Huetor Tajar with John Wainwright

Tuesday 9 February 

Linnet (PHOTO: John Wainwright)

Great to see my friend John Wainwright out and about on his local patch even if he left the lady wife, Jenny, to spend the family heirlooms at the local market in Huertor.  Must have realised the error of his ways as she was quickly retrieved before taking her back to the birds!

Huetor Tajar  9 February

Warm, overcast, then a very chilly wind started up.

I dropped Jenny off at the Tuesday market in Huetor and drove over to the small stream to the north of the village.  Here in the poplar copse, I saw Bramblings, Chaffinches, Crested Larks, Azure-winged Magpies, Black Redstart and Wood Pigeons.  Up at the stream numerous Chiffchaff were about, as well as Spotless Starlings, Blackbirds, a couple of Moorhens and more Azure-wings.  As I approached the ford and across the stream in the bare lightning struck tree, a Little Owl posed for a few photos, while over and above the stream a flock of some thirty House Martins with at least twelve Barn Swallows were seen.  White Wagtails and Linnets, along with a single Meadow Pipit, a Hoopoe and a couple of Stonechats.

Little Owl (PHOTO: John Wainwright)

Moving along to the new olive press we spotted at a fair distance a flock of some seventy five Little Bustards with a large number of Lapwings interspersed with them.

Stone Curlew (PHOTO: John Wainwright)

I picked up Jenny from the market and came back to the small footpath that cuts across to the railway track, here we saw Linnets, a huge flock of some hundred or more Sparrows, most of them being Tree Sparrows with House Sparrows mixed in, more Stonechats, Black Redstarts, Crested Larks, Blackbirds and Linnets were noted in and around the olive trees here.  While looking out over the fields we spotted another target bird that being the Stone Curlew and a small movement in the olive tree to our front gave us a pair of Dartford Warblers.  A Buzzard was heard mewing here but not spotted.  We stood a while watching the men plant new asparagus plants.  This gave the Tree Sparrows time to get back to their perches in the olive trees hopefully for some photos.  Returning back down the path to the car the wind turned strong and really cold, the Tree Sparrows were there and we did see the Dartfords again plus a Meadow Pipit.

Tree Sparrow (PHOTO: John Wainwright)

 As we headed for the autovia to home we picked up Jackdaws, Buzzard and a Common Kestrel.

Dartford Warbler (PHOTO: John Wainwright)

So, the Bramblings have finally arrived so me thinks I may have to drive across.