A "legal" birding walk!

25 March 2020

Good to know that friends back in the UK can sympathize with we Spanish-dwellers who are unable to get out and about for a little birding.  For me it is always delightful to read the reports of other birders, admire their photographs, etc and get a general birding buzz.  The latest, below, comes from another friend back home in dear old Blighty and just goes to show what might be seen when you are legally taking a short walk over there rather than here.  Enjoy.

Out at 06:15 with the temperature about 5C with the sun low in the sky, trying to avoid those polluting pets being walked. and the rest.  Home by 08:00 having seen only a single cyclist ,and a couple walking so to avoid them I crossed over the other side of the road.  I see that it is raining on the Costa but hopefully it will stop well before lunch.  Destiny was the big quarry routing via the main road and the garden centre.  Bits and bobs on the way but as I didn’t surprisingly see one later, of note was a male Mallard on a field flood.

Off the main road not having seen Oystercatcher in the garden centre, quickly finding House Sparrow, Dunnock, Chaffinch, Robin, Greenfinch and Blackbird.  A couple of Jackdaw flew down the field where in the corner I could see some potential winter thrushes in a tree in the corner of the field.  They fortunately flew down into the field beyond so I was able to view them.  There were at least 14 Fieldfare and a handful of Starling.   In the same field a Buzzard was ensconced on a wooden post.   A Song Thrush was singing and I heard several later.  A Kestrel flew away from me, from a close by tree of me.  A Chiffchaff was “chiffing” ahead of me which when I viewed it was in a tree directly above me.  But before that I heard, then saw, 3 Black Headed Gull, and when I got a view onto the Quarry water the only gull was of that species.

Fieldfare Turdus pilaris (PHOTO: Bob Wright)

My first view onto the water through the tight mesh with its 40x10 mm gaps was of a pair of Teal flying right to left.  Further away I could see 3 Great Crested Grebe, a couple of male Shoveler.  From a view further along the path 3 Cormorant were resting on some rocks protruding from the water, a few Tufted Duck, a male Gadwall and Coot.

Male Tufted Duck Aythya fuligula (PHOTO: Bob Wright)

Yet further along, whilst I couldn’t see it, a Little Grebe was quarrelling and 2 Canada and 2 Grey-lag Geese were on the margin of the water.

About turn and re-tracing my steps in the field to the left a male Pheasant with a couple of lady friends.  A Skylark was singing whilst flying laterally.  A few Goldfinch were messing about.  I heard then saw a couple of Long Tailed Tit, 3 Blue Tit showed themselves, as did 2 Great Tit.

Great Tit Parus major (PHOTO: Bob Wright)

When near the Fieldfare field , who had all disappeared, to the left I could see 6 large gulls flying line astern, which with their wing movements being “all primaries” were certainly Lesser Black-backed Gull.  Wood Pigeon were omnipresent as were Crow.  I couldn’t decide whether I was viewing a Stock Dove so it remains one of the Feral Pigeons.

Wood Pigeon Columba palumbus (PHOTO: Bob Wright)

A good walk of about 6 miles with few pauses to take breath and 30 plus species.  I’ve exercised my rights.

Birds seen on the walk:
Greylag Goose, Canada Goose, Gadwall, Mallard, Shoveler, Teal, Tufted Duck, Pheasant, Little Grebe, Great Crested Grebe, Cormorant, Buzzard, Kestrel, Coot, Black-headed Gull, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Wood Pigeon, Collared Dove, Wren, Dunnock, Robin, Blackbird, Fieldfare, Chiffchaff, Long-tailed Tit, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Magpie, Jackdaw, Carrion Crow, Starling, House Sparrow, Chaffinch, Greenfinch, Goldfinch.

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