Sounds like another eventful day by the Arboleas Birding Group but so sad to read about the continuing disregard for the environment with all the cans having to be cleared away. Well done you lot! On the other hand, thanks to John who spotted the Eurasian Cuckoo so still a little hope that I might see one this year; definitely keep my eyes , and ears, open tomorrow when I am up in the Loja area.
Rambla de Almanzora & Vera Playa:Wednesday 4th April
As
Gilly left early for work this morning, I was an early bird heading
towards the Rambla de Almanzora. I joined it just passed the entrance to
the Desert Springs golf complex. No water there but did see a lovely
Iberian Grey Shrike on the power lines. Heading seawards, the first bit
of water gave me Moorhen, White Wagtail and a juvenile Night Heron.
Moving on to the pond next to the ford crossover, it was inundated with
only Moorhen unfortunately. However the water-filled channel on the
opposite side, viewed from up on the embankment proved much better.
There were about 6 Little Ringed Plover, Mallard, Black Winged Stilt,
Green Sandpiper, Greenshank and a Temminck's Stint.
| Iberiuan Grey Shrike Lanius meridionakis in the early morning sunlight (PHOTO: David Elliott-Binns) |
I retreated to the
parking area to await the others. Whilst there I saw some scumbag had
dumped a whole load of cans. I crushed them underfoot and put them in
carrier bags.....98 of them to be put in a recycling bin! John was first
to arrive. He also had seen the Night Heron, but also added Redshank and Kentish Plover to the list.
We were joined by Les with his
friends, Colin and Helen and Kevin, Trevor and Ros. We all checked out
the channel again and added a Ringed Plover, found by Kevin. Overhead
we saw Barn and Red-rumped Swallows, Spotless Starling, Collared Dove
, Woodpigeon and Magpie. Walking along the embankment towards the
sewage works we found a Sardinian Warbler. I heard a Red-legged
Partridge and possible a few short chords from a Nightingale. Les first
spotted a Serin, then a Common Sandpiper. W e were just about to
about-face when John spotted a bird perched on a tobacco plant on the
far side. A female Eurasian Cuckoo. Was just about to take a photograph
when it got harassed by a Magpie and headed for cover....drat! We
returned to the vehicles and went to look for the Night Heron, but it
had gone. I did see a Hoopoe though.
| Record shot of juvenile Night Heron Nycticorax nycticorax (PHOTO: David Elliott-Binns) |
| Greenshank Tringa ochropus and Little Ringed Plovers Charadrius dubius (PHOTO: David Elliott-Binns) |
After
a coffee in Villaricos village we made for the beach. Amazingly there
were no birds resting on the harbour rocks and nothing out to sea. We
walked over to the estuary, disturbing a pair of Kentish Plover on the
flattened area. This end was quiet with only Coot, a couple of
Cormorant, some Common Pochard and a pair of White-headed Duck,
spotted by John. The beach end was better. Numerous Kentish Plover and
Sanderling, plus 3 Audouin's Gull. Kevin was checking out the birds on
the rocky peninsula and found Sandwich Tern, Black-headed and
Mediterranean Gulls. Also seen was a Little Egret, Dunlin and
Turnstone. Doing our bit for the environment, we collected a carrier bag
full of plastic and other recyclable rubbish from the beach.
| Sandwich Tern Sterna sandvicensis and juvenile Black-headed Gulls Larus ridibundus (PHOTO: David Elliott-Binns) |
We
then convoyed down to the dual carriageway opposite the Consum
Supermarket at the rear of Vera Playa. Apart from the numerous noisy
Black-winged Stilts we added Shelduck, Shoveler and Avocet. A Crested
Lark and a Zitting Cisticola both made an appearance. There were 8
Greater Flamingos down the far end where the pipe works continues. I
spotted a pair of Black-necked Grebes, but John trumped me with a group
of perched Whiskered Terns on the far side. I left at this point, but
John and the others added Little Grebe and Teal to the list.
In total we saw 53 species. A good days birding in good company and weather!
Regards, Dave
More Photos from Dave:
Black-winged Stilt Himantopus himantopus (PHOTO: David Elliott-Binns)
Temminck's Stint Calidris tmminckii (PHOTO: David Elliott-Binns)
Serin Serinus serinus (PHOTO: David Elliott-Binns)
Check out the accompanying website at http://www.birdingaxarquia.weebly.com for the latest sightings, photographs and additional information
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