Spanish Pyrenees

 Bonelli's Warbler

 Bonelli's Warbler

 Rock Thrush

.............  again

......... and again

 Rock Thrush

 Black Redstart

Northern Wheatear

 Northern Wheatear

 Yellowhammer

 Water Pipit

 Black Redstart

We managed a couple of days birding on our drive back to the UK in the Spanish Pyrenees around the Town of Jaca.  Sadly as can happen in the Pyrenees the weather wasn't great with low cloud,  rain and snow.  The first sight we visited was the ski resort of Candanchu, followed by the nearby Astun on the Col Du Somport.  We had a great four hours birding, watching Alpine and Red billed Chough, Alpine Accentors, Black Redstart, Water Pipit, Yellowhammer, Pied Wagtails and Northern Wheatear in good numbers, other sightings included Wryneck, Red-backed Shrike, Rock Thrush, Whinchat and Firecrest 

On the second day we had about four hours birding time, as we still had to drive across France.  Wanting to make the most of the time we had, after a typically Continental breakfast, we headed to the nearby Monastery De San Juan.  The weather still wasn't playing the game, hence the reason we do our Pyrenees tour a little later on in the year.  June is more favourable weather wise and also means plenty of flowers and butterflies.  Species highlights included Griffin and Egyptian Vulture, Lammergeier, Crested Tit, Bonelli's Warbler,  Rock Bunting, Rock Sparrow and Short-toed Treecreeper 

 Roe Deer

Chamois

Homeward Bound ! Guest post by Tracy Powell

It's time to go back to the UK for Mark, Scruffy and I.  We have had a fantastic month here and have had several guests out birding with us and I even went fishing with one couple.  I caught a 2lb Carp and thought I had hit the jackpot !  I enjoyed it out in the sunshine, sat in the peace and quiet, no cars, no television, no mobile phones ringing just the sounds of the water and nature - it was lovely - catching the fish was a bonus.

This week we have had two retired gentlemen out birding with us on a 4 day Spanish visit which seems to have gone really well.  We managed to show them everything they wanted to see, and more, in the time they had with us.

We collected them from the airport on Friday morning and birded en-route to the hotel.  After booking in and dropping their bags in the rooms, we had a light lunch and headed back out.  Birded all day for the next 3 days and dropped them back at the airport for late flight home on day four - Monday.  We like this format and have decided to offer a Spanish long weekend, so that people who work need only have 2 days off work.

Mark will put a trip report and an itinerary for the Spanish long weekend together when we get back.  If you would like to read either they will be available on our website from the right hand information panel shortly.

Whilst we were out and about yesterday we saw some farm workers gathering in the crop off the fields.   One farmer was using a vehicle for transport and in the next field that farmer was using a horse and cart - what a contrast between the two and an even bigger contrast with what our farmers in the UK have at their disposal.  Both these farmers were hand balling the bales in a temperature of about 20 degrees !
Hard work in anyones eyes  !

 My favourite day of this stay has to be the day we saw the    Great/Little Bustards it was amazing !  Even as a "non-birder" or a "birder by default" !! it will take some beating.

               

Heron species and so much more !

The weather was overcast this morning but that didn't stop us getting out and about.   The first field we stopped at held an impressive count of 160+ displaying Collared Pratincole.   They kept us entertained for a good half hour and we were able to get some great photographs. 

Collared Pratincole 

Come on ladies look at me ! 

Seems his display did the trick 

This male was not so lucky ! 

Collared Pratincole 

Mid morning saw us walking along the canal to the hide at El Hondo from the Vistabella Road. In the reed beds and from he hide we recorded 8 different species of Heron; Squacco, Grey, Purple, Black-crowned Night, Cattle Egret, Little, Great White and Little Bittern. 

The boardwalk to the hide had obviously not been used recently because as we walked down it we were covered in spiders webs and mosquitoes lovely !! Luckily the spiders had trapped most of the mossies so we didn't get bitten too much. Great Reed Warbler, Reed Warbler, Little Grebe, Pochard and Moustache Warbler were also recorded en route. 

Once in the hide we had excellent views of the Osprey on the nest and the White-headed Duck, the two birds we had primarily visited the hide to see. The water level was high as was the bird count; Flamingos (250+), White-headed Duck (20+), Pochard (50+) and Black-necked Grebe (50+). Whiskered Tern, Black Tern, Little Tern, Marbled Teal (2), Little Grebe and Great Crested Grebe - a great start to the day.

Little Bittern 

Little Bittern 

Great Crested Grebe

Black-necked Grebe

Whiskered Tern 

White-headed Duck 

Purple Heron 

Cattle Egret 

Great Reed Warbler 

The cloud soon cleared and although the temperature did not break 20 degrees it was still pleasant enough to sit outside our favourite Tapas bar and enjoy a light lunch of Russian Salad, Breaded Chicken, Paella and Potato skins drizzled in olive oil and coated in salt & pepper - wonderful authentic food rounded off with some strong black coffee. 
Once our bellies were refuelled we headed back out for our regular weekend round-up of the local fields.  Amongst all the usual suspects we also recorded Yellow Wagtail (2), Glossy Ibis (3) and both Marsh and Montagu's Harrier.  We saw several flooded fields but there still doesn't appear to be many migrant waders about, there has been a large movement of hirundines in the the last 24 hours and we had two seperate sightings of Alpine Swift. 

Last stop, the place all men take their wives to during a weekend drive - the local tip ! Hundreds of birds fight over the spoils despite there being more than enough to go around. We watched Med Gull, Black-headed Gull, Yellow-legged Gull, Cattle Egret, Stock Dove and Spotless Starling in vast numbers along with 2 Grey Heron and a White Stork pick through the debris, seemingly unaffected by the refuse vehicles regularly driving past them. Viewing is limited to one or two spots at this sight but if you want to polish up your Gull ID skills then this is place to be. On the other hand if you want to impress your other half - it definitely is not ! The smell is non too fresh and depending on the wind/ heat factor can be unbearable. Not even the promise of an expensive bottle of Chanel is enough brownie points to class this venue as acceptable on a date ! 

Talking of White Storks, last night we added it to our garden list - about 6pm a White Stork flew over the villa. Quite comical really, not the Stork, Mark, running from the shower room up to the solarium, with the camera in one hand and a firm hold of the towel he was wearing in the other ! And they tell me that bird watching is a hobby for the more discerning amongst us !

White Stork going over the villa at Quesada 

Yecla 18th April 2013 - Black-bellied Sandgrouse

Although we are a little earlier at this site than last year we had hope for both Pin-tailed and Black-bellied Sandgrouse without too much trouble.  This did not prove to be the case.  If our quarry had been Larks and Wheatear we would have "bagged up" with 3 species of Wheatear and 5 species of Lark in plentiful numbers.  The Sandgrouse however, did not want to play, and stayed well hidden even though we could hear them around us.  It occurred to us that looking for the Sandgrouse today had become a bit like fishing when you are not getting a bite - you get "sinking float syndrome" ie:  you begin to imagine your float has gone under, just as we thought every "big blob" in the distance looked like a Sandgrouse !  We had the usual "Stone Bird", "Stick Bird" and "Black Bin Bag Bird" even a "Water Hydrant Tap Bird"!   Determined to locate at least one flock of the real thing, we persevered and were rewarded with a flock of 8 Pin-tailed and 13 Black-bellied Sandgrouse with 2 Little Bustard some distance from the track.  What a relief, not just for us, but because they are still there as over the years we have been visiting this site the landscape has changed considerably and it would be shame for the birds to lose their habitat completely.

It was very hot out here today the temperature reaching a high of 28 degrees, and the heat haze made it difficult to photograph the Sandgrouse, but we have included a few of the better pictures even though they are quite distant.

The track we always use has become very rough and at a couple of points is almost too pot-holed to travel along, so we decided to explore the area a little further afield and see if we could find an alternative route. Just before where we get off the main road to this site there is a small camino (service road), which proved to be perfect.  It still takes us around the same site, but it is much more comfortable and a lot kinder to our car !

Species recorded:  Bee-eater, Nightingale (1), Turtle Dove (1), Spotless Starling, House Martin, Pallid Swift, Collared Dove, Hoopoe, Magpie, Corn Bunting, Carrion Crow, Calandra Lark, Thekla Lark, Crested Lark, Short-toed Lark, Lesser Short-toed Lark, Goldfinch, Spotted Flycatcher (1), House Sparrow, Swallow, Common Swift, Woodchat Shrike (1), Iberian Green Woodpecker (1), Red-legged Partridge, Greenfinch, Little Bittern, Sardinian Warbler, Black-bellied Sandgrouse (13), Little Bustard (2 in flight) , Black-eared Wheatear, Northern Wheatear, Black Wheatear and Kestrel

Calandra Lark 

Bee-eater

Black-bellied Sandgrouse 

Sardinian Warbler

Spanish Swallowtail

Spanish Swallowtail

Tiger Swallowtail

Great Bustard - no Trouble !! Part two

Around 4pm we arrived at the Laguna de Petrola, a short drive from the small town of Higueruela.  As I said in part one, the water level was high making it impossible to drive around the lagoon. The frogs were in fine voice and could be heard above the birdsong.

Around the lagoon, on the flooded plain were several pools of rain water holding Mallard Duck, Coot, Black-winged Stilt and Avocet. We watched a Marsh Harrier fly across the field and get everything up in its wake.  Other birds recorded on the lagoon and on the surrounding farm land:  Corn Bunting, Collared Dove, Yellow Wagtail, Gadwall (pr), Black-headed Gull, Kentish Plover, Ruff,  Lapwings, Black-winged Stilt, Red Shank, Little Egret, Pochard, Red-crested Pochard, Moorhen, Gull-billed Tern, Whiskered Tern, Black Tern, Black-necked Grebe, Little Grebe, Red-rumped Swallow,  Barn Swallow, House Martin, Flamingo, Pallid Swift, Common Swift, Avocet, Northern Wheatear, Rock Sparrow, Kestrel, Woodchat Shrike, Great Reed Warbler and Reed Warbler.

Marsh Harrier 

 Gull-billed Tern

Black Tern 

Coral Rubio was our next point of call.  On previous trips this area has provided us with good views of both Black-bellied and Sandgrouse as well as both Great and Little Bustard.  So full of high expectations of adding to our already excellent days birding we stopped at the flood plains first.  Wildfowl was abundant as were the fantastic Bustards that we parked up and watched on both sides of the road for about an hour.  We have selected some of the better shots to show you.

Until now the Sandgrouse has eluded us but just as we were about to leave Mark spotted a pair of Pintails on the hill, following 3 male Great Bustard in flight. Although no further different species were recorded at this sight, the sheer amount of Bustard and the fact that we were able to get so close to them without disturbing them made the stop a pleasure.

What a day of birding - more to come from our stay in Spain. Also news from Ashley on the Aquila Bird Tours Scottish Highlands trip which started today - watch this space !