Yet more Nightingales

Back home and catching up on all the birding jobs and posts and good to read that so many people are both hearing and seeing Nightingales a plenty.  Both John and Jenny Wainwright along with Steve Powell had some good sightings on Saturday.  Whilst John and Jenny were back over at the Bermejales embalsa (I really must get over there again; not been for at least two, if not, three years), Steve had been down to our local patch at the Rio Velez in Torre del Mar.  With regard to the latter, it sounds as things might, at last, be returning to somewhat normal - even with  a White Stork fly-past.

And just to let me know that I really am back in Spain and that summer is round the corner, as I write this a small party of Bee-eaters has just flown past Casa Collado with their usual scratchy song on the wing.



La Resinera and Cacin area.  14th April

A very hot day with quite a good breeze.

We had been to Bermejales but the place was packed with picnickers and dogs, although we did find Coal Tits and two Little Ringed Plovers (looks like they may be breeding here again this year).  We,  therefore, continued on the road past the caravan site and in the direction of Fornes.  Just past the - now defunct - petrol station we turned onto the dirt track to La Resinera.  Chaffinches were in good numbers here as were Blackbirds, Great Tits, Blue Tits and Blackcaps.  Nightingales were in good voice here and I counted at least seven males singing, also about were Short-toed Treecreepers, Crag Martins, Barn Swallows, House Martins, Red-rumped Swallows, a Lesser Kestrel and Serins. 

Viperine Snake Natrix maura   (PHOTO: John Wainwright)

Nice views of a very long - at least four foot - Viperine snake hunting in the fast flowing stream; we actually photographed it as it came out of the water to swallow its prey - looking at the large bump in the body (not in this photo) it was probably a Marsh Frog. The latter were calling and lots of small fishes were seen here also.

Bonelli's Eagle  Aguila-azor Perdicera  Hieraaetus fasciatus (PHOTO: John Wainwright)

 We headed back to Bermejales for lunch and then continued down to Cacin on the rough road.  Here the Bonelli´s Eagle's nest was seen with at least one chick in, and a bonus was the two parents showed themselves above the gorge for a while.  Also here we saw Crag Martin,Crested Larks, Mistle Thrush, Woodpigeon, Blue Rock Thrush, Sardinian Warbler, Great Tits, Goldfinches, Chough, Jackdaws, Barn Swallows and Rock Buntings.


Rio Velez, Torre del Mar:
 
I also spotted a lovely pair of Cirl Buntings, above the bridge as soon as I got out of the car so no camera ready.  Then a White Stork flew over!  That was a surprise, and there were Nightingales everywhere; loads of them.  But no waders except a Black-winged stilt and I never heard a Cetti, not one.  That´s never happened before. 

Whitethroat  Curruca Zarcera  Sylvia communis  (PHOTO: Steve Powell)

But Steve did get some lovely shots of a visiting (or even more than one) Whitethroat.

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