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Saturday 16 January 2021

El Purche, Sierra Nevada, Granada Province, Spain.

Finches and Buntings Galore and a few other goodies.
 
Yellowhammer (Escribano Cerillo / Emberiza citronella).
I drove part way up the Sierra Nevada and was very pleased that I was not going to the top as the hundreds of cars going up made me think it was not a good good place to be in these strange times.
Anyway I arrived at the spot where good friend Juan Perez had seen some good birds yesterday and had a walk through the snow, in the Hawthorns I found Goldfinch (Jilguero / Carduelis carduelis), Common Magpie (Urraca / Pica pica), Corn Bunting (Triguero / Emberiza calandra), Greenfinch (Verderón Común / Carduelis chloris), Black Redstart (Colirrojo Tizón / Phoenicurus ochruros) and then the first target bird a nice male Ring Ouzel (Mirlo Capiblanco / Turdus torquatus).
I dropped down the hill into the sun and had a group of 6 Redwings (Zorzal Alirrojo / Turdus illacus), a flock of passing Red-billed Chough (Chova Piquirroja / Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax), Rock Bunting (Escribano Montesino / Emberiza cia), Common Chaffinch (Pinzón Vulgar / Fringilla coelebs) and a single male Yellowhammer (Escribano Cerillo / Emberiza citronella) which flew passed.
I dropped down a little further and in another Hawthorn bush I was amazed to see a flock of 8 Yellowhammers, 5 males and 3 females. Just below this point there was a couple of flocks of small birds, most were Rock Sparrows (Gorrión Chillón / Petronia petronia), with a mix of Linnets (Pardillo Común / Carduelis cannabina).
Yellowhammer (Escribano Cerillo / Emberiza citronella).
During my walk and before I returned to the car I had another pair of Yellowhammers, possibly some of the original 8, Iberian Green Woodpecker (Pito Real / Picus sharpei), Red-legged Partridge (Perdiz Roja / Alectoris rufa), Robin (Petirrojo Europeo / Erithacus rubecula)Mistle Thrush (Zorzal Charlo / Turdus viscivorus), Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula) and Blue Tits (Herrerillo Común / Parus caeruleus).
I drove back down towards the main road back to Granada and parked again adding a Blue-rock Thrush (Roquero Solitario / Monticola solitarius) and Short-toed Treecreeper (Agateador Común / Certhia brachydactyla) before driving back home.

Friday 15 January 2021

Guadalhorce, Caleta de Velez, Malaga Province and Motril Port area, Granada Province.

An early return to the Malaga and Granada Coast.
 
Booted Eagle (Aguila Calzada / Aquila penntuas).
I left Huelva after eventually defrosting the car at 06.00 and headed for Guadalhorce on the Malaga coast looking for a reported Rock Pipit (Bisbita Costero / Anthus petrosus), so after a long drive with breakfast sandwich on the way I was at the parking by the church at 09.15 and then walked out on to the reserve.
As I walked out to the seawatch point I picked up a pale morph Booted Eagle (Aguila Perdicera / Aquila faciatus), Common Kestrel (Cernicalo Vulgar / Falco tinnunculus) and Greater Flamingo (Flamenco Común / Phoenicopterus roseus).
Common Kestrel (Cernicalo Vulgar / Falco tinnunculus).
Just before I arrived at the seawatch point I bumped into Bob Wright and then Andy Patterson and we found Black-headed (Gaviota Reidora / Chroicocephalus ridibundus), Mediterranean (Gaviota Cabecinegra / Larus melanocephalus), Lesser Black-backed (Gaviota Sombria / Larus fuscus) and Yellow-legged Gulls (Gaviota Patiamarilla / Larus Michahellis), Great Cormorant (Cormorán Grande / Phalacrocroax carbo) and Sandwich Tern (Charrán Patinegro / Sterna sandvicensis) but there was no sign of the wanted Rock Pipit.
Grey Heron (Garza Real / Ardea cinerea).
Bob and Andy went back through the reserve and I spent some time watching
Northern Gannets (Alcatraz Atlántico / Morus bassanus) out to sea before walking along the beach checking the smaller birds but I only managed Meadow Pipit (Bisbita Pratense / Anthus pratensis), White Wagtail (Lavandera Blanca / Montacilla alba), Crested Lark (Cogujada / Galerida cristata), Goldfinch (Jilguero / Carduelis carduelis), Common Stonechat (Tarabilla Común / Saxicola torquata), a dozen or so Kentish Plovers (Chorlitejo Patinegro / Charadrius alexandrinus) and a couple of Sanderlings (Correlimos Tridáctilo / Calidris alba).
Great Black-backed Gull (Gavión Atlántico / Larus marinus) 1st winter.
I walked inland to the main hide overlooking Laguna Grande where I again saw Bob and we found White-headed Duck (Malvasia Cabeciblanca / Oxyura leucocephala), Red-crested Pochard (Pato Colorado / Netta rufina), Black-winged Stilt (Ciguenuela Común / Himantopus himantopus), Common Redshank (Archibebe Común / Tringa totanus), Shelduck (Tarro Blanco / Tadoma tadorna), Mallard (Anade Azulón / Anas platyrhynchos), Gadwall (Anade Friso / Anas strepera), lots of Great Cormornts, Crag Martin (Avión Roquero / Ptyonoprogne rupestris) and in some dead trees Spotless (Estornino Negro / Sturnus unicolor) and Common Starlings (Estornino Pinto / Sturnus vulgaris).
Great Black-backed Gull (Gavión Atlántico / Larus marinus) 1st winter.
I started to walk back to the car after arranging to meet Bob at Caleta later, on the walk back I saw Cetti's Warbler (Ruisenor Bastardo / Cettia cetti), Blackcap (Curruca Capirotada / Sylvia atricapilla), Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula), Sardinian Warbler (Curruca Cabecinegra / Sylvia melanocephala) and several Monk Parakeets (Cotorra Argentina / Myiopsitta monachus) and Zitting Cisticola (Buitrón / Cisticola juncidis).
Great Black-backed Gull (Gavión Atlántico / Larus marinus) 1st winter.

Once back at the car I drove over to Caleta de Velez where I checked the fenced off beach and found the 1st winter
Great Black-backed Gull (Gavión Atlántico / Larus marinus) in amongst the Lesser Black-backed, Yellow-Legged and Black-heads.
Common Gull (Gaviota Cana /Larus canus).
I met up with Bob and we checked out the pleasure boat port looking for the
Common Gulls (Gaviota Cana /Larus canus) that were reported but we found nothing so we returned to the beach where we saw the Great Black-backed again and then a Spanish birder who was watching the GBBG said that one of the Common Gulls was at the other end of the beach.
Common Gull (Gaviota Cana /Larus canus).
Bob and I walked down and soon found the gull right on the waters edge but into the sun so we walked around to the other side of the bird but whilst we were out of sight of it for just a few seconds it disappeared. We also saw a Sanderling,
House Sparrow (Gorrión Común / Passer domesticus), Common Chiffchaff (Mosquitero Común / Phylloscopus collybita), Collared Dove (Tórtola Turca / Streptopelia decaocto) and more Monk Parakeets.
Siskin (Lúgano / Carduelis spinus) Male.
I said goodbye to Bob and continued on along the coast to the mouth of the Port at Mortil, I parked and then walked down to the sea via the bridge and then the walk way to the beach. On the way I had a very smart male
Siskin (Lúgano / Carduelis spinus) in the same tree as three Black-rumped Waxbills (Estrilda Culinegra / Estrilda troglodytes).
Great Northern Diver (Colimbo Grande / Gavia immer).

Great Northern Diver (Colimbo Grande / Gavia immer).

Once I was down on the beach I set the scope and was pleased to find that the
Great Northern Divers (Colimbo Grande / Gavia immer) that Good Friend Juan Perez had seen yesterday was still there but it was very active and was diving continually.
Sandwich Tern (Charrán Patinegro / Sterna sandvicensis).
In the same area I also had views of Sandwich Tern, White Wagtail, Lesser Black-backed and
Mediterranean (Gaviota Cabecinegra / Larus melanocephalus) and Common Waxbill (Estrilda Ondulada / Estrilda astrild). After an hour and a half of watching the diver it took off and flew out to sea but I hear it was back again in the morning, as the bird had disappeared I drove back home after a good successful trip.

Thursday 14 January 2021

Lagunilla La Bota, Observatorio de aves Laguna Grande, Sendero Calatilla de Bacuta, Playa El Espigón and Laguna de El Portil, Huelva Province.

A day of dipping on the Odiel.
 
Northern Pintail (Ánade Rabudo / Anas acuta), Male in the mist.
I left Sanlucar at 06.00 and made my way up around Sevilla to Huelva and then down to Lagunilla La Bota where a male Greater Scaup (Porrón Bastardo / Aythya marila) had been for a few days but when I arrived the mist was still quite thick and the only species seen on the water was Eurasian Coot (Focha Común / Fulica atra).
Northern Pintails (Ánade Rabudo / Anas acuta), a Male and 3x Females.
In the surrounding woods I saw and heard Robin (Petirrojo Europeo / Erithacus rubecula), Serin (Verdecillo / Serinus serinus), Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula), Song Thrush (Zorzal Común / Turdus philomelos), Common Chaffinch (Pinzón Vulgar / Fringilla coelebs), Common Chiffchaff (Mosquitero Común / Phylloscopus collybita), Great Tit (Carbonera Común / Parus major) and Sardinian Warbler (Curruca Cabecinegra / Sylvia melanocephala).
On the water as the mist cleared ducks started to arrive, fist were a few Gadwall (Anade Friso / Anas strepera) x9, Common Pochard (Porrón Común / Aythya ferina) x3, Northern Pintail (Ánade Rabudo / Anas acuta) x7 and then last of all a pair of Mallard (Anade Azulón / Anas platyrhynchos) but no sign of the Greater Scaup unfortunately.
Greater Flamingo (Flamenco Común / Phoenicopterus roseus) immature.
I walked back to the car seeing a
Common Sandpiper (Andarrios Chico / Actitis hypoleucos) and the a passing White Stork (Ciguena Blanca / Ciconia ciconia).
I drove back towards Huelva and the took a right out onto the Odiel area, after a few KMs I parked on the left by Laguna Grande and before I went into the screened area I scanned the saltpans opposite seeing Greater Flamingo's (Flamenco Común / Phoenicopterus roseus), Marsh Harrier (Aguilucho Lagunero Occidental / Circus aeruginosus), Black-winged Stilt (Ciguenela Común / Himantopus himantopus) and Shelducks (Tarro Blanco / Tadoma tadorna) but there was no sign of the Ruddy Shelduck (Tarro Canelo / Tadorna ferruginea) which had been around a few days ago.
Eurasian Spoonbills (Espátula Común / Platalea leucorodia) and Lesser Black-backed Gulls (Gaviota Sombria / Larus fuscus).

From the Screen I checked the pool finding Eurasian Coot, Greater Flamingo's, Mallard, good numbers of
Northern Shovelers (Pato Cuchara / Anas clypeata), Lesser Black-backed (Gaviota Sombria / Larus fuscus) and Black-headed Gull (Gaviota Riedora / Larus ridibundus) and several Black-tailed Godwits (Aguja Colinegra / Limosa limosa).
Eurasian Spoonbill (Espátula Común / Platalea leucorodia).
I parked again just down the road and walked out between the saltpans and the Calatilla Bacuta Channels to the Open hide, by the road bridge I saw
Grey Heron (Garza Real / Ardea cinerea), Little Egret (Garceta Común / Egreeta garzetta), Ruddy Turnstone (Vuelvepiedras Común / Arenaria interpres), a single Slender-billed Gull (Gaviota Picofina / Larus genei), Grey Plover (Chorlito Gris / Pluvialis squatarola), Common Redshank (Archibebe Común / Tringa totanus) and on the saltpan side Little Stint (Correlimos Menudo / Calidris minuta), Dunlin (Correlimos Común / Calidris alpina) and a good number of  Black-necked Grebes (Zampullín Cullinegro / Podiceps nigricollis) but as hard as I tried I couldn't find the reported Slavonian / Horned Grebe (Zampullín Cuellirrojo / Podiceps auritus).
Eurasian Spoonbill (Espátula Común / Platalea leucorodia).
I walked on and out on the mud in the channel I found Eurasian Curlew (Numenius arquata), Whimbrel (Zarapito Trinador / Numenius phaeopus), Red Knot (Correlimos Gordo / Calidris canutus), several Greater Flamingo's and a couple of Eurasian Spoonbill (Espátula Común / Platalea leucorodia) one of which was a strange Buff colour.
Sandwich Tern (Charrán Patinegro / Sterna sandvicensis).

There were more Black-necked Grebes out on the Channel and as I walked back to the car I saw Meadow Pipit (Bisbita Pratense / Anthus pratensis), Common Stonechat (Tarabilla Común / Saxicola torquata), Spotless Starling (Estornino Negro / Sturnus unicolor), House Martin (Avión Común / Delichon urbica) and a distant Western Osprey (Águila Pescardora / Pandion haliaetus) fishing out on the main river.
I moved out along the point to the beach called Playa El Espigón where I was looking for the Common Eider (Eider Común / Somateria mollissima) which had been around for a few day (a recurring thyme) but after spending nearly two hours scanning the rocks and the sea I again dipped this bird.
Sandwich Tern (Charrán Patinegro / Sterna sandvicensis).
In the area I did see Sandwich Tern (Charrán Patinegro / Sterna sandvicensis) but nothing else, I returned to the car and then drove back down the point towards Huelva, on the way I added Eurasian Oystercatcher (Ostrero Euroasiatico / Haematopus ostralegus), Barn Swallow (Golondrina Común / Hirundo rustica), Goldfinch (Jilguero / Carduelis carduelis) and Linnet (Pardillo Común / Carduelis cannabina).
I dropped back down to the coast where I parked up at the view point over the Laguna de El Portil where I found several Gadwall, Mallards, Common Pochards and the smarter Red-crested Pochard (Pato Colorado / Netta rufina), Eurasian Teal (Cerceta Común / Anas crecca), Little Grebe (Zampullín Común / Tachybaptus ruficollis) and Crag Martin (Avión Roquero / Ptyonoprogne rupestris).
Sandwich Tern (Charrán Patinegro / Sterna sandvicensis).
I returned to the Lagunilla La Bota looking for the Greater Scaup but the pool was totally empty except for a couple of Eurasian Coot so I headed to my hotel in Huelva and after working out the auto check in I got to my room.with out speaking to a single person all day 😀😀😀😀.

Wednesday 13 January 2021

Conil del la Frontera, Costa Ballena, Chipiona Port, Playa Montijo, Colorado Pools, Bonanza Saltpans and back to Chipiona, Cadiz Province.

A day of Gull hunting.
 
Ring-billed Gull (Gaviota de Delaware / Larus delawarensis).
I started by driving down to the beach along the Rio Salado at Conil de la Frontera where there had been a 1st winter Ring-billed Gull (Gaviota de Delaware / Larus delawarensis) for a few days, I arrived before dawn but walked out to the far side of the bridge over the Rio.
Ring-billed Gull (Gaviota de Delaware / Larus delawarensis).
Ring-billed Gull (Gaviota de Delaware / Larus delawarensis).
As the light started to come I picked up Grey Heron (Garza Real / Ardea cinerea), Bar-tailed Godwit (Aguja Colipinta / Limosa lapponica), a few Black-headed Gulls (Gaviota Reidora / Chroicocephalus ridibundus) started to arrive and soon I had my first sighting of the Ring-billed but it was still quite dark so the shots are not great but better than nothing. 
Little Gull (Gaviota Enana / Larus minutus).

Little Gull (Gaviota Enana / Larus minutus).

Unfortunately yet another tosser with a dog flushed everything off the river including the gull but it returned and then flew off strongly North. 
Common Gull (Gaviota Cana /Larus canus).
Common Gull (Gaviota Cana /Larus canus).
In the same area I also found Mediterranean (Gaviota Cabecinegra / Larus melanocephalus), Audouin's (Gaviota de Audouin / Larus audouinii), Lesser Black-backed (Gaviota Sombria / Larus fuscus) and Yellow-legged Gull (Gaviota Patiamarilla / Larus Michahellis), Dunlin (Correlimos Común / Calidris alpina), Sanderling (Correlimos Tridáctilo / Calidris alba), Grey Plover (Chorlito Gris / Pluvialis squatarola), Great Cormorants (Cormorán Grande / Phalacrocroax carbo) and a Caspian Tern (Pagaza Piquiroja / Sterna caspia).
Little Gull (Gaviota Enana / Larus minutus).

Little Gull (Gaviota Enana / Larus minutus).

The Gull didn't return and I wanted to spend as much time later at Chipiona so I headed back North seeing Greater Flamingo's (Flamenco Común / Phoenicopterus roseus) and Shelduck (Tarro Blanco / Tadoma tadorna) on the way, then calling in at Costa Ballena where I again had some nice views of the Little Gull (Gaviota Enana / Larus minutus) again.
White-headed Duck (Malvasia Cabeciblanca / Oxyura leucocephala).
Also there I had Sandwich Tern (Charrán Patinegro / Sterna sandvicensis), Mediterranean, Lesser Black-backed and again the Common Gull (Gaviota Cana /Larus canus) which was roosting on the same grass area as yesterday when they were flushed by a dog, again I walked passed the roosting Greenshanks (Archibebe Claro / Tringa nebularia) but just then a photographer stepped out from behind a building near to the gulls and again they all flushed up so I only got some flight shots of the Common Gull as they all disappeared off up the canal, I am just jinxed I think.
Tufted Duck (Porrón Monudo / Aythya fuligula).
Tufted Ducks (Porrón Monudo / Aythya fuligula).
I also had Little Grebe (Zampullín Común / Tachybaptus ruficollis), Mallard (Anade Azulón / Anas platyrhynchos), Eurasian Coot (Focha Común / Fulica atra), Common Moorhen (Gallineta Común / Gallinulas chloropus), Grey Heron, Little Egret (Garceta Común / Egreeta garzetta) and both Crag (Avión Roquero / Ptyonoprogne rupestris) and House Martin (Avión Común / Delichon urbica) over head.
Sanderling (Correlimos Tridáctilo / Calidris alba).
Sanderling (Correlimos Tridáctilo / Calidris alba).
I passed by Chipiona and went out onto the Playa Montijo where I looked for Waders, Gulls and Terns but it was quite, however I did find Kentish (Chorlitejo Patinegro / Charadrius alexandrinus), Ringed (Chorlitejo Grande / Charadrius hiaticula) and Grey Plovers, Red Knot (Correlimos Gordo / Calidris canutus), Sanderling and several Caspian Terns.
Little Egret (Garceta Común / Egreeta garzetta) with a Grey Heron (Garza Real / Ardea cinerea) sitting down.
The next stop of the day was at Colorado Pools, I parked and scanned the three pools, there were some
Night Herons (Marinete Común / Nycticorax nycticorax) in a group of Tamarisk trees, White-headed Ducks (Malvasia Cabeciblanca / Oxyura leucocephala) on all the pools and a couple of Tufted Ducks (Porrón Monudo / Aythya fuligula) as well as Eurasian Coot, Northern Shoveler (Pato Cuchara / Anas clypeata), Common Pochard (Porrón Común / Aythya ferina) and Western Swamp-hen (Calamon Común / Porphyrio porphyrio).
Little Gull (Gaviota Enana / Larus minutus).
I moved on to Bonanza Saltpans but they were even quieter than last time I visited but I still found Sanderling, Kentish and Ringed Plovers, Common Redshank (Archibebe Común / Tringa totanus), Dunlin, Avocet (Avoceta Común / Recurvirostra avosetta), Greater Flamingo's, a pair of cronking Raven (Cuervo / Corvus corax), Shelduck (Tarro Blanco / Tadoma tadorna), Sardinian Warbler (Curruca Cabecinegra / Sylvia melanocephala) and a singing Lesser Short-toed Lark (Terrera Marismena / Calandrella rufescens) which was just behind the car but as hard as I looked I could not see it, eventually it hopped up from behind a small plant and perched for a second before flying off.
Greenshank (Archibebe Claro / Tringa nebularia).
I decided to return to Costa Ballena to see if the Common Gull had returned but it had not so I checked the top pool finding a Common Sandpiper (Andarrios Chico / Actitis hypoleucos) and Monk Parakeet (Cotorra Argentina / Myiopsitta monachus).
Monk Parakeet (Cotorra Argentina / Myiopsitta monachus).
I spent the rest of the day wandering around the port and the beaches of Chipiona, in the port there were Yellow-legged, Lesser Black-backed, Audouin's, Med and Black-headed Gulls,
Ruddy Turnstone (Vuelvepiedras Común / Arenaria interpres), Common Sandpiper, Great Cormorant and Grey Heron.
Ruddy Turnstones (Vuelvepiedras Común / Arenaria interpres) roosting on the Jetties.
I checked the beach looing through the Gull flock there for a reported Herring Gull (Gaviota Argéntea Europea / Larus argentatus) and I soon found a bird that I thought fitted the bill so I got some shots before it flew off.
Common Sandpiper (Andarrios Chico / Actitis hypoleucos).
Not being a gull expert and this species and Yellow-legged are difficult so I asked around once I was home and posted the Pictures on social media and sent it to friends and over all consensus came back as it is a Herring Gull which is a new species for me in Spain.
Lesser Black-backed Gull (Gaviota Sombria / Larus fuscus) 1st winters and adults.

Lesser Black-backed Gull (Gaviota Sombria / Larus fuscus) 1st winter.
I returned to the Port to see if this gull had dropped in but I did not relocate it again but I did see Spotless Starling (Estornino Negro / Sturnus unicolor), Serin (Verdecillo / Serinus serinus), Goldfinch (Jilguero / Carduelis carduelis), Collared Dove (Tórtola Turca / Streptopelia decaocto), House Sparrow (Gorrión Común / Passer domesticus) and just before I set off for the hotel a couple of Little Swift (Vencejo Moro / Apus affinis).
Herring Gull (Gaviota Argéntea Europea / Larus argentatus).
Herring Gull (Gaviota Argéntea Europea / Larus argentatus).
Herring Gull (Gaviota Argéntea Europea / Larus argentatus).