Cuckoos on Great Orme

At least two possibly three Cuckoos on the Great Orme this morning - this bird was in the cemetery, while Pete had two more around the limestones. This bird was singing - a rare sound on the Orme :-)Lesser Whitethroat and Tree Pipit too.

Dark mantled lesser black backed gull

Birding on the river Clwyd this morning I came across a dark mantled lesser black-back type gull which was noticeably different as it stood next to our 'normal' graellsii lessers. Apart from the dark mantle the bird showed obvious longer legs and a longer bill than the graellsii. The eye appeared pale. After a bit of research I would put down as an intermedius rather than any cachinnans type but without my camera (packed away after just returning from week in Croatia). I guess it'll remain unsolved - unless it's back tomorrow and get chance to photograph it. Three whimbrel and a lesser whitethroat also around.

Imm. Gulls in May - argghhhhh!

Hundreds of gulls in the fields at Glanwydden thsi evening folliwng a plough and roosting at tech fields. Good mix of Herring gulls and Lesser black backed Gulls with the odd interesting bird thrown in. What do you make of this one? Long winged and Herring Gull sized, dark mantle, dark tertials, very white head and chest, dusky underwing and belly, very contrasting tail band, no pale panel on inner primaries in flight or dark bar along secondaries, very dark thickish bill....

This bird also interesting. Again quite dark mantled, very dark terials and a dark set of greater coverts, white head and dark smudge behind eye, all dark bill, nice shawl...

Yellow legged Gull? Large Lesser black backed? Within the variation of Herring Gull? Comments much appreciated.....

Change of scenery - Spurn day out.

Rob Sandham, Pete Wood, Tony Kingfisher and I set off for Spurn this morning. The idea was to patch the east coast headland - they say a change is as good as a rest. Despite missinga few goodies namely a Golden Oriole and leaving before a Kentish Plover was found, we still had a good day. We arrived at 7.15am and were met by Mr birdingfrontier, Martin Garner. After a brief seawatch, we tried for the Golden Oriole without success. We continued on to Beacon Ponds on foot and were rewarded with great views of Little Terns. Despite a cold northerly wind birds did show with patience - Yellow Wagtails, Corn Buntings, Whinchat and Cuckoo to name a few passerines, while summer plumaged Grey Plovers and Sanderlings were also seen. At the point a dapper male Black Redstart peformed well - an inetresting bird as it's plumage is not one we'd een before. The bird was a 2nd calendar year bird and had gone through full body moult (looking pretty much like and adult male), however it's wings were still sportinga full set of juvenile feathers. At the point a few Spotted Flycatchers, Lesser Whitethroats and phylloscs kept us interested until our departure. Several Roe deer, hares and a Weasel were also good to see. Even though it was quiet by Spurn standards, the air of expectancy was great and company good. Big thanks to Martin for making us welcome.

Iceland Gull reamains on Clwyd

Iceland Gull still present amongst the gulls today just south of the railway bridge on the River Clwyd. Some good numbers of Dunlin (165) and Ringed Plover (106) are looking good for a migrant Curlew Sandpiper or Little Stint over the coming week or so I would think. 3 Gooseanders, 6 Whimbrel, 2 Curlew and 2 Bar-Tailed Godwits were the best of the rest!

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Late Short eared Owl - Great Orme

This morning was pretty bleak and I was about to give up when a super Short eared Owl was flushed from the enclosed grassy field above the cemetery giving some nice fly-bys. It was later seen at the north end. My latest spring Shortie by a few weeks. Lesser Whitethroat and Tree Pipit the only other birds of note.

Carara NP, Pacific coast, Costa Rica

Last one!

Where the Tarcorles River meets the Pacific is Carara NP and the hotel Villa Lapas appears to be the only accommodation of note in the area but the lack of competition reflected the standard of service and food. Despite this many companies use it.  This area does however offers easy access to Carara NP, an area of forest on the Pacific slope and river access to the network of mangroves near the river mouth.   Four metre Crocodiles lay on the banks.  The wind came off the Pacific like heat from a furnace and even the under-storey plants were wilting.  A walk into the park began along the Torrent Walk by the river.  Here a group of Muscovy Duck, Spotted Sandpiper and Northern Waterthrush were on the river.  In the woodland we finally saw Great Tinamou and Black-hooded Antshrike.  There were also quite a few Black and Green Poison Dart Frog Dendrobates auratus on the forest floor and Greater-white-lined Bat in a tree crevice.  Another trail produced Thick-billed Euphonia, Orange-collared Manakin and Baird’s Trogon.

A boat trip on the river produced Crested and Yellow-headed Caracara, Cattle, Snowy and Great Egrets, Little, Great-blue, Tri-coloured, Green and Boat-billed Herons, Least Sandpiper, Hudsonian Whimbrel, Black-bellied Plover, Turnstone, Spotted Sandpiper, White Ibis, Yellow-crowned Night Heron.  Whilst in the mangroves there was American Pygmy Kingfisher, Mangrove Warbler (resident race of yellow warbler), Mangrove Hummingbird, and Panamanian Flycatcher were all good birds.  That night an odd call competing with the cane toads got me out of my chair and shining a torch up into a tree to see a Spectacled Owl looking back down, only my second owl species of the trip!  Alas the following morning was our last and we headed back to San Jose for our flight to Newark and short stop in Manhattan (see report below). 

 Black-hooded Antshrike and wild Muscovy's

 Forest Ghost Bat Diclidirus virgo

 Orange-collared Manakin and Mag Frig below

 Tarcorles Pacific coast

 Yellow-headed Caracara

 Spotted Sandpiper. It was odd that I saw quite a few in Caribbean foothill area but none as far advanced as this one.

 Panamanian Flycatcher and on the river Tarcoles looking north towards Nicoya Peninsular 

 Baird's Trogon!  Guide ID'd as a Slaty-tailed but I'd seen one of those so was hungry for another tick and checked it out.

 Dot-winged Antwren male above, brighter female below

 Yellow-crowned Night Heron juv and Orange-collared Manakins at lek

 Green Kingfisher and odd moth for the 'mothers'

any further info please get in touch robinsandham@hotmail.co.uk