Costa Rica Day 4

9th January 2022

Many species passed me as I stood in an area for a long period of time next to a stream at Tilaran. The highlight for me was this smart Yellow-throated Vireo that at very close range

The following day I stayed in my digs recovering from jet lag but this morning found me on a bus from Liberia, south towards Talarin. Two hours later, after changing at Canas mid-way, I arrived in the small town mid-morning, checked into Dharma Hostel, and Victor the owner, let me use his bike after I asked if I could hire one anywhere. I had only stepped out onto the road with the bike and on the wires were some 20 Blue and White Swallow and in the air, 3 Grey-breasted Martin. I had no idea where I was goin and cycled off towards the river nearby. It was while passing on the main road that I could hear a lot of different species, including yank warblers, calling and pulled over to see what the crack was. Immediately I could see Tennessee, Chestnut-flanked and Yellow Warbler with a small group of Baltimore Oriole. They were attracted to a small stream and it was obvious that they were coming into drink and bath. There was a lot of activity goin on and decided to stick it out for a while and see what else might come in. The Orioles moved out and two hours later, I had topped up 3 Summer Tanager, 8 Yellow-throated Euphonia, 3 Grove-billed Ani, 2 Yellow and single Chestnut-flanked Warber, Clay-coloured Thrush and a very brief Stripe-throated Hermit. The species that were present all the time in the period that I was there were, 5 Red-legged Honeycreeper,6 Tennessee and 2 Rufus-capped Warbler, 2 Huffman’s Woodpecker and 2 Rufous and White Wren. However, the highlight for me was a superb Yellow-throated Vireo. It was only on view for a good ten minutes but showed very well at close range.

Grey-breasted Martin

Blue and White Swallow were both just outside the digs I was staying at

This female Summer Tanager perched briefly with two male just above the stream

A party of 8 Yellow-throated Euphonia were mostly males

Up to 5 Red-legged Honeycreeper were feeding around the stream

The Rufous and White Wrens were noisy and easy to track down when close by

Up to 6 Tennessee Warbler were always on show and on many occasions I could of easily reached out and touched them from just staying still and waiting patiently for the birds to come to me. The downside was that they spent a lot of time, like most of the birds feeding, in the shade and I had compensate with the camera or wait for them to perch out in the sun when it wasn’t cloudy

I’ve seen a few Yellow-throated Vireos in Costa Rica before but none of them showed as well as this individual

There were few damselfly sp also knocking round and as you can see they just looked like the ones you see in Britian.

This fine looking beast was the only thing that I spoke to as it kept me company.

I didn’t get to the river and decided to have a change in habitat of more open areas. Again I stayed in one spot, after coming across 2 Striped-headed Sparrow and a small mixed flock of Yellow-faced and Blue-black Grassquit on the edge of track looking into long grassy fields with sparse trees and cattle. Yellow Warbler were vocal and just above me there was a cracking male Summer Tanager successfully flycatching. On the opposite side I tried to pish out the warblers and instead was rewarded with a Grey-headed Yellowthroat that almost landed on me! Noisy parrots flying overhead including Orange-chinned and Crimson-fronted. Higher up above them were Yellow-headed Caracara, Turkey and Black Vulture, 2 Broad-winged Hawk and an Osprey flew NE.

I spotted this hummingbird perched distantly in a tree and later when I was back at the hostel, I identified it from photos as a Long-billed Starthroat

A striking looking Stripe-crowned Sparrow

A male Yellow-faced Grassquit in full song

Another species taking advantage of the wired fence was this corking Grey-headed Yellowthroat

Dragonfly sp?

Boris Johnson Flat Redecoration Gets More Corrupt

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Costa Rica Day two

7th January 2022

I observed a few new species today in Parque National Park including this Toby Motmot. A sought after rarity in these parts and only found in this area out of the whole of Costa Rica

Yesterday it felt so good to be back on a big ole jumbo jet after almost two years years of no traveling. I was on a direct flight from Gatwick to Liberia for my third visit to Costa Rica. As the plane had just left Cornwall over the Atlantic, I caught a glimpse of my home as we flew just north of Scilly. At Liberia Airport, the first species to see were 2 Blue and White Swallow hawking near to the buildings and when I arrived at my digs just before dark, I was welcomed by some 60-70 Scissor-tailed Flycatcher coming into roost in a large tree just at the entrance at the hostel I was staying at in the city. The following morning I was up early and at 9.00, I was birding 0n the tarmac path at Parque National Park just NE of Liberia. In the first hour it was dead with a single Grey Hawk out above the open area. It was another 30 minutes when at last I saw somethin and it was a new species. Wood Thrush! In fact there were two feeding with 6 Swainson’s Thrush viewed from the path. I decided to break into the undergrowth and leave the trail. It paid off and birds were all over the shop. I stayed in one spot for nearly two hours and including the thrushes there were also a single Long-billed Gnatwren, 6 Rufus-Crowned Warbler, 6 Spotted Antbird, 2 Rufus Woodcreeper, 2 Blue-crowned Motmot, 2 Yellow-throated Euphonia, 2 White-tipped Dove and 4 Grey-headed Tanager. Another tanager was the uncommon Red-crowned Ant-tanager. A single Golden-crowned Warbler and Lesser Greenlet moved through followed by yank warblers including single Kentucky, Worm-eating and Black and White Warbler a Lesser Greenlet. A Yellow-bellied Flycatcher briefly paused nearby but the best bird was a Tody Motmot. Pretty rare species and I was very lucky to come across it.

If I’ve mis- identified any of the species below, then please let me know so I can correct it

Up to 2 Wood Thrush were feeding with the Swainson’s Thrush

One of the 6 Swainson’s Thrush

There were 2 Rusty Woodcreeper and this individual would flick around at the base of the trees only meters away from me

Worm eating Warbler

Kentucky Warbler The two above species I’ve seen before while in Costa Rica over ten years ago

While Black and White Warbler I’ve seen in a few countries including three back home on Scilly

Lesser Greenlet

Record shot of the Golden-crowned Warbler that flashed through

This Yellow-bellied Flycatcher I only saw very briefly before it disappeared

I could only get this record shot of the Red-crowned Ant-tanager as kept in the dark

The small number of Spotted Antbirds that I came across showed off superbly at very close range

My third Blue-crowned Motmot of the day was low down just off the side of the main path

But the highlight was the much smaller Toby Motmot that popped up on and off in the two hours that I was hanging around

It was early afternoon when I ventured back out onto the main path and a short walk on and I bumped into a party of 5 Great Curassow including a single male. While taking pics of a Spotted Antbird, a Cocoa Woodcreeper showed well briefly before making it’s way up the trunk of the tree it was on. Eventually I made it back to the main entrance where it’s more open with large fields. In the surrounding trees were Baltimore Oriole, including stunning males, vocal Hoffmann’s Woodpecker and in the car park as I was just about to leave, some 20 White-throated Magpie Jay.

Cocoa Woodcreeper briefly showed by the main path

This black male Great Curassow was keeping close to the 4 females it was hanging out with

A group of Baltimore Oriole including up to 3 cracking males including this one

The light was just hanging on when I was joined by some beautiful White-throated Magpie Jays

Parque national Park

UK Importer Explains The New Levels Of Brexit Red Tape!

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2KDISLIKESHARESAVEMaximilien Robespierre

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While new levels of Brexit red tape were predicted by most, the idea that importers would have to use out-date-software was something that most did not foresee. Paolo who imports seeds from Italy and other European countries explained to Byline TV the problems facing his business and some are pretty stupid. Original: https://twitter.com/BylineTV/status/1… Peach http://ehmipeach.defra.gov.uk/?xgovk3… Patreon – http://www.patreon.com/MaxRobespierre Amazon – https://amzn.to/2QoRauj Facebook: – https://www.facebook.com/MaximilienRo… Twitch – https://www.twitch.tv/max_robespierre Merch – https://maximilienrobespierre1.live/m… Twitter – https://twitter.com/MaxFRobespierre Buy Me A Coffee – https://www.buymeacoffee.com/Robespierre

30,367 views Jan 7, 20222KDISLIKESHARESAVEMaximilien Robespierre89.4K subscribersSUBSCRIBEDWhile new levels of Brexit red tape were predicted by most, the idea that importers would have to use out-date-software was something that most did not foresee. Paolo who imports seeds from Italy and other European countries explained to Byline TV the problems facing his business and some are pretty stupid. Original: https://twitter.com/BylineTV/status/1… Peach http://ehmipeach.defra.gov.uk/?xgovk3… Patreon – http://www.patreon.com/MaxRobespierre Amazon – https://amzn.to/2QoRauj Facebook: – https://www.facebook.com/MaximilienRo… Twitch – https://www.twitch.tv/max_robespierre Merch – https://maximilienrobespierre1.live/m… Twitter – https://twitter.com/MaxFRobespierre Buy Me A Coffee – https://www.buymeacoffee.com/Robespierre

Last few days in Salop

2nd January 2022

The 2nd winter Caspian Gull was still present at Trench Pool the following morning, 24th, before disappea

A BEADED TIT was seen briefly on the Shropshire Union Canal near to Breakwater Meadow Marina, Ellesmere, 2nd January. The following morning I was searching for this mega Salop tick but nothin after a good two hours. However, I did get a county tick shortly afterwards on Ellesmere. Well if you can count it as one. An Egyptian Goose was on the south side hanging out with a male Mandarin! After this, I had nothin of note on the other meres and at Woodlane it was dead. Although a fly over Red Kite was a first for me on my old local patch.

This Egyptian Goose was a county tick although I could of got the long staying two birds at Venus Pool if I really wanted to. The only other Egyptian Goose that I’ve ever seen was some 35 years ago at Holkham, Norfolk.

Hanging out with the dodgy goose was this exotic male Mandarin

This Red Kite flew over the east end of Woodlane towards the tip. My only other North Salop kite was also my first one for the county at the time with an individual in September 1991 near Oswestry. Then it was like one or two records a year in the county.

Good numbers of tits moving through including this Long-tailed Tit

A first for me at Trench Pool was this Goldeneye for one day, 27th December. Possibly 0nly the second site record.

And also at Trench Pool the Caspian Gull kept me and the few that twitched it, entertained for a few hours in the morning. A few days ago it was back at Belvide to where it was first sighted on the 14 -15th December

The 2nd winter Yellow-legged Gull however, stuck around Trench Pool all day

EXPOSED: The Media Cartel Controlling Boris Johnson | Peter Jukes

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