Relaxed birding in Sierra Gorda / San Jorge.Jayne and I went over to Villanueva del Trabuco where Jayne was attending the weekly meeting of the local craft group, I stayed and had some lunch at the bar where they meet before heading off into the hill behind the town birding.
I started with a drive up to a set of water spouts, on the way I saw a small flock of Iberian Magpie (Rabilargo / Cyanopica cooki), several Blackbirds (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula), Blackcaps (Curruca Capirotada / Sylvia atricapilla) and a single Mistle Thrush (Zorzal Charlo / Turdus viscivorus).
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| Coal Tit (Carbonero Garrapinos / Parus ater). |
I continued up into the hill until I found a couple of water drums which were feeding some old baths which were watering holes for the flocks of sheep and goats that were wandering around the woods. I set up my chair and just sat and watched what came in, the most common birds were by far the Coal Tit (Carbonero Garrapinos / Parus ater) with up to six being in the surrounding trees at any one time, closely followed by their larger relative the Great Tit (Carbonero Común / Parus major).
A large roaming flock of birds past through the pines all around me, it included mainly Long-tailed Tit (Mito / Aegithalos caudatus), the other two Tit species mentioned, a couple of Short-toed Treecreeper (Agateador Común / Certhia brachydactyla), at least half a dozen Firecrests (Reyezuelo Listado / Regulus ignicapillus) and a Blue Tit (Herrerillo Común / Parus caeruleus), well I only saw the one. Common Crossbills (Piquituerto Común / Loxia curvirostra) were calling over head almost continually and from further back in the woods a Nuthatch (Trepador Azul / Sitta europaea) was heard several times but remained out of sight.
Other species seen or heard included Robin (Petirrrojo / Erithacus rubecula), Black Redstart (Colirrojo Tizón / Phoenicurus ochruros), Goldfinch (Jilguero / Carduelis carduelis), Common Chaffinch (Pinzón Vulgar / Fringilla coelebs), Common Chiffchaff (Mosquitero Común / Phylloscopus collybita), Serin (Verdecillo / Serinus serinus) and Great Spotted Woodpecker (Pico Picapinos / Dendrocopos major).
Other species seen or heard included Robin (Petirrrojo / Erithacus rubecula), Black Redstart (Colirrojo Tizón / Phoenicurus ochruros), Goldfinch (Jilguero / Carduelis carduelis), Common Chaffinch (Pinzón Vulgar / Fringilla coelebs), Common Chiffchaff (Mosquitero Común / Phylloscopus collybita), Serin (Verdecillo / Serinus serinus) and Great Spotted Woodpecker (Pico Picapinos / Dendrocopos major).
2 comments:
Hi Mick!
Just enjoyed reading your last two blogs, especially your Cabo de Gata visit with the Desert Wheatear, Dotterels and Trumpeter Finches. I saw my Dotterels last March off a track half-way between the last town (Rosina?) and the coast. Presumably you were exploring the track that runs from the beach alongside the river up to the Camping site?
Cameras and batteries; always the way with a touch of "Murphy's Law2. I bet you wish you had tried again later on and am now kicking yourself because it might well have worked. Nevertheless great shots obtained with the spare camera.
Is there any water at Laguna Herrera and, if so, anything about?
Best wishes
Bob
Hi Bob, thanks for the comments and yes I was a bit annoyed with the camera but did try it several times during the day. As for Herrera I have not been over that way for a while, the last time there was abit of water but not knowing whether they have had any rain over that way I do not have any idea what there is there. All the best Mick.
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