Huetor Tajar

Looks like the sun and calm conditions has brought everyone out to play in terms of birding; Eric, myself and now John and Jenny Wainwright whop managed to pop across the relatively short distance to Huetor Tajar from their Salar home.  It must have been very worthwhile for Jenny to grab a quick photo of the presently resident Black-winged Kite and also interesting to note that Song Thrushes, Bramblings and Stock Doves are still about an even a fly-past form those most graceful of fliers, the Common Crane.

Black-winged Kite Elanio Comun Elanus caeruleus (PHOTO: Jenny Wainwright)

 Huetor Tajar  29th January 2013

A very warm and sunny day, chilly breeze every now and then.  We just popped down to the Huetor stream for a couple of hours, it was running quite fast today and could not cross at the ford. The
large tree - were we used to shelter from the sun - has had a catastrophe and a small part is still standing, the other half is laying down the bank of the stream.  It was here we found Spotless Starllings, House Sparrows, Meadow Pipits, Grey and White Wagtails. Goinground the tracks to the small poplar copse we saw Chaffinches, Song Thrush, Brambling, Goldfinches, Crested Larks, Black Redstarts and a very pale Common Buzzard. 

Zitting Cisticola Buitron Cisticola juncidis (PHOTO: John Wainwright)

Further along the north bank of the stream we located several Zitting Cisticola, Grey and White Wagtails, Meadow Pipits and CattleEgrets. The Lapwings were very skittish this afternoon and we saw two good flocks of these along with two Stock Doves and severalWood Pigeon.   The bottom track to the ford was flooded so we took the top track- a bit muddy but passable - here we saw Moorhens, Linnets,Blackcap, House Sparrows, Mistle Thrush and more Goldfinches.

Common Cranes Grulla Comun Grus grus passing over Huetor Tajar (PHOTO: John Wainwright)

Leaving the stream area we dipped out on the Little Bustards but gained instead a Black-winged Kite, Serins, Linnets, Cattle Egretand Black Redstarts. A faint trumpeting to my left and I located a herd of twenty eight adult Common Cranes.  I though at first they might be coming in to land but they continued on. Just after this we found - at the top of a tall conifer -  a female Common Kestrel, and on the rooftop of the building here a Collared Dove.

Common Kestrel  CernicaloVulgar Falco tinnunculus (PHOTO: John Wainwright)

The Sierra Nevadas looked stunning today - as a backdrop to a nice spot of birding.


Another successful day John and Jenny; what will be next?

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

Rio Velez, Torre del Mar

Tuesday 29 January

As forecast, day dawned with an almost perfectly clear blue sky, lovely warm sunshine and the recent breezes area thing of the past.  Time to go birding again so down to the Rio Velez mouth in Torre del Mar to see what has been happening at my local "water patch" over the past few weeks.  What a difference a day, or in this case a fortnight, makes!  Impossible to access the site at my normal point below the N340 road bridge with thick, soft mud preventing foot passage never mind driving the car.  Back round and down the new road to the barren fields between the eastern growing fields and the beach.  No such luck there either as I spotted all the parked cars.  The filed has been ploughed and was presently being planted with either cauliflowers or lettuce so it was on a few more metres to the beach itself.

Ringed Plover Chorlitejo Grande Charadrius hiaticula

There used to be a lovely raised footpath that gave great views over these field when observing Bluethroats, Crested larks and Golden Plover.  No more; the area has been ploughed clean and there now stands a 1.40 m earth embankment, presumably to protect the fields from either/both the sea and on-shore winds.  Even the small bushes and trees which proved so popular when checking on small birds have been removed.  Nothing for it but to walk along the shore towards the river mouth.  Even here there is a steep sand bank where the sea has cut back into the beach so it really is a question of taking to the shore's seaward edge.  However, I did immediately pick up Blackbird and Stonechat before reaching the newly-formed lagoon at the river's mouth.

It is one thing enjoying a quiet morning's birding but it was too quiet with very few birds about.  Much searching with bins and scope was called for.  Out at sea the occasional passing Cormorant and the far (western) growing field a large roosting flock of Gulls, mainly Mediterranean but also Black-headed and a few Yellow-legged Gulls.  The river held the odd Ringed Plover and Kentish Plover and at least eight Sanderlings were counted.  A Little Egret wandered up and down the shallows on the far side in search of food and, eventually, a trio of Moorhens proved that not all had deserted their home river.  Naturally, there were still many White Wagtails about.

Chiffchaff Mosquitero Comun Phylloscopus collybita

After a short exchange with local Velez Malaga birder Kirree who informed me that he had seen the Black Stork (see Eric Lyon's account) on Sunday working its way down stream but also on 30 December had found a Common Bittern (yes,the real big one, not a Little Bittern) and a Spotted Crake about a couple of km upstream.  Pointing to his usual footwear a pair of "Wellingtons", I got the impression that he had managed to find the birds by being somewhere wet rather than on a path!  Having said our goodbyes, I continued to check out the sea before also working my way upstream finding Hoopoe, a good number of Chiffchaffs, House Sparrows and the occasional Spotless Starling.  The river itself look s most inviting from a wader's point of view so, perhaps, a new generation of small and large waders will take up residence,either temporarily or for the summer months, once the main migration gets under way.

The walk back to the beach and car produced a Black Redstart, Goldfinches and Serin before discovering a small flock of half-dozen Sky Larks bust feeding on the new lettuce plants; a least that is very much what they appeared to be doing.

Then it was back home to carry on with the house repairs recording a handful of Mallards on a flooded field near Trapiche plus Thekla Lark, Chaffinch, Rock and Collared Doves as I made my way up the mountain through Los Romanes and the final bird, a rather lovely male Blue Rock Thrush.

And best of all, I got chance to try out the new 70-300 IS USM lens; old technology but much lighter to carry when also coping with bins and a scope!


Birds seen:
Mallard, Cormorant, Little Egret, Moorhen, Ringed Plover, Kentish Plover, Sanderling, Mediterranean Gull, Black-headed Gull, Yellow-legged Gull, Rock Dove, Collared Dove, Crested Lark, Thekla Lark, Sky Lark, White Wagtail, Black Redstart, Stonechat, Blue Rock Thrush, Blackbird, Chiffchaff, Spotless Starling, House Sparrow, Chaffinch, Serin, Goldfinch.

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

Zafarraya and El Robledal

Pat's away so Eric Lyon managed to get in a good day's birding resulting in almost a half-century of species recorded including Hawfinch, Cirl Bunting and two woodpecker species.  If only I had known I could have joined him for a feast of small birds.  Thanks for the information, Eric which is published below.

Sunday 28 January

Yesterday Jago and I went birding whilst Pat was in the UK for the weekend.  We went up to Zafarraya which was fairly quiet with the usual Chough, Black Wheatear, Blue Rock Thrush etc.  No raptors (not even Kestrel) or Rock Sparrows but Sardinian and Dartford Warblers plus Blackcap.  

We then went across the Zafarraya plain with lots of Crested Larks, Linnet, Goldfinch and a tree full of Tree Sparrows.  Over the tops we hit the fog that seems to have engulfed Granada Province as our friends discovered when they tried a few days skiing in the Sierra Nevada.  So back to Robledal where the woods were full of bird song.  Before I had even got to the car park (which was packed with Sunday picnickers) I had seen all the tit species, pairs of both Green and Great Spotted Woodpeckers, Firecrests, Short-toed Treecreepers and Nuthatch.  Much the same nearer the car park but far enough away to be out of earshot of the hoards - again lots of the woodland species you would expect (Blue and Crested Tits were more in evidence than the rest) and this time including a small party of Wood Lark.

Better still, a close view of a pair of Hawfinch feeding on low branches and then dropping to the ground.  They seem to have arrived with twenty or so Greenfinch - although that may have been co-incidental.  Following the track round added Cirl Bunting and Southern Grey Shrike, lots of Corn Bunting and Common Magpie and one Kestrel. Altogether a great few hours birding and near 50 species.

But the most bizarre bird of the day was a Black Stork!!  Travelling back passed Puente don Manuel a Black Stork was gliding southward just about tree height on the left of the road.  Unfortunately, I could not stop as I was coming up to where the road width is reduced due to subsidence and there was traffic in both directions.  But what is it doing here?  An early arrival or from some park or similar?

Interesting about the Black Stork.  There has been a juvenile around Laguna Dulce in November/ December and speaking with local Velez Malaga birder, Kiree this morning (29 January) he informed e that he had seen a Black Stork working its way down the Rio Velez on the same day.  Sounds like the same bird to me and, presumably for whatever reason, may be the over-wintering bird that has been seen in the Campillos area.

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

Siera Loja

You have just got to hand it to John and Jenny Wainwright, not for them the worry of a breeze or stronger wind when there is an opportunity for some good birding.  Here am I up at Casa Collado trying to clear up some of the damage, I never realised how heavy a bin of broken glass could be, with the wind picking up again and no promise of really calm weather before next Tuesday and John and Jenny are up the Sierra Loja along with the wind and cloud searching out some ever elusive birds.  Definitely deserve a browny point or two - or perhaps first crack at the spirits cupboard when they get back home.  Read on and dream about the birds that we are not presently seeing (but I did have Black Redstarts, Stonechats and Serins as I drove round to my neighbour to discuss the next stage of the repair programme).

 
Sierra Loja  26th January 2013

Clear lower down but thick cloud came in, up until 1200 - 1500metres then sunshine, but a still cold wind - only 4C.

After breakfast at the hotel we started up the Loja route.  Here we saw Collared Doves, Wood Pigeon, Spotless Starlings and Chaffinches.  At the quarry we saw Jackdaws and Chough, Red-legged Partridges and Azure-winged Magpies and at the cliffs more Jackdaws and Chough.  The mist then descended on us.

One of the sparkling Hawthorne trees to be seen (PHOTO: Jenny Wainwright)

In the substation valley the mist was still quite thick but we found a Little Owl, a Black Redstart and a few Rock Buntings.  At the pond area nothing so we drove on to the fossil cave area - snow on the ground here in small pockets and the hawthorn trees sparkling as if there were diamonds strung from the branches, but lacking the berries, the trees were stripped bare!  We did pick up Common Kestrel, Stonechats, Blackbird and Thekla Larks.  Back round to the large catchment area where we saw more Rock Buntings and Thekla Larks.  Also here we saw a lone Ring Ousel, two Mistle Thrushes, Black Wheatear, Blue Rock Thrush, a Southern Grey Shrike and a flock of some twenty Meadow Pipits.

Southern Grey Shrike Alcaudon Real Larius meridionalis (PHOTO: Jenny Wainwright)

As we came out of the mist on the way down a juvenile Bonelli´s Eagle graced us with its presence, its tawny body shining as it turned into the sunlight.  No Alpine Accentors today as the areas where we normally see them were thick in cloud cover but a pleasant three hour trip even though birding was difficult.

Thanks John.  All being well I can forget about house repairs and get out and about again within the next couple of days.

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

A smashing time was had by all!!!!

Back at last from our nine-day cruise from Malaga to Malaga via Barcelona,Madeira and Tenerife.  When I say we had a "smashing time" I mean that in every sense of the phrase; quite literally!

The voyage started in lovely sunshine and we were aboard the Norwegian Spirit by midday to enjoy lunch whilst others were happy to lie back in their almost, next to nothings enjoying the glorious sunshine.  Out in and just beyond the harbour we had great views of diving Gannets and Cormorants going about their daily business in the company of a multitude of Gulls, mainly Black-headed but also a good number of Yellow-legged. Naturally, there were Spotless Starlings to be seen along with both House Sparrows and Rock Doves and how could we possibly depart without a farewell flypast from the local, screaming Monk Parakeets?

But then the fun and games started.  Only one bird seen all day on Wednesday, our full sea day as we set off for Barcelona.  However, nothing to be sneezed at as the morning appearance of a juvenile Pomarine Skua was a grateful addition to the new year list as it slowly flew past us along the starboard side.  But that was it; no more birds until we went ashore in Barcelona and, would you believe it, more Monk Parakeets all over the place!

When we departed that evening the captain did make a ship's announcement that the following two days at sea as we made our way back past Malaga, through the Straits and out into the Atlantic might be a little more rough than usual.  He kidded us not!  Friday was very choppy, great fun trying to dance as the floor moved in the opposite direction to us, but nothing compared to the Saturday when we got stuck into the Force (s and the rolling waves with their accompanying deep troughs.  A life on the ocean blue, etc, etc.  And that's when the "smashing" time really got under way.  First the occasional glass off a table, then a rack of glasses from behind the bar followed by bottle after bottle.

So come early afternoon and we received a telephone call from our neighbour to inform us that we were not the only ones enjoying a little breeze; the very strong winds at home had ripped through our sun terrace taking the conservatory with them; all was wrecked.  What could we do where we were other than make use of the ship's, very expensive, emailing facility to send back details of our house insurers.  Visions of roofs pointing skywards and walls hanging down sprang to mind.

However, come Sunday and we landed at a very calm Madeira.  An email was picked up whilst ashore form another neighbour commenting upon the winds but not realising that we were away from home.  The reply passed on the information and the hope that somebody might be able to take photographs of the damage before any clearing up was considered.  The island itself was very productive with a resting Kestrel a top a fir tree and just about every species of parrot on Earth.  Sad to say, other than the first, all were behind bars in the islands Botanical Garden!  Amazing to see that they actually keep breeding Monk and Rose-ringed Parakeets.

The following day saw us in Tenerife which called for a little shopping therapy and the need to make use of the 7, rather than 21, percentage rates of VAT!  We also received an email from our German neighbour along with the first photographs of the damage to our conservatory.  Lots of mess but the damage was not nearly as bad as we had imagined.

Such is the power of the wind on our mountain top!

Back to "normal" on Tuesday with the weather bad once again so the ship was unable to dock in Lanzarote.  Another two rough days at sea brought us back somewhat early to Malaga where we were able to disembark and be in our car on the way home by just after 9am.  It was only when seeing the damage at close quarters that we realised that, whilst the destruction was not as bad as we expected, the replacement structure would have to be more substantial.  And that is what we have been doing today and will, no doubt, be addressing our attention in the coming week or so as we, presumably, start the fight with the insurance company over an agreed settlement.  Isn't life exciting in Spain!

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

Laguna Dulce with the Wainwrights

Just back from our cruise, see following blog, but John and Jenny Wainwright managed to find a brief lull in the weather to venture forth to the Laguna Dulce near Campillos plus neighbouring lagunas and then back to Fuente de Piedra befopre the weather got the better of them.  But at least they got to see some birds and especially still a pair of Ferruguious Ducks, compared with the seven seen last week..  The report follows:

23 January 2013

A real biting wind with sunny spells.

Ferruginous Duck Porron Pardo Aythya nyroca with (as is often the case) a Common Pochard Porron Europeo Aythya ferina in  foreground (PHOTO: John Wainwright)

At the Dulce the wind was directly through the hide viewing slots and made holding even the binoculars steady; it didn't matter that much as the lake - excepting for a few Shoveler, Common Coots and Little Grebes - was devoid of birdlife. So we drove on round to the small Laguna Redonda, where we found two Ferruginous Duck, two Pochard, Black-winged Stilts, Moorhen, three Booted Eagles and two Ravens. A good number of Greater Flamingos and Black-headed Gulls were about on the flooded fields to our rear and in the trees lining the road House Sparrows, Chiffchaffs (singing) and Corn Buntings were seen. The whole area was alive with Crag Martins.

Mum, Dad and youngster Common Crane Grulla Comun Grus grus enjoying their winter hols at Fuente de Piedra (PHOTO: John Wainwright)

From here we drove across country to Piedra on the way seeing at least 400+ Common Cranes in the fields alongside the A384 and turning onto the very holed road to Sierra de Yegaus we had great views of a male Sparrowhawk as he flew low over the olive groves, a Raven, a Southern Grey Shrike, Spotless Starling, Collared Dove and a female Marsh Harrier.  A couple of Common Kestrels were noted as well as a single Buzzard, two male and one female Marsh Harriers, Stonechats, Black Redstarts, Song Thrush and a Sardinian Warbler.

Approaching Piedra more Common Cranes were seen - no more than a hundred metres from the road - and with them were White Wagtails and Meadow Pipits.

At Piedra, by the boardwalk, we picked up Common Snipe (flying), Bluethroat, Robin, Blackcap, Sardinian Warbler and Goldfinches in the tamarisks. In the scrapes we saw Teal, Mallard, Black-winged Stilt, good numbers of Black-tailed Godwits and Ruff, Common Sandpiper, Moorhens and Coots.

From the closed hide we saw Gadwall, Little Grebe, Pochard, Black-necked Grebe and Mallard.  The bushes in this area were crawling with Chiffchaff, Stonechats and Black Redstarts whilst House Sparrow, Hoopoe and a Southern Grey Shrike were also noted. Again the area was awash with Crag Martins.

The wind is picking up speed again and getting colder with it..so homeward bound it was!

Thanks very much John and Jenny but, as I said, at least you have seen some birds this week which is more than most! 

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

Bermejales

Looks like I was not the only one to escape for the house today and sneak in a little birding.  John and Jenny Wainwright dropped into the Embalse Bermejales and picked up a very nice Green Woodpecker.  At the same time, it looks from Jenny's photograph as if they were in turn about to be picked up by a visiting bird of the feathered variety.  These White Wagtails get everywhere.


Bermejales  

Very bright but really cold.

White Wagtail Lavandera Blanca Motacilla alba

En route to the Bermejales embalse we saw three Common Kestrel, Collared Dove, Spotless Starling, Goldfinch, Serin, two Siskin, White Wagtails, Southern Grey Shrike, Great Tit and Chaffinches.




 Both photographs by Jenny Wainwright

Green Woodpecker Pito Real Picus veridis

At the embalse we saw White Wagtails - one of these was in a very convivial mood and wanted to have the car for its own - Crossbills, Common and Azure-winged Magpies, Wood Pigeon, Goldfinches, Robins, Short-toed Treecreeper, Linnets, Black Redstart, Mistle Thrush, Wood Pigeon, Cormorant, Chiffchaff and the Egyptian Goose.

We took a different way home and saw a female Goshawk sat on a grass mound (what a beauty), Green Woodpecker, Black Redstart, Chaffinch, Corn Bunting, Crested Larks, Goldfinches, Mistle Thrushes, Common Magpies, Greenfinches and Hoopoe.

The temperatures are dropping quite fast now, so back to "mi casa".






Many thanks John and well done you to get both Green Woodpecker and Goshawk within minutes of each other.