A good start to the year.
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| Little Bustards (Sisón Común / Tetrax tetrax). |
The weather was not fantastic so I just went locally on New Years day and visited the agricultural areas around the town of Huétor Tájar, about 2 kms from the house. The first birds seen included Crested Lark (Cogujada Común / Galerida cristata), Water Pipit (Bisbita Alpino / Anthus spinoletta), Spotless Starling (Estornino Negro / Sturnus unicolor) and a small Group of 18 Little Bustards (Sisón Común / Tetrax tetrax).
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| Little Owl (Mochuelo Europeo /Athene noctua). |
The next stop produced a flock of Stone Curlew 250+ (Alcaraván Común /Burhinus oedicnemus) roosting in an asparagus field with Common Stonechat (Tarabilla Común / Saxicola torquata), Black Redstart (Colirrojo Tizón / Phoenicurus ochruros) and Little Owl (Mochuelo Europeo /Athene noctua) all there. To the west of the area another flock of Little Bustards (214 birds) was seen, along with Northern Lapwing 440+ (Avefria Europea / Vanellus vanellus), Golden Plover 250+(Chorlito Dorado Europeo /Pluvialis apricaria) and several Cattle Egrets (Garcilla Bueyera /Bubulcus ibis). Then the rain arrived, so back to watching the Iberian Magpie (Rabilargo / Cyanopica cooki) from the kitchen window.
