Sunday, May 11, 2014

VILLAVERDE - Have You Heard About the Birds?




Anissa Sandra S. Villaverde
2012-13960



Have You Heard About the Birds? 

I have been a student of the university for over two years now and it was only a few days ago that I found out about the diverse bird wildlife hidden within its green regions.  I was glad to have attended class that day because I never would have known how much I was missing out.
Dr. Vallejo Benjamin Jr. introduced us to the fascinating world of birding or bird watching. He tells us that there are about 56 species of birds within the campus and at first I found that hard to believe; in all my college life, I have only seen the bird called the Maya. Never would I have known of the other majestic creatures fluttering about in the trees if he had not shown us all the pictures.  He also taught us the proper way to observe birds and how to behave around them, which we then applied in our group activity for that day.
We were tasked to walk around the science complex, list down all the birds that we see, and to take a picture of them if we could. Our group headed for the tree-filled area near the Math Building.  It took a while before we actually spotted a bird, and I assumed this was because class was making a lot of noise. I only caught glimpses of the first birds our group found since they were either perched at the highest parts of the trees or they would fly off immediately. I was almost ready to give up until we spotted what a lone long-tailed shrike perched on a tree near the entrance of the CS Library. It was only then that I was able to feel the fulfilment in birding. It was a delightful and refreshing experience and I could only wish I had brought my camera.
Seeing the beauty of nature with your own eyes makes you truly appreciate it. However, appreciation is not enough; it is also our responsibility to preserve this beauty. The number of birds within the campus has been decreasing due to man-made disturbances, as mentioned by the speaker. Fortunately, several groups have taken the initiative to address the depletion of bird species within the campus, however, we, as a part of the University, are also called to participate and support these advocacies.

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