Cabo San Lucas September 28th 2013

Carol and I got the tender to shore where we met our birding guide,Maria Elena Muriel

Maria walked us to the car park then drove to the local park where we saw a varied  number of
species,the Common White winged dove.

Of note Cassins Kingbird and a number of Phainopepla mostly females.An easy lifer was
the endemic Grey Thrasher.

Gilded Flickers and Gila Woodpecker entertained on the dead part of the trees.

However only a brief sighting of Xantu's Hummimgbird also was the case Blue Gray Gnatcatcher
showed briefly and Hooded Oriole posed for the camera.

We made our way to the beach where a freshwater pool  held Western and Least Sandpipers.
Also of note here was a Sora rail and Blue winged Teals were flushed.

Next we took the main road to San Jose del Cabo estuary passing cactus lined golf courses for a
few miles.

On the lagoon American Coot,Common Gallinule and Pied billed Grebes obliged.

Ospreys and Belted Kingfishers were seen amongst a host of waders as we wandered this veritable
oasis.

The highlight of this area ,the reed bed held Yellowthroat and the now split species
Belding's Yellowthroat.

More waders,herons,and raptors before returning to Cabo San Lucas we said goodbye to
Maria before getting the tender back to Island Princess.

Maple lodge before the Storm

Walked to the reserve this morning on arrival a few birders leaving ie John Ward et al making my
way to Long Hedge where in the hide I met an old friend Tony Blake, it had been around 25 years so
we chatted for some time no Osprey present just a few Mallard and Little Grebe.

Moving on to Rotunda and Teal hide a couple of herons obliged as did three raptors,
Red Kite,Sparrowhawk and Kestrel.Enter Tony Hulls ,then an odd scraping at the door it was
the efficient Geoff Lapworth battening the hatches for the impending storm,he was unaware of
our prescence.It was soon time to leave  I said goodbye to the two Tony's and I was homeward
bound,also today a couple of splendid Kingfishers.

San Francisco 23rd of September 2013

Today we were off to Alcatraz,we boarded the ferry for the roughly 20 minute passage from Dock 33 a few terns were visible on route.

We left San Francisco in brilliant  sunshine and was soon to arrive on the island.
On arrival we were met by the Ranger.
Passing the Officers Club and Warehouse we had views of Allen's Hummingbird.
Near the power plant the smell of guano and sand flies as we viewed the water tower.

Then it was in to the cell blocks to see how the inmates were housed.

This was a typical cell this prisoner was an artist ,but I was interested in Robert Shroud
the man called the bird man of Alcatraz which was not exactly portrayed correctly in the
film starring Burt Lancaster.

Please read the footnotes of these two pictures to get the full story of the Bird Man.

Hope you can read this dossier on Robert Shroud,but lets not forget Escape from Alcatraz for
our younger bloggers it seems Frank Morris played by Clint Easwood and two others swam for it.

Back to the present  in the recreation yard I find a Black Phoebe and another pair below the
Lighthouse.

Carol and I continue are tour of the Rock which was thoroughly enjoyable.

We returned to the mainland to continue are busy day where we got a tram to
Golden Gate park it was a bit of a trek as we made our way to the Japanese Tea
Garden here we saw an American Robin.

We reluctantly returned with a Vietnamese cab driver who drove at speed down the hills of
San Francisco as if we were following Jason Bourne.
Carol decided on a nap at the hotel and I went for a beer

Osprey at Maple Lodge

Well been off the radar for a month or so up to recently been on a cruise to the Panama canal where
after leaving San Francisco Ospreys were a regular feature first at  San Jose del Cabo  estuary near
Cabo San Lucas an adult calling from a palm tree.

Also in the mangroves in Costa Rica where in flight views were obtained.

Then it landed in the mangroves at some distance,further sightings in the Panama canal
and Aruba at the Boubali reserve where I only managed 30 minutes.

Finally after being home a week a Osprey has been found on my local patch at 930 HRS Paul
Lewis picked me up and we made our way to Long Hedge hide where Geoff Laptop ,Rambo,
Dale Ayres ,John Ward et al were already grilling it.

Thank heavens for Dale Ayres as my compact flash card was playing up and would not format.
Dale kindly lent me a spare one enabling me to get a good flight shot,it finally caught a 6oz Roach
a good morning was had by all we saw Kingfisher and heard Cettis warbler.
Paul and I  said goodbye to Andrew and Geoff. A special thanks to Dale Ayres a fellow photographer
and a gentleman.

Usk Valley reflections

Monday 26th of August 0800hrs walked from Gliffaes along the River Usk passing the Croquet lawn,
a gap in the hedge led along an elevated path,eventually a stone path appeared.

I walked down to the river where the Oak shaded banks of the river gave way to a stony
river bank as Grey Wagtails danced amongst the rocks.

Following the river upstream the "hrank" of a grey heron gave way to it's prescence,
above me nestled Gliffaes,

Below a wall of stone and endless ferns, I scoured the river for other signs of life notably
aquatic,but only managed birds of note a Chiff chaff in sub song and the chivvying
house martins chasing insects on the wing for their young.
No fishing for me today but smoked salmon at breakfast ended my late summer stroll
on the Usk Estate.

As the morning progressed sitting on the terrace at Gliffaes, aCommon Buzzard mewed
on the hills behind,in the early hours of the morning a Tawny owl could be heard in the utter silence.
A wonderfull  meal last night in delightful company as we all tucked in to lamb,before I sampled
Merlyn the welsh equivalent of Baileys before retiring from the Drawing room.

And so back to this morning a Red Kite glides along the valley as hazy clouds cling
to the hill tops.My concentration lapses as a house martin makes a small deposit on my
wife's trousers as they return to feed young.

 Finally below me searching for insects a female blackcap in moult was losing
her brown cap and so ended my time in Gliffaes with a birthday cake for tomorrow.

Welsh week end part two

Sunday the 25 th of August Sarah Darlington drove me to Gliffaes,on arrival I grabbed a pot of tea
until my ghillie arrived ie Jimmy Devoy,he decided to fish another beat called Llandetty about two
miles from the hotel between Llangynidr and Talybont.
We tackled up put on chest waders and walked through the sheep pasture to the river where we
waded to midstream in pursuit of trout.

We stopped for a ploughmans lunch at the Red Lion,we returned to the River Usk
casting better in the lower beat,neither of us caught a fish as trio of  buzzards mewed above.
While grey wagtails and a superb Kingfisher ended our day as the trout began to rise.
Jimmy drove me back to Gliffaes where ended a nice day in the Usk Valley.

Late August in South Wales

Got up for breakfast in Bute Town it was our  anniversary today 28 years of married bliss ?.
You get less for murder,we opened our cards over breakfast" bless".
A day out to the Brecon Beacons National railway.
We got the train at Pant and travelled through the Beacons NP along the full length of Taf
Fechan reservoir.

to Pontsticill station on route photographing the locomotive.
Next up Llangorse lake where a number of Canada geese were present, along with
Mute Swans and Mallards.In the surrounding fields I saw of note Linnets and a Nuthatch.
The following day we went to the Brecon Mountain Centre country fair,marquees  selling
local county produce,

Local  falconry and a walk amongst the sheep before moving on to Crickhowell
where I photographed the bridge.

Our day ended in The Bear pub before returning via Llangattock, a few Red Kites
obliged on route back