Our first visit in 2026 was .. mind blowing! We had SIX new species at the Big Pond and one new species in front of the cottage. We had SEVEN new species in one trip!
At the Big Pond we had
Around 14 Garganeys
3 Eurasian Teals (formerly known as Green-winged Teal)
3 Tufted Ducks
2 Little Grebes
2 Eurasian Wigeons
1 Yellow Bittern
Plus we had our regular 100+ Philippine Ducks, 8 Northern Shovelers, and at least 2 Wandering Whistling Ducks. The Wandering Whistling Ducks were in flight, and may have been in a mixed flock.
Standing by the Big Pond and seeing all those species together was mind boggling. It brought to mind all those birdwatching trips we made to ponds all over the country to see these birds. Our first time to see Garganey was in Candaba, Pampanga. Our first time to see a European Wigeon was all the way in Batanes. Our good views of Eurasian Teal are from Saud, Pagudpud. Now they were in our own pond, mingling with the Philippine Ducks, and behaving just like they did when we saw them in those far off ponds!
In front of the cottage we had
14 Ashy Minivet
These are migrant birds and we don’t see them that frequently. It was a surprise to see a flock of them in front of the cottage!
January 2026 was amazing
The weather was great, we had awesome birds, and we are looking forward to February!
Tonji and Sylvia's Wildlife Refuge 