Mike Hogan looking slick

Mike and his dream woman taken in Costa Rica. Mike even slept with her every night !!!!!

TRICHOMONOSIS

Goldfinch with Trichomonosis symptoms below garden feeders yesterday. I've removed all feeders, cleansed with bleach solution and scrubbed all ground below with an even stronger bleach solution. It's the first time I've noticed Trichomonosis in garden so I'm wondering if I should stop feeding for a week or two or will this just encourage birds to move to feeders where less/no hygiene regime is practiced. What do you reckon?

A Few More from Costa Rica

Great Curassow

Pale Billed Woodpecker

White Hawk

Elegant Trogon

Crested Caracara

Off the hotel beach

American Crocodile

Boat Billed Heron

Yellow Crowned Night Heron. I've never seen this pose before.

Variegated Squirrel

Purple Gallinule

Cattle Egrets

Quiet walk

When I was waiting for Phil to pick me up from the top of my road on Sunday morning it was a nice surprise to see such a brilliant sunrise.
We did our yearly search for Great Grey Shrike at Garwnant doing a big loop of the forestry but it was dead and all we saw was a single Red Kite and two groups Common Crossbills  (8 in all). We both commented that the speed the trees are growing it will not be suitable for Shrikes for much longer and it's time we should start looking elsewhere. We also checked the path going up to the open moorland and I did a spot  of break dancing and I think Phil was gutted he did not get it on camera  and  it's  still nice to see I have got the moves. I also noticed that the wall which is normally covered in Matchstick Lichen was hardly covered, maybe a sign of too much rain or lack of of light from the forest. Next up we went for a quick look at Rhaslas pond and it was nice to see good section of wildfowl. We saw 28 Wigeon, 8 Tufted Duck, 5 Mallard, 4  female type Goldeneye, 1 drake Goosander, 4 Great Crested Grebe, 4 Cormorants, 25 Canada Geese and about 150 Herring gulls.

Little more Costa Rica

It was great to see some of these Blue Jean or Strawberry Poison Arrow Frogs and we found these Cane Toads in the Hotel Grounds at night.

I would hate to get run over by one off these bad boys or is it girl and these tracks were made by a Leather backed Turtle.

Also at night we were out looking for turtles and we found loads of these crabs on the beach and boy were they fast moving.

 I been trying to find out which Sheild Bug or Stink Bug

 White Throated Magpie Jay.

 This one I wanted to see big time a Boat Billed Heron.

 Green Iguana

Our local legend Mike giving a interview for a Costa Rica Reporter, what a guy and if you look at the floor you can just see the burn marks where me and Mr Hill ran like the wind.

Late Webs

I did my Webs at Tir Founder Fields this morning, it was very quiet bird wise but the best highlight was a young Otter. I watched it feeding for about ten minutes in the rain and was my first for a couple of years.

Costa Rica My First Batch of Photos

Bare Throated Tiger Heron

Roseate Spoonbill

Scarlet Macaw

Jabiru

Yellow Naped Parrot

Brown Pelican

Great Kissadee

Inca Dove

Hoffmann's Woodpecker

White Fronted Parrot

Black Howler Monkey

Double Striped Thick Knee

Costa Rica 2017

Crazy holiday, all inclusive and all in bed before 20:00 hours, though up by 03:00 and on parade by 04:30. Just a few from the trip: Rufous-tailed Jacamar, Snowcap, Black-crested Coquette female and a Laughing Falcon.

Little and Large

Another quick update from Costa Rica. I'll just keep to the wildlife for now, the other stories most of which involve Mr Hogan will no doubt be shared in the future especially the one about the lizard.
The "Little" mentioned in the title refers to a Snowcap which is a gorgeous very small hummingbird (not the colour of Mike's hair). This was not a bird on our radar as we did not expect to be the area it occurs. However on Sunday we visited a reserve which contained a small population. After a long walk in constant rain through marshy ground we were treated to views down to two meters of two males and one female. Also at the same spot we were privleged to get another minute hummer Black Crested Coquette.
The "Large" in the title refers to a Jabiru a huge stork which was a bird high on our wish list. We spent a long time today on a boat, waking miles and driving around getting nowhere locating one. Then late afternoon things starting looking up when Scarlet Macaws were heard. We dived out of the minibus and Mr Bevan had another one of his top wanted birds. Shortly after we spotted a large number of Wood Storks and started scanning them. Then we heard the call we wanted Jabiru flying in and a low flying enormous 1.3 metre bird glided by and landed in amongst the Wood Storks making them look miniscule. Walking to get a closer look we realised there was another standing close by and then another soared past. Three Jabiru and the day felt better straight away.
Other highlights  include a Thickett Tinamou running along the side of a main road, Roseate Spoonbill, Bare Throated Tiger Heron, Boat Billed Heron, Mangrove Cuckoo, Ferruginous Pygmy Owl, Yellow Naped Parrot, Long Tailed Manakin and more Wrens and Orioles that I care to list for now.
Just to finish off people who have birded with Mike knows he often gets bird names wrong so these are his latest offerings.  Yellow Winged Tanager ( Golden Winged Warbler), Shining Honey Badgers (Shining Honeycreepers) and Potholes (Potoos).

Weekend wanderings

A quiet weekend with little of note locally. However, I did manage to get in on this autumns birding event - the Hawfinch invasion, with a single bird flying over Quakers Yard yesterday. A new Merthyr county tick.
A wander round Parc Taf Bargoed this morning produced little. The Canada Geese were up to 28 in number, but they hadn't brought Mike's Red-breasted Goose with them. The resident Muscovy Duck has found a mate and, as a result, stopped hanging out with the single Mute Swan.

Winter Thrushes were notable by their complete absence.

Costa Rica - quick update

Just finished our second day, first with our guide Olivier. Mr Bevan already has an Antpitta (Thickett)    also an Anthrush (Black Faced) in the bag on his full day in the neotropics!!!
Other really good birds include Great Curassow, Crested Guan, Pale Billed Woodpecker, Montezuma Opendola, King Vulture, Black Headed Trogon, Tody Motmot, Rufous Tailed Jacamar, Scissor Tailed Flycatcher, Worm Eating Warbler, White Ruffed Manakin, White Throated Magpie Jay, Golden Winged Warbler and a host of other good birds. Around 143 species so far. More updates to follow.

Small Variety

Downloaded photos off the camera from the last month.

Stonechat

Black Headed Gull

Turnstone

Shag

Quiet Times

With the tide being so high on Sunday we did a quick sea watch at Porthcawl but quickly moved onto Llanelli. Most of the birds were feeding out on the estuary so it was relatively quiet near the hides. Martin started playing with these Lego bricks and little did we know he was very talented at it and put these two together very quickly and said there could be a Rock Thrush on the cards. I bet Mike still dont know if it's a Frog or a Toad.