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

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

Fishing trip to Crevillent Lake -Saturday 13th April 2013

For the last two days we have had a young couple out here with us who are not birders, but like the outdoors and wanted to spend a day fishing.  After our uneventful afternoon on the Segura earlier in the week, we decided to take some advice from the owner of the local tackle shop at San Fulgencio.

Armed with directions for the Crevillent Lake, plenty of liquids and factor 30, we loaded the fishing tackle into the car and set off for the 20 minute drive.

Despite its name, the "lake" is actually a reservoir approximately the size of lake Windermere in Cumbria. There are very few places to fish and access to the water is down quite a steep bank. Had we known there were limited fishing spots we may have chosen to go on a weekday,  as a lot of locals fish for food at the weekends. Luckily we had arrived early and were able to secure what turned out to be one of the best pegs of the day.

Total catch during 6 hours fishing amounted to 142 (not a typo !) small grey Mullet (average 3 to 4oz), 1 Common & 1 Mirror Carp (about 4lb) and 2 Sunfish.  All of which, to the complete dismay of the local fishermen, were returned to the water as they were caught. 

Spanish moon moth

Just sat having a beer with dad after a long day birding, more details and pics tomorrow but for now, what do you think of this beast we are sharing our table with!

18th April Torremendo

This time last year we visited the popular fishing lakes at Torremendo and so returned today with the hope of some good birding.  Access to some parts of the lake have been closed off to vehicles but access on foot is still available.  We recorded 51 species in the 3 hours we were there and were entertained for a while by an Ocellated Lizard (hopefully got that one right !). See picture below.

"Let the building begin" The hard working House Martin  

Sub-Alpine, Sardinian, Spectacled, Fantail and Melodius, Warblers showed well at different areas of the site.  Goldfinch, Linnet, Nightingale, Chiffchaff, Woodchat Shrike, Iberian Grey Shrike and Hoopoe were all in good voice and posed well for us. 

Gull-billed Tern, Whiskered Tern,  Mediterranean Gull, Yellow-legged,  Common Shelduck, Great Crested Grebe, Common & Pallid Swift,  Red-rumped Swallow, Swallow, Sand Martin, House Martin,  Little Ringed Plover, Spotless Starling and Magpie. 

Several Squacco Heron were seen and 9  Grey Herons sat watching us watching them.  

Other highlights were 17 Bee-eater and a female Sparrow Hawk. 

Melodius Warbler

Sierra De Espuna / Guadalentin Valley

Today we left Quesada at 08.45am to visit the Parque Regional Sierra Espuna, arriving at approx. 10.00am to bright sunshine, a light breeze and a temperature of 24 degrees. The road climbs slowly winding around the forest with several safe and purpose built pull in spots; however, we have found the best way to properly appreciate the spectacular surroundings and impressive mountain views, is to avoid the temptation of stopping on the way up and start from the top. The landscape at the top is bare compared with the terrain further down which is dominated by pinewoods planted at the beginning of the 19thcentury. A perfect setting for our main targetbirds of Tawny Pipit, Rock Bunting and Wood Lark - all of which have been reported at this site previously. Tawny Pipit more recently, but less frequently, is on our “most wanted” list.

We were hardly out of the car at the top of the Parque when we were treated to the unmistakeable song of Red-billed Chough circling above us in good numbers of 50+ - a great start to our onsite bird list. There is very little human activity at this height and we were hopeful of the Tawny Pipit here. A short wait rewarded us with good views of Thekla Lark, Mistle Thrush & Rock Bunting.

Rock Bunting

Amid the rocks the wild flowers were abundant and numerous species provide a display of colour in this varied habitat. Whilst admiring the flora we heard the distinct call of the male Tawny Pipit. Three birds were chasing each other across the road just above where we were standing. We watched them through the scope and binoculars for some time before deciding to get settled into place and wait in the hope of getting a good photograph. Our patience paid off - what a beautifully marked little bird!

Tawny Pipit

With our “most wanted” bird spectacularly recorded we started our descent to the nearby visitor café/bar. A cup of coffee was on the menu – what we actually got was a lot more than we bargained for! The café/bar was closed (we have since learnt that it is only open at the weekends), but there at the top of the steps was a very dis”grunt”led wild boar! Without upsetting him and his feeding family we were able to get some good shots of the group – from a very safe distance and the security of our car.

As we slowly made our way down the mountain, birding as we went and pulling in to scan the habitat and enjoy the views, we recorded Iberian Grey Shrike, Serin, Sardinian Warbler, Red-rumped Swallow, Short-toed Treecreeper, Great Tit, Long-tailed Tit, Crossbill, Coal Tit, Firecrest, Crested Tit and Stonechat before pulling over to enjoy lunch 'Al Fresco'.
Song Thrush, Magpie and Robin were added to the days sightings as we enjoyed our lunch looking out across the mountains with the pine trees behind us. We continued down the mountain and stopped at the visitor centre, where environmental and conservation information is readily available in English and Spanish. Toilet facilities are available here and are open every day.
At the next viewing point we were entertained by a particularly active Ardillas (Squirrel) and a very vocal Tree Pipit. One of which (the squirrel) was definitely not shy and showed off to its admiring audience whilst the other (Tree Pipit) stayed well and truly hidden in the mature trees in front of us. Short-toed Treecreeper, Wren, Jay and Blackbird were all added to the days total as we approached the exit to the Parque and the perfect habitat for Wood Lark. The familiar songs of the Wood Lark rang out loud and clear for us to enjoy whilst we scanned the trees ever hopeful of completing our target list for the day. A single bird completed our treble and we left the site to the sound of the Rana Perezei Frog which is present in the small springs which represent a small part of this interesting and varied habitat. It should be noted that there was a distinct lack of the expected Raptors at this site, with only Kestrel being recorded. A full species list for this site (incl. enroute) can be found at the end of this report.

Short-toed Treecreeper

Guadalentin Valley

The Guadalentin Valley is a river valley which is surrounded by agricultural land and numerous small reservoirs used for irrigation during the summer. We had no target birds here as this site regularly produces a wealth of birdlife and is guaranteed to satisfy all levels of birder. We arrived on site at approx. 14.30 – the temperature had risen to 30 degrees enroute. There was some activity in the fields today as the land owners were harvesting and we wondered if it would affect our enjoyment of the area. In fact that couldn’t be further from the truth, we were entertained by Rollers, Bee-eaters, Greater-spotted Cuckoo and Kestrel within the first half hour of arriving. Tree Sparrow showed well as did a Montagu’s Harrier hunting in the afternoon sun.
One of the reservoirs held nesting Little Grebe, a small cluster of Trees above the dry river bed held the Cuckoo and the Rollers put in a star performance.

Roller - What a stunning bird to round off our day !

Back to normal birding - The Bluethroat challenge

The sun has been shining again over the last few days and today was not an exception, with the temperature peaking at 24 degrees celsius which is about 75 fahrenheit. So with it being warm and subsequently having great light I decided to try and get some nice Bluethroat or Raptor shots at El Hondo. Unfortunetley neither went to plan. The Bluethroats were all being very skulky and the Raptors were all soaring at about 1000 feet!! I did manage one reasonable Bluethroat picture (below) but hopefully will be able to get something better if the sun decides to stay with us for a few more days. Click on the picture to enlarge them.

During the 5 hours on site a number of note worthy sightings were made, these include - Booted Eagle (7), Greater Spotted Eagle (1 - 3rd winter), Hen Harrier (1 Male), Common Crane (7), Glossy Ibis (14), Great Egret (1), Wood Sandpiper (1), Purple Swamphen (4), White-headed Duck (1 Male), Marbled Teal (2), Red-crested Pochard (37) and 48 Pintail.

Bluethroat

Ruddy Darter

The bright warm weather has also brought all the insects back out and Dragonflies were everywhere including what I presume to be a Ruddy Darter pictured above, I have only just began to venture into the world of Dragonfly identification so hopefully I have got this one correct! Not only were the Bluethroats not "playing the game" but neither were this shepards goats, he was shouting at them to move out of the road and trying his best but in the end gave up and continued towards the next field on the grazing list!

Local Farmer - El Hondo

Gibraltar Mon 29th Nov - Friday 3rd Dec

The "Rock"

View across to Spain
View of Africa from the Obs

On Monday morning Ray Marsh, my dad Mark Powell and myself set out in the direction of Gibraltar for a few day ringing and birding. I had never previously been to the "rock" and as the above pictures show it quite a sight and very imposing on the surrounding landscape. On the way down we decided to stop off at Fuente de Piedra near Malaga to look for a Lesser Flamingo which had been here last week. Unfortunatley we were unsuccessful but we did manage to find 2 Red-crested Coots within the huge wildfowl flock on the lake.

We arrived at the bird observatory in the afternoon in the heavy rain, as a result we didn't get the chance to do much birding. I did however get my first views of Africa (see above) and we took advantage of the poor weather by preparing everything for putting the nets up in the morning.

Common Crane

We awoke to the sound of lashing rain and decided quickly to spend the day birding La Janda near Cadiz as ringing would not be possible. The rain and wind made it hard going at times but this area is superb for birds and we were not disappointed, during 4 hours at the site we recorded of note; Common Crane (500+!!), White Stork (20+), Purple Swamphen (30+), Water Rail (2), Green Sandpiper (5), Golden Plover (30), Lapwing (100+), Marsh Harrier (40+ including 14 in the air together), Hen Harrier (2- male and female), Common Buzzard (20+) and Black-winged Kite (4).

Wednesday, Thursday and Friday morning were spent ringing and in total we caught 72 birds with 3 retraps comprising - Robin (34), Black Redstart (17), Sardinian Warbler (10), Blackcap (7), Blackbird (3), Blue Tit (1), Chaffinch (1), Song Thrush (1) and the star of the trip, a single Crag Martin!

Obviously our days were dominated by ringing but we did also have some birding highlights whilst at the obs, which included - Firecrest (3), Griffon Vulture (1), Barbary Partridge (2), Great Skua (1 past Europa point), Kittiwake (1 ad + 1 juv past Europa point) and 2 White Stork in off the sea. We also took the time to get some pictures of the resident Barbary Macaques! See below.

Song Thrush


Sardinian Warbler



Black Redstart - 1st winter



Black Redstart - Male

Black Redstart - Male

Crag Martin

Crag Martin

Barbary Macaque

Barbary Macaque

Barbary Macaque