just the start of something good.