Thursday 5 May
At last the sun has reappeared and we have lost the cloudy,
very wet weather. Down to the northern end of the village to drive the track
from the main road alongside the western side of the Rio Guadalfeo to the end, about 400 metres beyond the water control
at the southern exit from Velez de
Benaudalla. As soon as I started I
had numerous calling Chaffinches
along with White Wagtail, Blackbird and Collared Dove. Stopping at
the picnic area no Dipper but both Hoopoe and the first of five Golden Orioles. No shortage of House Sparrows plus a smattering of Spotless Starlings and the occasional Great Tit. However, bird of the site and morning was the
Short-toed Treecreeper that appeared
immediately on front of me.
Male Blackbird Turdus merula |
Continuing on down the track a few Cetti’s Warblers and at the turn back to the main road a small
flock of Serin and another White Wagtail alongside the many House Sparrows. Approaching the water control works a Little Ringed Plover was patiently
waiting for me to pass and I suspect is actually nesting on the gravelled area,
presumably a former car park. A Common Sandpiper flew away in front of
me as I climbed the steps to check out the holding ponds and, once on top,
recorded a second Common Sandpiper
along with a male Mallard and pair
of Coot.
Little Ringed Plover Charadrius dubius |
A first of two Grey
Wagtails was seen on the far side with the second on the track itself on my
return journey. A number of Reed Warblers
were singing/calling from the reed bed and having reached the end of the track
and turned to return the same way, I found a couple of Goldfinch at the turn to the main road. Back on to the picnic area where I was able to
find my first Spotted Flycatcher of
the year at this site plus a singing Nightingale. Then it was back to the apartment in the
village where, as when I set off, the House
Martins seemed to be extremely active.
Spotted Flycatcher Muscicapa striata |
Mallard, Coot, Little Ringed Plover, Common Sandpiper, Rock
Dove, Collared Dove, Hoopoe, House Martin, Grey Wagtail, White Wagtail, Nightingale,
Blackbird, Cetti’s Warbler, Reed Warbler, Great Tit, Short-toed Treecreeper, Spotted
Flycatcher, Golden Oriole, Spotless Starling, House Sparrow, Chaffinch, Serin,
Goldfinch.
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