Bermejales with John and Jenny

Sunday 30 June

Lovely report from John Wainwright re his visit with lovely wife, Jenny to the large Embalse Bermedjales last Sunday.

Bermejales 30th June

A very hot sticky day with a slight breeze.

As it was Sunday morning and house jobs finished, we decided to take a picnic  down to the above Embalse, en route we saw Spotless Starlings, a few Woodpigeon and Collared Doves.

After coffee we drove down to our local spot, but I think everyone but the local vicar was there, so we drove back over the dam seeing House Martins and turned into the woodland by the overspill channel.

After parking we headed to the little footbridge and looking down to the embalse we counted four Little Ringed Plovers and three Grey Wagtails, then we walked down the track under the pines to the extremity of the embalse.  As we went down we could hear the Golden Orioles but no sign of them yet.  Plenty of Goldfinches and Spotless Starlings, Crossbills were about and good sightings of Coal Tits were logged.  As we approached the end of the track not just one but five Great Spotted Woodpeckers flitting from tree to tree, and one even dropped to the ground to have a drink from an irrigation pipe that was bleeding water. then a Green Woodpecker disturbed it . 

On the way back to the car a few Blackbirds were seen as were lots of Greenfinches and as we settled down for lunch a family of Long-tailed Tits were spotted by Jenny, then two Crossbills landed in the fir tree above us and across at the overspill channel we could here the Marsh Frogs calling.  So we walked over to the channel but couldn´t find them but we did see White Wagtails and across the embalse a large number of Common Swifts were hunting.  In the pools lots of fish fry were trapped waiting for a rush of water that would sweep them into the embalse and not such easy prey for Herons.  As we started walking away from the channel a juvenile Great Spotted Woodpecker flew onto the side of the footbridge, hung there for a good two minutes then dropped into the sluggish pool below. 

Juvenile Great Spotted Woodpecker Dendrocopos major (PHOTO: Jenny Wainwright)

After it had had its drink it flew back up into the firs to our right so whether or not it was part and parcel of the earlier group we will never know!  Up the channel (we had walked back to see the "woodpecker") on the mossy slopes, a group of Greenfinches were drinking and then joined by a Cirl Bunting, while across the channel a Short-toed Treecreeper had put in an appearance.  As we turned round a male Golden Oriole flew out of the trees where we had been sitting earlier. Still, back in the chairs and a drink having being taken, we watched a House Sparrow feeding its young, then a family of Blue Tits came in followed by a dozen or more juvenile Goldfinches.  A Great Tit made a short stop as did a juvenile Crossbill before dropping down into the channel for a wash and brush-up and a drink.  A Sardinian Warbler was heard in the bushes but no sighting then a Bee-eater went over and the Common Swifts were joined by Barn Swallows and House Martins.  As we left this area and headed for the Cacin Gorge a Red-rumped Swallow was noted as were Azure-winged Magpies and Crested Larks.

At the gorge Crag Martins, Sardinian Warblers, Jackdaws more Crested Larks, House Sparrows and Woodpigeons were noted while along at the "lake" Common Coots, Pochard, Moorhens, a Ferruginous Duck, a Little Grebe and a female Marsh Harrier dropped in at the last moment as did a Common Magpie.  Along the road heading towards Turron, Bee-eaters, Chaffinches and Blackbirds were seen.  We then took the back road past the Saker cages through to Morelada and joined the autovia back to home.

Not a terrific amount of birds but the food was good!!!!!

Lots of butterflies about again today including Bath White (Pontia daplidice), Small White (Artogeia rapae), Large White( Pieris brassicae), Cardinal (Padoriana pandora), Speckled Wood (Parar

ge aegeria), Pale Clouded Yellows (Colias hyale), Brown Argus (Aricia agestis), Spanish Marbled White (Melanargia ines) and Gatekeeper (Pyronia tithonus).  (Just for the lepidopterists among you.)

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