After a disastrous, start some good birding.
Ebird List for Bunting site, 37 Species.
Ebird List for near Benalup, 1 Species.
Ebird List for Malaga, 10 Species.
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The site from behind the Chain 😁😁😁
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The Alarm went off at 06:30 and we were soon up and having a coffee and some Orange juice before putting everything into the car and starting to head off, Barbara went up the drive and opened the gate and then Barbara slipped and fell, landing on her arm.
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The trees where the Buntings were seen.
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Derek and I were there in a few seconds and helped her up and we set off but it soon became evident that she had hurt her arm more seriously so we turned around and then I headed down and picked up Andy P and we headed off whilst Barb and Derek headed for the hospital where they discovered Barbara had fractured her elbow.
We parked and then started the search for the birds and soon found the first of at least 7 Little Buntings (Escribano pigmeo / Emberiza pusilla) as well as Goldfinch (Jilguero / Carduelis carduelis), Linnet (Pardillo Común / Carduelis cannabina), Serin (Verdecillo / Serinus serinus), Greenfinch (Verderón Común / Carduelis chloris), Common Chaffinch (Pinzón Vulgar / Fringilla coelebs), Meadow Pipit (Bisbita Pratense / Anthus pratensis), White Wagtail (Lavandera Blanca / Montacilla alba), Common Stonechat (Tarabilla Común / Saxicola torquata), Bluethroat (Pechiazul / Luscinia svecica), Spotless Starling (Estornino Negro / Sturnus unicolor), Sardinian Warbler (Curruca Cabecinegra / Sylvia melanocephala), Blackcap (Curruca Capirotada / Sylvia atricailla), Cetti's Warbler (Ruisenor Bastardo / Cettia cetti), Common Chiffchaff (Mosquitero Común / Phylloscopus collybita) and House Sparrow (Gorrión Común / Passer domesticus).
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| Cirl Bunting (Escribano Soteno / Emberiza cirlus). |
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Common Starling (Estornino Pinto / Sturnus vulgaris) three of fourteen.
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As the morning progressed the fog started to clear and the bigger birds started to get on the move including
Marsh Harrier (Aguilucho Lagunero Occidental / Circus aeruginosus),
Black-winged Kite (Elanio Común / Elanus caeruleus), White Stork (Ciguena Blanca / Ciconia ciconia),
Grey Heron (Garza Real / Ardea cinerea) and Great Cormorant (Cormorán Grande / Phalacrocroax carbo) and as it warmed up we saw
Clouded Yellow (Colias corceua) and
Small White (
Pieris rapae) butterflies.
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Andy watching the Cirl Bunting.
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We walked along the tracks in the area adding
Mallard (Anade Azulón / Anas platyrhynchos),
Western Swamp-hen (Calamon Común / Porphyrio porphyrio),
Red-legged Partridge (Perdiz Roja / Alectoris rufa),
Woodpigeon (Paloma Torcaz / Columba palumbus),
Common Moorhen (Gallineta Común / Gallinulas chloropus),
Common Snipe (Agachadiza Común / Gallinago gallinago),
Jackdaw (Grajilla / Corvus monedula) and a couple of
Barn Swallow (Golondrina Común / Hirundo rustica).
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| Rustic Bunting (Escribano rústico / Emberiza rustica). |
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| Rustic Bunting (Escribano rústico / Emberiza rustica). |
We walked back towards the car and another birder who was there shouted out he had a
Rustic Bunting (Escribano rústico / Emberiza rustica) fly over towards us and a few seconds later we were watching a cracking looking bird sat in one of the track side trees.
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| Common Crane (Grulla Común / Grus grus). |
Well happy we had another walk along the road and I checked out one of the side tracks and almost straight away had 2
Rustic Bunting in the bushes across the stream along with a good number of
Siskin (Lúgano / Carduelis spinus) and a female
Little Bittern (Avetorillo Común / Ixobrychus minutus) in the Reeds. |
Iberian Imperial Eagle (Aguila Imperial Ibérica / Aguila adalberti) adult.
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We returned to the car and just as we were about to leave 2 Cirl Buntings (Escribano Soteno / Emberiza cirlus) flew in and gave us good views before we headed off along the track up through the wild olive tree fields to the far and then on wards to the road along the main Canal where we turned around and retraced our steps, during this drive we added
Pheasant (Faisán Vulgar / Phaisanus colchicus), Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula),
Western Cattle Egret (Garcilla Bueyera / Bubulcus ibis),
Zitting Cisticola (Buitrón / Cisticola juncidis), Crag Martin (Avión Roquero / Ptyonoprogne rupestris) and on one of the Pylons at least 14
Common Starlings (Estornino Pinto / Sturnus vulgaris).
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| Iberian Imperial Eagle (Aguila Imperial Ibérica / Aguila adalberti) immature. |
As we we leaving the site we picked up a large raptor which we quickly realised was a very smart adult Iberian Imperial Eagle (Aguila Imperial Ibérica / Aguila adalberti) and not long after hitting the proper road we had an immature bird sat up on one of the roadside pylons.
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| Greenshank (Archibebe Claro / Tringa nebularia). |
We returned to Malaga where I dropped Andy off at his car and then headed back to the spot where I had seen the
Lesser Yellowlegs (Archibebe Patigualdo Chico /Tringa flavipes) yesterday as the weather was a bit better but the Yellowlegs was straight into the sun unfortunately but I had better views at least. |
| Lesser Yellowlegs (Archibebe Patigualdo Chico /Tringa flavipes). |
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| Lesser Yellowlegs (Archibebe Patigualdo Chico /Tringa flavipes). |
Other new species seen before I headed home included Black-winged Stilt (Ciguenela Común / Himantopus himantopus), Greenshank (Archibebe Claro / Tringa nebularia),
Green Sandpiper (Andarrios Grande / Tringa ochropus),
Little Ringed Plover (Chorlitejo Chico / Charadrius dubius),
Northern Shoveler (Pato Cuchara / Anas clypeata) and Lesser Black-backed Gull (Gaviota Sombria / Larus fuscus).
