Nothing like arriving early! John and Jenny Wainwright are already ensconced in the Cabo de Gata hotel as can be seen by the report just received. A sort of "Advanced party" but confirming that the Trumpeter Finches are about and waiting to be seen by the rest of us when we arrive tomorrow evening for a day's birding on Thursday.
Cabo de Gata: Tuesday 6th February
A chilly but sunny day at times
At hide 1 we saw Black-tailed Godwits, Greater Flamingos, Stonechats, Redshanks, Cormorants a couple of Dartford Warblers, Sandwich Terns, also Meadow Pipits.
We decided after we had booked in we would go to the headland to try for the Trumpeter Finch, "Oh what glad tidings", a lone bird landed on a rock not 15 metres from us and then decided to scurry around in the bushes, but at the same time giving us great views of itself. It is one of those birds that you can dismiss as a Sparrow unless you hear its call. Lots of House Sparrows about as well as Stonechats and Crested Larks. As we awaited for the possible return of the Trumpeter Finch we located a pair of Black Wheatears, Meadow Pipits, a male Blackcap and several Black Redstarts.
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| Trumpeter Finch Camachuelo Trompetero Bucanetes githagineus (PHOTO: John Wainwright) |
We started on the return journey and turned right at the first roundabout - this track is OK for 4x4,s but I would hesitate to bring a saloon car down here. Here we picked up Little Stints, Dunlins, Redshanks, Sanderlings, Turnstones, Kentish Plovers, Greater Flamingos, Shelduck, Avocets, White Wagtails, Yellow-legged and Lesser Black-backed Gulls, plus good numbers of Audouin's Gulls, while in the shrubs and hinterland we located Thekla Larks, Dartford Warblers at least 8 of these birds, Stonechats, Greenfinches, Goldfinches, Meadow Pipits and Southern Grey Shrikes.
Not a bad start to the two day trip..
Thanks John; you have already whetted our appetites.
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