A day of downs and ups!!!
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4yP3O5P_xrLwznTSWT95CejzmCWRdssLzWVRtjTwnOec-FlpB-ygRVjGU5ayEneBVDeky0Rzrmq0a8BaNMfb6GklOqPWdEbyDME6saNUZS5eqgUN3qiIhAkiyI9NeXWdFwsgxZeuyCqlb/s640/30th+Mar+16-2.jpg) |
Temminck Stints (Correlimos de Temminck / Calidris temminckii) with a Black-winged Stilt (Ciguenela Común / Himantopus himantopus). |
Jayne and I left the house early and drove the three hours along the motorways towards Vera in Almeria and out to a pool in the Almanzora River near Cuevas de Almanzora where we were looking for the long staying Solitary Sandpiper (Tringa solitaria).
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig2-1jtU6KXDkdas2jRSv94O_71mTC3ViuezoK4Lbfixvr3lKnGLvo_c9JdLR7ogR32_vK0x6op6KAYs7iNLu8e7Zr6WBKtHckVCAf0MPocoV3_8A6ui_ECSwdp08ldYCunokH-JUCAjP4/w640-h501/30th+Mar+16-7.jpg) |
Black-winged Stilts (Ciguenela Común / Himantopus himantopus). |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqtwDkCsk6T8JJFS9J0q4QIkKCs6rVPx1zvpRJSaYLqCRSL74gauzJMTg6OPQdrC1mn5wapGtEZmfifu8XAJRpZZQmPuNqOXUMlSoLZ0Uxe8pZNkSwRD3GUK7zEgHyhPSe0RHUYvbhsEdP/s640/30th+Mar+16-4.jpg) |
Black-winged Stilt (Ciguenela Común / Himantopus himantopus). |
I parked on the side of the road and set up the scope and scanned through the birds looking for the Sandpiper and soon found 20+
Black-winged Stilts (Ciguenela Común / Himantopus himantopus), 2x
Temminck Stints (Correlimos de Temminck / Calidris temminckii), 10+
Little Stints (Correlimos Menudo / Calidris minuta), 2x
Wood Sandpipers (Andarrios Bastardo / Tringa glareola), 5x
Ruff (Combatiente / Philomachus pugnax), 1x
Dunlin (Correlimos Común / Calidris alpina), 3x
Green Sandpipers (Andarrios Grande / Tringa ochropus), 2x
Little Ringed Plovers (Chorlitejo Chico / Charadrius dubius), 1x
Common Redshank (Archibebe Común / Tringa totanus) and another bird which was at the back of the pool which my first instincts told me was the target bird.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcXj7cDqMYRmQDui2nBMfA4Hu7nxkyAWrsL7Sf9Pza2Hco9OjTGdppkx7sY4k5l7TKrXXJgfT_o7cjr5WZkVe50G6v_8Ori9aDkGxU0oUhIl6sXCPf7m1gQqxoxBMq3wQKE1ckFlbRmL6z/s640/30th+Mar+16-6.jpg) |
Black-winged Stilt (Ciguenela Común / Himantopus himantopus). |
Just as I got the scope on it a
Black-winged Stilt flushed it, I was fairly confident I saw the dark tail/rump centre but has it went I only got a partial view and it was just not enough for a tick and the bird did not turn up again whist I was there, bummmmmer.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifiMkniYIr3x3r2KxLrbQ2m-PHI58wZpdCK-KFNvZbU1wljSuk8XtkHIef5O7TXSBlOsjhX_pl0K3uDFGUdDjCa0M80_WY7gwgUgAr7YB16pMtbVcz-80Lvw3N-dfZPyJQM2anGOZawWRd/w640-h496/30th+Mar+16-5.jpg) |
Black-winged Stilt (Ciguenela Común / Himantopus himantopus). |
During the five hours we were there I also saw lots of
Water Pipits (Bisbita Alpino / Anthus spinoletta),
Spanish (Yellow) Wagtails (Lavandera Boyera / Motacilla flava iberiae),
Mallard (Anade Azulón / Anas platyrhynchos),
Western Cattle Egret (Garcilla Bueyera / Bubulcus ibis),
Stone Curlew (Alcaraván Común / Burhinus oedicnemus),
Black-headed Gull (Gaviota Riedora / Larus ridibundus),
Common Moorhen (Gallineta Común / Gallinulas chloropus),
European Bee-eater (Abejaruco Común / Merops apiaster),
Jay (Arrendajo / Garrulus glandarius),
Hoopoe (Abubilla / Upupa epops), calling
Iberian Green Woodpecker (Pito Real / Picus sharpei),
Subalpine Warbler (Curruca Carrasquena / Sylvia cantillans),
Serin (Verdecillo / Serinus serinus),
House Sparrow (Gorrión Común / Passer domesticus),
Common Kestrel (Cernicalo Vulgar / Falco tinnunculus),
Common Magpie (Urraca / Pica pica),
Zitting Cisticola (Buitrón / Cisticola juncidis),
White Wagtail (Lavandera Blanca / Montacilla alba),
Red-rumped (Golondrina Dáurica / Hirudo daurica) and
Barn Swallows (Golondrina Común / Hirundo rustica),
House Martin (Avión Común / Delichon urbica),
Spotless Starling (Estornino Negro / Sturnus unicolor),
Woodpigeon (Paloma Torcaz / Columba palumbus),
Collared Dove (Tórtola Turca / Streptopelia decaocto),
Goldfinch (Jilguero / Carduelis carduelis),
Greenfinch (Verderón Común / Carduelis chloris) and
Linnet (Pardillo Común / Carduelis cannabina).
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTdxt7P3YSvV5AGmx817XPfXnyjDGJbgk2gQOlfmiqhKFXJVZ6H1rJz9qN_fPlbgf64CO7fvJUDCaNfSdQsfeSeupGHaxxxw5CPwrcVAD6X92Vcpf2YXzvrvnrlMIYkajot9evYEi90v_s/w640-h570/30th+Mar+16-8.jpg) |
Water Pipit (Bisbita Alpino / Anthus spinoletta). |
In the same are I recorded
Blue / Common Emperor (Anax imperator) x2 males,
Perez's Frog (Rana Común / Pelophylax perezi),
Bath White (Blanqiverdosa / Pontia daplidice),
Clouded Yellow (Colias Común / Colias corcea) and lots
Painted Ladys (Vanessa cardui).
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglnenojUoscAzpVWYy-c0mymT9veGeoLM9SvkwO0JYwcl7IeT3bRwfI65HB_kX6nwyXcLbkADZ1O5J9v-RthcngE1f7JQUJUrZUR-EL4VXCxn-SlEOrjvF8nG123vSOAB-TyLAwL7zn9-n/s640/30th+Mar+16-1.jpg) |
Blue-headed (Yellow) Wagtail (Lavandera Boyera / Motacilla flava flava). |
After 5 hours we decided to cut our losses and headed for the coastal town of San Jose nearer to Cabo de Gata where we had a nice but stupidly expence lunch in a bar there before going up to a nearby spot where Juan Pérez Contreras and his wife Beatriz had seen a
Baillon's Crake (Polluela Chica / Porzana pusilla).
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgo8vwHh2FwolqNcQuJfHLk60Y0zQNJkZNnZDdD9tmi6H6AaDNvNt5DBAaKnFHBoWQIB0yjhotwaqOd79lHuGXWg1JgkBRbmRqHDdNpKnUbX26V8vMbbk0MFxx48WnDE2BGG0zFOIdUEIbP/w640-h506/30th+Mar+16-10.jpg) |
Ruff (Combatiente / Philomachus pugnax). |
I dipped on the
Crake but did manage to pick up a few migrants including a fine male
Pied Flycatcher (Papamoscas Cerrojillo / Ficedula hypoleuca),
Willow (Mosquitero Musical / Phylloscopus trochillus) and
Bonelli's Warblers (Mosquitero Papialbo / Phylloscopus bonelli) as well as
Common Sandpiper (Andarrios Chico / Actitis hypoleucos),
Yellow-legged Gulls (Gaviota Patiamarilla / Larus Michahellis) and more
Black-winged Stilts,
Green Sandpipers and
Little-ringed Plovers.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVPFpKCav0SYjjzjCoMcc0i_WUxOju6ykfXxhEHMbJiTRX0bPU9WbdRnwKVvhCfUwX7M2_Iw_ksHL1m7jfx4JBByGo3yfgf0bY01WJhK9_7SnFnsehevjPl_0RtNwgIQi61ZCGOtQKKmew/s640/30th+Mar+16-3.jpg) |
Garganey (Cerceta Carretona / Anas querquedula). |
In the same area there were two male
Blue / Common Emperors and a male
Red-veined Darter (Sympetrum fonscolombii).
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGG77Kd6AuTpWqQcQXXMF8I1cjShHrHycniz6jNZtbKvXI8-VNPUr57c54fuvVZ0uT-0YgsxZEFd_VNKjgjzIbN2dg4ocXj8E3YYQmJLH_zFyYP1HjeFyX9iNndosp70-d-4aWxN9eA9il/w640-h424/30th+Mar+16-9.jpg) |
Greater Flamingo's (Flamenco Común / Phoenicopterus roseus). |
Our next stop was the hide over looking the saltpans at Cabo de Gata where I set up the scope and scanned the water and rocky ridges in the pans. In amongst the groups of Gulls and Terns on the rocks I found
Yellow-legged,
Mediterranean (Gaviota Cabecinegra / Larus melanocephalus),
Lesser Black-backed (Gaviota Sombria / Larus fuscus),
Audouin's (Gaviota de Audouin / Larus audouinii) and
Black-headed Gulls (Gaviota Riedora / Larus ridibundus),
Sandwich (Charrán Patinegro / Sterna sandvicensis),
Caspian (Pagaza Piquiroja / Sterna caspia) x2 and
Common Tern (Charrán Común / Sterna hirudo) x3. Out on the water there were good numbers of other species and these included
Greater Flamingo (Flamenco Común / Phoenicopterus roseus),
Slender-billed Gull (Gaviota Picofina / Larus genei),
Bar-tailed Godwit (Aguja Colipinta / Limosa lapponica),
Avocet (Avoceta Común / Recurvirostra avosetta),
Greenshank (Archibebe Claro / Tringa nebularia),
Little Egret (Garceta Común / Egreeta garzetta) and several
Shelducks (Tarro Blanco / Tadoma tadorna).
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcUGTaGA4OTjQ8ZqDU4hnU6z7CWc6lmKlNEXgXncj1hqOIxFiIo6E9RhByqPEgswq-uMqpdAODsrJLXTyqVuCmLssezhcEmWG6HeRb5h2MSs04DTZU8-ZeMr22EIoBxV0Fpre7gv6xDH8w/w472-h640/30th+Mar+16-11.jpg) |
Cynomorium (Cynomorium coccineum). |
We moved a short way down the coast to the superb Rambler Morales where we found 11 Garganey (Cerceta Carretona / Anas querquedula) 7 males and 4 females, White-headed Duck (Malvasia Cabeciblanca / Oxyura leucocephala), Northern Shoveler (Pato Cuchara / Anas clypeata), Gadwall (Anade Friso / Anas strepera), Eurasian Coot (Focha Común / Fulica atra), Kentish Plover (Chorlitejo Patinegro / Charadrius alexandrinus) and lots more Greater Flamingo's. In the area we also had several wildflowers including Yellow Sea Aster (Asteriscus maritimus) and Cynomorium (Cynomorium coccineum) and a couple of unidentified Beetle species.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbcuoAxs8kzRYx5hmj9NmZyv7a8109j4l-zWGMEf3B2YqgMhN2Ltrmv2A089Ctzfm5hPa1tFrXSfi0BFpjwU81on3mvsNNy_gc7WTKQeTDi7cJlrcLzquJuNECz2G0lMKhWru1jYoN8dlT/s640/30th+Mar+16-12.jpg) |
Unidentified Beetle. |
From here we headed back towards home but called in at a spot on the way where I checked a small cage out in the wilds where they feed the local Gamebirds and soon found that at least 5
Trumpeter Finch (Camachuelo Trompetero / Bucanetes githagineus) and a nice
Black Wheatear (Collalba Negra / Oenanthe leucura).
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQKX-h3tAqSurEPMZ-MDgMuvsKygDafUuKCVndUSU-8r9Qa4bL_zmIZa49to4ldVw6t7UnKahIsA3OT43BmiaDZhk2a9DcKsAThd3rso5ui6PqVZLUivgJxvqf4uW7RXn3LxbIHyW3qPlr/s640/30th+Mar+16-13.jpg) |
Unidentified Beetle. |
Again we continued on towards home but before we arrived we picked up
Carrion Crow (Corneja Negra / Corvus corone),
Raven (Cuervo / Corvus corax) and a surprise
Black-winged Kite (Elanio Común / Elanus caeruleus).