Sierra de Maria with the Arboleas Birding Group

Thursday 11 December

Just received the latest report from Dave and his Arboleas Birding Group so before anything else may I wish a peaceful Christmas and a very happy and healthy New Year to all.  May 2025 bring you all those birds you have been dreaming to see!  Looking at the bird list and the weather situation you could well have been back in dear old Blighty, well, apart from the Red-billed Chough unless off down to Cornwall or maybe Bardsley Island where I saw then back in the late sixties!  And thanks for all who have been contributing to the Andalucia Bird Society's bird research project; that brought back many happy memories of my stint as Membership Secretary for over ten years.

Sierra de Maria: Wednesday 11th December

Hi all,

A short version today as I'm all out of sorts, what with various things going on.

We met at the La Piza forest cafe.  Trevor, Val, Kevin, Paul, Pat, Seamus and Linda.  There was ice on the cars as we passed through Maria Town.  Kevin had ice in his campervan overnight!  Fox was nicking some bread as we arrived.  I filled the bird feeders up.  We saw Great Tit, Chaffinch, Blackbird and Robin.  On the loop we saw Stonechat, Black Redstart, Mistle and Song Thrush, Blue Tit, Crested Lark and the first of many flocks of Goldfinch.

At the village we saw another fox.  Carrying on with the loop we added Magpie, White Wagtail, Collared Dove, Woodpigeon, Carrion Crow, Raven, Linnet and Red-legged Partridge.  At the cliff there was a stream of 12 Ibex climbing the ridge and disappearing over the top.  No birds.

En route to the hamlet we saw vast flocks of Linnet and White Wagtails.  At the hamlet a pair of Red-billed Chough flew into a barn.  Kevin found his Little Owl.  A Hoopoe was also seen.

Red-billed Chough Pyrrhocorx pyrrhocorox (PHOTO: Bob Wright)

Didn't stop at the trough as the sheep and goats got there first.  Paul, Pat and I went home from La Piza, not stopping for lunch.  The others added Crossbill, Long Tailed Tit, Crested Tit as well as Robin and Blue Tit.  Paul spotted our only Griffon Vulture after we'd passed Maria.

Apologies for me having an off day.  No birding now till the New Year so hopefully I can sort out the camera....as a friend once said.....RTFM......Read the ******* manual!!

Wishing you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

A word from Kevin who collects the monies for the Andalucian Bird Society's bird research projects :-

  Re our fundraising, if it's not too late to include in your report, we
have €66.20 in the tin, to add to the €175 that we raised before the
summer break, so a total for the year of €241. Thanks to everyone who
contributed.

Regards

Dave

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