A cracking mornings birding and survey work.
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| Greater Flamingo's (Flamenco Común / Phoenicopterus roseus). |
I met Juan Pérez Contreras and we went down to Peñón de Jolúcar where we did the monthly sea bird count, on the way up to the high point on Peñón de Jolúcar we saw
Spotless Starling (Estornino Negro / Sturnus unicolor),
Common Chaffinch (Pinzón Vulgar / Fringilla coelebs),
Sardinian Warbler (Curruca Cabecinegra / Sylvia melanocephala),
Greenfinch (Verderón Común / Carduelis chloris),
Robin (Petirrojo Europeo / Erithacus rubecula),
Red-legged Partridge (Perdiz Roja / Alectoris rufa),
Thekla Lark (Cogujada Montesina / Galerida theklae) and a large flock of
Crag Martins (Avión Roquero / Ptyonoprogne rupestris).
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| Common Crane (Grulla Común / Grus grus). |
Once we were up on the watch point we picked up
Yellow-legged (Gaviota Patiamarilla / Larus Michahellis),
Lesser Black-backed (Gaviota Sombria / Larus fuscus),
Audouin's (Gaviota de Audouin / Larus audouinii),
Black-headed (Gaviota Reidora / Chroicocephalus ridibundus) and
Mediterranean Gulls (Gaviota Cabecinegra / Larus melanocephalus),
Sandwich Tern (Charrán Patinegro / Sterna sandvicensis),
Great Cormorant (Cormorán Grande / Phalacrocroax carbo),
Balearic Shearwater (Pardela Balear / Puffinus mauretanicus),
Northern Gannet (Alcatraz Atlántico / Morus bassanus), several
Razorbills (Alca Común / Alca torda), 3x
Mallard (Anade Azulón / Anas platyrhynchos) and more surprisingly 3x
Common Crane (Grulla Común / Grus grus) which were heading east quite a way out to sea.
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| Dunlin (Correlimos Común / Calidris alpina). |
These were soon followed by a second surprising fly past by 27
Greater Flamingo's (Flamenco Común / Phoenicopterus roseus) which were also heading East.
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| Snipe (Agachadiza Común / Gallinago gallinago). |
On the walk back to Juan's car and the drive to Playa de las Azucenas we boosted the list with
Black Redstart (Colirrojo Tizón / Phoenicurus ochruros),
Great Tit (Carbonera Común / Parus major),
House Sparrow (Gorrión Común / Passer domesticus),
Western Cattle Egret (Garcilla Bueyera / Bubulcus ibis), 9x
Stone Curlews (Alcaraván Común / Burhinus oedicnemus),
Hoopoe (Abubilla / Upupa epops),
Collared Dove (Tórtola Turca / Streptopelia decaocto),
Common Stonechat (Tarabilla Común / Saxicola torquata),
Serin (Verdecillo / Serinus serinus),
Common Chiffchaff (Mosquitero Común / Phylloscopus collybita),
Zitting Cisticola (Buitrón / Cisticola juncidis),
Meadow Pipit (Bisbita Pratense / Anthus pratensis),
Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula) and
Cetti's Warbler (Ruisenor Bastardo / Cettia cetti). As we arrived a
Little Egret (Garceta Común / Egreeta garzetta) flew along the channel followed by a
Common Sandpiper (Andarrios Chico / Actitis hypoleucos), we also had a
Dartford Warbler (Curruca Rabilarga / Sylvia undata) fly across the channel and on the way down to the beach we picked up
Goldfinch (Jilguero / Carduelis carduelis),
Red Avadavat (Bengali Rojo / Amandava amandava) and
Grey Wagtail (Lavandera Cascadena / Motacilla cinerea).
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| Eurasian Teal (Cerceta Común / Anas crecca). |
On the beach we had 4x
Dunlin (Correlimos Común / Calidris alpina), a
Bluethroat (
Ruiseñor Pechiazul / Luscinia svecica) and
Grey Heron (Garza Real / Ardea cinerea).
We moved on again and made our way to Charca adding Common Starling (Estornino Pinto / Sturnus vulgaris) and Common Kestrel (Cernicalo Vulgar / Falco tinnunculus).
Once we were on the reserve we went and had a look over Laguna del Liriowhere we found more, lots more Common Chiffchaffs, Common Moorhen (Gallineta Común / Gallinulas chloropus), Eurasian (Focha Común / Fulica atra) and Red-knobbed Coots (Focha cornuda / Fulca cristata), Blackcap (Curruca Capirotada / Sylvia atricapilla) and a cracking Snipe (Agachadiza Común / Gallinago gallinago) which sat nicely for the camera in front of the hide.
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| Eurasian Teal (Cerceta Común / Anas crecca). |
We changed direction and went around to Laguna del Taraje finding just
Northern Shoveler (Pato Cuchara / Anas clypeata),
Little Grebe (Zampullín Común / Tachybaptus ruficollis) and at the other end of the pool a
Western Swamp-hen (Calamon Común / Porphyrio porphyrio) and several
Migrant Hawkers (Aeshna mixta).
From the new hide we Green Sandpiper (Andarrios Grande / Tringa ochropus), a Jack Snipe (Agachadiza Chica / Lymnocriptes minimus), Kingfisher (Martin Pescador / Alcedo atthis), Common Waxbill (Estrilda Ondulada / Estrilda astrild), Reed Bunting (Escribano Palustre / Emberiza schoeniclus), Marsh Harrier (Aguilucho Lagunero Occidental / Circus aeruginosus) and a good number of Common Snipe and Eurasian Teal (Cerceta Común / Anas crecca).
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| Jack Snipe (Agachadiza Chica / Lymnocriptes minimus). |
We moved on around to the main hide a bit later and added quite a few new species to the day list including a nice male
Ferruginous Duck (Porrón Pardo / Aythya nyroca), a female
Red-crested Pochard (Pato Colorado / Netta rufina), several
Common Pochard (Porrón Común / Aythya ferina),
Eurasian Wigeon (Sibón Europeo / Anas penelope),
Booted Eagle (
Aguila Calzada / Aquila pennatus) and a single
Barn Swallow (Golondrina Común / Hirundo rustica) amongst a large group of
Crag Martins.
After a while we returned back to the new hide, the only new species was a Common Buzzard (Busardo Ratonero / Buteo buteo) but the best thing were views of three Jack Snipe at the same time which were pushed from cover by a wandering Western Swamp-hen as it clattered through the reed-bed.
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| Northern Pintail (Ánade Rabudo / Anas acuta). |
Our last stop on the reserve as back in Laguna del Taraje where we heard a couple of
Penduline Tits (Pájaro Moscón / Remiz pendulinus) and saw a female
Northern Pintail (Ánade Rabudo / Anas acuta).
We started to make our way home but went via the tracks at the back adding Crested Lark (Cogujada / Galerida cristata), Feral Pigeon (Paloma Bravía / Columba livia) and back up nearer to Granada several Woodpigeon (Paloma Torcaz / Columba palumbus).
After leaving Juan I headed home but called in at a couple of spots on the fields and bought the day list up to 81 with 56 Little Bustards (Sisón Común / Tetrax tetrax), Common Magpie (Urraca / Pica pica), Northern Lapwing (Avefria Europea / Vanellus vanellus), Golden Plover (Chorlito Dorado Europeo / Pluvialis apricaria), Corn Bunting (Triguero / Emberiza calandra), Little Owl (Mochuelo Europeo / Athene noctua) and the locally very common Iberian Magpie (Rabilargo / Cyanopica cooki).
