The joys and value of ring reading

One thing all birders with decent optics (though often, not even they are needed!) can do to contribute to the ever growing science of bird movements, is read and report ringed birds. Dull days in the field can be brightened up by attempting to read the Darvic ring of a gull in a flock, the wing tags on a raptor or colour-ring combinations on waders or passerines such as Twite. 
Once noted, along with date, general time and location, these sequences can be submitted to the relevant ringing bodies through websites such as Euring or C-R birding, not only giving vital information to the research organisations but also allowing you a view into the bird's life history. 
Some stories of young birders reading rings/marks are below:

Ben Porter - Spoonbill in Portugal

In Oct/Nov 2014 I did a stint of volunteering at a conservation centre (A Rocha) on the southern coast of Portugal. Whilst birding the estuaries and coastal marshes, I was always on the look-out for colour-ringed birds, especially Spoonbills. 

Many of the overwintering Spoonbills on the coast were wearing colour-rings, and many were recognisable as being from the Dutch scheme, with a Yellow flag on the tibia characteristic of that particular programme. However, whilst birding around Ludo (Ria Formosa) with a member of A Rocha staff, we picked up on a Spoonbill with colour rings from a different country: on the right tibia were the rings Yellow/Red/Orange, and on the left tibia was a single metal ring. After returning to the centre, I used the excellent European Colour-ringing website, C-R birding, to narrow down on which scheme this individual had originated from, and soon I found out that it was a French one. 

Within an hour or two of emailing in the sighting, I had a reply, and what a reply! Not only was that particular bird as old as me (ringed in Besne, France, in 1996), but sightings had ranged from Spain to Mauritania! The details are listed below:

ringed as nestling at Besné (Loire Atlantique, France) on 13/6/1996
seen on 29/8/1996 at Veta La Palma (Huelva, Spain)
seen on 28/1 and 3/2/1999 at Ile Arel (Banc d'Arguin, Mauritania)
seen on 11/7/2000 at Cabane de Moins (near Rochefort, Charente maritime, France)
seen on 7/8/2000 at Saint Denis du Payré (Vendée, France)
seen on 10/4/2001 in the colony of Lac de Grand-Lieu (Loire Atlantique, France)
last seen on 14/3/2006 at Veta La Palma (Huelva, Spain).

Jonnie Fisk - Greylag Goose in York

On 21st Oct 2012 I was enjoying a Greggs sausage roll (other bakery chains are available) by King's Staith when I saw one of the loitering Greylags had a white Darvic ring with 1 black number and 2 black letters. Filling out a Euring Web recovery form, I waited a few days until I got an email containing this bird's less-than-exhilarating life history - ringed as a 1st-year male in York on 15/02/04 (making him a little over 8 years old) he had hardly ventured out of the city - why would you with schmucks like me feeding you sausage rolls? - and in fact had not moved more than 2km from his last report. All data though!

James O'Neill - Whooper Swan & Brents in Northern Ireland

Northern Ireland can be a rewarding location to read rings, especially those of the abundant wildfowl which grace our loughs and shughs. While I haven’t gone hardcore, commiting time simply to read rings, I do come across colour ringed birds at times, especially Whooper Swans and Brent Geese. Only last weekend (17th January), while scanning a flock of whoopers on the shore of Lough Neagh, I noticed one with a yellow colour ring; though it wasn’t far away, it took a while to read as the leg was usually kept buried in the grass, not helped by the local hunter pulling up to ask had I seen any geese as he wanted a couple for dinner. I eventually got the code, and when I got the history of the bird back after reporting it, I was fascinated to learn that it:
a.) hadn’t been seen since 2008
b.) was ringed as an adult at Skagafjordur, Iceland in 1999
c.) wintered regularly in the same location as I had seen her and had been seen at Skagafjordur in subsequent summers.
Similarly, I have reported several ringed Brent Geese, seen from several places around the County Down coast. Probably the most interesting Brent was AXWW, which I spotted at Dundrum on 24th February 2014. It had been ringed, at the age of 3, in Nov 2005 in Strangford Lough, along with its siblings. It stayed with its siblings in Dundrum bay until spring 2006. In the years since then it has been seen at Snaefellsness, Iceland and at several points around the coast of Northern Ireland. My latest sighting of this bird was the 10th January during a birdrace, at Tyrella beach, along the coast from Dundrum.


James Common - Whooper Swan in Iceland

A highlight of a recent trip to Iceland in January 2015 was the inner city Whoopers! Behaving more like Mutes than the timid migrants I am used to these birds were more than happy to take food from the hand, allowing for supreme close up viewing of what has to be one of my all-time favourite birds. Anyways, things got even better when one of the lumbering white giants lifted from the water revealing a easily read ring. A little chin wag with Kane Brides and the origin of the bird were revealed with rather surprising results. Turns out the swan,was ringed at WWT Caelaverock, Scotland during March 2014. By Kane himself! Quite a surprising find, though the reasons for it forsaking its migration to the UK for the winter (as it did for the of winter 2013/14) remain unclear.

Ben Porter - Dunlin in Portugal

On the 31st of October, I was scanning through a roosting flock of Ringed Plovers, Kentish Plovers, Dunlins and Sanderlings, when I happened upon a Dunlin wearing some bright bling on its legs. I took a few images, and tried to get the combination by eye, but the distance meant this wasn't possible. Downloading the pictures on my laptop later that day enabled me to get the full combo, from which I could then work out which scheme the bird had originated from. After retrieving the ringing scheme contacts on C-R birding, I emailed the guys in charge, and within an hour had a reply. The details? This particular Dunlin had been ringed on the 13th of September 2014, in North-western Spain, some 600 kilometres away. Cool.

Alex Penn - Black-headed Gull in Yorksire

I read a Black-headed Gull ring within a flock at Wetherby in January 2015, and discovered the bird was ringed as a chick in a park in Moss, Norway in 2011! It had been reported a few times within 50km of its ringing site since, but this is the first time its been sighted in UK, or anywhere out of Norway in fact - a movement of about 950km!

Will Jones - African Oystercatcher in Suth Africa
On the 10th of January 2012 I noticed an African Oystercatcher pair near some coastal rock-pools at De Hoop, South Africa while on a field course with the University of Exeter, one of which was colour ringed. The jet black African Oystercatchers are a strictly coastal species restricted to the shores of Namibia and South Africa and although the species appears to be bucking trend compared to other Cape maritime species and is increasing, they are still classed as Near Threatened, as a result any ringing and retrap data is vital to help understand these increases. When I returned to the UK I submitted the data to SAFRING and promptly got a surprising reply. My bird was ringed as a pullus on the 24th of December 2001 at St. Francis Bay, Eastern Cape. This not only made the bird over 10 years old, but it had also moved over 400km. Further to this however, the bird was also resighted at Cape Recife on the 3rd of September 2009, some 80km EAST of the ringing location. While this is data from just one bird, it does suggest that this supposedly resident species can and does undergo large movements, yet another reason to ensure that there is a good and linked series of protected areas in this threatened zone of high diversity and endemism.

Liz Clipson - Chough in Wales
Below is the report I had of a male colour ringed Chough on 03/05/2014 at RSPB South Stack. He and his female partner are half siblings (same mother, but different fathers, and from different years, so they’ll be unaware that they're related) nesting in a cave called "The Mousetrap" & both ringed at the same Rhoscolyn nest-site (that’s about 10 km to the south of South Stack). He's a 2004 bird and his mate is 5 years older - 1999.
He was one of an unprecedented exodus of about 10 youngsters to the Isle of Man in 2004. Two of these (male siblings from the same brood, including 'our male') returned to Anglesey in summer 2006, with this one pairing with the recently widowed "Mrs Mousetrap" in summer 2006, nesting from the following spring - 2007. (His brood-sibling brother that returned with him, also became an Anglesey breeding bird, nesting at a different Rhoscolyn nest site, from 2009 to 2013, but not in 2014 - almost certainly dead.)
When I saw him in May, his mate would have been on eggs at the time and he would have been gathering food to take back to her. They raised and almost fledged 4 young in the 2014 nesting season – they have an unfortunately sited nest, deep in a sea cave, where their young frequently fail to leave the cave on their first flight without getting swamped by the waves. Occasionally they manage to get one of their brood out successfully, but usually it’s a complete failure – as it was last season. We wouldn’t know how close they come to fledging 4 chicks a year without the fact that there is a nest camera in the cave!

Cathal Forkhan - Little Stint in Ireland

On the 12th of September 2014, I went down to my local patch, Barna Pier in Galway in the evening after school. I was walking along the seawall when I spotted a smaller wader with the usual flock of Dunlin. It was a juvenile Little Stint, and my first ever, as they are rare enough over here. I snuck up on it and noticed it was colour ringed. The light was fading but I managed to get a few record shots,and more importantly was able to read the rings, a combination of red, metal and letter-engraved yellow rings. After this it stayed around for about a week and was seen in a few other areas on the coast of Galway Bay by different observers. I sent notice by email to the ringing project and got back the following information: it was caught in a walk-in-trap and ringed in Klepp, Rogaland, Norway on 31st Aug 2014, having hatched that year.  

Ben Porter - Ringed Plover in Portugal

A couple of weeks later, I was birding the opposite side of the marsh, when I picked out a Ringed Plover amongst a flock of mixed Kentish and Ringed Plovers, which was wearing a flag and colour-ring on the tibia. It was quite tricky to get close enough to see the rings, and it was even harder to pick out the three small letters on the flag. But, again, my camera came to the rescue, and I was able to obtain some record shots, which enabled to me to get the info I needed: Yellow flag above the tibia on the right leg, with ‘NLX’ inscribed upon it. That evening I once again trawled through various schemes on the C-R birding website, until I found the one that fitted. A short email and two hours later, I was looking at a superb control sheet, outlining this wee hiaticula’s journey over the past few months. Initially ringed as a juvenile in North-west Norway (Makkevika) on the 27th of August 2014, this particular bird had then been seen again by some birders on the Merseyside, England, two weeks later. And now, after covering almost 3000km in just over two months, it was feeding alongside Black-winged Stilts and Greater Flamingos on an Estuary in Portugal.

Oliver Reville - Osprey in The Gambia

Between 10th-17th November 2014 I was lucky enough to visit The Gambia with my girlfriend AJ. Early afternoon on the 13th November I was walking around the Kartong wetlands areas, managed and monitored by Colin Cross of the Kartong bird observatory. On the way back, after getting fantastic views of White-Throated Bee-Eater, we noticed 8 Osprey in fairly close proximity to us. One of the birds was ringed with a black DARVIC with white letters/numbers on its left leg and I decided to get a few photos of it so Colin could have the information obtained from the ring markings. It turns out it was ringed on 30/06/14 near the town of Robel, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, North East Germany as part of a clutch of 3 chicks! It was fascinating to find information out about this young Osprey, which less than 6 months before I spotted it in the Gambia was sat in a nest in North-Eastern Germany, a distance of at least 5,176km!

Ben Porter - Starling on Bardsey Island

After returning to Bardsey in November 2014, I started ringing some Starlings on one of the island’s beaches, using a portable Heligoland trap. I was taking pictures of some Starlings one day, when I noticed one with a ring on its left leg (most birds in the UK are ringed on their right leg). This immediately got my attention- at the very least it wasn't going to be one of ‘mine’. Thankfully it came close enough to take some pictures of the ring, but unfortunately it never found its way into the Heligoland trap. I managed to obtain almost the entire ring sequence just from pictures, but written in small text on the top of the ring was the capital STAVANGER- it was a Norwegian Starling! Hopefully I have got enough details on the ring to find out exactly where it was ringed.

And finally...Jonnie Fisk - Farne Islands
Sometimes the combinations of letters on rings can make for a few snorts of laughter down the scope. A real missed opportunity was had one the Farnes in June 2014: whilst twitching the Bridled Tern, we began to scope some of the terns congregating on the rocks - including a blue darvic'd bird that at first appeared to read BLT - the species? Sandwich Tern of course! 

-Alex Penn

Alex is 19 years-old and has lived and birded in Nidderdale, N Yorkshire most of his life, but is now at university in Aberdeen studying Zoology. He is a trainee ringer and working a local patch a few times a week. His Aberdeenshire birding highlights so far are Harlequin Duck, RBF, Crane and multiple YBWs, plus ringing Beardies and Jack Snipe.

-Ben Porter
Living on a small rock off the welsh coast (Bardsey Island) throughout the year, Ben doesn’t really have much choice to be anything but a patch birder! He enjoys all aspects of Birding, and is a keen wildlife photographer, lepidopterist, and trainee bird ringer.

-Cathal Forkan
Cathal is a fifteen year old birder and photographer who spends all of his free time birding his patch of inner Galway bay (including the legendary Nimmo’s pier), on the west coast of Ireland. In winter he spends a lot of time with gulls and waders, in summer his attention turns to the breeding birds and seawatching off nearby beaches.

-James Common
James is a 20 year old birder/conservation nut and wannabe naturalist based along the North-East coast near the reserves of NWT East Chevington and Druridge Bay.  The last few years he has spent studying BHs Animal Conservation Science at the university of Cumbria from which he has now graduated.

-James O'Neill
Hailing from Norn Iron (that's Northern Ireland to you), James, 18, is interested in most branches of nature, especially fish, invertebrates and birds. A wildlife artist and, more recently, photographer, he likes nothing more than to spend a sunny day out at his patch, Lough Neagh, with his scope and camera. He enjoys travelling and aims to visit every region of the world to suss out its plethora of wildlife.

-Jonnie Fisk
Jonnie is an 19 year-old Yorkshire-based birder, invertebrate enthusiast and frustrated artist. When not being oblivious to every local rarity, he enjoys autumn vis-mig, the music of Hall & Oates and being distracted by bugs. 

-Liz Clipson
Liz is 23 and lives in Stoke-on-Trent but tends to bird around Worcestershire with her boyfriend -a fellow NGB- and her dad. She has only been birding since April 2013, but being born on the North Norfolk coast, both she and her dad have have always had an interest in birds! As with many people "new" to birding they both enjoy raptors and are also big lovers of shrikes.

-Oliver Reville
Oliver is a 25 year old birder and photographer from North Norfolk. His passion is the wildlife of Spain and in particular its birds of prey. Oliver's other wildlife interests are Sylvia warblers, Wheatears, Reptiles and British orchids. His photographic inspiration is Markus Varesvuo and his book "Birds: Magic moments" first triggered his own interest in photography.

-William Jones

William originally hails from the birder's paradise that is Shropshire. However he is currently living in Uppsala, Sweden where he is studying the effects of malaria on Pied and Collared Flycatchers as part of a Master's Programme in Ecology and Conservation. When not in the lab he can usually be found trying to track down Sweden's Owls, Woodpeckers and Gamebirds with limited success.

Chris Gooddie - My 'NGB Years'

By the start of the 1980s I was already a keen birder, and was twitching UK rarities whenever I could get a lift from friends who drove and could beg, steal or borrow a car. Finding out where rarities were before they departed was difficult before the advent of mobile phones and the web, but by swapping home phone numbers with other birders at twitches one could slowly build up a network of contacts across the UK to become a member of 'the grapevine'. Those contacts had produced results in 1981 and '82, and I'd added the odd cosmic rarity to my list, such as the UK's 7th Paddyfield Warbler at Walney Island, and the long-staying Glossy Ibis at Stodmarsh in Kent.

Another surefire way to get up to date information was to hang out in Cley, North Norfolk over the August bank holiday, and that strategy paid dividends too, not least because I was having breakfast with three friends at the legendary Nancy's Café on August 31st when news of a UK first - Little Whimbrel at Sker Point, South Wales - was phoned in. We drove west and scored the bird before dark, then climbed back in the car and drove overnight to Saltholme Flats in Teeside where we watched Britain's first ever Long-toed Stint feeding on the lagoon edge at point-blank range. After missing a Sooty Shearwater at Flamborough we were back in Norfolk by the evening of the 1st September to finish our week’s birding before heading home to Manchester, a round trip of just over a thousand miles.

However, despite such exploits a few of my more serious listing friends were still seeing more rarities than I was for one simple reason; they were spending a week or more in October on the Isles of Scilly. Thrilling tales of encounters with storm-driven American birds carried across the Atlantic by fast-moving westerly depressions whetted my appetite, and the more I listened in envy the more desperate I became to find a way to get myself down to the south-west in October. In the autumn of 1983 an old school friend Colin foolishly mentioned he might be up for it and could borrow a car. I figured no-one would miss us from our respective Nottingham University courses for a few days, and I worked on him until it became a reality. The die was cast and we drove down overnight, slept in the car at Penzance and presented ourselves at Penzance Heliport in plenty of time to catch our morning chopper flight.

Arriving at St Mary's Airfield we pocketed an invaluable photocopied A4 tourist map of the islands, picked up our bags and hopped onto the bus, which dropped us in High Town. A helpful soul had mentioned it was possible to leave bags at a place called 'The Porthcressa', so we asked for directions and had almost reached our destination when we came across a small crowd of birders peering intently at a stripy, yellowish, sparrow-like bird which was hopping about on the tiny strip of mown grass adjacent to Porthcressa Bay. 'What've you got?' I whispered to a bearded gentleman next to me. He turned and whispered a single word that took my breath away: "Bobolink." I exchanged a glance with Colin before we focused our bins on the bird, unable to believe our good fortune. We hadn't even had time to drop our bags off!

Within a couple of minutes a Scillonian dog scampered innocently across the sward, flushing the Bobolink, which flew off over Hugh Town. We silently cursed the mutt, but as things transpired the errant pooch had done us a favour. No sooner had we stowed our rucksacks downstairs at the 'Cressa than a shout went up; "RED-EYED VIREO. TRESCO!" We had no clue how to get to Tresco, but since a mass stampede immediately started through town we followed, and after a short sprint down the quay we just managed to squeeze aboard the departing boat which was already packed to the gunwales. Made it!

Once on Tresco we again followed the crowd, which quickly surrounded an isolated thorn bush backing on to one of the southern beaches. Ignorant of our mounting incredulity, there in the centre of the bush lurked a skulking Red-eyed Vireo, which popped its head out every now and then to reveal a whopping great white supercilium sandwiched between a matt grey crown and a thick black eyeline. Having never visited the USA it was my first experience of the family, and I was struck by its chunky build and rather sluggish movements.

After an hour or so the bird disappeared, and we reluctantly wandered up towards the other quay where we were to board the boat back to St Mary's. En route we skirted a large body of water on our right. I checked the map and said to my friend that I thought this must be The Great Pool, a key site that we had been advised was a key site to check for rarities. A few birders were loitering near the pool so we sidled over and nervously enquired whether there was anything about. "Well the Solitary Sand is still over there…" We jerked our heads in the direction of the extended arm and noticed a small, dark wader picking its way daintily around the edge of the mud. It was indeed a Solitary Sandpiper, and I hurriedly lay down, rested my right foot in the crick of my left knee, and in time-honoured style balanced my trusty Hertel and Reuss Tele-Vari 25-60x scope on the resulting prop. I scribbled largely illegible notes as fast as I could in my notebook, and when the bird flew a few metres noted with satisfaction the dark rump and barred sides to the tail. It really WAS a Solitary Sand!

The boat docked at New Grimsby quay bang on time, and we scuttled to the back and wedged ourselves into a gap between other birders. The thrum of the engine combined with our lack of sleep soon had our heads nodding, but we were awoken from our reverie when a second boat drew up alongside mid-channel. The two vessels were roped together, and our skipper announced: "Anyone who wants to go to St Agnes transfer here". What's on St. Agnes? I asked my neighbour. "Parula Warbler in The Parsonage. Oh, and a Subalpine". We checked our map, located The Parsonage and were soon stood at the back of the crowd. The gent next to us cheerfully informed us "You just missed it…it showed really well two or three minutes ago." He glanced at our crestfallen faces and added, "It's doing a circuit. It'll be round again in half an hour or so." 

We waited for a couple of hours, but the bird did not show, and despite further searching it was not seen again. We were appalled at our misfortune, but before we could get too down in the mouth another stampede broke out. We grabbed our kit and followed, trying to keep up and at the same time find out what we were running for. "Rose…" came the breathless reply from a fellow sprinter, but the end of his utterance was inaudible amidst his gasps for breath. I racked my brains but could not think of anything that would fit the bill except perhaps a Rosefinch or a Rose-coloured Starling. Both were new birds for me, but would either really have caused such mass panic? I managed to jog alongside a different runner for long enough to ask again what we were running for, and this time the whole of our mystery target's name was audible; "Rose-breasted Grosbeak!" We reached a sweating but thankfully stationary pack of birders and after a few tense minutes managed gripping views of the grosbeak gorging itself on blackberries.

After watching the bird for a while we checked our watches and realised there were only twenty minutes before the boat back to St Mary's. We were some distance from the quay, and the Subalpine Warbler had apparently not been seen for a while, so we reluctantly concluded we'd have to come back tomorrow and try again for both the Subalp. and the Parula. (Sadly, I failed on both counts and had to wait a few more years to add either to my UK list.)

Once on board we broke out the ‘Squashed Fly’ Garibaldi biscuits and celebrated in style, but our introduction to the magic of Scilly birding was not yet quite complete. As we entered the harbour a CB Radio crackled into life, and an uproar broke out at the front of the boat. We caught the word "Swallow" before being knocked aside as an entire boatload of birders attempted to clamber up the quay steps at the same time. Once back on terra firma we quickly established the cause of the furoré- a Cliff Swallow, the first for Britain, was currently circling around the dump catching insects. In record time we were alongside the incinerator and checking the hirundines. Barn Swallow…Barn Swallow…there! No, Sand Martin, false alarm. Barn Swallow…Barn Swallow…and then a flash of a pinkish-buff rump and a pale collar, and the Cliff Swallow was ours. It circled above us, sailing out over the rooftops, before swinging back in our direction, taking advantage of the last of the Autumn sunshine to feed up before settling down to roost in the bushes.

As darkness fell we retrieved our bags and tramped wearily up to the campsite. After a quick wash it was down to the bar on the quay for far more lager than was wise, chicken-in-a-basket and some decidedly inept games of pool. Between games we relived the day's highlights, celebrating our FIVE new American birds, both ecstatic to have confirmed for ourselves just how amazing Scilly could be in the Autumn. Over the coming days we added Gray-cheeked and Swainson's Thrushes and an Upland Sandpiper, plus a strong supporting cast of Richard's and Tawny Pipits, Rose-coloured Starling and Common Rosefinch to our UK lists. After five action-packed days we returned to the mainland, with enough time to make a short detour to St Just. There, flitting in a gloomy corner of a tiny copse, was a bird that remains right at the top of the list of birds I have seen in Britain - an American Redstart. It seemed to float like a butterfly in front of our eyes, flashing its yellow wing and tail patches as it flitted from one perch to another. The flourish at the end of the description in my notebook at the time was succinct: 'the best bird I have ever seen'.

Scilly in the 1980's and 1990's could be spectacular. Although the islands may be enduring something of a drought in terms of rarities in recent years, it seems likely that at some point the good times will return. Until they do, I have to admit that although I have made the pilgrimage to the archipelago on many subsequent occasions, I have never again experienced a day quite like my very first on Scilly.

-Chris Gooddie
Chris Gooddie is a keen birder and rarity hunter; UK finds to date include two Blyth's Reed Warblers, 3 Lanceolated Warblers, a Great Snipe, a Western Bonelli's Warbler and a Greenish Warbler. Chris is the author of 'The Jewel Hunter', a book documenting an attempt to see all of the world's species of pitta in a year, and is a serving member of the Oriental Bird Club committee. 

http://orientalbirdclub.org

chrisgooddie@me.com 

Book review: Birdwatchers' Yearbook 2015 by Megan Shersby

I was very fortunate to receive a copy of the Birdwatchers’ Yearbook 2015, thanks to being a part of a fantastic group called Next Generation Birders. As a beginner birder, I’m already excited to use the book in 2015 to work out where to visit. After an initial flick through the yearbook, I was pleased to immediately stop at the beginning and read a feature on Next Generation Birders, followed by a great article highlighting the plight of Hen Harriers. As a side-note, I feel that it would've been nice to see a mention of the young birder, Findlay Wilde, who has done so much in 2014 to raise awareness of the troubles faced by Hen Harriers. 

Moving on a few pages, I delighted (albeit not surprised) to find the checklist of birds, which will make my aim of recording the wildlife I see much easier! I was pleasantly surprised to find checklists for both butterflies and dragonflies, although I did wonder why Scarce Tortoiseshell wasn't included. True enough, it is a rare migrant, but a number were seen across various counties during 2014 and thus it is not unreasonable to hope we will see them again during 2015. 

Browsing through the main bulk of the book, the nature reserves section, I stopped in a couple of counties that I was familiar with. I was astonished to see that Chesil Beach and the Fleet Nature Reserve were not mentioned, considering that huge numbers and varieties of bird species are seen there, including the recovering Little Tern colony.



My final thoughts on the Birdwatchers’ Yearbook 2015 is that it looks like it will be incredibly useful, there is a lot of information in there but it is logically laid out and easy to use. I look forward to using it for birding in the new year.

-Megan Shersby

Cameron Bespolka Memorial Birdrace

Cameron Bespolka

1997 - 2013

Cameron Bespolka was a lively young birder from Hampshire and joined Next Generation Birders in early 2013, where he quickly became well known for his patching prowess in his home of Winchester, as well as his ongoing quest to find a patch Yellow-browed Warbler.

Tragically, on 17th December 2013 Cameron was killed in an avalanche whilst skiing in Lech am Arlberg in the Austrian Alps. His father and their ski instructor were also buried in the snow, escaping with injuries. This was a truly harrowing event and one which devastated the NGB member base and the wider birding community.

It is therefore with pride that we announce The Cameron Bespolka Memorial Birdrace, a partnership between NGB and Patchwork Challenge, to be held this weekend 28th - 30th November, which marks Cameron's 17th birthday.
Previously, PWC have been very supportive of NGB and dedicated their NGB minileague in Cameron's memory, with the Cameron Bespolka Prize awarded to the winner of the minileague. It is hoped that the minileague will encourage all NGB members to visit their patch more regularly, hopefully resulting in improved ID skills, a more fulfilling birding experience and perhaps even a few nice self finds.

The birdrace is open to both NGB members and PWC participants and will use the score system that PWC have developed for their annual competitions (the score spreadsheet can be downloaded from their blog). The aim is to record as many species on your patch over the three days, whether you spend a couple of hours there one morning or live on patch for the full 72 hours is your choice! There will be two minileagues for the birdrace, one for NGB members and one for PWC participants, and a cumulative total number of species will be kept for each league to see which group comes out on top. More details on how to submit your scores will be posted later in the week. Cameron’s longing to find a Yellow-browed Warbler on his patch became well known within NGB and as such committee member Liam Curson has pledged to donate £100 if an NGB members finds one over the weekend, a very generous offer which several other members have offered to contribute towards, so good luck!

All money raised goes towards the Cameron Bespolka Trust, a charitable initiative set up by Cameron's family to support many different causes that were close to Cameron's heart. It is not compulsory for participants to donate to take part in the birdrace; however it would be greatly appreciated.

Taken from the Trust's website: "The Trust will aim to help teenagers pursue similar interests and passions, especially those who have less privileged backgrounds.

We will be creating opportunities for young birders to pursue their passion, both as an interest or a vocation. We will look to do this independently and together with various nature and birding organisations.  

We would also like to work with schools from the local area, helping young children appreciate and experience nature and the environment first hand. Our primary focus will be with schools with limited resources."

http://patchworkchallenge.blogspot.co.uk/
http://www.cameronbespolkatrust.com/

NGB Bardsey Island Bird Observatory week

On the morning of the 27th September, NGB chairman; Matt Bruce drove along the north Wales coast, collecting NGB's as he went. First Josie Hewitt and Liam Curson, then myself (James Garside) and Susan Jones. We were travelling down the Lleyn peninsula by eight, bobbing over the sound by nine and hurrying up to the obs a short while later.

Steve Stansfield (the head warden) introduced us to the other obs staff; Steffan and Mark the assistant wardens; and the volunteers - 'Icky' Steve, Mike and of course, 'Bardsey' Ben Porter (also NGB).

After a few short introductory talks and a quick bit of unpacking, we headed into the obs garden in the hope of seeing the Barred Warbler which had been present there for a while. As we waited, we saw a large warbler fly into the heligoland trap, where it was soon caught by Steve. It was the Barred Warbler, and we all enjoyed seeing it in the hand - a lifer for some of us and a great start to the week!

Steve even allowed me to release the bird which was a great moment!

We had a quick bite to eat, before Steve and his wife Emma lead us on a walk around the north of the island. We saw some good species like Purple Sandpiper and Whimbrel (a lifer for Josie), and it was good to get to know each other a bit better.

We ate our evening meal watching jumping Risso's Dolphins against an impressive sunset!

After the evening log, Steve gave an excellent talk about island, and the birds that had been seen there in the past, which really got us fired up for the next days birding!

But the first day wasn't over yet! We headed out into the dark with Ben and Steve in the hope of ringing a few young Manx Shearwater. After a while we found a few and everybody was able to have a go at ringing one under Steve's supervision!

The second day of our visit started well, when Steve got onto a pair of Balearic Shearwaters, shortly after dawn, and myself and Liam were able to get onto them. A short while later the walky-talkies crackled into life. 'Icky' Steve had found a Hoopoe on the south of the island at Pen Cristin!

There was no sign of the others, so me and Liam hurried south with Mark. However, after a few hundred meters, news came through that the bird was flying over the mountain! Looking up, we could see the bird, but we could also make out three juvenile Peregrines close behind! We watched in awe as the bird evaded several close encounters with the powerful raptors, before disappearing into the clouds, high over the mountain! Not the way we had expected to see our first British Hoopoe!

Fortunately Matt, Josie, Susan and Ben had all headed north where Josie had relocated the bird and they had all had good views of it at Nant! Eventually everybody got good views of the bird there, although it was quite flighty and elusive throughout.

The day finished well, when Mark found a Firecrest in the Withies, and after a good evening meal,  we were able to see it in the fading light!

That evening, Steve gave another excellent talk, this time about the family holiday the Stansfields had had in Spain, and the birds they had seen there.

Monday the 29th September dawned clear and calm, and everybody was out birding or ringing around the island. Mike and myself headed down to the Withies to do some ringing, and had a very good morning. By  far the highlight, was when a Yellow-Browed Warbler dropped into one of the nets in Cristin Withy. We popped it in a bird bag and carried it up to the obs, where it was ringed by Josie! At the obs, they had already caught a Goldcrest and a Firecrest, and we were able to have all three birds in the hand together - a memorable moment!

Susan ringed the Firecrest too, which was a lifer for her! After they had been ringed we released the birds into the obs garden, where they were later seen feeding actively in a sycamore. We spent a quiet afternoon birding around the obs and up to Nant, where a Little Owl was the only notable bird.

That evening, Steve gave his third and final talk, this time about his time at Falsterbo, and the work of the Bird Observatories Council.

Tuesday and Wednesday were both a little quieter on the birding front, but we did have good views of a Merlin and several leucorhoa Wheatears on the south end. Me, Liam and Steffan saw a Balearic Shearwater very well from the south hide on Wednesday morning, followed by a Lesser Whitethroat and a Whinchat. The Hoopoe was seen on both days, though never well. We had a good time anyway relaxing in the obs, stuffing our faces with Conors amazing cookies and enjoying some casual seawatching. We also had a walk up the mountain and enjoyed some cracking views!

Ben gave an excellent talk in the evening, about his time ringing and birding in Kenya, and included some great photos of plenty of exotic species!

The male voice choir group 'Only Men Aloud' were also staying on the island, filming a piece for TV. They kindly cooked a meal for us, and performed a short concert in the chapel, which was appreciated by all.

Thursday the 2nd October was the day of the bird race! NGB's vs the obs Staff! As the visitors, we were the clear underdogs, but were determined to have a really good go at it. The rules were simple; a species could be counted as long as at least two members of the team had seen or heard it.

At dawn, Matt, Susan and Josie headed north along the mountainside towards Nant. Myself and Liam headed down through the lowlands and the wetlands to the withies. We picked up on good numbers of the commoner species straight away, and Liams keen ears picked out a group of Siskin amongst the abundant Grey Wagtails streaming over. We flushed a Snipe from the wetlands before heading  north past the reed bed where we heard a Reed Bunting. A Yellow Wagtail flew north calling and Skylarks were passing over in good numbers too. Around the north of the island we picked up some common seabirds and also had a Mediterranean Gull offshore. A couple of Peregrines were over the mountain, and a couple of Sandwich Terns passed by offshore. After breakfast we headed to the south end where we met the rest of the team.

We birded the area together, picking up some of the standard species in the narrows; Redshank, Turnstone and Oystercatcher. We also watched three Wheatear arriving on Solfach. Things started to slow up around lunchtime, and we learnt that the obs staff had had several species including the Hoopoe that we had yet to see. They did also, let slip that they had seen a Pied Flycatcher in Cristin Withy, so we headed down there to have a look. It showed well after a short wait, allowing for some decent photos.

Myself and Liam headed to Pen Cristin to try and find the Hoopoe, whilst Josie and Matt headed north, to see what else they could find before dinner. As we headed up the hill, Liam and I heard a Little Owl calling. We continued a few paces, when the Hoopoe flushed up from in front of us. We crawled up the hill to where the bird had landed, and eventually had stunning (though very brief) views of the bird! I managed a few shots which fortunately came out quite well!

We caught up with the others at the obs. They told us the good news that they had had a couple of new species for the day. We spent the evening seawatching from the obs, and added a Great Skua to the list to round things off.

Steve and Emma cooked chilli, and we spent a great evening with everybody on the island. After the log later, we discovered that we had lost the bird race by just a six species. We didn't mind too much, as we had had another great day anyway! Steve had put together a quiz, and we had fun competing against the obs staff once again!

That night, Ben managed to catch some Moorhen and we had a go at ringing them which was quite an experience!

Our last full day was spent seawatching in promising conditions, but with little reward. The total of five Arctic Skua for the day was the only notable count.

The journey home was quiet too, though Matt, Josie, Liam and Susan did have fantastic views of the Grey Phalarope at Morfa Madryn!

We'd all enjoyed a cracking week with some great people!

-James Garside

James is a 19 year old Zoology student at Swansea University. He enjoys regularly birding the University Birdwatch Challenge area (a competition the Swansea team won last year), and he occasionally twitches rares further afield. He's spent most of his life birding in Britain and hopes to do more birding abroad in the near future.

'The World’s Rarest Birds' book review by Oliver Simms

The World’s Rarest Birds by Erik Hirschfield, Andy Swash and Robert Still

Of the things that I did when I was in the committee, the thing that I’m most proud of is the partnership that I managed to set up with Princeton WildGuides, which has meant a discount of 35% for NGBS and a steady stream of books being sent to various NGBs for review. While discussing ways to develop the partnership at Birdfair, Caroline of Princeton suggested that I should review a book myself rather than use them simply as competition prizes. Seeing the stunning cover photo of a Red-crowned Crane, I immediately requested The World’s Rarest Birds.

With such a high expectations, my initial reaction on reading it was one of disappointment. The book, despite the stunning photos of some of near mythical bird species, is not a joy to read nor is it written with the sort of captivating authorial passion of many other conservation-related works. However, there lies the point of this book. It is not meant to be a celebration but an objective reminder of the stark realities facing numerous bird species on the planet.

The opening section of the book sets the tone with four pages devoted to recent extinctions. I found the two grainy photos of Poo-uli and Bachman’s Warbler particularly poignant as the photos brought home how recent these species were probably lost to the planet. The introduction moves on to look, in a formulaic manner, to look at the 15 threats faced by the world’s rarest birds. Throughout the whole introduction, the technical text is softened, or perhaps enhanced, by the omnipresent photographs, which really underline the authors’ intentions for the birds themselves to be at the centre of the book. A favourite of mine was Savio Bruno’s charming image of a Brazilian Merganser with 8 chicks, which seemed to symbolise a tiny chink of hope for these threatened species.

The main section of the book is sorted into continents and consists of species accounts for all of the birds classed as Endangered or Critically Endangered by the IUCN. The book supplies distribution maps and population estimates but the focus of the accounts is very much on the threats facing each bird. As could be expected, the highlight is the often superb photos that accompany most accounts. Where photos for some species simply do not exist, they have been replaced by illustrations by Tomasz Cofta. While I found these drawings a bit childlike and unrealistic, the need for them really brought home quite how perilous the situation is for these species to the extent that no one seems to have been able to have ever taken a publishable photograph despite the recent advances in camera equipment. The species accounts are preceded by a description of the key conservation challenges in each continent and by a look at threatened bird hot spots. I found these particularly fascinating.

Overall, my abiding memory of this book is its photographs of some of the birds I most crave to see. A couple, from the once declared extinct Black-hooded Antwren, which I travelled two hours for in Brazil several years back, to the more familiar Red-breasted Goose, which I twitched in Hampshire, I have already been fortunate enough to see. I am not sure though how this reflects on me. This book was not meant to act as a wishlist but as a powerful reminder that we could lose such spectacular species. If you’re after a great read, this may not be the book for you but it is one that any world birder really should read. For this reason, I look forward to contributing this book to the newly created NGB book swap.

I would like to thank Caroline Priday of Princeton WILDGuides for inviting me to review this book and the company as a whole for the continued support for Next Generation Birders. To look at the great selection of books that they have available, please visit: http://press.princeton.edu/wildguides/


-Oliver Simms
Oliver is a recent Classics graduate from Durham University and, after spending his last free summer as a bird guide and hotel manager in Ecuador, now works as an auditor at the National Audit Office. He previously served as Trip Officer in the Next Generation Birders committee and is a trustee of Waderquest charity. When he is not staring at spreadsheets at work, he enjoys NGB trips to Spurn, hill walking and birding in the tropics.

Trip report: Costa Rica by Liam Curson

Country visited: Costa Rica
Locations: Rancho Naturalista, and other areas in the Central Valley
Dates: 18th June - 17th July

For this trip, I owe a lot to fellow NGB Oliver Simms. As you’ll see in the intro to his blogpost here, Ollie received three offers for free room and board from his numerous inquiries to nature reserves. Ollie took the offer of Cabanas San Isidro in Ecuador, meaning he had to turn down Rancho Naturalista. But rather than no-one getting to enjoy this fantastic offer, Ollie very kindly advertised the position on NGB, asking anyone who was up for it to get in touch with him. I most certainly was, and after Ollie gave me the e-mail address of Lisa Erb (Rancho’s owner), I set about persuading her I’d be up to filling his boots! Thankfully it all paid off, and I spent a most enjoyable and rewarding four weeks in the heart of Costa Rica. Here is the story, and some tips for anyone hoping to do similar!

Rainforest looking over Rancho

Now, this wasn't a classic “birding holiday”, unlike my previous trip report for the NGB blog (Fuerteventua in October 2013). I was largely restricted to birding the same patch of rainforest for a month, so it seems silly to write this as a classic report, where I detail all the locations and species in chronological order. I didn't see enough of Costa Rica for that to be representative of all its incredible birding opportunities. Instead, I’ll offer my perspectives on being a bird guide, and the general rules birding in rainforests, with some not-so brief notes on species seen to whet your appetites!

For starters, what’s being a bird guide like? Well, it’s an incredible opportunity to travel, see some wonderful birds and make your life list that bit more respectable! I didn't earn much money at Rancho, as they have very high standards for guides and I was effectively training, so charged no fee. It wasn't so much a job as a working holiday, where flights were my only expense. That being said, visitors who I showed around tipped me generously, so I did come back with $80 more than I departed England with! And once you’re an experienced guide, you can by all accounts make a decent living, especially if you’re young and not tied down! Even the local Costa Rican guides make enough in the high season to support young families, so while it’s a career you’ll choose for passion rather than pay, it is possible to get both.

However, you need a very particular set of skills to be a guide. Skills you have acquired over a very long career. Skills that make you a delight for people like Dave, Kathy, Matt, Nicole, Francis, Fritz, Spencer and others I guided. I think some people make excellent guides, and some people don’t. All the professional guides I met excelled with their expertise in finding and identifying the birds, their almost telepathic sense for knowing where they were going to appear and when, and eyes/ears that put most ordinary birders to shame. But above all, you need good people skills to make it as a guide. If you could put every guide I met in Costa Rica in one place and have a party, it’d be phenomenal, as they’re collectively one of the nicest, funniest, most intelligent groups of people I've ever met. To make it in this business, you’d have to be!

Don’t let my descriptions put you off, or make you think you’re unsuitable for it though. If you’re passionate about birds, confident with identification from birding in the UK, patient with less experienced birders and have good people skills, and get as much of a kick from sharing the beauty of a bird with others as you do from seeing it for yourself, you’ll do well. It’s just all about proving yourself capable once you’re out there, and if you contact enough reserves you should hopefully find one that’ll give you a chance. If you have experience volunteering, and leading any kind of wildlife walk for local societies in Britain, it’ll look even better. 

Moss Walking Stick

I’d wholly recommend it, as an intrinsically rewarding thing to do, a great way to test if you’re suited to a career in birding, and an incredible way to see other parts of the world and their vast, mind-boggling array of birdlife.

However, if you've never birded in the rainforest before, you’re in for quite an experience! Birding is full-on here. My best advice is to study what you’re likely to see in the area first, as while a bird guide for Costa Rica will list 800+ species, no more than 500 of them will have occurred at any one site, and no more than 200 of them are likely to occur in the immediate area you’ll be staying at in the season you’re staying there (I might be making some of those figures up!). I was lucky in having an excellent checklist to study for Rancho, which listed each bird, it’s frequency, and the seasons it was likely to occur in. It’s also the case that for many species, when you see them well, you can sometimes have no problem just flicking through the field guide til you find the right one, tropical birds can look pretty distinctive! Even infamously tough groups like the Woodcreepers are completely do-able with decent views, knowing what to look for (easy enough to do by reading up beforehand), and a knowledge of what occurs in your area. 

Long-tailed Skipper

What will strike you about rainforest birding though, particularly, if like me, the most tropical you've been is Cyprus, is the heat and humidity. This, combined with the altitude, meant that I went from being reasonably fit in the UK to knackered by a twenty-minute walk when I first arrived! Your body gradually accustoms to this, but birding in the rainforest always feels pretty intense. The levels of patience waiting for tiny birds to jump out of impossibly thick cover, the neck-craning to desperately try and get onto feeding flocks, the fact that the forest can often go completely dead, especially from about 10am to 3pm, can all be a bit soul-destroying at first. But the required early wake-ups are surprisingly easy, since it gets dark at six and you tend to be in bed by eight or nine. And given time in the forest, you learn the ebbs and flows of activity, and how to get the most out of your birding.

Do be careful for some of the more dangerous aspects of the forest too! I had one far-too-close encounter with a Jumping Pit Viper hiding in long rank grass (and with no herpetological expertise, I thought it could have been anything from a harmless Boa to the rather certain death associated with a Fer De Lance), and be especially cautious if going out at night. As fellow guide Stephen Easley quite bluntly put it, if you’re walking along a stream between 11am and 4pm (we were discussing looking for Costa Rica’s many rare and endemic amphibians with guests), you've got a death wish. All the staff at the lodge wore knee high wellies every time they ventured far into the forest, which protect you from most snake strikes, but they would have been pretty awkward for 4km birding hikes, so I was more cavalier.

While I’m at it, I may as well warn you of the insects too. I appear to have a miraculous ability not to get bitten TOO badly even without dabbing liberal amounts of bug spray, but some people would get absolutely savaged by mosquitoes if they forget so much as a single hard-to reach spot on their neck. My main issue was ants. Some of the smaller species could give a fairly nasty nip, while Fire Ants are well named. When I got bitten by an Army Ant, it’s a struggle to describe the pain. But it’s probably not that different to putting your fingertip under a stapler and slamming down on it. I had quite a strong painkiller gel in the first aid kit I tried never to go anywhere without, and I’d advise you to do the same. The pain wore down from cursing blue one minute after the bite, to a numb ache five minutes later, after half an hour it didn't hurt at all. Don’t let any of that put you off though, as long as you do actually escape with your life (as everyone I know so far has managed to do!), the rainforest encounters provide you with pretty excellent campfire stories!


Ah, and the birding itself, which I’m sure is all you’re really interested in. Well done for persevering all my waffle and trife, and I hope the next few paragraphs are at least a little bit worth it! 
My first day (June 19th), saw me studying Hummingbirds for most of the morning. I’d really recommend getting to grips with these as soon as you can (should you be in Central/South America!), as they’re by far the most obvious birds by far, show ridiculously well on the feeders and identifying them always impresses guests who've never visited the tropics before. Each part of the tropics will have a few very abundant species, a few regular species, a few less common species and a few which constitute genuine rarities. Only worry yourself with the first three categories until you’re accustomed well with all of them, a good rule for all families in the rainforest! My best Hummingbird that first day in terms of rarity was Stripe-throated Hermit, a common species but one I didn't see every day. Green Hermit and Violet Sabrewing were both pretty stunning no matter how regularly I saw them, though I must admit I was a bit blase towards Violet-crowned Woodnymphs, White-necked Jacobins, Brown Violet-ears and Rufous-tailed Hummingbirds after the first few days. Other highlights from day one were the stunning Violaceous Trogon, Rufous Motmot and Keel-billed Toucan , all of which I’d go on to see regularly, but still incredible to see the first time! Montezuma Oropendolas, one of the most abundant and charismatic birds, made me smile every single time I saw them for the whole month I was out there. 

Grey-headed Chachalaca

Day two was characterised by my first Crested Guan, and what a bird that was! I've never seen something so utterly, beautifully prehistoric, nor seen such a large bird (Turkey sized or bigger) move so nimbly through the lower reaches of a canopy. Green Thorntail and Black-crested Coquette were both tiny little gems of hummingbirds, utterly adorable and showing well at one of the feeders. Masked Tityra was incredible, when perched on a tree with wings fanned out it looked for all the world like a black and white Wallcreeper. Speckled Tanager too, was a new bird and resplendently plumaged. The following day was much of the same, but I do remember being utterly bedazzled by a Collared Aracari, a Toucan with a velociraptor-like bill that made it look fierce indeed.

Collared Aracari

Over the coming days, as my knowledge grew and I went out birding with groups and other senior guides, more and more incredible species began flooding my senses. The immaculate Snowcap, perhaps THE most beautiful Hummingbird in the world, was quite something. Green-crowned Brilliant was another absolutely marvellous hummer. I even started identifying Woodcreepers, confidently picking out Wedge-billed, Streak-headed and Cocoa. I saw my first of both White-collared and White-ruffed Mannakins, had glimpses of the mega elusive Black-throated Wren and Dull-mantled Antbird, and eventually started seeing regular Tawny-chested Flycatchers, the bird that is a real attraction for the serious birders visiting Rancho, the one they’ll struggle to get anywhere else in the world. I visited a few other sites with groups and senior guides, but taking in a few varied habitats such as wetlands and rapids. At the former, Boat-billed Heron and Yellow-headed Caracara were highlights, the latter was almost indescribable with my first Sunbittern (WHAT A BIRD!), Torrent Tyrannulet, Black Phoebe, Buff-rumped Warbler, Bay Wren and Amazon and Green Kingfishers. 

White-necked Jacobin

As time wore on, I started scouring slightly different habitats around the lodge, and by improving my ability to bird, plus occasionally getting lucky and helping the professional guides and their groups, I started picking out more and more of the tricky species. Species like Yellow-billed Cacique and White-lined Tanager in the sugar fields on 1st July, Sulpur-winged Parakeet and Scarlet-thighed Dacnis the following day, a Black-headed Saltator on the 5th, and showing all those patient enough out of a large group some elusive White-ruffed Mannakins on the 6th. This was interspersed with heading back to the rapids and finding five resplendent Sunbitterns, and locating a Rancho rarity in the shape of a pair of Green Ibises. On the 7th I set myself the challenge of a bird race, being out from 3am til 6pm. I was pretty pleased with 63 species, though later when birding with Harry, and having his expertise at hand, we recorded 81 in a single morning! These 63 included a stunning lifer in a pair of Common Pauraque, gorgeous views of a Crested Guan at daybreak, refinding the Green Ibises, and as the day ended, being afforded views of Snowcaps and Purple-crowned Fairies bathing in riverside pools that would make the gods sing. 

Brown Violet-ear

The following four days or so gave biblical proportions in a different sense, namely rain! With Belgian guests staying, both I and pro guide Cali tried gallantly, taking umbrellas and returning with waterlogged shoes, and we did have some pretty good highlights; lekking White-collared Mannakins, stunning Slate-throated Redstarts, Lineated Woodpeckers, the enigmatic Rufous Mourner and a new Woodcreeper for me, a Plain Brown (which is quite pretty despite the moniker). We also located a small army ant swarm, which I did my best to find something good on as I tracked it round the forest for the next week or so, but which never seemed to hold more than Immaculate Antbirds, Checker-throated Antwrens and a few Rufous Motmots. All stunning birds though!

With Stephen Easley and two guests, AJ and Kim, I eventually got to Cerro De La Silencio, a mountain that had almost acquired mythical status in my mind, on 12 July. It’s barely four km from Rancho to the base of the mountain, but reaching the summit and its mythical birds (Resplendant Quetzal and Lovely Cotinga among others), is one hell of a challenge, and I’m afraid its one I’ll have to wait til my next visit to conquer. Even at the base though, I was introduced to totally different birdlife. Not so much due to the altitude, I suspect, as the fact that backing away to the north from this mountain is nearly 100 miles of pristine, completely protected forest. Costa Rica in fact has more of its land (¼) protected from development than any other country on the planet. This meant species less common at Rancho like Black Guan, Common Bush Tanager, Tawny-crested Tanager and Golden-bellied Flycatcher could be found, while other species like Tawny-capped Euphonia and Silver-throated Tanager I did eventually find at Rancho, while properly exploring some of the upper reaches of the forest here. The day finally ended on a high when, with newly arrived guests Fritz and Spencer from Florida, I successfully located a Mottled Owl on a night walk, a just reward after many near misses and hearing birds tantalisingly close. 

Violaceous Trogon

It’s rather a shame Harry Bernard, mentioned several times above, didn't arrive until the 15th, two days before I was prior to leave. He was doing much the same thing as me, getting free room and board in exchange for guiding services, the only difference being that Harry is a damn good guide who’s been visiting Costa Rica since he was 14, and is good enough by far to charge a fee. This also meant he completely outshone me, and as I said it’s a great shame that he didn't arrive sooner to help speed up my learning curve. It was his knowledge of calls and keener eyesight that really helped, alongside many years birding around here giving him an intuitive knack for knowing what was likely to pop out in front of you. A good days birding on the 15th saw us pick out by call Brown-throated Scythebill, Scale-crested Pygmy Tyrant, Thicket Antpitta and Eye-ringed Flatbill, and actually see other species I just hadn't encountered beforehand, like White-vented Euphonia, lekking White-crowned Mannakins, Ashy-throated Bush Tanager and Silver-throated Tanager. The following day was when we managed 81 species in just a single morning, including two lifers in Brown-hooded Parrot and Band-tailed Barbthroat. We then had a great, brutal and exhausting game of football with twenty or so locals in a park in the nearest village. 

Roadside Hawk

And then, by 07:00 on July 17th, Lisa was driving me back to San Jose airport, and by 13:00 that day the adventure was over, I was boarding a plane, tropical birding had ended and normal life could resume. But normal life would never quite be the same again, and I made a promise to myself, there and then, that I’d be back in the tropics whenever I could. I’d advise that you do the same too.

Postscript: I’d just like to thank Lisa Erb and Mario Cerdas, the husband and wife team running Rancho, for being so accomodating and patient as I learnt the birds and did my best to help out. Alongside John and Kathy Erb, and Wayne Easley and Kevin Easley (owner of company Costa Rican gateway, great if you’re planning a birding trip there) they give Rancho a distinctive family vibe, albeit a disproportionately Texan one! I also owe a great deal of gratitude to the guides who let a rank amateur come along and pretend he was helping, if you’re in need of a guide and visiting CR, take my word that Stephen Easley, Harry Bernard, Herman Venegas, Rick Taylor and Cali, Christian, Charlie and Chico (afraid I either don’t know or have forgotten the surnames of the last few), are all well worth the money to hire, they will blow you away with their knowledge, good humour and patience.

-Liam Curson

Liam fancies himself as a jack of all trades when it comes to nature, but his longest and most dedicated fascination is with the Order Aves. He's based in East Sussex, but also loves travelling to other countries when he can. His favourite bird is the Wallcreeper. He likes patching and seawatching, and spends his summer months delving into the murky waters of entomology.