On August 25th, 2025, a birding trip to Candaba Marsh in Pampanga, Philippines, yielded an impressive 42 species of birds. Led by Irene Dy, the team of two observers spent 3 hours and 45 minutes covering 7 kilometers of the marsh's wetlands.

The marsh hosted a large number of waterbirds, including herons and egrets. The most abundant species was the Little Egret, with an impressive count of 1,500 individuals. The Javan Pond-Heron and Great Egret were also seen in sizable numbers, with 20 and 80 individuals respectively. The Purple Heron was a notable find, with 22 individuals spotted.

Among the waders that visited the marsh were the Pacific Golden-Plover, Little Ringed Plover, and Black-winged Stilt. The Black-winged Stilt was the most abundant species of wader, with an impressive 600 individuals recorded. Wood Sandpiper and Long-toed Stint were also seen in large numbers, with counts of 850 and 800 individuals, respectively. Red-necked Stint and Common Sandpiper made up the remainder of the wader count.

Other notable sightings included the Blue-tailed Bee-eater and Collared Kingfisher, which were found in the marsh's vegetation. The team also spotted several species of herons, including the Cinnamon Bittern and Yellow Bittern, which were seen in the company of the large egrets. The team's observations were limited by an inability to hear the calls of the Barred Rail and the snipe, but their physical presence was a testament to the marsh's richness and biodiversity.