The Year 2025 - January to March

These posts are a summary of the year 2025.  The first, one of four looks at the start of the year from January through March.  If you want more details you can go back and review the full post for the dates and photographs referred to.

Happy New Year

January

The year started with a trip to the Weston shore in Southampton on the 4th where there were great Northern Diver, a Slavonian Grebe and the over wintering Red-necked Grebe, later at Southsea I added Purple Sandpiper and Black Redstart.  On the 7th I was at the Keyhaven - Lymington Reserve where there was another over wintering bird, the Lesser Yellowlegs.  It remained distant but was recognisable amongst the Redshank, off shore there were more Slavonian Grebes.

A full UK and Hampshire tick for me on the 9th, a drake Lesser Scaup at Harbridge, afterwards a trip to Blashford produced a White-tailed Eagle, the female Ruddy Duck and two Black-necked Grebes on Ibsley Water.

The Lesser Scaup at Harbridge

On the 11th an out of season trip to Martin Down drew a blank with short-eared Owls, but stopping off for the evening roost at Black Gutter Bottom there  were two Hen Harrier, one male and a Merlin.

On the 13th Ian and I returned to the North Wall at Pagham.  We saw the Long-eared Owls but they were not good views in poor light.  We did get Redpoll and a small group of Barnacle Geese.  The next day, the 14th I returned in good light and found the Long-eared Owls a lot more confiding.

Back in Hampshire for the afternoon there were Cattle Egret at Warblington and Scaup on th epools at Milton Common.  The day was finished off with Goosander and Ferruginous Duck at Brownwich Pond.

On the 18th back at Keyhaven - Lymington there were Spoonbill, Spotted Redshank, Goldeneye and a good number of Greenshank.  While at Titchfield on the 20th the male Goosander had moved to the harbour and the Sanderling roost was building in numbers.

On the 21st in glorious winter weather the Lesser Spotted Woodpeckers performed on the usual tree at Acres Down, but there wasn't any sign of the Tawny Owl in its usual tree.

On the 25th Ian and I spent sometime in a new location, Wherwell which is a village in the north of Hampshire, not far from Bransbury.  Here there was a good sized flock of Hawfinch that gave us a runaround.

On the 27th the Long-eared Owl invasion reached Hampshire and I was able to get my first county Long-eared Owl at a heavily guarded location.

The 30th saw Helen and I off for another winter vacation, this time back to our old haunt of Costa Rica.  After arriving in San Jose, and spending the night there we left for Rancho Naturalista, where we would spend three nights.  On arrival on the 31st we were greeted with the delights of the garden, the hummingbirds.  This a Rufous-tailed Hummingbird

apart from the hummingbirds the Tanagers were also quite spectacular, this the stunning Summer Tanager.

February

Our first full day, the 1st, at the ranch was one of heavy rain that didn't eases until the late afternoon.  We were supposed to be going on a guided tour but we deferred this to the next day when the weather promised to be better.  We spent he best part of the day on the balcony watching the birds in the gloom in the garden.  In a dry spell though we were able to get out and this resulted in me finding one of my target birds for the trip, a Hummingbird, the Black-crested Coquette.

Other highlights of the day were White-collared Mannikin

Chestnut headed Oropendola, this photograph winning "Photo of the Week" in Bird Guides.

A Green-breasted Mango.

And a Bay-headed Tanager.

The weather was better on the 2nd and we were able to get out around the grounds of the ranch.  This produced some more stunning birds.

Blackburnian Warbler.

Yellow-bellied Flycatcher.

Green Thorntail.

White-ruffed Manakin.

Golden-winged Warbler.

Dull-mantled Antbird.

And the hummingbird that Rancho Naturalista use on their brand, a beautiful male Snowcap.

We were moving on on the 3rd, but still had some time in the morning to find Band-tailed Barbthroat.

And Golden-browed Chlorophonia amongst many others.

Our next stop was Lar Fortuna in the shadow of the Arenal volcano.

the morning of the 4th saw the clouds lift to give us a clear view of the volcano shrouded in cloud.

On the 5th we had an early start at the famous Arenal Observatory.  The feeders produced a good selection of Tanagers first thing, the highlight being the beautiful Golden-hooded Tanager

Walking around the grounds we had Black-crested Coquette, Yellow-throated Toucan, Scaly-breasted Hummingbirds and Emerald Tanager.  A Jumping Pit Viper was a big surprise, pointed out by our guide.

But the highlight of the trip was a Lesser Anteater above our heads.

Leaving the reserve we were treated to excellent views of Rufous-tailed Jacamar.

And Broad-billed Motmot.

On the 6th we left Fortuna, crossing Lake Arenal and the continental divide and dropping down into Monteverde.  The afternoon was spent around the gardens of the hotel where there was a very elusive Lesson's Motmot.

On the 7th we ere on a guided trip into the Cloud Forest at St Elena.  It wasn't the best conditions, the highlight being a Orange-kneed Tarantula.

In the afternoon we went on a exploratory walk up to the Monteverde reserve.  We were looking for Curi Cancha where we would go the following day, but decided to keep going.  Eventually we got a cab and spent the afternoon at the Cafe Colibri.  The walk did find us an Armadillo though.

The feeders at the cafe were busy the highlight being this Magenta Woodstar.

On the 8th we returned the Curi Cancha reserve, we had visited here back in 2017, boy had it changed.  It is now a huge operation with a large visitor centre and car park.  Our guide took us around the trails, like them all he was looking to deliver us Resplendent Quetzel.  He did, but unfortunately only a female.

Other highlights included a Squirrel Cuckoo

And a very close Emerald Toucanet.

We walked back to the hotel, which in hindsight was not the best thing to do.

We were moving again the next day, the 9th, this time down to the pacific coast and Manuel Antonio National Park.  We didn't have any tours booked this time and spent the time relaxing by the pool and on the beach.  I was always on the look out and we were able to find our first Three-toed Sloth of the trip.

Of the birds, the Western Osprey was a big surprise

From Quepos we traveled south on the 12th to the Osa Peninsula, this time we were staying at a different property to that we had in 2018, El Ramanso.  It required 4x4 transfer and on the way in we saw Scarlet Macaw and this Common Pootoo.

In the afternoon birds would come to an irrigation hose to drink and bathe and this produced two new hummingbirds for me, the Blue-throated Goldentail.

And White-crested Coquette.

The property was completely immersed in the jungle and the wildlife came to you.  On the 13th an early morning visit from the White-headed Capuchins

One of my highlights the Turquoise Cotinga

Of course the Scarlet Macaws.

And a male Red-capped Manakin, AKA the "Michael Jackson Bird"

That evening we did a night walk the highlight of which was this Fer-de-lance, one of the most venomous snakes in Costa Rica.

And of course the Red-eyed Tree Frog.

Early morning on the 14th we were off into the pastures on the outskirts of the jungle for a morning's birding.  We saw some great birds, the highlights being this Orchard Oriole

This Common Basilisk Lizard.

Crested Caracara

And a Bare-faced Tiger Heron in exactly the same spot we had seen on back in 2018

Back at El Ramanso there was a visit from a troop of Howler Monkeys.

 While this male Iguana was in the trees by the pool all afternoon.

On the 15th we left the Osa Peninsula for our final stop, an old favourite Kura at Uvita.  The journey was a lot easier than the last time and we arrived around lunch time.

On the 16th we were due to go Whale Watching, but the weather intervened and we moved it back a day.  The rain finally eased around early afternoon and the birds of prey came out around the hillside.

Crested Caracara

Black Hawk Eagle

And a big favourite of mine, the King Vulture

The next day, the 17th was our last full day in Costa Rica.  We spent the morning whale watching seeing Humpback Whales and Bottle-nosed Dolphins.  The afternoon was spent by the pool and late afternoon I was treated to a visit from a large flock of Wood Stork

And a stunning Sunset to say goodbye.

We were back home on the 19th and back out birding at Titchfield on the 22nd with only a Spoonbill of any note.  A Black-throated Thrush was reported in a private garden that weekend and after some good negotiations access was granted and I was able to get my second lifer of the the year.

There was a very confiding Fox at Titchfield on the 27th, while at Acres Down in the New Forest on the 28th the Lesser Spotted Woodpecker was joined by Crossbills and Dartford Warblers.

March

There was a very distant Long=tailed Duck off Hill Head on the 1st and a visit to Browndown south in the afternoon failed to find any Adder.  On the 3rd there was an incredible number of Mediterranean Gulls at the Oyster Beds on Hayling Island.

A visit to Keyhaven - Lymington on the 6th saw more Spoonbill and a couple of Spotted Redshank, while along the Titchfield Haven Canal Path 0n the 11th there were several Chiffchaff in song and a pair of Firecrest.

On the 14th it was a short trip to the Alresford Watercress beds, and at least two Water Pipits and three Green Sandpipers.  The highlight though was a Barn Owl hunting over the rough ground.

On the 15th it was a visit to Toyd Down where the first Wheatear of the year was on one of the tilled fields.

An afternoon visit to Martin Down turned up at least two Grey Partridge.  On the 18th at Titchfield Haven Avocet were mating and a pair of Tawny Owls remained hidden amongst the ivy on the east side of the reserve.

My first Brimstone was seen at Hook on the 20th, and a visit to Browndown in the afternoon turned up a Small Tortoiseshell and a Sandwich Tern, but again a blank on the Adders.

The 24th at Posbrook Floods both House Martin and Sand Martins, while the Glossy Ibis remained along with the male Goosander.  A trip to Testwood on the 27th saw two Little Ringed Plover and an early Wood Sandpiper.

Waders, specially Black-tailed Godwits, were showing off their summer plumage at Keyhaven - Lymington on the 29th.  With the good weather we tried a visit to Pig Bush to find some summer migrants but there were only Chiffchaff.  These were joined by several Firecrest and a Peregrine Falcon.

The last day of March, the 31st, was spent at Posbrook where the Glossy Ibis number increased to five.

Also on the floods was a very smart drake Garganey.

Spring was well and truly here and the weather was quite amazing for the time of year.