Out on the patch with Stella from Canada.
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Iberian Grey Shrike (Alcaudón Real Meridional / Lanius meridionalis). |
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Black-bellied Sandgrouse (Ganga Ortega / Pterocles orientalis). |
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Goshawk (Azor Común / Accipitor gentillis). |
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Little Owl (Mochuelo Europeo / Athene noctua). |
By the time we got there the bird had walked a long way and was on the opposite side of the track and flushed up when we got out of the car to scan for it but it circled us a couple of time, landed once before id dropped down out of view, brilliant show.
From the same spot we had a small group of 3 female / immature Marsh Harriers (Aguilucho Lagunero Occidental / Circus aeruginosus) come through as well as another 2x Short-toed Eagles, a single Pallid Swift (Vencejo Pálido /Apus pallidus) and a Common Kestrel (Cernicalo Vulgar / Falco tinnunculus).
Further along the track we had good numbers of Serin (Verdecillo / Serinus serinus), a couple of Melodious Warblers (Zarcero Común / Hippolais polyglotta) which were feeding in track side weed and a female Whinchat (Tarabilla Nortena / Saxicola rubetra) out on a ploughed field.
We exited the fields and went out onto the ridge on our way down to the Cacín Valley, we parked about a KM along the road and immideatly had good views of a pale phase Booted Eagle (Aguililla Calzada / Hieraaetus pennatus) which was quickly followed by a Common Buzzard (Busardo Ratonero / Buteo buteo), Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula), Common Chaffinch (Pinzón Vulgar / Fringilla coelebs) and a little further along the road another 2 Booted Eagles, Greenfinch (Verderón Común / Carduelis chloris), Common Redstart (Colirroja Real / Phoenicurus phoenicurus) and a fast flying Cardinal Fritillary (Argynnis pandora).
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Short-toed Eagle (Culebrera Europeo / Circaetus gallicus). |
Down in the village of Cacín we had lunch before making a short walk along the river adding Common Whitethroat (Curruca Zarcera / Sylvia communis), Migrant Hawker (Aeshna mixta), Small White (Pieris rapae) and Speckled Wood (Pararge aegeria).
Our next stop was on the shore of the Embalse further up the Valley, on the water we picked out Common Pochard (Porrón Común / Aythya ferina), Northern Shoveler (Pato Cuchara / Anas clypeata), Mallard (Anade Azulón / Anas platyrhynchos), Eurasian Teal (Cerceta Común / Anas crecca), Little Grebe (Zampullín Común / Tachybaptus ruficollis), Eurasian Coot (Focha Común / Fulica atra), Common Moorhen (Gallineta Común / Gallinulas chloropus) and Water Rail (Rascón Europeo / Rallus aquaticus) heard only. In the air and general area Red-rumped Swallow (Golondrina Dáurica / Hirudo daurica), House Martin (Avión Común / Delichon urbica), Common Stonechat (Tarabilla Común / Saxicola torquata), Iberian Magpie (Rabilargo / Cyanopica cooki) also only heard in the woods opposite, Green Sandpiper (Andarrios Grande / Tringa ochropus) and Clouded Yellow (Colias corcea).
From the nearby bridge over the Cacín we had Carpentor Bee (Xylocopa violacea), Common Chaffinch (Pinzón Vulgar / Fringilla coelebs) and Long-tailed Tit (Mito / Aegithalos caudatus).
In the Pine woodlands further along the valley we added three more species Common Crossbill (Piquituerto Común / Loxia curvirostra), Coal Tit (Carbonero Garrapinos / Parus ater) and a soaring Northern Goshawk (Azor Común / Accipitor gentillis).
Along the crags nearer to Moraleda we another stop and even though it had got quite warm we still managed to find a male Blue-rock Thrush (Roquero Solitario / Monticola solitarius), 2x Black Wheatears (Collalba Negra / Oenanthe leucura), Crag Martin (Avión Roquero / Ptyonoprogne rupestris) and Sardinian Warbler (Curruca Cabecinegra / Sylvia melanocephala).
We started to make our way back in towards the City but finished of the day with a very nice Little Owl (Mochuelo Europeo / Athene noctua) and 2 more Short-toed Eagles which showed well for us on the way.
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Short-toed Eagle (Culebrera Europeo / Circaetus gallicus). |
In the Pine woodlands further along the valley we added three more species Common Crossbill (Piquituerto Común / Loxia curvirostra), Coal Tit (Carbonero Garrapinos / Parus ater) and a soaring Northern Goshawk (Azor Común / Accipitor gentillis).
Along the crags nearer to Moraleda we another stop and even though it had got quite warm we still managed to find a male Blue-rock Thrush (Roquero Solitario / Monticola solitarius), 2x Black Wheatears (Collalba Negra / Oenanthe leucura), Crag Martin (Avión Roquero / Ptyonoprogne rupestris) and Sardinian Warbler (Curruca Cabecinegra / Sylvia melanocephala).
We started to make our way back in towards the City but finished of the day with a very nice Little Owl (Mochuelo Europeo / Athene noctua) and 2 more Short-toed Eagles which showed well for us on the way.