Friday 1 January 2016

Looking back on 2015

1 January 2016

It was quite a year with many visits including the UK for weddings and northern Germany and Belgium not to mention many favourite birding sites in Spain.  Indeed, the main omission would appear to have been the Tablas de Daimiel in La Mancha; perhaps this year.

The final total for the year in Spain was exactly 250 and if you add on the birds also seen in the UK plus Nutcracker, Woodcock and Common Nightjar in Belgium then the final total was 276.

Nutcracker Nucifraga caryocatactes

The Spanish birding is reflected in the total species seen by month

January            125
February          132
March              124
April                 105   (+ 28 in UK)
May                 144
June                   64   (+ 5 in UK & 5 in Belgium)
July                  101   (+ 11 in UK & 2 in Belgium)
August               86
September       117   (+ 16 in Belgium)
October            148  
November          70   (+ 55 in UK)
December        107

Not so bad considering that we were away from Spain for almost four weeks from mid-June.

Iberian Grey Shrike Lanius meridionalis

Birding sites visited by month

Regular visits (most months to one or more) to the local patches of the Rio Velez in Torre del Mar, Ventas de Zafarraya and Sierra Tejeda, Guadalhorce in Malaga and Charca de Suarez in Motril plus the following;

January:        Fuente de Piedra
February:      Bonanza, Cadiz;  Odiel Marshes & Donana National Park (Huelva)
March:          Sierra Loja/Huerta Tajar; Fuente de Piedra;
April;             UK (Rutland Water; Titchfield Haven)

May:             Sierra Loja; Osuna; Odiel Marshes & Donana National Park (Huelva); Arroyo de Marin
June:             Belgium (Wuustwezel); UK
July:              Hecho Valley, Pyrenees
August:         Arroyo de Marin
September:  Tarifa/La Janda/Barbate; Belgium (Ardennes)
October:       Odiel Marshes & Donana National Park (Huelva); Tarifa/La Janda/Barbate
November:   Sierra Loja/Huerta Tajar; UK (Rutland Water; North Norfolk)
December:   Fuente de Piedra; Arroyo de Marin; Sierra Loja/Huerta Tajar

2016 will start with visits to Charca de Suarez, Rio Velez, Fuente de Piedra, and the Guadalhorce in Malaga.


Here's to a very happy and successful birding year in 2016.


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

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