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What a Roller Carraca Europea Coraccias garrulus morning! |
Sunday 7 May
Away by 8 to meet up with my friend, Marieke in
Osuna so that I could take her on a clockwise birding round the "Osuna Triangle" with the emphasis on trying to find her both Rollers and Montagu's Harriers before her return to Belgium tomorrow. On the journey over I saw both
Hoopoe and
Azure-winged Magpies whereas Marieke looked up in early(ish) morning skies in the town to see not just the breeding
Common Swifts but also a quintet of
Honey Buzzards rising slowing on a thermal as they continued on their northern Journey to, perhaps, Marieke's study area in Belgium.
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Lots of Iberian Grey Shrikes Alcaudon Real Lanius meridionalis |
A quick coffee and then of to the starting point near motorway Junction 80 and almost immediately
House Sparrow,
Spotless Starling and the first of many
Red-legged Partridge. Lots of
Crested Larks about and then a
Raven carrying food passed over. A stop at the first culvert produced the expected
Cetti's Warbler and
Zitting Cisticola along with
Goldfinch and
Corn Bunting. Whilst I looked one way Marieke looked the other and found a trio of very high
Griffon Vultures. A little early to see our first
White Stork drifting westwards but then a trio of
Black Kites rose from the earth adjacent to the road. Whilst watching the departing raptors we noticed that a fourth individual had remained in situ to continue feeding on a rabbit carcass.
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Raven Cuervo Corvus corax with juvenile (?) below |
Continuing along the road next to the existing train line we had many sightings of
Crested Lark along with a few
Rock Dove and the first
Common Kestrel. However, it was more interesting to see a couple of
Iberian Grey Shrike and within fifty metres another three individuals. I think during the day we recorded at least eight. No sooner had we seen our first
Woodchat Shrike than we saw a rather heavy
Great White Egret moving to the left. And then the most wonderful surprise. Knowing that the
Collared Pratincoles would not e in their usual field, we looked across the railway line and the, to our delight, we must have have found at east twenty birds on the bare ground or flying above; obviously their nesting site for this year.
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Woodchat Shrike Alcaudon Comun Lanius senator |
As we made our way down the abandoned high speed track to the viaduct we added both
Stonechat and
Red-rumped Swallow and looking at the small herd of fighting bulls soon added a good number of
Cattle Egret. Closer inspection revealed a pair of
Mallard, more
Collared Pratincoles and a about a handful of
Lapwing. In the air both
Lesser Kestrels and a
Red Kite plus
Jackdaw and a single
Marsh Harrier.
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Turtle Dove Tortola Europea Streptopelia turtur |
All very quiet driving down the long, straight road to the entrance track to the old farm ruins. Just the single
Turtle Dove. A stop just ff the road to look at the first set of ruins produced numerous
Lesser Kestrels and
Jackdaws along with a few
Black Kites, one of which was resting in the tree immediately in front of us. To the bird's left a tree containing seven
Ravens and there were more in the air. A real "conspiracy of ravens!"
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Black Kite Milano Negro Milvus migrans |
Then the long drive down along the rutted track to the far ruined farm buildings. The "nesting tower" seemed to be occupied by
Spotless Starlings rather than
Jackdaws and just when we had given up hope as we passed by Marieke spotted the single
Roller hiding on the fence behind. Difficult to get a photograph but we consoled ourselves with the thought that we would have a better opportunity on the way back. But we need not had worried. Arriving at the old buildings, passing a single
Bee-eater on the way, we found a score or more
Rollers both resting and flying around with super sightings and the chance for photographs. This track also produced more
Hoopoes.
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Our first close-up of the spectacular Roller Carraca Europea Coraccias garrulus |
Not only
Rollers but lots of
Lesser Kestrels, too. Add on
Collared Dove and
Blackbird and this site was the best of the day.
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Female Lesser Kestrel Cernicalo Primilla Falco naumanni |
Eventually time to move on and we not only picked up a pair of
Bee-eaters on the return trip down the track but also a pair of
Rollers at the nesting tower.
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Another magnificent Roller Carraca Europea Coraccias garrulus |
A stop for tapas in
La Lantajuela then on to the lakes on to the eastern lakes bit not before taking a look at the local reserve. As usual, all was locked up so it was a case of standing on the wall and looking round the side of the, also locked, hide. The
Flamingos were obvious along with a close
Black-necked Grebe plus
Coot but the, scoping the water, we also managed to add
Shelduck,
Mallard,
Common and
Red-crested Pochard,
Gadwall and
White-headed Duck. The large heronry at the far end was made up of mainly
Cattle Egrets but also a few
Glossy Ibis and it would appear that some
Cormorants were also taking the opportunity to socialise. Over the water were feeding
Barn Swallows,
House Martins and at least a couple of
Whiskered Terns along with a
Yellow-legged Gull. Nearer to us we had a
Black-headed Gull sitting on her nest just off the shore and the neighbouring bushes housed
Nightingale,
Serin and
Reed Warbler. Similarly, at the far end we found a pair of
Black-winged Stilts and a
Marsh Harrier was quartering the distant trees.
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Always a Red-legged Partridge Perdiz Roja Alectoris rufa to be seen |
Just before we turned off the main road and on to the track to the back of the lagoon we finally saw our
Montagu's Harrier, a lovely male quartering the corn field on our left. What a wonderful sight as this graceful raptor worked its away up and down and not a bit fazed by the small flock of
Lesser Kestrels.
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Distant record shot of a male Montagu's Harrier Aguilucho Cenizo Circus pygargus |
Arriving at the laguna we found here was no laguna; all was completely dried up and looking like a white dust bowl. And that really was just about the end of our birding as the track/road back through the arable land produced nothing but a dozen or so
Cattle Egrets until near the very end when we had a dark morph
Booted Eagle. But with
58 species recorded we should be worried. And so Marieke returns to her home in Belgium and can look forward to returning in October and we can start birding all over again with, hopefully, a whole new set of birders including many waders and raptors.
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Never a moment when there wasn't a Corn Bunting Triguero Emberiza calandra posing and singing somewhere |
Birds seen:
Shelduck, Gadwall, Mallard, Red-crested Pochard, Common Pochard, White-headed Duck, Red-legged Partridge, Black-necked Grebe, Cormorant, Cattle Egret, Little Egret, Glossy Ibis, Great White Egret, White Stork, Flamingo, Honey Buzzard, Red Kite, Back Kite, Griffon Vulture, Marsh Harrier, Montagu's Harrier, Booted Eagle, Lesser Kestrel, Common Kestrel, Coot, Black-winged Stilt, Collared Pratincole, lapwing, Black-headed Gull, Yellow-legged Gull, Whiskered Tern, Rock Dove, Turtle Dove, Collared Dove, Common Swift, Bee-eater, Roller, Hoopoe, Crested Lark, Barn Swallow, Red-rumped Swallow, House Martin, Nightingale, Stonechat, Blackbird, Cetti's Warbler, Zitting Cisticola, Reed Warbler, Iberian Grey Shrike, Woodchat Shrike, Azure-winged Magpie, Jackdaw, Raven, Spotless Starling, House Sparrow, Serin, Goldfinch, Corn Bunting.
Check out the accompanying website at http://www.birdingaxarquia.weebly.com for the latest sightings, photographs and additional information.
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