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Saturday 27 February 2010

Grazalema, Cadiz Province.

The reopening of the Pueblo's Tourist (Wildlife) Information Centre.

Sue, Clive and Sam.
Sue and Clive of the Iberianature forum and the Grazalema guide web sites have dived in with both feet and taken on the Visitors Centre in what is probably the best know and most beautiful of the famous White Villages, Grazalema.
Inside the shop.
Jayne and I made our way over for their first weekend of business and went to completely the wrong building, thinking that they had got the small shop near the church. They have in fact got the big and shiny fairly new centre on the main car park, a very nice spot with some fantastic views from the terrace at the rear.
Inside the shop.
The main room of the centre houses the book shelves with a good collection of titles, ranging from field guides for birds and other wildlife to books about the local area, Spain in general and maps. Sue and Clive will be increasing the number of title in the near future and they can order just about any title that is in print. Also in the main room is a selection of LOCAL artisan products, from woven Esparto Grass and leather goods, ceramics and hand made soaps, all of which are produced in the village or locally. On the walls is a display of some of the local art group’s work and a lot of Sue and Clive’s own photographs of the local area and wildlife, which are also to be seen as slide shows on two screens in the other ground floor room.
Inside the shop.
Upstairs is not in use at the moment but I know that they have many more plans in the pipeline and I am sure that this space will soon be in use and will be as interesting as the ground floor.
We went and had a drink with Sue, Clive and Sam in one of the cafés on the square and had nice chat and made a fuss of Sam. Later we bought a few bits including a copy of the new Collins Guide which I had wanted.

I wish Sue and Clive all the very best and hope that people who are in the area make use of what will be a great asset to the village.

GOOD LUCK.

Sierra de Grazalema, Cadiz Province.

The Wildlife.

Narcissus fernandesi.
After visiting the centre in Grazalema Jayne and I went and had a look at a show of Narcissus fernandesi along the road to Ubrique. The sides of the road had been sprayed but the fields were full of plants but the wind made getting shots difficult. We passed several clumps of Paperwhite Narcissus (Narcissus papyraceus) as we headed back to the main road and some lunch. 
Paperwhite Narcissus (Narcissus papyraceus).
I also picked up several Giant Orchids (Himanthoglosum robertiana) and some strange looking Dull Bee Orchids (Ophrys fusca)?? Birds included loads of Griffon Vultures (Bultre Leonado / Gyps fulvus), Barn Swallow (Golondrina Común / Hirundo rustica), House Martin (Avión Común / Delichon urbica), Crag Martin (Avión Roquero / Ptyonoprogne rupestris), Black Wheatear (Collalba Negra / Oenanthe leucura), Blue Rock Thrush (Roquero Solitario / Monticola solitarius), Iberian Green Woodpecker (Pito Real / Picus sharpei), Raven (Cuervo / Corvus corax) and Rock Sparrow (Gorrión Chillón / Petronia petronia).
Dull Bee Orchids (Ophrys fusca).
After lunch we passed the Laguna Dulce on the way home and added several White-headed Ducks (Malvasia Cabeciblanca / Oxyura leucocephala), about 50 Greater Flamingo (Flamenco Común / Phoenicopterus ruber), a small flock of 30+ Common Crane (Grulla Común / Grus grus) and 33 Little Bustards (Sisón Común / Tetrax tetrax) which did a very timely fly past. For a flying visit we collected a nice list of species.

Thursday 25 February 2010

Rio Guadalhorce, Laguna Dulce and El Torcal, Malaga Province.

A good morning but the weather puts pay to the afternoon.

Laguna Dulce, Campillos.
I drove down to Benalmadena to collect two very nice ladies, Viv and Margaret for a days birding, we started the day at the Guadalhorce Nature Reserve near Malaga. The first stop was at the river mouth where the Whimbrel (Zarapito Trinador / Numenius phaeopus) seen earlier in the week was still present along with a single Common Sandpiper (Andarrios Chico / Actitis hypoleucos). A nice female Common Kestrel (Cernicalo Vulga / Falco tinnunculus) perched on the Giant Reed debris allowing Margaret her first chance to use the camera. Common Stonechat (Tarabilla Común / Saxicola torquata), Black Redstart (Colirrojo Tizón / Phoenicurus ochruros) where also on the beach and Black-headed (Gaviota Riedora / Larus ridibundus), Mediterranean (Gaviota Cabecinegra / Larus melanocephalus), Lesser Black-backed (Gaviota Somria / Larus fuscus) and Yellow-legged Gulls (Gaviota Patiamarilla / Larus Michahellis) out on the sea.
A foggy Torcal.
We then moved around to the main reserve picking up a very pale pale morph Booted Eagle (Aguililla Calzada / Hieraaetus pennatus), we then made our way to the hide looking over the main pool where we saw our first White-headed Ducks (Malvasia Cabeciblanca / Oxyura leucocephala) both the males with their bright blue bills and the less colourful females. Other ducks included Common Pochard (Porrón Europeo / Aythya ferina), Mallard (Anade Azulón / Anas platyrhynchos), Northern Shoveler (Cuchara Común / Anas clypeata), Little (Zampullín Común / Tachybaptus ruficollis) and several Black-necked Grebes (Zampullín Cuellinegro / Podiceps nigricollis). White blobs could be seen through the tamarisk scrub and were identified as Spoonbills (Espátula Común / Platalea leucorodia) on the margins of the lagoon there were good numbers of Great Cormorant (Cormorán Grande / Phalacrocorax carbo), Grey Heron (Garza Real / Ardea cinerea) and a few Little Egrets (Garceta Común / Egretta garzetta). 
More foggy Torcal.
We had a look on the long pool from the hide picking up good numbers of all five expected Hirundine species, Common Moorhen (Gallineta Común / Gallinula Chloropus), Eurasian Coot (Focha Común / Fulica atra) and Northern Pintail (Ánade Rabudo / Anas acuta). We then walked back towards the car and headed off north to wards Campillos and to Laguna Dulce where we bumped into the Axarquia Bird Group. On the lagoon there were a few Greater Flamingo's (Flamenco Común / Phoenicopterus ruber), more Northern Shoveler, Common Pochard, Northern Pintail, Mallard and large numbers of Hirundines.
We stopped and had some lunch and while we were there the heavens opened and it did not stop all afternoon. We drove up to El Torcal and straight into low cloud and heavier rain. The only birds seen here was a pair of Rock Buntings (Escribano Montesino / Emberiza cia). We spent the rest of the afternoon taking a slow drive back across country to malaga seeing very little except for a few plants and a very nice group of Red-rumped Swallows (Golondrina Dáurica / Hirundo daurica). Plants included White Hoop Petticoat Narcissus (Narcissus cantabricus) and Dull Bee Orchid (Ophrys fusca).

Tuesday 23 February 2010

Rio Guadalhorce, Malaga Province.

Day Five, The journey home. 
 
It is John and Sharon’s last day, it seems to have gone very quickly but it was time to drop them back down to Malaga for there evening flight back to the Midlands. We set off early and planned to spend some time at Guadalhorce before going to the airport. We dropped Jayne off at the shops and headed for the beach, the carcases had all been cleaned away and a start had been made on cleaning up the massive amounts of debris. The Eurasian Oystercatcher (Ostrero Euroasiatico / Haematopus ostralegus) and Whimbrel (Zarapito Trinador / Numenius phaeopus) were both still there and John also picked up a Common Sandpiper (Andarrios Chico / Actitis hypoleucos) on the rocks in front of the view point. Again there were plenty of the four commonest Gulls about, along with a couple of Sandwich Tern (Charrán Patinegro / Sterna sandvicensis) flying long the beach towards the port. We then went out on to the main reserve and made our way to the hide over looking the main pool, on the way we picked up several Zitting Cisticola (Buitrón / Cisticola juncidis)which we eventually had good views of as a pair sat up in a Caster-oil plant. The main hide was quiet, but White-headed Duck (Malvasia Cabeciblanca / Oxyura leucocephala), Common Pochard (Porrón Europeo / Aythya ferina), Northern Shoveler (Cuchara Común / Anas clypeata), Eurasian Coot (Focha Común / Fulica atra), Black-necked (Zampullín Cuellinegro / Podiceps nigricollis) and Little Grebes (Zampullín Común / Tachybaptus ruficollis) were seen. Over the lake five species of hirundine were seen feeding low over the water and a single Peregrine Falcon (Halcón Peregrino / Falco peregrinus) passing over higher, to high and fast to be sure whether it was the northern race bird. Also we seen were Grey Heron (Garza Real / Ardea cinerea), Great Cormorant (Cormorán Grande / Phalacrocorax carbo), Black Redstart (Colirrojo Tizón / Phoenicurus ochruros), Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula), Blackcap (Curruca Capirotada / Sylvia atricapilla), Cetti’s Warbler (Ruisenor Bastardo / Cettia cetti), Collared Dove (Tórtola Turca / Streptopelia decaocto), Common Chiffchaff (Mosquitero Común / Phylloscopus collybita), Common Kestrel (Cernicalo Vulga / Falco tinnunculus), Common Stonechat (Tarabilla Común / Saxicola torquata), Corn Bunting (Triguero / Emberiza calandra), Crested Lark (Cogujada Común / Galerida cristata), Monk Parakeet (Cotorra Argentina / Myiopsitta monachus), Sardinian Warbler (Curruca Cabecinegra / Sylvia melanocephala) and White Wagtail (Lavandera Blanca / Montacilla alba). Between the main pool and the hide over looking the long pool we picked up Greenfinch (Verderón Común / Carduelis chloris), Iberian Grey Shrike (Alcaudón Real Meridional / Lanius meridionalis) and five Eurasian Spoonbills (Espátula Común / Platalea leucorodia) flew in and dropped in to the back of the main pool. The hide was quiet and no new species were added so we moved around to the viewing hump which gives views over a reed fringed pool. The first bird seen was a cracking Kingfisher (Martin Pescador / Alcedo atthis) which flew across the pool and perched in a Tamarisk bush, more Pochard and several Mallard (Anade Azulón / Anas platyrhynchos) were on the water and a female Marsh Harrier (Aguilucho Lagunero Occidental / Circus aeruginosus) quartered the far shore of the river. We then move around towards the hides on the far side of the lake on the track to the sea watch point. Just before we arrived at the hide I heard the high pitched thin call we had been waiting for and very soon we picked up a group of four Penduline Tits (Pájaro Moscón / Remiz pendulinus), one of the birds sat and posed for a short while in one of the near by Shrub Tobacco trees. From the hide we again saw very little, so we pushed on down to the sea watch point where we managed to see a single, very early Tawny Pipit (Bisbita Campestre / Anthus campestris) feeding on the edge of a small pool with a couple of Little Ringed Plover (Chorlitejo Chico / Charadrius dubius). Down on the beach five Audouin's Gulls (Gaviota de Audouin / Larus audouinii) were sitting by the river. Out on the sea there were huge numbers of gulls including Black-headed (Gaviota Riedora / Larus ridibundus), Mediterranean (Gaviota Cabecinegra / Larus melanocephalus), Lesser Black-backed (Gaviota Somria / Larus fuscus) and Yellow-legged Gulls (Gaviota Patiamarilla / Larus Michahellis), along with a few Northern Gannet (Alcatraz Atlántico / Morus bassanus) and Balearic Shearwater (Pardela Balear / Puffinus mauretanicus) further out. We then made our way back and eventually picked up the Booted Eagles (Aguililla Calzada / Hieraaetus pennatus) I had expected much earlier, Western Cattle Egret (Garcilla Bueyera / Bubulcus ibis), Common Moorhen (Gallineta Común / Gallinula Chloropus), Corn Bunting (Triguero / Emberiza calandra) and Dartford Warbler (Curruca Rabilarga / Sylvia undata).

Monday 22 February 2010

Rio Velez, Malaga Province and Charca del Suarez, Granada Province.

Day Four, Lots of water down on the Costa.

Audouin's Gulls (Gaviota de Audouin / Larus audouinii).
We set of after a leisurely start and made out way passed Zafarraya and down the slope towards the coast, on the way down we pulled off the road to check out a couple of raptors, one was a Peregrine Falcon (Halcón Peregrino / Falco peregrinus) and the other a passage Short-toed Eagle (Culebrera Europeo / Circaetus gallicus). The rest of the journey was uneventful and when we got to Torre del Mar Sharon and Jayne went to the shopping centre and John and I did some birding down on the river.
There was so much water in the river today that the birds usually found bobbing about on a gently meandering stream were quite understandably absent, except for a few Eurasian Coot (Focha Común / Fulica atra) and Common Moorhen (Gallineta Común / Gallinula Chloropus). We walked down the eastern bank of the river and found what was left of the reed beds and searched for the wintering Bluethroat (Pechiazul / Luscinia svecica) after just a couple of minutes a fine male with a very obvious white spot in the centre of a crisp blue throat was picked up. 
Bermuda Buttercup (Oxalis pes-caprae).
Also seen before we went down to the beach were Zitting Cisticola (Buitrón / Cisticola juncidis), Black Redstart (Colirrojo Tizón / Phoenicurus ochruros), Cattle Egret (Garcilla Bueyera / Bubulcus ibis), Cetti’s Warbler (Ruisenor Bastardo / Cettia cetti), Common Chaffinch (Pinzón Vulgar / Fringilla coelebs), Common Chiffchaff (Mosquitero Común / Phylloscopus collybita), Common Stonechat (Tarabilla Común / Saxicola torquata), Corn Bunting (Triguero / Emberiza calandra), Crag Martin (Avión Roquero / Ptyonoprogne rupestris), Crested Lark (Cogujada Común / Galerida cristata), Goldfinch (Jilguero / Carduelis carduelis), Sardinian Warbler (Curruca Cabecinegra / Sylvia melanocephala), Serin (Verdecillo / Serinus serinus), Skylark (Alondra Común / Alauda arvensis), Snipe (Agachadiza Común / Gallinago gallinago) and Song Thrush (Zorzal Común / Turdus philomelos).
We then waded through the mud to the beach where we had some great views of five adult Audouin's Gulls (Gaviota de Audouin / Larus audouinii), loads of Mediterranean Gulls (Gaviota Cabecinegra / Larus melanocephalus) probably 200+, along with Black-headed (Gaviota Riedora / Larus ridibundus), Lesser Black-backed (Gaviota Somria / Larus fuscus) and Yellow-legged Gulls (Gaviota Patiamarilla / Larus Michahellis). Out on the sea singles of Arctic Skua (Págalo Parásito / Stercorarius parasiticus), Balearic Shearwater (Pardela Balear / Puffinus mauretanicus) and Northern Gannet (Alcatraz Atlántico / Morus bassanus) were all seen. 
Hollow-leaved Asphodel (Ashodelus fistulosus).
On the beach a Kentish Plover (Chorlitejo Patinegro / Charadrius alexandrinus) and a small group of Sanderling (Correlimos Tridáctilo / Calidris alba) were feeding. As we walked back towards the car another Bluethroat was seen this time with a solid blue chest, three Common Waxbills (Estrilda Ondulada / Estrilda astrild) called from the reed tops and three Monk Parakeets (Cotorra Argentina / Myiopsitta monachus) flew over calling nosily as they usually do.
We then picked the girls up and went for lunch at the Chinese Restaurant on the beach before heading off towards Motril and the nature reserve of Charca del Suarez which only opens for 2 hours in the afternoon in the winter. We arrived a few minute early so we went and had a look on the beach just as it started to rain again, we stuck it out and I managed to see a new species for my Granada list, a couple of Kentish Plovers were feeding with some Sanderling and a single Ruddy Turnstone (Vuelvepiedras Común / Arenaria interpres). We had search through the gull flocks on the sea and again picked up 5 Audouin’s, Mediterranean, Black-headed, Lesser Black-backed and Yellow-legged. We then went on the reserve which was very wet and all the pools were full, from the first hide we watched half a dozen Red-rumped Swallows (Golondrina Dáurica / Hirundo daurica) feeding low over the water. Further round a single Immature Night Heron (Marinete Común / Nycticorax nycticorax) was again found roosting in almost exactly the same place as a week ago. We then went in to the main hide and soon added Northern Shoveler (Cuchara Común / Anas clypeata), Gadwall (Anade Friso / Anas strepera), Eurasian Wigeon (Silbón Europeo / Anas Penelope), Common Pochard (Porrón Europeo / Aythya ferina) and Mallard (Anade Azulón / Anas platyrhynchos) to the duck list. 
Night Heron (Marinete Común / Nycticorax nycticorax).
Also seen here were Barn Swallow (Golondrina Común / Hirundo rustica), House Martin (Avión Común / Delichon urbica), Sand Martin (Avión Zapador / Riparia riparia), Black-necked (Zampullín Cuellinegro / Podiceps nigricollis) and Little Grebes (Zampullín Común / Tachybaptus ruficollis), Cetti’s Warbler (Ruisenor Bastardo / Cettia cetti), Common Moorhen (Gallineta Común / Gallinula Chloropus), Crag Martin (Avión Roquero / Ptyonoprogne rupestris), Eurasian Coot (Focha Común / Fulica atra), Great Cormorant (Cormorán Grande / Phalacrocorax carbo), Greater Flamingo’s (Flamenco Común / Phoenicopterus ruber) x3 and Grey Heron (Garza Real / Ardea cinerea). 
We then went to the last hide which was were quiet, so we went back to the car and had a coffee before a quick run back around to the main hide via the last hide. Here this time we could hear a Western Swamp-hen (Calamon Común / Porphyrio porphyrio) but it did not want to show. We went to the main hide again and added a single Common Swift (Vencejo Común / Apus apus) but nothing else. Sharon and I then walked back towards the car and John rushed around to the one hide we had not looked at and jammed in on a Western Swamp-hen sat out in the open. We then returned home via Granada.

Sunday 21 February 2010

Osuna area, Sevilla Province and Fuente de Piedra, Malaga Province.

Day Three, Could not find the Bustard.

Greater Flamingo’s (Flamenco Común / Phoenicopterus ruber).
Jayne, Sharon, John and I left our house later than planned as the day before had taken it’s toll. We were heading for the Osuna area in Sevilla Province, hoping to see some of the very few Great Bustards (Avutarda Común / Otis tarda) that survive in Andalucia. The weather was not looking to good but we have got quite used to that these days, we were not going to let a thunder, lighting and a major cloud burst stop us, were English (well there might be a bit of Welsh and Irish in there somewhere as well). As we turned of the motorway for the third time (Osuna has far to many junction) and found the right road we started to pick up good birds. The first were a small group of Lesser Kestrels (Cernicola Primilla / Falco naumanni) hunting along the slip road, later several Black Kite (Milano Negro / Milvus migrans) some of which were loafing around on the ploughed fields and a single Short-toed Eagle (Culebrera Europeo / Circaetus gallicus) passed over quite high. Moving on we checked the fields for the Bustards from the tops of the new bridges put in for the high speed rail link between Granada and Sevilla but with out any sightings of either species of bustard. 
Little Ringed Plover (Chorlitejo Chico / Charadrius dubius).
We did pick up several fine Marsh Harrier (Aguilucho Lagunero Occidental / Circus aeruginosus) and a couple of Red Kite (Milano Real / Milvus milvus), also seen along this drive were good numbers of Raven (Cuervo / Corvus corax), Iberian Grey Shrike (Alcaudón Real Meridional / Lanius meridionalis), White Wagtail (Lavandera Blanca / Montacilla alba), Spotless Starling (Estornino Negro / Sturnus unicolor), Mistle Thrush (Zorzal Charlo / Turdus viscivorus), Meadow Pipit (Bistita Común / Anthus pratensis), Grey Heron (Garza Real / Ardea cinerea), Corn Bunting (Triguero / Emberiza calandra), Common Chaffinch (Pinzón Vulgar / Fringilla coelebs), Cetti’s Warbler (Ruisenor Bastardo / Cettia cetti), Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula), Black Redstart (Colirrojo Tizón / Phoenicurus ochruros) and a single unexpected Alpine Swift (Vencejo Real / Apus melba). 
Several species of lark were also picked up including Calandra (Calandria / Melanocorypha calandra), Crested (Cogujada Común / Galerida cristata), Thekla (Cogujada Montesina / Galerida theklae) and Skylark (Alondra Común / Alauda arvensis). Further on we came to a very wet area with a large pool in a waterlogged field, on the pool there were about 40 Greater Flamingo’s (Flamenco Común / Phoenicopterus ruber) feeding and several hundred Golden Plover (Chorlito Dorado Europeo / Pluvialis apricaia) and Northern Lapwings (Avefria Europea / Vanellus vanellus) with a couple of Dunlin (Correlimos Común / Calidris alpina) in the mix. 
The lunch time shower.
As we turned and headed for Marchena to find some thing to eat we came across another wet area which held several Little Ringed Plovers (Chorlitejo Chico / Charadrius dubius), Black-winged Stilt (Ciguenuela Común / Himantopus himantopus), Black-headed (Gaviota Riedora / Larus ridibundus) and Lesser Black-backed Gulls (Gaviota Somria / Larus fuscus). Just before we reached the town Jayne picked up two Common Cranes (Grulla Común / Grus grus) feeding on more very flooded fields. Other birds seen before lunch included large numbers of Barn Swallows (Golondrina Común / Hirundo rustica), Stone-curlews (Alcaraván Común / Burhinus oedicnemus) were heard but not seen, Woodpigeon (Paloma Torcaz / Columba palumbus), Song Thrush (Zorzal Común / Turdus philomelos), Serin (Verdecillo / Serinus serinus), Red-legged Partridge (Perdiz Roja / Alectoris rufa), Linnet (Pardillo Común / Carduelis cannabina), Grey Wagtail (Lavandera Cascadena / Motacilla cinerea), Common Stonechat (Tarabilla Común / Saxicola torquata), Common Chiffchaff (Mosquitero Común / Phylloscopus collybita) and Collared Dove (Tórtola Turca / Streptopelia decaocto).
Avocet (Avoceta Común/ Recurvirostra avosetta).
As we arrived at the bar for lunch the skys were full of lighting and the thunder was rumbling a way well and as we ate the heavens opened and the streets filled with water in a few seconds. After our well timed stop we climbed back into the car and drove through the flooded streets and headed back along the same road to Osuna. Just as we started back along the railway line John picked up a raptor flying towards us which turned out to be a nice adult Egyptian Vulture (Alimoche Común / Neophron percnopterus). The rest of the run to Osuna and onward to Fuente de Piedra was quiet mainly because all but the drive (me) had an afternoon snooze, with Common Buzzard (Busardo Ratonero / Buteo buteo) and Cattle Egret (Garcilla Bueyera / Bubulcus ibis) being the only new species added. At Fuente a group of Greater Flamingo’s was the first species seen, about 50 birds were on the pool to the left of the drive along with a few Black-winged Stilts. We then went into the new visitors centre where John and Sharon bought a badge of the Lynx we had seen yesterday. Out on the reserve large numbers of Northern Shoveler (Cuchara Común / Anas clypeata) were by far the commonest species, along with Common Pochard (Porrón Europeo / Aythya ferina) and Mallard (Anade Azulón / Anas platyrhynchos). Several Avocets (Avoceta Común/ Recurvirostra avosetta) could be seen chasing around and a small flock were seen swimming a long way out on the main very full lagoon. On the pools at the rear of the center several Snipe (Agachadiza Común / Gallinago gallinago) were roosting on one of the islands, Little Grebes (Zampullín Común / Tachybaptus ruficollis) called loudly and displayed and a Hoopoe (Abubilla / Upupa epops) feed under the Tamarisk trees.