Cabo de Gata with the Arboleas Birding Group

Wednesday 7 October       

All quiet on the Almeria front today with Dave away and just Kevin and Trevor able to make it my favourite Almeria site, Cabo de Gata.  Not too many species recorded but they did find the local speciality, Trumpeter Finch.  And still a Red-rumped Swallow in the area, albeit thy had to wait until the end of the visit to record.

Cabo de Gata:  07th October

I was at the Lay-by Hide by about 9a.m., having driven down by car, the campervan still being off

the road waiting for a new clutch.  I had already logged Collared Dove and House Sparrow as I

drove through Pujaire.  At the lay-by I added Greater Flamingo, Avocet, Black-headed Gull, Black-

winged Stilt, Yellow-legged Gull, Spoonbill (a group of 11), Slender-billed Gull, Little Egret, Dunlin,

Mallard, Ringed Plover and Redshank.

Trevor arrived, having been delayed by roadworks.  We increased the list with Spotless

Starling, Sardinian Warbler, Jackdaw and, on the ridge over towards the village, a Northern

Wheatear.  Nigel sent me an apologetic email to say that, for the first time ever, his alarm clock

had failed him.  This was such a predictable excuse for a no-show that it just had to be entirely

genuine.  Sorry you couldn’t be with us Nigel: see you next week!

After coffee we drove to the Second Hide.  A sea-watch produced four distant and

distinctive birds, then another the same, much closer in, giving good views: Scopoli’s Shearwaters.

On the walk to and from the hide we added Thekla Lark and Barn Swallow but nothing new from

the hide itself.  I told Trevor I was going to motor slowly towards the Original Hide, scanning the

low wooden fences.  This paid off.  I found a Trumpeter Finch and Trevor saw a couple more.

Trumpeter Finch (PHOTO: Bob Wright)

At the Original Hide the water level was high so waders were conspicuous by their absence.

Through the ‘scope I found Black-necked Grebes in their favoured area, as well as a group of

Shelduck on the far shore.  Trevor found an Iberian Shrike showing very well on a prominent bush

close to the hide.  The lagoon to the right held a Lesser Black-backed Gull and, on the long rocky

causeway, after prolonged study, I was 99% sure I had a row of Audouin’s Gulls with four

Sandwich Terns interspersed.  We called it a day at that as Trevor had to go to Almería airport.  As I

began my drive home a single Red-rumped Swallow flew over, final bird of the day.  Just 29 species

but a very enjoyable morning’s birding.

Kevin

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