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Saturday 22 November 2014

El Hondo and Santa Pola Saltpans, Alicante Province.

A morning on the reserve and a look around the Santa Pola Saltpans.

Reedy channel at El Hondo.
We all got up and followed Juan Perez and Beatriz to the North Gate of El Hondo reserver where we joined a rather longer line of cars than expected, Whilst we were waiting for the warden we saw Collared Dove (Tórtola Turca / Streptopelia decaocto), Common Chiffchaff (Mosquitero Común / Phylloscopus collybita), Cetti's Warbler (Ruisenor Bastardo / Cettia cetti), Western Cattle Egret (Garcilla Bueyera / Bubulcus ibis), Marsh Harrier (Aguilucho Lagunero Occidental / Circus aeruginosus), Black-headed (Gaviota Riedora / Larus ridibundus), Lesser Black-backed (Gaviota Sombria / Larus fuscus) and Yellow-legged Gulls (Gaviota Patiamarilla / Larus Michahellis), Kingfisher (Martin Pescador / Alcedo atthis), Great Cormorant (Cormorán Grande / Phalacrocroax carbo) and Crag Martin (Avión Roquero / Ptyonoprogne rupestris).
Great White Egret (Garceta Grande / Egretta alba).
Once we were in we drove to the furthest point as the local Brits all raced to get into the first smaller tower so we continued on and parked near the second one. We walked to the nearby platform and scanned the pools picking up Red-crested Pochards (Pato Colorado / Netta rufina), Northern Shoveler (Pato Cuchara / Anas clypeata), Grey Heron (Garza Real / Ardea cinerea), Little Egret (Garceta Común / Egreeta garzetta), lots more Kingfishers including 4 at the same time in a nearby ditch.
Reed beds looking south from the hide.
The weather was not really in our favour for seeing the Eagles as it was overcast and misty so we decided to have a walk back through the reserve to the smaller platform, on the way we had views of Robin (Petirrojo Europeo / Erithacus rubecula), Iberian Grey Shrike (Alcaudón Real Meridional / Lanius meridionalis), Little Grebe (Zampullín Común / Tachybaptus ruficollis), Snipe (Agachadiza Común / Gallinago gallinago), Blackcap (Curruca Capirotada / Sylvia atricailla), Black Redstart (Colirrojo Tizón / Phoenicurus ochruros), Reed Bunting (Escribano Palustre / Emberiza schoeniclus) and Common Stonechat (Tarabilla Común / Saxicola torquata).
Little Egret (Garceta Común / Egreeta garzetta).
As we got to the platform the other birders had moved so we scanned the pools from the high point and soon added Black-necked (Zampullín Cullinegro / Podiceps nigricollis) and Great Crested Grebes (Somormujo Lavanco / Podiceps cristatus), Green Sandpiper (Andarrios Grande / Tringa ochropus), Black-winged Stilt (Ciguenela Común / Himantopus himantopus), White-headed Duck (Malvasia Cabeciblanca / Oxyura leucocephala), Water Rail (Rascón Europeo / Rallus aquaticus), Western Osprey (Águila Pescardora / Pandion haliaetus), Eurasian Teal (Cerceta Común / Anas crecca), Mallard (Anade Azulón / Anas platyrhynchos) and Iberian Green Woodpecker (Pito Real / Picus sharpei). I had a walk along the track a little further and had a single fly over Brambling (Pinzón Real / Fringilla montifringilla), even more Kingfishers, Common Kestrel (Cernicalo Vulgar / Falco tinnunculus), Woodpigeon (Paloma Torcaz / Columba palumbus) and during the walk back we had a couple of Great White Egrets (Garceta Grande / Egretta alba) and two Ruff (Combatiente / Philomachus pugnax) fly along the channel.
Looking North from the hide.
Once we were back at the cars we had a coffee and the decided that we would go out early as we had actually had better birding from the two hides near the south gate yesterday but this plan did not work as when we reached the gat we found that we were locked in so we returned along the track to a track which lead out to a boardwalk and to a view point.
Red-knobbed Coot (Focha Moruna / Fulca cristata).
Along the walk we had views of Dartford Warbler (Curruca Rabilarga / Sylvia undata), Serins (Verdecillo / Serinus serinus), another Iberian Green Woodpecker and as we were walking back we had a splendid male Little Bittern (Avetorillo Común / Ixobrychus minutus) fly across the channel and disappear in to the reeds.
Once we were able to get out of the gate we made our way around to the visitors centre where Juan and Beatriz been the day before, as soon as we arrived we checked the pool at the rear where we saw a couple of collared Red-knobbed Coots (Focha Moruna / Fulca cristata) one of which had a strange orange coloured bill and damaged Shield. Also on the pool we had even more Kingfishers, Western Swamp-hen (Calamon Común / Porphyrio porphyrio) and Eurasian Coot (Focha Común / Fulica atra). From the pool we walked out along the tracks to the hides out on the reserve but we did not see much on the water except for a fine winter plumaged Black-necked Grebe (Zampullín Cullinegro / Podiceps nigricollis).
From the back of the hide a large raptor was seen perched in a distant tree which turned out to be TONN again. We walked back to the cars, on the way we had good views of a male Bluethroat (Pechiazul / Luscinia svecica), Sardinian Warbler (Curruca Cabecinegra / Sylvia melanocephala), Spotless Starling (Estornino Negro / Sturnus unicolor) and a Great Crested Grebe (Somormujo Lavanco / Podiceps cristatus).
Black-necked Grebe (Zampullín Cullinegro / Podiceps nigricollis).
We decided that we would like to get a better view of the eagle so we a drive around the tracks in the general direction of where we had seen the bird. We stopped at a deadend in the road and scanned the area to find we had driven right passed the bird which few passed us a few minutes later. Whilst we were in this area we had a flyby Barn Swallow (Golondrina Común / Hirundo rustica) and another of the omipreasent Kingfishers.
Once we found our way out of the fields we had some lunch beforedriving a slightly roundabout way out to Santa Pola saltpans on the coast, here we all got the scopes out and scanned the pools and quickly boosted the wader list with Red Knot ( Correlimos Gordo / Calidris canutus), Dunlin (Correlimos Común / Calidris alpina), Bar-tailed Godwit (Aguja Colipinta / Limosa lapponica), Little Stint (Correlimos Menudo / Calidris minuta), Ruddy Turnstone (Vuelvepiedras Común / Arenaria interpres), Common Sandpiper (Andarrios Chico / Actitis hypoleucos), Ringed Plover (Chorlitejo Grande / Charadrius hiaticula), Black-winged Stilt, Avocet (Avoceta Común / Recurvirostra avosetta) and Common Redshank (Archibebe Común / Tringa totanus).
Ruddy Turnstone (Vuelvepiedras Común / Arenaria interpres).
Other species seen included Slender-billed Gull (Gaviota Picofina / Larus genei), Greater Flamingo (Flamenco Común / Phoenicopterus roseus), Spoonbill (Espátula Común / Platalea leucorodia), Little Egret (Garceta Común / Egreeta garzetta), a couple more Great White Egrets, Water Pipit (Bisbita Alpino / Anthus spinoletta), Shelduck (Tarro Blanco / Tadoma tadorna), an Western Osprey (Águila Pescardora / Pandion haliaetus) and a hundred plus Great Crested Grebes.
Later we moved back to the Southern hides where we again saw Greater Flamingo's, Avocet, Northern Shoveler, Booted Eagle, Marsh Harrier, a very nice female Hen Harrier (Aguilucho Pálido / Circus cyaneus), Black-tailed Godwit (Aguja Colinegra / Limosa limosa), Greenshank (Archibebe Claro / Tringa nebularia), 5x Common Cranes (Grulla Común / Grus grus) and a Little Owl (Mochuelo Europeo / Athene noctua).
Dunlin (Correlimos Común / Calidris alpina).
Later in the day we moved back around to the towers we had been at yesterday until just on dusk where we saw Marsh Harrier, Booted Eagle, Common Buzzard (Busardo Ratonero / Buteo buteo), Glossy Ibis (Morito Común / Plegadis falcinellus), Western  Swamp-hen (Calamon Común / Porphyrio porphyrio), Water Pipit (Bisbita Alpino / Anthus spinoletta),  Great White Egrets, Hoopoe (Abubilla / Upupa epops), 3x Ruff, Crag Martin (Avión Roquero / Ptyonoprogne rupestris), Water Rail, White Wagtail and the last new species for the two days an immature Little Ringed Plover (Chorlitejo Chico / Charadrius dubius).
We said goodbye to Juan and Beatriz who were staying an extra day before driving back to the house, on the way it was very very windy but the journey went well and quickly.

Friday 21 November 2014

Travelling to and in the El Hondo area, Alicante Province.

Second trip out of Andalucia this year, this time for some special Eagles.

Little Grebe (Zampullín Común / Tachybaptus ruficollis).
The group set off early and made our way up the motorways through Granada, Almeria, Murcia and in to Alicante to the well known wetland reserve of El Hondo. On the drive we picked up Carrion Crow (Corneja Negra / Corvus corone), Jackdaw (Grajilla / Corvus monedula), Raven (Cuervo / Corvus corax), Common Magpie (Urraca / Pica pica) and Griffon Vulture (Bultre Leonado / Gyps fulvus) and near the reserve whilst we were searching the small lanes of the site we also picked up Red-legged Partridge (Perdiz Roja / Alectoris rufa), Iberian Grey Shrike (Alcaudón Real Meridional / Lanius meridionalis) and the first Booted Eagles (Aguililla Calzada / Hieraaetus pennatus), Common Buzzards (Busardo Ratonero / Buteo buteo) and Marsh Harriers (Aguilucho Lagunero Occidental / Circus aeruginosus).
Black-winged Stilt (Ciguenela Común / Himantopus himantopus).
As with so many Spanish reserves El Hondo has very restricted entry time but we were booked in on the visit sheduled for tomorrow morning so we spent the rest of this morning around the south gate and the two hides nearby. We parked on the roadside and walked out to the first hide, on the way we saw Western Cattle Egret (Garcilla Bueyera / Bubulcus ibis), Snipe (Agachadiza Común / Gallinago gallinago), Western Swamp-hen (Calamon Común / Porphyrio porphyrio), Eurasian Coot (Focha Común / Fulica atra), Water Rail (Rascón Europeo / Rallus aquaticus), Common Moorhen (Gallineta Común / Gallinulas chloropus), Collared Dove (Tórtola Turca / Streptopelia decaocto), Zitting Cisticola (Buitrón / Cisticola juncidis), White Wagtail (Lavandera Blanca / Montacilla alba), Reed Bunting (Escribano Palustre / Emberiza schoeniclus), Common Stonechat (Tarabilla Común / Saxicola torquata), Common Chiffchaff (Mosquitero Común / Phylloscopus collybita), Grey Heron (Garza Real / Ardea cinerea) and the first of dozens of Kingfishers (Martin Pescador / Alcedo atthis) we were to see over the two days here.
Great Spotted Eagle (Águila Moteada / Aquila clanga).
Once we were in the hide we got good views of 200+ Greater Flamingo's (Flamenco Común / Phoenicopterus roseus), Shelduck (Tarro Blanco / Tadoma tadorna), Northern Shoveler (Pato Cuchara / Anas clypeata), Common Pochard (Porrón Común / Aythya ferina), Mallard (Anade Azulón / Anas platyrhynchos), Great Cormorant (Cormorán Grande / Phalacrocroax carbo), Black-headed (Gaviota Riedora / Larus ridibundus), Lesser Black-backed (Gaviota Sombria / Larus fuscus) and Yellow-legged Gulls (Gaviota Patiamarilla / Larus Michahellis), an Western Osprey (Águila Pescardora / Pandion haliaetus) which was perched on a post in the water, plenty of Crag Martins (Avión Roquero / Ptyonoprogne rupestris), and in the trees on the far side of the reeds dozens of Woodpigeons (Paloma Torcaz / Columba palumbus) and a single Stock Dove (Paloma Zurita / Columba oenas).
I went for a stroll back to the road, on the way I had two male Penduline Tits (Pájaro Moscón / Remiz pendulinus) in the reeds along with a male Bluethroat (Pechiazul / Luscinia svecica) which was skulking around on the mud at the side of the lake. In the trees by the road I located a Common Buzzard (Busardo Ratonero / Buteo buteo), a Green Sandpiper (Andarrios Grande / Tringa ochropus) flushed up from a ditch at the side of the road and two Bramblings (Pinzón Real / Fringilla montifringilla) flew over calling.
Great Spotted Eagle (Águila Moteada / Aquila clanga).
Next came lunch and after we had eaten we headed back to the hides but this time I checked out the second one which was a little further along the track. From here I had views of Black-winged Stilts (Ciguenela Común / Himantopus himantopus), Avocet (Avoceta Común / Recurvirostra avosetta), Common Redshank (Archibebe Común / Tringa totanus), Black-tailed Godwit (Aguja Colinegra / Limosa limosa), Eurasian Curlew (Zaoaito Real / Numenius arquata), Dunlin (Correlimos Común / Calidris alpina), two more Western Ospreys, Great Crested (Somormujo Lavanco / Podiceps cristatus) and Little Grebes (Zampullín Común / Tachybaptus ruficollis). In the ditches and around the pools I also saw several Insect species included Migrant Hawkers (Aeshna mixta) which were quite common, Vagrant (Anax ephippiger) and Lesser Emperors (Anax parthenope), Red-veined Darters (Sympetrum fonscolombii), Bath  (Pontia daplidice), Large (Pieris brassicae) and Small Whites (Artogeia rapae) and a butterfly lifer a very smart Plain Tiger (Danaus chrysippus).
The towers.
We wondered back to the first hide adding Little Egret (Garceta Común / Egreeta garzetta), Linnet (Pardillo Común / Carduelis cannabina), Skylark (Alondra Común / Alauda arvensis), Corn Bunting (Triguero / Emberiza calandra), Sardinian Warbler (Curruca Cabecinegra / Sylvia melanocephala), Meadow Pipit (Bisbita Pratense / Anthus pratensis), Hoopoe (Abubilla / Upupa epops) and Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula).
At around 15:00 we decided to have a drive around the south west corner of the reserve where we some how or other found our way to an abandoned visitors centre near Santa Agueda where some of the group checked out two towers at the site whilst some of us keep a check that the gate was not going to be locked behind us, whilst I was on gate watch I saw two cracking Bluethroats, more Reed Buntings, Iberian Green Woodpecker (Pito Real / Picus sharpei) and then the bird of the day TONN the Great Spotted Eagle (Águila Moteada / Aquila clanga) complete with defunked transmitter. The rest of the group saw the bird just as it landed in a large pine tree which was where we watched the bird preen for a while before it again flew heading for the trees in the centre of the reserve. Whilst it was in the tree we moved around to a track to get a better view, here we met a nice Spanish chap who told us the gate to the centre was never locked so we all returned there and checked the towers again. Species seen from here included a fine Wood Sandpiper (Andarrios Bastardo / Tringa glareola), 2 Little Stints
Great White Egret (Garceta Grande / Egretta alba).
(Correlimos Menudo / Calidris minuta), Ringed Plover (Chorlitejo Grande / Charadrius hiaticula), Snipe, Black-winged Stilt, several Great White Egrets (Garceta Grande / Egretta alba), Glossy Ibis (Morito Común / Plegadis falcinellus), Water Pipit (Bisbita Alpino / Anthus spinoletta) and in the scrub behind us a Dartford Warbler (Curruca Rabilarga / Sylvia undata).
Once it was getting towards dusk we headed for the hotle near Elche which was found quite easily, just as we were unloading two of out friend Juan Perez and his wife Beatriz turned up along with Chika there lovely little dog. We got the rooms sorted and then all went out for a meal in a local bar.

During this days birding we saw a total of 82 species of bird which was a good total considering the weather had been very dull but thankfully dry.

Thursday 20 November 2014

Travelling to Malaga and Huétor Fields, Malaga and Granada Provinces.

Meeting the birders and some local birding.

I drove down to Malaga and met the birders I was spending the next few days with, on the way down I pulled off the motorway at Loja to watch a very nice pair of Bonelli's Eagles (Aguila-azor / Hieraetus faciatus) which were soaring over the fields along side of the Rio Genil. Also seen in the area and on the way down to the coast I saw White Wagtail (Lavandera Blanca / Montacilla alba), Western Cattle Egret (Garcilla Bueyera / Bubulcus ibis), Woodpigeon (Paloma Torcaz / Columba palumbus), Crested Lark (Cogujada / Galerida cristata), Common Kestrel (Cernicalo Vulgar / Falco tinnunculus), Merlin (Esmerejón / Falco columbarius), Collared Dove (Tórtola Turca / Streptopelia decaocto), Rock Pigeon (Paloma Bravia / Columba livia), Serin (Verdecillo / Serinus serinus), Goldfinch (Jilguero / Carduelis carduelis) and Monk Parakeet (Cotorra Argentina / Myiopsitta monachus).
We drove back up the motorways and then did some birding around the fields to the North of Huétor Tajar where we boosted the list with some of the special species we have wintering on this area which is just 2 or 3 KM from the house. Species seen included Little Bustards (Sisón Común / Tetrax tetrax), Stone Curlews (Alcaraván Común / Burhinus oedicnemus), Water Pipit (Bisbita Alpino / Anthus spinoletta), Tree Sparrow (Gorrión Molinero / Passer montanus), Jack Snipe (Agachadiza Chica / Lymnocriptes minimus), Bluethroat (Pechiazul / Luscinia svecica) and Iberian  Magpie (Rabilargo / Cyanopica cooki) these cracking species were seen along side the commoner Crested (Cogujada / Galerida cristata), Thekla (Cogujada Montesina / Galerida theklae) and Skylark (Alondra Común / Alauda arvensis), Meadow Pipit (Bisbita Pratense / Anthus pratensis), Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula), Blackcap (Curruca Capirotada / Sylvia atricailla), Common Kestrel (Cernicalo Vulgar / Falco tinnunculus), Little Owl (Mochuelo Europeo / Athene noctua), Snipe (Agachadiza Común / Gallinago gallinago), Serin (Verdecillo / Serinus serinus), Common Stonechat (Tarabilla Común / Saxicola torquata), Common Chiffchaff (Mosquitero Común / Phylloscopus collybita), Jackdaw (Grajilla / Corvus monedula), Northern Lapwing (Avefria Europea / Vanellus vanellus), Grey Wagtail (Lavandera Cascadena / Motacilla cinerea), Great Tit (Carbonera Común / Parus major), Black Redstart (Colirrojo Tizón / Phoenicurus ochruros), Corn Bunting (Triguero / Emberiza calandra), Greenfinch (Verderón Común / Carduelis chloris) and Linnet (Pardillo Común / Carduelis cannabina). 
As the afternoon was heading on towards dusk we headed to the accommodation for an early night so that we were ready for our early start next morning.