Sunday 3 October 2021

Las Campinuelas and Caleta Harbour

Crested Lark Galerida cristata

 Sunday 3 October

Whilst Jenny was in church I had an hour top visit Las Campinuelas concentrating, initially, on the muck heap area.  Upon arriving at the muck heap I had already recorded my first of ten Blackbirds of the morning and a juvenile Woodchat Shrike was posed on top of the highest pile as on my last visit.  All around the shrike many feeding Crested Larks plus a couple of Feral Pigeons.  Checking the higher ground I came across five Spanish birders who were trying, unsuccessfully, to locate the long-staying Dotterel which first appeared last week but was seen yesterday.  Now knowing the favoured area, I must go back on a week day without all the interruption from a mixture of dog walkers, motor bike scramblers and those flying their model aircraft.

Juvenile Woodchat Shrike Lanius senator

Moving on to the olive grove near the always flowing natural spring I passed a couple of Hoopoes and hen a lone Blue Rock Thrush resting on top of tone of the ruined buildings.  Below me feeding in and near the pomegranate trees a number of Blackbirds, Blackcap and a single female Common Redstart.  At the spring pool itself a small flock of House Sparrows.  Returning to the car in order to drive back into Velez Malaga, a half-dozen  were foraging ion the Olive trees immediately in front.

Female Common Redstart Phoenicurus phoenicurus

Having collected the lady wife we drove back along the coast road and dropped into Caleta Harbour to see if any gulls were present.  There certainly were along with a very rough sea so no swimming this afternoon.  The Yellow-legged and Lesser Black-backed Gulls seem to mainly keep within their respective species but between the two not just the expected pair of Sanderling but also a single Turnstone and two Oystercatchers.  Then, walking back to the car, I noticed the pair of Little Egrets on the beach amidst the Yellow-legged Gulls.

Yellow-legged and Lesser Black-backed Gulls but note both Oystercatcher and Sanderling

Birds seen:    

Little Egret, Oystercatcher, Sanderling, Turnstone, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Yellow-legged Gull, Rock Dove, Monk Parakeet, Hoopoe, Crested Lark, Barn Swallow, Common Redstart, Blue Rock Thrush, Blackbird, Blackcap. Woodchat Shrike, House Sparrow, Chaffinch, Goldfinch.

Turnstone Arenaria interpres turning the stone

Oystercatcher Haematopus ostralegus

Little Egretta Egretta garzetta

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

No comments:

Post a Comment