Rio Velez, Torre del Mar

Friday 7 February

A little later than anticipated but down at the local Rio Velez, Torre del Mar by 10.20 and a pleasant 80 minutes walking down to the beach and back.  All very quiet with no workers on the fields t my left and the river looking very muddy with some water following last week's heavy rain.  A single Moorhen on the far side a handful of the resident Rock Doves to welcome me.  Within minutes I was seeing many Blackbirds and all males.  A flock of over forty Cormorants were using the tall trees as their day-time roost and a single Heron put in an appearance.

A few of the tree-roosting Cormorants Cormoran Grande Phalacrocorax carbo

Countless Chiffchaffs everywhere and then a fly-over by half a dozen Monk Parakeets.  Very little to see from the hide apart from more Chiffchaff and a few Spotless Starlings in the opposite reeds.  A Hoopoe was busy calling as I walked on down to the beach where I found a large raft of gulls on the open water.  Mainly Black-headed but also a score of Mediterranean and maybe a dozen Lesser Black-backed Gulls.  As I checked out the gulls I had a couple of distant Gannets fly through the scope.  On the river a pair of Shoveler and another eight Mallards to add to the half-dozen already seen.  Walking back the car I recorded a couple of Meadow Pipits in front of the hide and then a trio of Goldfinches plus a single Black Redstart and a pair of Serin.  At the last minute a Cattle Egret took off from the river below the car.

Female Black Redstart Colirrojo Tizon Phoenicurus ochruros

Taking the long way out so that I passed the wood-burner factory I found a further five Cattle Egrets and a quartet of White Wagtails on the field being tilled.  Further on I found more Mallards in the upstream river and a single Kentish Plover and then a pair of Hoopes flew across the river away from me.  A large flock of Spotless Starlings on the wires above me as I made my exit including a four Common Starlings.

Meadow Pipit Bisbita Pratense Anthus pratensis

Birds seen:
Mallard, Shoveler, Gannet, Cormorant, Cattle Egret, Heron, Moorhen, Coot, Kentish Plover, Black-headed Gull, Mediterranean Gull, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Rock Dove, Collared Dove, Monk Parakeet, Hoopoe, Meadow Pipit, White Wagtail, Crested Lark, Black Redstart, Blackbird, Cetti's Warbler, Chiffchaff, Common Starling, Spotless Starling, House Sparrow, Chaffinch, Serin, Goldfinch.

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