Cabo de Gata & Rambla Morales

 Wednesday 18 September

Another excellent report on the activities of his Arboleas Birding Group - and this time at my favourite Almeria site, Cabo de Gata.  I certainly like the thought of forty plus Black-necked Grebe where here it is a pleasure and surprise just to find one!  And what about a trio of Bar-tailed Godwits.  Again, scores and scores of Black-tailed but just the one sighting of a Bar-tailed Godwit for me this year.  Still Red-rumped Swallow and Iberian Shrikes about so please hang on a little longer until I arrive at the start of next month!

Cabo de Gata & Rambla Morales: Wednesday 18th September

As I left home, my decision to head south rather than north to the Sierra de Maria was correct as the sky to the north was very grey!  So instead I headed to Cabo de Gata.  I picked up Trevor from Los Gallardos.  Sadly on the way down, below Sorbas, we passed the body of an Eagle Owl on the hard shoulder.  From the motorway to Retamar we only saw one Jackdaw.  In the outskirts of the town we added Collared Dove and a House Sparrow.  Not an auspicious start!  We followed Kevin and his friend, Dan, to the first hide.  A scan of the reasonably high water revealed hundreds of Greater Flamingos.  I spotted some Mallard as Kevin called out a flying Eurasian Curlew and some Black-winged Stilts. There were Avocets, Black-headed Gulls and a Kentish Plover on the rocky causeway.  Further along were some Slender-billed Gulls, Little Egrets and Yellow-legged Gulls. The odd Barn Swallow and Sand Martin flew by.  Kevin added a Spotless Starling on the distant Guardia tower.  More were on the plant building behind us.  I found an Iberian Grey Shrike on a distant post and some Greenfinch on the powerline.  Kevin found a Red-rumped Swallow and a Little Tern.  He spotted a distant bird of prey flying towards the church.  I glimpsed its back pattern; a Booted Eagle.  I then spotted a bird flying from right to left near the village.  A Peregrine Falcon.  Also seen were a Thekla Lark and a Redshank.

After a coffee in Cabo village we made for the second hide.  There was nothing of note out to sea, but the sea daffodils were out.  We saw more Little Terns, Little Egrets and Black-winged Stilts, so we didn't add anything to the list.

Sea Daffodils (PHOTO: David Elliott-Binns)

At the public hide the water was quite high but shallow enough for groups of waders to feed.  There were Sanderling, Dunlin, some still in breeding plumage, Redshank, Greenshank, Black-winged Stilts and Avocets.  There were large groups of Slender-billed Gulls.  Kevin then found a Ringed Plover, followed by at least 40 Black-necked Grebe....not easy to see due to the choppy water and finally three Bar-tailed Godwits.

Slender-billed Gulls (PHOTO: David Elliott-Binns)

We exited via the church track but didn't see any birds.  We headed for the Rambla de Morales.  There were walking tourists at the estuary and down the far reed line but it didn't deter the Avocets.  I spotted a female Shoveler in front of more Greater Flamingos.  Kevin added a Coot.  As we reached the hump we saw about a dozen White-headed Ducks.  Some other ducks flew off which included Shoveler and at least one Ferruginous Duck.  There was a family group of Little Grebe.  Also seen was a Black-necked Grebe. Kevin found some Turnstone by the estuary.  Our count was concluded with a Mediterranean Gull as we got back into our cars!

We ended with 36 species with some very good birds seen.  The sun shone.  No rain and good company!

Regards

Dave

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