Thursday 30 September
Message from my friend Chris this morning to inform me that a Dotterel and kettle of Black Stork had been recorded at nearby Las Campinuelas yesterday (late) afternoon so decided to get in the car and head off for same. This time I did not park up and walk the circuit, rather I drove to the muck heap so that I could check out the barren, open land (plus the muck heap) by using the car as a hide. As I entered the area a quartet of Cattle Egrets on the wires watching the harrowing and a Blackbird crossed the road. Once at the muck heap I watched as a number of Crested Larks made a hasty departure but there, on the top, a very patient juvenile Woodchat Shrike which was happy to pose and have its photograph taken.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK2x5fdy5n9eq2OMbx1CF_xHQw6Ta6yndz8e-5vjULNxO4rCAWgQH7eOuSqyPXGLZhYIlAZdA_1cK82YnLpmC1jMppmBK5hxf6MhYF2F9N1CSusEWeYbt57M-cm9jOVr4dTizVgumXkmSs/w400-h266/WoodchatShrike093026-1.jpg) |
Juvenile Woodchat Shrike
|
Whilst sitting quietly in the car at the muck heap I also recorded a nuber of
Stonechat and a lone
Whinchat along with a pair of
Greenfinch. Then it was off on a very slow, lots of stopping drive in the open along the various tracks. In addition to the numerous
Crested Larks and many
Stonechat I also found a good number of
Northern Wheatear and, at the same time, there was a steady movement across the area of
Barn Swallows. A lone
Hoopoe also flew over and then on to the top of hill and back down past the model aircraft runway. This area produced a handful of
House Sparrows and a charm in excess of 50
Goldfinch.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVScpv9gTjyRKfQxVVoZepvgf6btNGVScZEtGpv9qG1fpQWtqyk-pt9uYUNnVrN6bnoD9UkelwkOTiJFtwjofUCH9wu9TtzkmHSqw406ZJplzLwz0MJFd-ZfdqVGHWwF3hVKKJ3vKew4ww/w400-h268/NorthernWheatear093052-1.jpg) |
Northern Wheatear Oenanthe oenanthe |
More Northern Wheatears before finding a close, long-resting Whinchat giving a better photo opportunity. back to the muck heap which was now hosing a couple of Yellow Wagtails.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrO7hKQ1YTgGUZe0eU0NHdOWdZCCxyA_1al5aw8ARNf7GO2povlERO6aG96jH19GVAaMiovVmfGHNfDNRBX2V7vkwSHwFD_kSwAYgIChLby187tiFvHwKCnQv8LLBCaQN6YTuFFmkl_0Qy/w400-h266/Whinchat093046-1.jpg) |
Whinchat Saxicola rubetra |
rather than return the same way I headed up along the Velez Malaga road to take the Algarrobo camino to check out the spring that I normally visit soon after the start of a "normal" walk round the site. More Blackbirds but the three pomegranate trees to the far side contained over-fresh fruit and sitting in the middle a young or female Spectacled Warbler. Even better, concealed behind some dry twigs at the bottom of the tree, I found my first Wryneck of the year. And returning to the car a Sardinian Warbler joined the others.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyKEPcfMtfAgWpcNIxv9MZyjPxNfJGQpcDZRpkbFDh6AQOSN3vTGoIbSMHyKDIv9jgh6wLohezEiVDp8ayD_uZiwOgiyaJMTuwZ5sQ6i5sDwbGunc3_WpoZVr0QHBurlQqZJbrEX0juQKw/w640-h426/SpectacledWarbler093060-1.jpg) |
Spectacled Warbler Sylvia conspicillata |
And so back home with a smile on my face to greeted by the ever-present Monk Parakeets.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGzDgmLsysbPANZP8EUyrwM6thXJaY7yk9I4MssgH9STF-n75T7WH6OTparJ7utGljCkA5OThP5ZG3Dlly8Kec4QmkFPjqK-f2SwcX11XcIhbyZrncWa467qoJmgAr3VvEY3ACn-tGs1zc/w400-h268/YellowWagtail093054-1.jpg) |
Yellow Wagtail Motacilla flava |
Birds seen:
Cattle Egret, Monk Parakeet, Hoopoe, Wryneck, Crested Lark, Barn Swallow, Yellow Wagtail, Whinchat, Stonechat, Northern Wheatear, Blackbird, Spectacled Warbler, Sardinian Warbler, Woodchat Shrike, House Sparrow, Greenfinch, Goldfinch.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipBwVK7Ol-2rFayaheuG62s170GN_72CGfL56LswEJkn14tfP1AGxv7BiDSeNs7EoR96WsHvCvX96xGBEw_w3WNkfSVYPze2JKEWkuMAEgh6RvxWyhZJJqtHxs8bh5VCoBYjsyf3aKkOi7/w400-h266/CrestedLark093035-1.jpg) |
Crested Lark Galerida cristata |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAokn52BLTKmQ-wKAQ3dbu-aGZA-yQ1lfHBAoUPZ8G1ZZ6Tbid8yuGFLBYjTuznoLsZovsy4qnYZKLkevYfNloIvLJrbuJXTf5DrvvKUmDEwtyc4n6Ea6sNJXjA2-msVrZtvQhrkZADjm5/w400-h266/Whinchat093038-1.jpg) |
Two more shots of same Whinchat Saxicola rubetra |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLVXXBVr7tq7KYF3kfHdDOcDNV24iNktPBLd6HGEFkoS17JqofuP4jaxMPuL4OHRxCxlTifgmNTE_WF88m6QOYvYLr0fEo-dh5xI_lWKzSJpKRcpREp9WqGvpuUhkmBcTXVIoOt6zuIcZ4/w400-h266/WoodchatShrike093028-1.jpg) |
Our juvenile Woodchat Shrike Lanius senator |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii97HnGwhBftq7gDerG9CX9y1cieckTTr7B1EE69fdddDm1BBOcBCovEdPFz2fIi6RwqGGHYhYjYSeq6AnqwQEso3tapmL_KtwV7cwhznXNWGLwvdhY3amIq8cn25qPynNLBWwI_O3Vqz0/w640-h426/YellowWagtail093056-1.jpg) |
It may be it's the early bird that catches the worm but this Yellow Wagtail Motacilla flava did alright with a flying insect! |
Check out the accompanying website at http://www.birdingaxarquia.weebly.com for the latest sightings, photographs and additional information
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