Monday 1 February
First day of the month and back once more on my Algarrobo river walk. Another bright and sunny day but still the strong wind. Starting a little later I was surprised at how few walkers, with or without dogs, that I encountered during the next hour or so. Yet again, many small birds hunkered down but surprising how many species I did record. Black Redstart, Serin and Collared Dove as soon as I started the walk and counted over twenty squawking Monk Parakeets in the first two bare trees. Fine way to start a peaceful walk!
Moving on to the more open trees I soon added a pair of White Wagtail and in the top of the large bare tree a single Wood Pigeon and a lone Spotless Starling. The thicker bushes on the far side of the river produced a Sardinian Warbler and a male Blackbird made a hurried flight away to the nearest cover.
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| Wood Pigeon Columba palumbus |
Ere long I came across a small charm of Goldfinch and once past the first ford I noticed a single Cattle Egret making its way upstream.. A handful of House Sparrow were also seen in this area before passing under the motorway and on to the Experimental Station. As expected, a couple of White Wagtails on the adjacent grassy field along with a trio of Common Starlings resting in the bare tree at the back. Above me, the continued departure of gulls from the hidden reservoir including mainly Mediterranean but also a good number of Black-headed and smaller number of Lesser Black-backed Gulls.
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| Gulls over the hidden edervoir |
Very little else to record as I walked on to the ford and a few metres beyond before starting the return journey. I did find a single Hoopoe on the far side and more Black Redstarts and White Wagtails but, keeping closer to the river as I made my way back to the Experimental Station, I was able to see the Grey Wagtail working its way upstream.. Once back at the grassy field not only White Wagtails on the grass but the bare trees at the back now held a pair of Hoopoe in addition to the Common Starling and couple of Collared Doves.
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| Hoopoes Upupa epops getting to know each other |
Then it was on under the motorway and a stop to check the bushes and shrubs on the far side of the river where I found not only a handful of Chiffchaff but also a lone male Stonechat. Finally, taking the detour past the sewage works, I managed to add another couple of Cattle Egret to the morning's tally.
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| How shy can a Cattle Egret Bubulcus ibis get? |
Birds seen:
Cattle Egret, Mediterranean Gull, Black-headed Gull, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Wood Pigeon, Collared Dove, Monk Parakeet, Hoopoe, Grey Wagtail, White Wagtail, Black Redstart, Stonechat, Blackbird, Sardinian Warbler, Chiffchaff, Common Starling, Spotless Starling, House Sparrow, Chaffinch, Serin, Goldfinch.
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