Another report reflecting a good day's birding by John and Jenny Wainwright; they really are busy beavers at the moment and beginning to put me to shame so I shall have to get out and about tomorrow!
5th January
A bright, warm day but cold in the shade. We started off for the embalse at about 10am, we have found that it is not good setting off too early in the winter months as nothing moves until about lunchtime, when things have warmed up and the insects are about. We drove down the autovia A92 and off at the Morelada junction, through the village and then the road to Cacin. Just outside the village on the Cacin road we saw Blue Rock Thrush and a bit further on a Black Wheatear, Azure-winged Magpies and a few Stonechats.
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| Song Thrush Zorzal Comun Turdus philomelos (PHOTO: John Wainwright) |
At the Cacin dam - the water level was really low, exposing plenty of mud - but no waders were located. On the water there were Teal, Pochard, Mallard, Coots and Moorhens. On the mud and in the small bushes in the centre of the water there were masses of White Wagtails and Chiffchaff. A few Cormorants lined the skeletal trees on the far bank and on the power lines we found Wood Pigeon and a Common Magpie.
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| Common Sandpiper Andarrios Chico Actitis hypoleucos (PHOTO: John Wainwright) |
After coffee break, we parked up in our usual spot, our first sighting was a Common Sandpiper searching the waters edge for food and a White Wagtail which didn´t bother about me - as I got the picnic seat ready for Jenny - he was only five feet away at the most. A few Crossbills were heard in the trees and they were seen a tad later on.
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| Coal Tit Carbonero Garrapinos Parus ater (PHOTO: John Wainwright) |
On my walk down towards the camping site, I found a family of Short-toed Treecreepers, Coal Tits, Serins, Wood Pigeons, Great Tits and Chaffinches. On the water's edge by the pedalo enclosure I located the lone Egyptian Goose but some hikers put it to flight onto the embalse (sorry about picture quality I am having to learn the foibles of another camera, the other one gave up the ghost). Also in the area I saw Serins, a Robin, Blackbirds, Mistle Thrush and more Crossbills.
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| Egyptian Goose Ganse de Nilo Alopochen aegyptiaca (PHOTO: John Wainwright) |
After lunch we moved location and sat alongside the embalse and an olive grove, here we saw Long-tailed Tits, Song and Mistle Thrushes, male and female Blackcaps, Blue and Great Tits, Crested Larks, Magpie, Blackbirds, Chaffinches, White Wagtails, Sardinian Warblers, Crossbills and a couple of Collared Doves.
Strikes me the best policy is to sit and eat your lunch whilst the birds come to you! Great report John.
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