Costa Rica Day 25

January 30th 2022

After yesterday’s Uniform Rail, I had no idea that today I would follow up with equally very good views of a White-throated Crake out in the open under the tall mallows this afternoon

For the first time since arriving from La Virgen, this morning was dull and it felt cooler. It turned out to be another productive day with yet again more patch and life ticks. After yesterday’s performance, where most of the new species were ticked off in the north corner to the east where the edge of the primary forest is, I ended up there first thing and wasn’t disappointed. The overcast conditions brought down the Northern and Southern Rough-winged Swallow and with them were up to 13 Grey-breasted Martin and the first new bird of the day, a Lesser Swallow-tailed Swift. The hirundines started alarming and a male Merlin flew from north to south just over the long grass field. This was followed by another raptor in the form of a Short-tailed Hawk. Ten minutes later I had reached the edge of the primary forest and grovelling in the leaf litter were 2 Orange-billed Sparrow. I returned, passing a Great Quan, the way that I came and it was while taking pics of a showy female White-collared Manikin, in a ditch below me, was a Russet-napped Wood Rail. As the ditch crosses the path that I was standing on, I immediately lay down and with my mobile, filmed the rail only a few meters away from me. I got up and started walking away when I heard a lot of commotion behind me. Turned around to see the rail out in the open on the track taking on a snake!! After firing off some shots, I replaced my camera for my mobile and holding the weight of both the camera and lens hanging off my little finger, I pointed the mobile at the rail which was now tossing the reptile into the air and stabbing it. The whole process only lasted less than two minutes before the snake was killed and the rail got it down it’s neck in one!

Adult Short-tailed Hawk

Both the 2 Orange-billed Sparrow showed superbly at the edge of the primary forest

Although it was a patch tick, I took a single shot of this Great Quan and then moved on

Female White-collared Manikin

Russet-napped Wood Rail stabbing and killing a snake! This is the beauty of watching a patch when you experience observations like this.

An hour off for some grub and it was back in the field. In the centre I came across a Cocoa Woodcreeper at the base of a tree while 2 American Redstart were flycatching above. Nothin much else goin on in the area and it was while under the tall mallows at the east side that there was another species of sparrow. 2 Dark-striped Sparrow. It was while trying to observe the birds, that I could see ahead of me, what I thought might be a Wood Thrush. I lifted up my bins and there in the open was a White-throated Crake! Ideal! I returned to the long grass field in th NE corner and while observing the Lineated Woodpecker and 2 Olivacious Piculet, the third raptor of the day, Grey-headed Kite, flew through north. I would of stayed out longer but the moseys were out in force and I retreated back to the hostel.

At last a new species of woodcreeper instead of Streak-headed. Cocoa Woodcreeper

Only the second record of Dark-stiped Sparrow for the patch after the single nearly nearly weeks ago

I hear White-throated Crake all over the shop while walking around and reckon at a guess, maybe 10-15 individuals on the patch. And I’ve only seen one very very briefly. So this was like a new species and to get a pic, even better.

The Lineated Woodpecker was still present in the chocolate plantation for the third day

All three raptors today were patch ticks including this immature Grey-headed Kite.

There were also 2 Tropical Pewee and 2 Olive-green Flycatcher , including the individual above, today

A very close encounter with the elusive Tayra by the river

You normally hear the Basilisk Lizard running for cover in the leaf litter before you see it. Come in three colours. Shocking green, dark and like this individual, pale.

James O’Brien’s reaction to Boris Johnson’s partygate Commons apology | LBC

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SUBSCRIBE This is James O’Brien’s withering take on Boris Johnson’s contemptible Jimmy Savile slur against Keir Starmer. “The scenes in the House of Commons yesterday, have no place in a functioning democracy,” said James O’Brien as he summed up Boris Johnson’s performance when addressing MPs in the wake of the Sue Gray report. James said the way in which the Prime Minister “infects” everyone and everything he comes into contact with has, in the last few weeks has “extended to the Metropolitan Police service and our sovereign Parliament.” “Some of the comments he made yesterday, in response to the best speech, by some distance, of Keir Starmer’s career, are beneath contempt, regardless of your politics.” Yesterday, Boris Johnson attempted to divert attention away from partygate as he addressed MPs by bringing up Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer’s “failure to prosecute” Jimmy Savile, who died in 2011 before reports of his grotesque abuse came to light, before going into politics. #JamesOBrien#BorisJohnson#LBC LBC is the home of live debate around news and current affairs. We let you join the conversation and hold politicians to account. Subscribe for more: https://l-bc.co/subscribe Watch more here: The latest coronavirus videos: https://l-bc.co/Covid19Latest The best of LBC: http://l-bc.co/3gUh1ZH LBC holding politicians to account: http://l-bc.co/3p1v3eC The latest Brexit videos: https://l-bc.co/BrexitLatest The best of Nick Ferrari: https://l-bc.co/NickFerrari The best of James O’Brien: https://l-bc.co/JamesObrien The best of Iain Dale: https://l-bc.co/IainDale Heated debates: http://l-bc.co/3r8nVyS The latest Donald Trump videos: https://l-bc.co/DonaldTrump Join in the conversation and listen at https://www.lbc.co.uk/ Sign up to LBC’s weekly newsletter here: https://l-bc.co/signup Like, follow and subscribe to LBC! Website: https://lbc.co.uk Facebook: https://fb.me/lbc Twitter: https://Twitter.com/lbc Instagram: https://instagram.com/lbc

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