Algarrobo Costa

 Thursday 7 January 

After all the recent good weather the wet days had to eventually arrive.  And they did, with a vengeance, starting after lunch yesterday and no let up since, albeit the occasional easing up a little.  What's even worse, depending upon how you look at such matters, the forecast says more of the same for the next three to four days so little chance of a Loja visit in the immediate future.

So, having returned from what seemed a bi-annual visit to the local barber (at my age you need to hang on to what you've got for as long as possible!) I drove up the camino running parallel to the Rio Algarrobo with a stop both before and just after the motorway underpass.  This side a number of Collared Doves plus a handful of resting, wet Wood Pigeons at the top of the  usual bare tree and then, below me a couple of House Sparrows.  

First up a trio of Common Starlings followed by more of the same before I finally came across eleven of the local Spotless Starlings. With the river now flowing at a fair rate of knots, I disturbed a Hoopoe resting on the road almost in front of the Experimental Station and then both a number of Meadow Pipits and the first Serin of the day.  Blackbirds and Black Redstart were duly noted and a drive past the sewage works produced no less than seven Cattle Egrets following a couple of foraging Chiffchaff.  Even a couple of Goldfinches out in the rain.

Common (Northern) Starling Sturnus vulgaris

Over the "hidden reservoir" about a half-dozen Crag Martins and a few Lesser Black-backed Gulls to join the couple of, presumably, injured specimens I had noted along with a trio of Cormorant before starting the drive inland from the beach.

Surprise of the day?  Almost as many Common as Spotless Starlings and not a single White Wagtail nor Mon Parakeet seen during the whole time.  Now that is strange for the site, especially with regard to the latter!

Birds seen:

Cormorant, Cattle Egret, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Wood Pigeon, Collared Dove, Hoopoe, Crag Martin, Meadow Pipit, Black Redstart, Stonechat, Blackbird, Chiffchaff, Common Starling, Spotless Starling, House Sparrow, Serin, Goldfinch.

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