Cabo de Gata & Rambla Morales: Wednesday 9th May
Paul
& Reyna picked me up today from Arboleas to convey me down to Cabo
de Gata. Don't ask about my truck! As we drove through Retamar Sur, Paul
spotted a pair of overflying Monk Parakeets. I know of a little colony
at El Toyo a few kilometres away. We met up with John, Les, Trevor and
Ann at the Pastelaria cafe just prior to Pujaire. After a cuppa we made
our way to the first hide. By the time we'd arrived Les had already seen
a Gull Billed Tern disappearing into the ether. On the water there were
a few Greater Flamingos, Shelduck, Slender Billed Gulls and Mallards.
There was a Yellow Legged Gull on the rocky causeway, but the most
numerous birds were Avocets. Also seen were Redshank, a
Spotted Redshank, Black Tailed Godwit, Common Sandpiper, Black Winged
Stilt, Little Egret & Kentish Plover. Les found an Iberian race
Yellow Wagtail. A Grey Heron flew in. A couple of Iberian Grey Shrikes
were seen. I discovered a very distant Spotted Flycatcher. A Hoopoe flew
past as did a Kestrel.
Moving
on to the second hide we added a Blackbird en route. Once in the hide
we added nothing to the list on the salina. Trevor spotted a small bird
in a large shrub. It turned out to be a Melodious Warbler. Les found a
distant Woodchat Shrike. As we were leaving we saw a pair of Chiffchaff
in another shrub being harassed by a Dartford Warbler.
We
then travelled the short distance to the public hide. A pair of Red
Rumped Swallows were dipping & diving above it. In the fenced
enclosure we saw 4 Willow Warblers. We added a Ringed Plover &
Little Stint.
We
then convoyed up and over the " mountain" road towards the lighthouse
turning left towards the Vela Blanca ridge. Us in the first car dipped
out on Sardinian Warbler, Black Wheatear & Alpine Swift the two
other car's occupants saw, but we did see the latter two up on the
crest. Heading back we came across a very obliging Trumpeter Finch
perched on a power line.
We
now moved on to the Rambla Morales. Some resting House Martins were on
the track. John managed to get his car stuck in soft sand, but after a
bit of shoving it was extricated! There were a few Sanderling at the
estuary. An Audouin's Gull flew in. There was a small mixed flock of
Greenfinch & House Sparrow. Paul spotted some flying Cormorants.
From the "hump" we added White Headed Duck, Coot & Moorhen. Both
Black Necked & Little Grebes were seen in breeding plumage.
We ended the day with 53 species and happily managed to avoid the later thunderstorms but not a few mosquito bites!
Regards, Dave
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| Willow Warbler Phylloscopus trochilus (PHOTO: David Elliott-Binns) |
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| Trumpeter Finch Bucanetes githagineus (PHOTO: David Elliott-Binns) |
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| Black-necked Grebe Podiceps nigricollis (PHOTO: David Elliott-Binns) |
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