Costa Rica

My tenth Ornitholidays tour to Costa Rica was especially enjoyable, with a small group and a new itinerary that involved less travelling than my previous ones. We saw 32 hummingbird species, such as this pair of Fiery-throated Hummingbirds up in the mountains. (Click to enlarge). Each one weighs 5.7 grams, a real heavyweight in comparison with the Stripe-throated Hermit (2.6 g). They can consume twice their weight each day - mostly nectar but also insects for extra protein. On the left is a male Violet-crowned Woodnymph. Among all animals, hummingbirds have the largest heart and brain proportionate to their weight. And although they always seem to be buzzing around in hyperactive flight, in fact they only fly 20% of the time.

Elsewhere we searched a stretch of river for the beautiful Sunbittern, and soon found this juvenile feasting on tadpoles. An adult would have similar plumage but a longer bill. Nearby we found one parent, and downstream a riverside nest where the other was incubating a single egg (though two is the normal clutch size). Though superficially heron-like, the Sunbittern is in a family of its own.

 Keeping on the waterbird theme, we came across a colony of Boat-billed Herons, normally strictly nocturnal but here content to sit in the sun, on its nest among the papyrus. Its diet of fish and crustaceans does not differ much from other herons, but it alone uses its bill as a scoop.

 
Tinamous always look to me out of proportion: like a small child's drawing of a bird. This is a Great Tinamou that wandered across the track behind us in Carara National Park. They are more often heard (an eerie whistle) than seen, and only the male has any part in incubating and raising young. 3 to 5 turquoise eggs are laid in a depression on the ground; and a few minutes after hatching the male leads the patterned, downy chicks off into the forest. 

Not far from the tinamou, we watched Blue-crowned and Red-capped Manakins bathing. But in a different part of the same forest, we watched this male Orange-collared Manakin at its lek. In the breeding season, manakins spend up to 90% of the time displaying, with greatest intensity when a drab green female appears. Their snapping sound (like breaking a dry twig) is not a vocalization, but made by the males' wings; they also have a variety of whistles and chirrups. Feeding on large fruits takes little enough of their time, such that they can carry on clubbing. Little surprise that males play no part in the nesting chores.

The Resplendent Quetzal was one bird we all hoped to see. We found this male in the mountains at about 2300m, perched in a favourite avocado tree - which also attracted another male and two females. They are especially ornate members of the trogon family, and nest in holes in dead trees. It is the national bird (and currency) of Guatemala, a nation that has fallen well behind Costa Rica in protecting its forests. Ironically, the national bird of Costa Rica is a humble clay-coloured thrush whose claim to fame is its song, which wakes everyone up much too early in the mornings! 

Many thanks to Herman (manakin) and Chris (tinamou and heron); the other photos are mine. 

Antarctica at Christmas

This was my first Christmas visit to Antarctica. Again, I worked as staff ornithologist for One Ocean Expeditions, this time aboard a Russian ship, Vavilov. During my 36 days on board, we took three groups of passengers from Tierra del Fuego to the frozen continent and back. The third, longest voyage included a visit to Falklands and South Georgia. Previously, I'd been in November (when penguins have eggs) and in February (when the chicks are well grown). Now I had the chance to watch them hatch...

I took this photo on Christmas Day. Most of the Chinstrap Penguins were still incubating, but a few had hatched. Here, a parent (probably the male) gives the new arrival one of its first meals, of regurgitated krill. (Click on the image to enlarge). Once the female has laid her two eggs, she needs to return to sea and put on weight she has lost while egg-laying. So the male takes the first turn at providing food.

In the same Chinstrap colony a pair of Macaroni Penguins comes to nest each year. Normally they live further north, in South Georgia, but a few odd pairs nest in the South Shetlands, just off the Antarctic Peninsula. On the first two voyages, most of our passengers were not keen birders, but most were very happy to see the stranger in the colony. When we returned on the third voyage, after our visit to South Georgia, both partners were onshore. Unfortunately I have not been able to discover if the pair has ever been successful at breeding so far south. 

 The Gentoo Penguins are the new success story along the Antarctic Peninsula. While the Chinstraps and Adelies decline, the Gentoos are increasing and starting new colonies. These changes are closely related to a reduction in winter sea-ice around their breeding grounds. Gentoos are an open-water penguin, while their two relatives need more sea-ice nearby. The water below sea-ice is a vital nursery for young krill, the basis of almost all the Antarctic food-chains. Gentoos lay eggs a week later than Chinstraps: I took this photo of a day-old chick and egg in early January. 

Westpoint Island, in the Western Falkland Islands, is the site of a fascinating mixed colony of Black-browed Albatross and Rockhopper Penguins. In early January, both these very different species have young of a similar age. The albatross only ever lay one egg, but the Rockhoppers lay two. Usually only one of the chicks survive, but this year we saw plenty of healthy-looking twins. The penguins 
gain protection from the longer-necked albatross when predators are flying over (such as Striated Caracaras). The albatross, on the other hand, only just seem to tolerate their flightless neighbours,and arguments between the two are a regular and noisy occurrence.

A visit to one South Georgia's great King Penguin colonies is always a highlight of any voyage. So what's going on here? The paunchy-looking penguins are in fact incubating an egg on their feet. Most will hatch in February. Meanwhile, in the foreground, a juvenile hatched last February is soliciting food from a parent. Already it is considerably heavier than the parent. It will need its extra weight, since it is about to spend two weeks moulting into waterproof plumage, before heading out to sea. Its parents have no way of teaching the young to fish: they must learn by trial and error. The spare fat will soon be used up! 

Fur Seals are in the sea-lion family, not at all related to the true seals. They are abundant in South Georgia, having almost been exterminated two centuries ago for their dense, waterproof fur. Most of the pups are black, but one in a hundred is a blond. The adults occasionally bite human visitors, but they can usually be scared off by clapping hands together as they charge. Now their over-abundance is starting to be a problem: they are starting to collapse the burrows of various nesting petrels such as Antarctic Prions. Before the sealers reduced 
fur-seal numbers, the thousands of great whales around South Georgia would have kept fur-seal numbers in balance (since both are krill-eaters). But now, following sixty years of devastating whaling, fur-seals continue to increase. At least some whales are flourishing now: we saw plenty of Humpback (pictured) and Fin Whales, plus a few Minkes and Orcas. 


In the evenings there was plenty of time to relax in the bar with a song or two. Here Quinn and I are re-creating a song composed in 1916 on Elephant Island. When Shackleton's men were marooned there and eking out a meagre living awaiting rescue, the banjo they had with them helped to keep them cheerful. Passengers helped us with the chorus, "Oh Frankie Wild-o tra-la-la-la-la-la-la!"

And on Christmas Day, Liz, Amanda, Eva and I put our ornithological hats on as we negotiated another hard day at the office. Yes it is work, looking after 80 or 90 passengers, but it's a great privilege, and I can't wait to head back south in November!
 

More Otters in the garden!

In the second half of November we had a succession of Otter sightings on the camera traps by the stream and the pond. Clare has stitched them together into a single video, making them appear more abundant than Rabbits or Grey Squirrels!

I am due to leave tomorrow for another Antarctic season on the good ship Vavilov, returning on 17 January.

Ethiopia part 3

My final Ethiopia blog illustrates a few of the songbirds we came across on the recent Ornitholidays tour. This is a Ruppell's Robin-Chat, a common garden bird in the Highlands. Africa has a large number of robin-chat species, which are mostly shy forest dwellers with fine songs heard especially at dawn and dusk. The name commemorates the German Wilhelm Ruppell, who was busy collecting specimens in East Africa from 1822 to 1833: many species bear his name.

The African Paradise Flycatcher is widespread in sub-Saharan Africa, mostly in light woodland rather than dense forest. The male has a long tail that extends its length from 7 inches to 14. This is a female, which we watched as it caught insects above cattle in an area of recently cleared forest. Some males exhibit an alternative plumage that is pure white, except for black wings and head. There are few more dramatic sights in the bird world than a white male darting through a shady forest with long tail trailing behind. 

The Orange-breasted Bush-shrike is a spectacularly coloured inhabitant of Acacias and other woodland in East, West and South Africa. It is often called Sulphur-breasted. It can sometimes be enticed into view with a simple imitation of its repeated high whistle. Both sexes have the same bright plumage, and share all nesting duties. 

A long journey took us to the south of Ethiopia, and a small area where Stresemann's (or Ethiopian) Bush-crow is common. These sociable crows are most closely related to choughs, and are often found in Acacias close to villages. Research has shown that there is a small climatic bubble limiting their range: they occur only in a basin of 6,000 square kilometres which is (surprisingly) cooler than the surrounding higher areas. The young are unable to survive anywhere else, though adults are more tolerant. With global warming occurring in Ethiopia as in other lands, there is much concern for their future.  

One of the most distinctive Ethiopian endemics is the Thick-billed Raven, a huge crow with a fearsome weapon of a bill. At a carcase, vultures stand aside to let the raven in, since its strong bill can tear hide more efficiently. They are common in the capital Addis Ababa, and can often be seen soaring above the city with kites and Hooded Vultures. It also feeds on small mammals, birds, insects, fish (when catches on the Rift Valley lakes are unloaded), and grain. Not much of a songbird, it utters a variety of throaty rattles and croaks. 

My final choice is one of East Africa's most spectacular birds, the Golden-breasted Starling. Many starling species in East Africa have brilliant plumage, with various shades of iridescent blue or purple that appear differently coloured according to the light. We found them feeding among the huge thorns of the Acacias, and we wondered how they keep their feathers in such great condition in such a spiky habitat. Their diet is insects, caught on or near the ground; and they nest in tree-holes, laying three or four eggs. Male and female are equally brightly coloured, and they share all nesting duties. Thanks again to Howard and Gabor for this group of photos.

Ethiopia part 2

Following the previous post about Ethiopian waterbirds, I've had a look through the photos of the landbirds in my album - there are far too many good ones for a single post! So, here are some non-passerines, with a final post to come later covering the passerines (broadly speaking the songbirds). Here's a Secretarybird that we found stomping around the Awash National Park looking for snakes and lizards. The usual method of overcoming prey is with a sharp stamp on the snake's neck. However, grasshoppers and beetles make up most of their diet. Raptors of the world are classified in five families - hawks (including eagles and vultures), new-world vultures, falcons (including the South American caracaras), and two monotypic (single-species) families: Secretarybird and Osprey. The species is named for the quill-like feathers on its neck, though it could be for the black tights they wear.........

 The Lammergeier is a remarkable vulture whose speciality is feeding on the bone-marrow from the carcases of cattle and goats. To break the bone, it flies up and drops it onto rocks below. Its wing-span reaches 2.5 m, and the diamond-shaped tail is distinctive from a great distance. In Europe it can be found in the Pyrenees, Crete and Russia, and it occurs too in the Himalayas. But in Ethiopia it reaches its highest density, as there are plenty of suitable cliffs for nesting, and stock for food. I prefer its alternative name of Bearded Vulture, since the official name (of German origin) suggests that they prey on lambs and gives them an undeserved reputation.

This Tawny Eagle was being harassed by a pair of Cape Crows - interested in the small rodent prey that the eagle had found. We watched a crow nipping the tail feathers of the eagle. This is the most abundant eagle in Ethiopia, a resident that does not migrate at all. During the northern winter, they are joined by many other similar eagles from Russia and Eastern Europe, such as Steppe, Spotted, Lesser Spotted and Imperial Eagles, which migrate through Turkey, Israel and Egypt. On one day we recorded 20 Tawny Eagles, mostly at a lakeside in Debre Zeit where (above the cultivated cabbages and lettuces) a dozen or more were perched in the trees, calling loudly.

 The Kori Bustard is the world's heaviest flying bird, (with the male weighing up to 19 kilos - almost an international luggage allowance!) Usually found in pairs in East and Southern Africa, they roam the savannah in search of seeds, insects, small birds and mammals and reptiles. Every one of the world's 25 species of bustards is in decline, mainly because their grassland habitats are also in demand for cultivation. Many of the smaller bustards are masters of camouflage, and can be incredibly hard to see if they stand still in long grass. All bustards have an impressive breeding display, (in some smaller species involving remarkable aerobatics). The Kori male is too heavy for such frivolity, but struts about or stands upright, puffing out the neck until it becomes a pure white puffball of downy under-feathers.     

Like the bustards, the coursers are another cryptic family that spend their time on the ground. Strangely, their closest relatives are the pratincoles, which are aerial feeders. This is Heuglin's Courser, a Blackbird-sized species that's hard to spot when it crouches down. The large eye suggests that it is nocturnal and crepuscular - active at dawn and dusk. Some books call it Three-banded Courser. Ethiopia is the northern end of their range, which stretches down to Zimbabwe; but nowhere are they common. 

White-bellied Go-away-bird may not sound like an official name, but it is. It's a member of the turaco family, one which is  confined to sub-Saharan Africa, and called  lourie in South Africa. Most of the family are bright green, shy, forest-dwelling fruit-eaters, but this species lives in Acacia savannah and is common in East Africa. It is especially fond of eating the flowers and fruit-pods of Acacia trees. It is so named for its ga-wah calls.

Owls are a favourite group of birds for most people. Up in the Bale Mountains National Park a ranger took us to see this Abyssinian Owl, a medium sized species very similar to our Long-eared Owl at its usual roost. Strictly nocturnal, this bird spends all daylight hours resting in one spot, unless disturbed. The mossy trunks show the high rainfall of the Bale Mountains: something we experienced ourselves, even as we watched this owl. It is not an Ethiopian endemic, as it occurs also (in very small numbers) on Mount Kenya and the Ruwenzori Mountains in West Uganda. 


I was about to upload a photo of the stunning Northern Carmine Bee-eater, until I remembered that I'd featured it in last year's Gambia blog. So here is a Blue-breasted Bee-eater, one of six species of bee-eaters that we came across on our 13-day safari. This species lives in highland forest and forest-edge in small groups. They nest in banks, often along mountain roads. The green background of many of these photos shows that we travelled at the end of the wet season, which usually ends in September. Many of my previous visits to Ethiopia were in the dry and dusty months at the beginning of the year.

The Red-billed Hornbill has recently been split into five species, a trend variously regarded as annoying (as it plays havoc with previous lists) or exciting (as it often leads to new species seen!) This one is now known as Northern Red-billed Hornbill. It is usually found in Acacia habitats. This individual was one of a pair that watched us (two mornings running) eat our breakfast from the nearest tree to the lodge dining-room. We wondered why they didn't get on with finding their own!

Finally here is a beautiful Red-throated Wryneck, which we watched eating ants with its long tongue flicking in and out with sewing-machine speed. This is a resident of East Africa, while the world's only other wryneck nests in Europe and Northern Asia and winters in Africa. In the woodpecker family, it has two toes pointing forwards and two back, unlike all passerines. The finely spotted and barred plumage aids camouflage. Many thanks again to Gabor, Howard and Roger for the camerawork.
   

 

Ethiopia part 1: waterbirds

I am recently back from my 6th visit to Ethiopia. All of them have been co-leading Ornitholidays groups, starting in 1983. The country has changed a lot since then, with a far larger human population; but the wildlife remains magnificent. Birds are especially approachable and make great subjects for photographers. On many days of our 13-day tour, we were able to see more than 100 species in a day. Here a group of Great White Pelicans rest and preen on the shores of Lake Ziway, one of a chain of large lakes in the Rift Valley. (As always, click on the image to enlarge).

One Rift Valley lake, Abiata, is alkaline, and attracts thousands of Lesser Flamingos. They are joined by industrial quantities of terns, avocets and other waders, many of them migrants from Eastern Europe and Russia. Abiata is in a national park, but villages have sprung up within the park, with crops, herds of cattle and flocks of goats: even a school has been built. I haven't seen encroachment like this in any other African national park. The pressures on wildlife reserves in many parts of the world are intense and ever-increasing.

The Horn of Africa has 30 or more endemics which were of special interest to us. We saw most of them, including the rare Spot-breasted Lapwing. Small flocks occur up in the Bale Mountains, where this photo was taken at 4100 m. On this cold and damp plateau, we watched 30 or so as they frequently vanished into low cloud. As many plovers do, each one would vibrate one foot gently on the ground to bring invertebrates to the surface. On this day, the only place for our picnic lunch was inside the coach (during which we watched an Ethiopian Wolf hunting Giant Mole-rats). 

Rails and crakes are usually shy and hard to observe. However, the endemic Rouget's Rail is common and conspicuous in the Bale Mountains, in similar habitat to the lapwing. A little smaller than a Moorhen, it seems happy to wander about in the open making loud whinnying calls and dueting. Recent declines in the rail's population can be ascribed to grazing pressure, although occasional years of drought will not have helped either. 

It's always great to have a chance to compare two similar and often confused species. Close to Awassa town, we found this Greenshank (on the left) feeding with its smaller relative the Marsh Sandpiper. Both breed in the north (probably these ones came from Russia); they migrate to Africa for the winter. The needle-like bill of the Marsh Sand is always a good clue if you can get close enough - we were amazed at how approachable even the migrants are in Ethiopia. The branch of Orthodox Christianity followed by most of the population has always been protective of wildlife (though perhaps not so protective of wildlife habitats).

Many of Africa's kingfishers are dry country specialists that feed on lizards and insects rather than fish. However, the Pied Kingfisher is strictly a piscivore and spends much time hovering above shallow water, before plunging in vertically. This is a male, with a double black breast-band. The species has a wide range, throughout Africa as well as in the Eastern Mediterranean, and as far east as Hong Kong. It is also the most monochrome of Africa's kingfishers, which are mostly adorned in brilliant plumage, often vivid blues and oranges. 

Maybe the Grosbeak Weaver is not strictly a water bird, but it always builds its nest over water. This is the all-dark male (unlike most weavers which are usually yellow or orange). In some books it is known as Thick-billed Weaver. The female is heavily streaked below. The male has white patches on its wings which are fluttered to attract the attention of the females. Males are responsible for most nest construction, but the females add a grass lining, before undertaking all the incubation and feeding duties single-handed (or perhaps single-beaked). They occur in suitable habitat throughout sub-Saharan Africa. 

Many thanks to my co-leader Gabor Orban, and to Roger Christopher and Howard Gorringe, who took the photos while I was busy with the telescope. My next post will concentrate on a few of Ethiopia's colourful and interesting land-birds.
  


 

A Weekend on the North Norfolk Coast

Clare and I spent last weekend on the North Norfolk Coast, visiting some of the wonderful reserves such as Titchwell, Cley and Snettisham.  Here is a tiny part of the impressive high-tide roost of waders at Snettisham (with plenty of Greylag Geese in the background). In the foreground are thousands of Red Knot (in their grey winter plumage) and hundreds of Black-tailed Godwits. (Click on the photo for a larger image). During this roost, the knot flock was constantly alert, as newcomers continued to land among them. After an hour, the flocks began to leave again, heading out to the mudflats of the Wash. There were also great numbers of Oystercatchers, Common Redshank, Ringed Plover, Dunlin, smaller numbers of Bar-tailed Godwits, Curlew, and a few Turnstone, Spotted Redshank, Avocet and Grey Plover. Add in heaps of Shelduck, various gulls and a few lingering terns....a great experience. 

 We watched Pink-footed Geese grazing on the pastures at Holkham - here are a handful of the thousands that have just arrived from breeding grounds in Greenland and Iceland. Their flight call is a characteristic wink-a-wink, typically uttered by a skein as they fly over in V-formation. At Titchwell, we found Bearded Reedlings in the reed-beds, Spoonbills asleep as usual, and even a Pectoral Sandpiper, a vagrant from Arctic Canada. The new hides offer superb views of a great variety of duck and waders which seem oblivious to waving arms, chattering visitors, and mobile phones ringing. 

I particularly enjoyed visiting Cley for the first time...after almost 50 years of birding in the UK. It's an old stomping ground of Clare's so she was happy to guide me round. Highlights were a Lapland Bunting, just arrived and quietly feeding on weed-seeds on the shingle by the beach, and a Hobby aerobatically chasing dragonflies. There was also a Red-backed Shrike on view. The flocks of Wigeon, Teal and Lapwing were frequently re-arranged by the resident Marsh Harrier. The panorama over the marshes from the Norfolk Wildlife Trust's superb reserve centre is magnificent.

From Morston we took a short boat trip to the tip of Blakeney Point to see the Common and Grey Seals hauled out on the shingle. The Common Seals (known as Harbor Seals in North America) have already had their pups this year, but the Greys give birth in October and November. In this photo most are Common, but the near-right seal is a Grey, with a longer, straighter nose. The Greys are steadily increasing in number. Most notable among the birds of the boat-trip was a large flock of Golden Plover, which wheeled round indecisively for ages before landing in the saltmarsh.

We visited our friend Stephen Clark, photographer and picture-framer, at his superb exhibition in Brancaster Staithe Village Hall. Here's Stephen chatting to Clare. With his wife Deanee, he runs Pebbles Photography, a showcase of his wildlife and landscape work. Our Norfolk days were a great break, but now it's back to the serious stuff...I'm all packed and ready to leave for a two-week safari in Ethiopia, with an Ornitholidays group.