Colombia: Back to the Magdelana Valley.

Apical Flycatcher near Payande this afternoon. 

Watching Apolinar's Wren at La Florida, Bogota 26 November 2011.

 Left Bogota this morning after clinching extra close views of the endemic Apolinar's Wren in the marshes there, arriving at Ibague this evening after a stop for the endemic Velvet-fronted Euphonia and Apical Flycatcher.

Yellow-hooded Blackbird, La Florida (Bogota) 26 November 2011.

The endemic Apical Flycatcher.

Colombia: Back in Bogota.

Bogota Rail at Guasca, 25 November 2011. 

Emerald Toucanet at Monterredondo, 24 November 2011.

 Had some time in the field with Carl Downing yesterday between tours, enjoying a full day out at Monterredondo on the east slope near Bogota. We only heard the Cundinamarca Antpitta and Brown-breasted Parakeets in the distance, but enjoyed some good birding with Ochre-breasted Brush-finch the highlight for me personally. 

Chingaza NP.

 Restarting the route again this morning we enjoyed a good day in Chingaza NP, these Brown-breasted Parakeets being the highlight of the day.

Brown-breasted Parakeet, Chingaza NP, 25 November 2011.

Bogota Rail.

We ended the day at Guasca where a couple of Bogota Rails showed very well in the late afternoon.

Colombia: Up to the San Lorenzo Ridge.

Early morning over the Santa Marta Mountains from the San Lorenzo Ridge.

Strong-billed Woodcreeper,

Colombia: El Dorado, Santa Marta Mountains (today).

Brown Violetear.

Blue-naped Chlorophonia.

Black-capped Tanager (male).

Black-capped Tanager (female).

Blue-naped Chlorophonia (male).

Black-fronted Wood-Quails.

Colombia: Russet-throated Puffbird.

 We were able to watch and photograph this Russet-throated Puffbird in the deserts near Camerones yesterday.

Colombia: Magdalena Valley to the Santa Marta Mountains.

Birding Reserve Reinita Cielo Azul, Colombia.

Blue-and-yellow Macaws near El Paujil.

Keel-billed Toucan near Minca, Santa Marta Mountains.

King Vulture near Minca.

Colombia: Landslides, detours, coffee and even a few birds.

 The 4 Short-eared Owls, Marsh Harrier and drake Green-winged Teal I was watching on Crossens Marsh at dusk on 7 November seem a far cry from the Santa Marta Mountains here in Colombia (with WiFi!). 


Not had a lot of time for digiscoping but here's a few of the shots so far (taken in the brief spells when it's not raining).

Northern Screamer near El Paujil.

Laughing Falcon at El Paujil.

Barred Puffbird at El Paujil.

Ribble goose counting.

Arrived at the sandplant peninsula at Marshside early this morning for the co-ordinated Pink-footed Goose count (very difficult in thick fog) and after a slow start Merlin, Peregrine and Marsh Harrier appeared. I was very pleased to hear the distinctive call of a Lapland Bunting at 0730 and although I couldn't isolate the culprit in a flock of Skylarks and Greenfinches overhead it didn't sound very high up. A large thrush-sized bird diving into the cover of the bushes had me deserting my vantage point briefly as it looked like a Blackbird with a "tchack-tchack" call as it flew into the sunlight. A couple of Redwings, several Blackbirds and 2 Chiffchaffs was all I found but no Ring Ouzel as hoped for. However I did get good views of 2 Lapland Buntings on the rubble with a flock of Greenfinches, so it was worthwhile.

Barnacle Goose with Pink-feet on Crossens Outer Marsh this morning.

 I picked up 2 Barnacle Geese as I sifted through the Pink-feet, one on Crossens and the other on the Marshside RSPB reserve on Rimmer's. Plenty of waders and wildfowl as expected (including several hundred Black-tailed Godwits), 6 Whooper Swans and 50 Golden Plover the most noteworthy. The Great White Egret was still on Crossens Outer early morning too.

A check of the coastal bushes and Sycamores south of Southport failed to produce anything more than a few Long-tailed Tits and a Goldcrest with a few Siskins overhead. Back to Marshside for a stroll along the edge of the golf course, giving the willows and bushes a bit of a grilling but still no joy.

Late afternoon at RSPB Hesketh Out Marsh yielded little apart from the single dallying Avocet, a Merlin, Marsh Harrier and a mystery falcon that I can only put down as a hybrid of some sort.

Last few days on the Solway .....

Drake Green-winged Teal, Mersehead RSPB 2 November 2011.

Barnacle Geese in front of the Avenue Tower at Caerlaverock WWT today.

Barnacle Geese from the Saltcot Merse Hide at Caerlaverock.

Caerlaverock WWT.

Mersehead Green-winged Teal yesterday.

Two more Teals and another GWE.

Sunday 30th started with a check of the tit flocks in the coastal parks near Southport with a quick stop at Outer (4 Barnacle Geese with Pinks and thousands of Wigeon) and at the Hesketh Road platform, Marshside (female Bullfinch - rare here). Nothing in the park tit flocks ...

 I couldn't resist another stop at Crossens on the way to Hesketh Out Marsh and found this drake Green-winged Teal - my third in less than a week!

 Helping out with an RSPB event at HOM meant a walk to the outer seawall at breach 4 where we were able to view north across the Ribble to Warton Marsh where there were 2 Great White Egrets. Avocet in the Oystercatcher roost, 50+ Golden Plovers in with Lapwings, perched Peregrine, Merlin and Sparrowhawk and 2 Marsh Harriers were seen before we set off back along the wall.

Taking a detour to view the creeks on HOM east I discovered a flock of 100+ Teal and immediately noticed a Marbled Duck in with them. Presumably the bird seen just across the river at Freckleton Naze several weeks ago, it may have been in this inaccessible part of the reserve for some time. Unfortunately the whole flock was spooked and flew into the sun, darting over the RSPB reserve, splitting with some birds heading out to the river. A search of the creeks (rapidly emptying with the falling tide) failed to locate the bird, even if the second Green-winged Teal of the day was some compensation.