Down on the Fields again looking for Migrants.
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First 3 of the Little Bustards (Sisón Común / Tetrax tetrax) of the winter.
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I was down on the fields a tad earlier today and it payed off as the birds were quite active and the migrants passing through were feeding up ready to move on South.
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| Willow Warbler (Mosquitero Musical / Phylloscopus trochillus). |
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| Willow Warbler (Mosquitero Musical / Phylloscopus trochillus). |
As I walked the freshly cut Lucerne fields I picked up 3
Little Bustards (Sisón Común / Tetrax tetrax) which were the first of the year, I was pleased to see some had turned u as the numbers last year were well down and I only managed a maximum count of 15 birds. |
| Pied Flycatcher (Papamoscas Cerrojillo / Ficedula hypoleuca). |
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Immature Woodchat Shrike (Alcaudón Común / Lanius senator).
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Migrants included a female type Pied Flycatcher (Papamoscas Cerrojillo / Ficedula hypoleuca), an immature Woodchat Shrike (Alcaudón Común / Lanius senator), a flock of 28 European Bee-eater (Abejaruco Común / Merops apiaster) which were feeding from wire which crossed the fields near the Cortijo, 2x Turtle Doves (Tórtola Europea / Streptopelia turtur) which were feeding with a sizable flock of Collared Doves (Tórtola Turca / Streptopelia decaocto), at least 8 Northern Wheatears (Collalba Gris / Oenanthe oenanthe), big numbers of mostly immature looking Yellow Wagtails (Lavandera Boyera / Motacilla flava) but there were also adult birds of at least three races, Whinchat (Tarabilla Nortena / Saxicola rubetra), Common Whitethroat (Curruca Zarcera / Sylvia communis),
Willow (Mosquitero Musical / Phylloscopus trochillus) and
Reed Warbler (Carricero Común / Acrocephalus scrpaceus) and hawking over the fields there were good numbers of hirundines including Sand (Avión Zapador / Riparia riparia) and House Martin (Avión Común / Delichon urbica), Barn (Golondrina Común / Hirundo rustica) and Red-rumped Swallows (Golondrina Dáurica / Hirundo daurica).
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| Black-winged Kite (Elanio Común / Elanus caeruleus). |
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| Marsh Harrier (Aguilucho Lagunero Occidental / Circus aeruginosus). |
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| Sparrowhawk (Gavilán Común / Accipiter nisus). |
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| Common Kestrel (Cernicalo Vulgar / Falco tinnunculus). |
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| Common Kestrel (Cernicalo Vulgar / Falco tinnunculus). |
Other more regular residents found included
Marsh Harrier (Aguilucho Lagunero Occidental / Circus aeruginosus),
Sparrowhawk (Gavilán Común / Accipiter nisus),
Common Kestrel (Cernicalo Vulgar / Falco tinnunculus),
Black-winged Kite (Elanio Común / Elanus caeruleus), a distant pair of Bonelli's Eagles (Aguila Perdicera / Aquila faciatus) over the hills to the North, Western Cattle Egrets (Garcilla Bueyera / Bubulcus ibis) and
Iberian Magpie (Rabilargo / Cyanopica cooki).
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| Sardinian Warbler (Curruca Cabecinegra / Sylvia melanocephala). |
There were also a few new winter arrivals with there being an increase in
White Wagtails (Lavandera Blanca / Montacilla alba) and
Blackcap (Curruca Capirotada / Sylvia atricapilla) numbers, a few
Common Chiffchaffs (Mosquitero Común / Phylloscopus collybita) and a single
Grey Heron (Garza Real / Ardea cinerea) which are a winter visitor locally.
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Red-veined Darter (Sympetrum fonscolombii) male.
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| Red-veined Darter (Sympetrum fonscolombii) male. |
As I walked I also saw several sepcies of butterfly including
Speckled Wood (Pararge aegeria) x3,
Red Admiral (Vanessa atalanta) x1,
Painted Lady (Vanessa cardui) x6,
Lang's Short-tailed Blue (Leptotes pirithous) x2,
Large White (Pieris brassicae) x2 and Clouded Yellow (Colias croceus) x4 and a few
Red-veined Darters (Sympetrum fonscolombii) x3.
