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Sunday 7 January 2018

28-3-2017 CARARA NAT PARK, COSTA RICA - NORTHERN GHOST BAT (Diclidurus albus)


The northern ghost bat can be distinguished from other members of its genus by the presence of a vestigial thumb with a near-absent claw. Amongst the northern ghost bat population, sexual dimorphism is present. Specifically, males tend to be slightly larger in size when compared to females. Diclidurus albus is intermediate in weight relative to other members of the family Emballonuridae.

The northern ghost bat has a widely shaped clavicle bone, with large areas of attachment for the pectoralis muscle. It also has a large glandular structure on its uropatagium. The functional significance of this glandular structure is thought to be analogous to that of wing sacs in other emballonurids. When breeding, the wing sacs of other emballonurids become enlarged to attract females.
The penis of the northern ghost bat does not employ a baculum, but rather, is composed of four cartilaginous bodies. It is about 5.5 mm long and 3.1 mm in diameter. The glans penis is white in color, and the prepuce is encased in a layer of short, fine hair. The testes are spindle-like in shape, symmetrical, and enclosed in a black tunica. In females, the ovaries are ovoid in shape and are roughly 2.8 mm long and 0.8 mm in diameter.


28-3-2017 CARARA NAT PARK, COSTA RICA - LEAST FLYCATCHER (Empidonax minimus)





30-3-2017 HOTEL BOUGANVILLEA, COSTA RICA - RUFOUS TAILED HUMMINGBIRD (Amazilia tzacatl)









30-3-2017 HOTEL BOUGANVILLEA, COSTA RICA - CLAY COLOURED THRUSH (Turdus grayi)


7-1-2018 VILLALONGA RESERVOIR, VALENCIA - EURASIAN GREAT CORMORANT (Phalacrocorax carbo)






7-1-2018 LA FONT EN CARROS, VALENCIA - WHITE WAGTAIL (Motacilla alba)



7-1-2018 LA FONT EN CARROS, VALENCIA - MEADOW PIPIT (Anthus pratensis)


7-1-2018 LA FONT EN CARROS, VALENCIA - COMMON CHIFFCHAFF (Phylloscopus collybita)



6-1-2018 MONTE CORONA, VALENCIA - VESPERUS BEETLE (Superfamily Chrysomeloidea)










Saturday 6 January 2018

28-3-2017 VILLA LAPAS, COSTA RICA - BLACK SPINY TAILED IGUANA (Ctenosaura similis)



29-3-2017 HOTEL BOUGANVILLEA,COSTA RICA - RUFOUS COLLARED SPARROW (Zonotrichia capensis)



29-3-2017 HOTEL BOUGANVILLEA, COSTA RICA - GROOVE BILLED ANI (Crotophaga sulcirostris)




27-3-2017 VILLA LAPAS, COSTA RICA - CRIMSON PATCH BUTTERFLY (Chlosyne janais)





27-3-2017 VILLA LAPAS, COSTA RICA - CLAY COLOURED THRUSH (Turdus grayi)



27-3-2017 VILLA LAPAS, COSTA RICA - TROPICAL KINGBIRD (Tyrannus melancholicus)


The tropical kingbird (Tyrannus melancholicus) is a large tyrant flycatcher. This bird breeds from southern Arizona and the lower Rio Grande Valley of Texas in the United States through Central America, South America as far as south as central Argentina and eastern Peru, and on Trinidad and Tobago. Birds from the northernmost and southern breeding areas migrate to warmer parts of the range after breeding.


An adult tropical kingbird is 22 cm (8.7 in) long, weighs 39 g (1.4 oz) and has a wingspan range of 38–41 cm. The head is pale gray, with a darker eye mask, an orange crown stripe, and a heavy gray bill. The back is grayish-green, and the wing and forked tail are brown. The throat is pale gray, becoming olive on the breast, with the rest of the underparts being yellow. The sexes are similar, but young birds have pale buff edges on the wing coverts.