Cabo de Gata Day 3 with John and Jenny

Sunday 17 February

John and Jenny Wainwright stayed on for an extra night and so enjoyed another day at this beautiful site in Almeria and most certainly the weather was on their side the wind have dropped to give a beautiful warm and sunny day.

Trumpeter Finch Bucanetes githagneus (PHOTO: John Wainwright)

Cabo de Gata 17th February

Very little wind today, but quite warm.

We headed for the lighthouse at Cape Gata to try to get some more photos of the Trumpeter Finches. At the Alua del Mar (the old boat by the unopened visitors centre) we logged Black Wheatear, Thekla Lark, Goldfinches and House Sparrows, it wasn´t until we started up the hill to the transmitter station that we spotted three of our target bird namely the Trumpeter Finch on some nearby rocks. We continued up to the top but only a pair of Black Wheatears and three Red-legged Partridges were noted.

We then headed for the track at the rear of the salt-pans, here we got our first, second and third Dartford Warblers, along with Greenfinches, Sardinian Warblers and Crested Larks. On the salt-pans we recorded Slender-billed Gulls, a flock of eighteen Shelducks, Greater Flamingos, Redshank, Little Stint, Kentish Plovers and a Sanderling. A large raft of gulls was noted containing Yellow-legged and Auduoin´s and alongside these were a flock of 78 (Jenny´s count) Avocets. Further down the track we located  a Collared Dove, Common Chiffchaffs, Sardinian Warblers and then not one pair but two pairs of Spectacled Warblers, lots of Stonechats, Greenfinches (feeding on the millet plants), Meadow Pipits and two Hoopoes, a Common Kestrel was also spotted by the hay bales.

Spectacled Warbler Sylvia conspicilata (PHOTO: Jenny Wainwright)

We then headed for the Rambla where we logged Shovelers, Mallard, White-headed Ducks (no Wigeon here today), Common Coots and even the Cetti´s Warblers were singing today, a Northern Wheatear was spotted in the dunes and at the sea end of the rambla the Sanderlings were noted. More House Martins, Crag Martins and Swallows were logged here as we headed for our lunch hour.

A good ending to our trip.

Black Wheatear Oenanthe leucura (PHOTO: John Wainwright)

Greenfinch Carduelis chloris (PHOTO: John Wainwright)

Slender-billed Gull Larus genei (PHOTO: Jenny Wainwright)

Shelduck Tadorna tadorna  (PHOTO: John Wainwright)

Check out the accompanying website at http://www.birdingaxarquia.weebly.com for the latest sightings, photographs and additional information