Out on the patch again.
Little Bustards (Sisón Común / Tetrax tetrax). |
Little Bustards (Sisón Común / Tetrax tetrax). |
Bluethroat (Ruiseñor Pechiazul / Luscinia svecica). |
Great Spotted Cuckoo (Crialo Europeo / Clamator gladarius). |
On the middle fields we had a Sardinian Warbler (Curruca Cabecinegra / Sylvia melanocephala), Little Owl (Mochuelo Europeo / Athene noctua), Common Kestrel (Cernicalo Vulgar / Falco tinnunculus) and several roosting Western Cattle Egrets (Garcilla Bueyera / Bubulcus ibis) line along one of the field ridges.
Out on the Mesia side of the site we checked the ditches and irrigation channels where we soon had good views of a male Bluethroat (Ruiseñor Pechiazul / Luscinia svecica) and in the reeds opposite where we added Zitting Cisticola (Buitrón / Cisticola juncidis) and a couple of Red-legged Partridges (Perdiz Roja / Alectoris rufa).
Little Owl (Mochuelo Europeo / Athene noctua). |
As we passed Balsa de Rigedor on our way to the fields near Moraleda we only found a single Great Cormorant (Cormorán Grande / Phalacrocroax carbo).
We drove out on the tracks through the Almond Groves and parked in an area of abandoned trees and had a walk hearing the first of 8 Great Spotted Cuckoo's (Crialo Europeo / Clamator gladarius), in the Almonds we had good views of two male birds.
In the same birds we also saw a male Siskin (Lúgano / Carduelis spinus), Little Owl (Mochuelo Europeo / Athene noctua), Corn Bunting, a soaring Sparrowhawk (Gavilán Común / Accipiter nisus), 5x Thekla Lark (Cogujada Montesina / Galerida theklae), 3x Iberian Grey Shrikes (Alcaudón Real Meridional / Lanius meridionalis), 1x Iberian Green Woodpecker (Pito Real / Picus sharpei), 2 more Common Buzzards, 18x Calandra Larks (Calandria / Melanocorypha calandra), 21x Skylarks, Zitting Cisticola, 1x Mistle Thrush (Zorzal Charlo / Turdus viscivorus), 26x Meadow Pipits and a second Brambling.
Coal Tit (Carbonero Garrapinos / Periparus ater). |
We dropped down in to the Valley and spent some time checking the Pine woodland and the mixed woods near the bridge over the Cacín. During these to stops we found Woodpigeon, Hoopoe (Abubilla / Upupa epops), Iberian Magpie, Coal Tit (Carbonero Garrapinos / Periparus ater), Wren (Chochin / Troglodytes troglodytes), Cetti's Warbler, Snipe and Common Crossbill (Piquituerto Común / Loxia curvirostra).
Up at the Embalse we scanned the water for new species for the day list and soon found Northern Shoveler (Pato Cuchara / Anas clypeata), a pair of Northern Pintail (Ánade Rabudo / Anas acuta), Eurasian Teal (Cerceta Común / Anas crecca), Common Pochard (Porrón Común / Aythya ferina), Mallard (Anade Azulón / Anas platyrhynchos), Little Grebe (Zampullín Común / Tachybaptus ruficollis), Eurasian Coot (Focha Común / Fulica atra), Common Moorhen, Zitting Cisticola, a pair of Marsh Harriers (Aguilucho Lagunero Occidental / Circus aeruginosus) and a second female which was chased off, a pair of displaying Common Buzzards, Common Kestrels and a male Reed Bunting (Escribano Palustre / Emberiza schoeniclus).
Bonelli's Eagle (Aguila Perdicera / Aquila faciatus). |
We dropped further down the Valley and checked the gorge and were soon watching a soaring Bonelli's Eagle (Aguila Perdicera / Aquila faciatus) as well as a few Rock Sparrows (Gorrión Chillón / Petronia petronia).
The day was coming to an end but on our way back towards the hotel we again stopped off at the Embalse where a few new species were Red-rumped (Golondrina Dáurica / Hirundo daurica) and Barn Swallow (Golondrina Común / Hirundo rustica), Crag (Avión Roquero / Ptyonoprogne rupestris) and House Martin, Sparrowhawk (Gavilán Común / Accipiter nisus), 2x Water Rails (Rascón Europeo / Rallus aquaticus) and a male Bluethroat.