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Saturday 15 November 2014

Aqualate Mere and Belvide Res, Staffordshire, Great Britain.

A cracking day with three very good friends / birders back in the UK.

Brian, Sharon and John.
John, Sharon and Brian picked me up from Albrighton and we headed off up the A41 to Newport and then out to Aqualate Mere. We arrived and parked before walking out to the hide which over looks the main Mere and has a feeding station right out side the window.
Long-tailed Tit (Mito / Aegithalos caudatus).
On the way out on a very muddy track we saw Common Starling (Estornino Pinto / Sturnus vulgaris), Mistle Thrush (Zorzal Charlo / Turdus viscivorus), Jay (Arrendajo / Garrulus glandarius), Carrion Crow (Corneja Negra / Corvus corone), Long-tailed Tit (Mito / Aegithalos caudatus), Black-headed Gull (Gaviota Riedora / Larus ridibundus), Skylark (Alondra Común / Alauda arvensis), Pheasant (Faisán Vulgar / Phaisanus colchicus) and Common Buzzard (Busardo Ratonero / Buteo buteo).
Marsh Tit (Carbonero Palustre /Parus palustris).
Once we reached the hide we had great views of Blue (Herrerillo Común / Parus caeruleus), Coal (Carbonero Garrapinos / Parus ater), Great (Carbonera Común / Parus major), Marsh Tits (Carbonero Palustre /Parus palustris), Great Spotted Woodpecker (Pico Picapinos / Dendrocopos major), Reed Bunting (Escribano Palustre / Emberiza schoeniclus), Wren (Chochin / Troglodytes troglodytes), Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula) and Common Chaffinch (Pinzón Vulgar / Fringilla coelebs) all of which came in to the feeder.
Reed Bunting (Escribano Palustre / Emberiza schoeniclus).
Out on the water and in the reeds we saw good numbers of wildfowl including 10+ Goldeneye (Porrón Osculado /Bucephala clangula), 30+ Eurasian Wigeon (Sibón Europeo / Anas penelope), Eurasian Teal (Cerceta Común / Anas crecca), Mallard (Anade Azulón / Anas platyrhynchos), Common Pochard (Porrón Común / Aythya ferina), Northern Shoveler (Pato Cuchara / Anas clypeata), Mute Swan (Cisne Vulgar / Cygnus olor), Greylag (Ansar Común / Anser anser) and Canada Geese (Barnacla Canadiense /Branta canadensis), Common Moorhen (Gallineta Común / Gallinulas chloropus), Eurasian Coot (Focha Común / Fulica atra), Water Rail (Rascón Europeo / Rallus aquaticus), Little (Zampullín Común / Tachybaptus ruficollis) and Great Crested Grebe (Somormujo Lavanco / Podiceps cristatus), Great Cormorant (Cormorán Grande / Phalacrocroax carbo) and Grey Heron (Garza Real / Ardea cinerea).
Coal Tit (Carbonero Garrapinos / Parus ater).
Other species seen and heard included Redwing (Zorzal Alirrojo / Turdus illacus), Grey Wagtail (Lavandera Cascadena / Motacilla cinerea), Robin (Petirrojo Europeo / Erithacus rubecula), Common Chiffchaff (Mosquitero Común / Phylloscopus collybita), Green Woodpecker (Pito Real / Picus viridis), Rook (Graja /  Corvus frugilegus), Cetti's Warbler (Ruisenor Bastardo / Cettia cetti) and Common Magpie (Urraca / Pica pica). 
Blue Tit (Herrerillo Común / Parus caeruleus).
From Aqualate we headed back to the A5 and then across to Belvide Res, we parked and walked through the woods having a quick look at the feeder hide but saw much the same species as at Aqualate. We next went into the hide in the first bay where I bumped in to Steve Nutall, a birder who I have in the past seen some interesting rare birds with on lots of twitches but had not see for some time. On the water from here we saw more Goldeneye, Mute Swan, Pochards, Tufted Duck, Teal, Mallard and Great Crested Grebe. We then decided to walk around the res to the far corner, on the way we saw several Goldcrests (Reyezuelo Sencillo / Regulus regulus), Bullfinch (Camachuelo Común / Pyrrhula pyrrhula), Reed Bunting, Fieldfare, Black Bird, Common Starling and Pied Wagtail (Motacilla alba yarrellii).
Great Tit (Carbonera Común / Parus major).
Around in the far bay we had good but distant views of a female / immature Smew (Serreta Chica /Mergus albellus) which had been at the site for a while along with two female type Goosanders (Serreta Grande / Mergus merganser), Great Cormorant (Cormorán Grande / Phalacrocroax carbo), Northern Lapwing (Avefria Europea / Vanellus vanellus), Little Grebe (Zampullín Común / Tachybaptus ruficollis) and a very nice fly by Peregrine Falcon (Halcón Peregrino / Falco peregrinus). On the way back around to the first hide we called in at the lake side feeder hide and had good views of Nuthatch (Trepador Azul / Sitta europaea), Pheasant, Reed Bunting, Marsh Tit and in a nearby bay a cracking Kingfisher (Martin Pescador / Alcedo atthis) which fished from the marginal Willows.
Pheasant (Faisán Vulgar / Phaisanus colchicus).
Once back at the first hide we picked up Gadwall (Anade Friso / Anas strepera), Buzzard and out in the Gull roost which had started to form 10+ Yellow-legged Gulls (Gaviota Patiamarilla / Larus Michahellis) as well as Black-headed (Gaviota Riedora / Larus ridibundus), Lesser Black-backed (Gaviota Sombria / Larus fuscus), Great Black-backed (Gavión Atlántico / Larus marinus) and Herring (Gaviota Argéntea Europea / Larus argentatus). The light was now dropping quickly so we headed back towards Albrighton where Sharon, John and Brian dropped me off in time to get ready for the nights fancy dress party to celebrate Martins 50th Birthday.
Nuthatch (Trepador Azul / Sitta europaea).

Thanks to Sharon, John and Brian for a memorable days birding and particularly to John for driving us around again, see you soon.

Friday 14 November 2014

Priorslee Lake, Trench Pool and Venus Pool, Shropshire, Great Britain.

A days birding with friend John Morgan around some old haunts.

Reed Bunting (Escribano Palustre / Emberiza schoeniclus).
After arriving in the UK ysterday I got Jayne and Barb to drop me off at Priorslee lake where I had a look around the pool and in the first area of woodland near the M54.
Canada Goose (Barnacla Canadiense /Branta canadensis).
On the water I picked up several Mute Swans (Cisne Vulgar / Cygnus olor), dozens of Tufted Ducks (Porrón Monudo / Aythya fuligula), Common Pochard (Porrón Común / Aythya ferina), Mallard (Anade Azulón / Anas platyrhynchos), Eurasian Wigeon (Sibón Europeo / Anas penelope), Eurasian Coot (Focha Común / Fulica atra), Common Moorhen (Gallineta Común / Gallinulas chloropus), Great Crested Grebe (Somormujo Lavanco / Podiceps cristatus), Lesser Black-backed (Gaviota Sombria / Larus fuscus) and Black-headed Gulls (Gaviota Riedora / Larus ridibundus) and in the air and around the margins I added Carrion Crow (Corneja Negra / Corvus corone), Rook (Graja /  Corvus frugilegus), Woodpigeon (Paloma Torcaz / Columba palumbus), Long-tailed (Mito / Aegithalos caudatus) and Blue Tits (Herrerillo Común / Parus caeruleus), Robin (Petirrojo Europeo / Erithacus rubecula), Wren (Chochin / Troglodytes troglodytes), Common Magpie (Urraca / Pica pica), Common Chaffinch (Pinzón Vulgar / Fringilla coelebs) and Common Buzzard (Busardo Ratonero / Buteo buteo). 
Great Crested Grebe (Somormujo Lavanco / Podiceps cristatus).
A shower then drifted in and I walked back to the parking area and met John who turned up just in time to prevent me getting soaked.
Nuthatch (Trepador Azul / Sitta europaea).
We had a chat and then headed a short way down the queens way to Trench Pool where there had been (and as I do this post it is still present) a Long-tailed Duck (Pato Havelda / Clangula hyemalis) but during the time we were there it had obviously moved to one of the many nearby smaller pools as we did not see the bird.
Rook (Graja /  Corvus frugilegus).
We did however see more Tufted Ducks, Great Crested and Canada Geese (Barnacla Canadiense /Branta canadensis), Little Grebes (Zampullín Común / Tachybaptus ruficollis), Eurasian Coots, Common Moorhens, Lesser-black Backed and Black-headed Gulls, Mute Swans, Canada Geese (Barnacla Canadiense /Branta canadensis), Dunnock (Acentor Común / Prunella modularis), Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula) and Great Tit (Carbonera Común / Parus major).
After spending some time searching the site we headed to Venus Pool, a site I have visited in the past many times.
Yellowhammer (Escribano Cerillo / Emberiza citrinella).
We arrived and checked out the main hide which looked over the main pool, here we saw Northern Lapwing (Avefria Europea / Vanellus vanellus), Snipe (Agachadiza Común / Gallinago gallinago), Eurasian Teal (Cerceta Común / Anas crecca), Tufted Duck, Mallard, Northern Shoveler (Pato Cuchara / Anas clypeata), Great Crested Grebe, Black-headed Gull, Kingfisher (Martin Pescador / Alcedo atthis), Grey  (Lavandera Cascadena / Motacilla cinerea) and Pied Wagtail (Motacilla alba yarrellii), Grey Heron (Garza Real / Ardea cinerea) and Great Cormorant (Cormorán Grande / Phalacrocroax carbo).
Blue Tit (Herrerillo Común / Parus caeruleus).
Our next stop was at the feeder hide but it was fairly quiet but we did see Blue, Great, Long-tailed and Coal Tits (Carbonero Garrapinos / Parus ater), Dunnock, Common Chaffinch, Great Spotted Woodpecker (Pico Picapinos / Dendrocopos major), Nuthatch (Trepador Azul / Sitta europaea), Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula), Goldfinch (Jilguero / Carduelis carduelis), Greenfinch (Verderón Común / Carduelis chloris) and House Sparrow (Gorrión Común / Passer domesticus).
We continued on around the reserve checking the two other hides but did not see anything new so we went and had a look out on the fields above the reserve.
Common Chaffinch (Pinzón Vulgar / Fringilla coelebs).
We walked along a long Hawthorn hedge where we saw very pleasing numbers of Yellowhammers (Escribano Cerillo / Emberiza citrinella), Reed Buntings (Escribano Palustre / Emberiza schoeniclus), Redwings (Zorzal Alirrojo / Turdus illacus) and Fieldfares (Zorzal Real / Turdus pilaris). 

Thanks John for running me around during the day and the lift back to Albrighton, good to do some birding together again and hope it will not be as long before we meet up again.

Sunday 9 November 2014

Huétor Fields, Granada Province.

A couple of hours down on the fields with Juan Francisco Jiménez López and Sergio Martin.

Little Bustard (Sisón Común / Tetrax tetrax).
I headed out on to the fields waiting for a text from Juan when they arrived, whilst I was waiting I had a look along the river and started the list off with Iberian  Magpie (Rabilargo / Cyanopica cooki), Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula), Common Stonechat (Tarabilla Común / Saxicola torquata), Tree Sparrow (Gorrión Molinero / Passer montanus), Zitting Cisticola (Buitrón / Cisticola juncidis), Woodpigeon (Paloma Torcaz / Columba palumbus), White Wagtail (Lavandera Blanca / Montacilla alba), Song Thrush (Zorzal Común / Turdus philomelos), Spotless Starling (Estornino Negro / Sturnus unicolor), Sardinian Warbler (Curruca Cabecinegra / Sylvia melanocephala), Robin (Petirrojo Europeo / Erithacus rubecula), Red-legged Partridge (Perdiz Roja / Alectoris rufa), Northern Lapwing (Avefria Europea / Vanellus vanellus) and a small group of distant Little Bustards (Sisón Común / Tetrax tetrax).
Stone Curlews (Alcaraván Común / Burhinus oedicnemus).
Whilst I was watching the Bustards the text came through and I made my way over to the nearby garage where I met up with Juan and Sergio. We got into my car and we went just up the road to a field where we counted a group of around a 100 or so Stone Curlews (Alcaraván Común / Burhinus oedicnemus), 50+ Northern Lapwings (different to the 100+ seen earlier), Common Kestrel (Cernicalo Vulgar / Falco tinnunculus), Crested Lark (Cogujada / Galerida cristata), Collared Dove (Tórtola Turca / Streptopelia decaocto), Linnet (Pardillo Común / Carduelis cannabina) and Goldfinch (Jilguero / Carduelis carduelis).
Western Cattle Egret (Garcilla Bueyera / Bubulcus ibis).
Just as we were about to leave the first site a small group of dogs came across the fields where the Curlews were and flushed them all up and they all settled in the open and we did a second count and found that there had actually been well over 200 of these incredibly well camouflaged birds in the stubble. 
We moved on and checked the fields along the river and checked the fields adding Skylark (Alondra Común / Alauda arvensis), Meadow Pipit (Bisbita Pratense / Anthus pratensis), Hoopoe (Abubilla / Upupa epops), Grey Wagtail (Lavandera Cascadena / Motacilla cinerea), Grey Heron (Garza Real / Ardea cinerea) and Western Cattle Egret (Garcilla Bueyera / Bubulcus ibis). 
Again we moved on and went to the farside of the site and checked out a couple of ditches and pools. We had great views of a very nice male Bluethroat (Pechiazul / Luscinia svecica), Cetti's Warbler, Common Stonechat, Snipe (Agachadiza Común / Gallinago gallinago), Serin (Verdecillo / Serinus serinus), Greenfinch (Verderón Común / Carduelis chloris), Common Chiffchaff (Mosquitero Común / Phylloscopus collybita), lots more Tree Sparrows, Common Magpie (Urraca / Pica pica) and eventually the target Jack Snipe (Agachadiza Chica / Lymnocriptes minimus) which got up out of the ditch and flew low round a corner and out of sight all to quickly.
Little Bustard (Sisón Común / Tetrax tetrax).
We continued on down the ditch seeing another Bluethroat, Mistle Thrush (Zorzal Charlo / Turdus viscivorus), Common Moorhen (Gallineta Común / Gallinulas chloropus) and Corn Bunting (Triguero / Emberiza calandra). In this area we had several Small Whites (Artogeia rapae) which were still on the wing.
Our final stop was on the oposite side of the area where we had nice views of the Little Bustards on the ground in one of the many Lucerne fields, we watched these cracking birds for a while and then headed back to where Juan and Sergio had parked and then headed our own ways.
Juan and Sergio.