Loja Wildlife, Granada Province, Spain.: Playa Amoladeras, Almeria, Spain.

Tuesday, 18 February 2025

Playa Amoladeras, Almeria, Spain.

Back to see the Wheatear and Pipit again.

The Plaza in Cabo with the hotel and the bar off to the right.

After a good nights sleep and a decent breakfast of two coffee's and a Tostada for just €4.20 I headed back around to Playa Amoladeras after enjoying the birding there yesterday so much I gave it another few hours today.

Looking South across the Salinas.

On the way I stopped at the Hide just out of the town as the sun was starting to rise but apart from Greater Flamingo's (Flamenco Común / Phoenicopterus roseus) it was still to dark to pick much else out.

Desert Wheatear (Collalba Desértica / Oenanthe deserti).

I arrived at the spot and found two French birders were already there, shortly after I got there I picked up the Desert Wheatear (Collalba Desértica / Oenanthe deserti) and got them onto it quickly, it showed well in the early morning light and then on and off for the next three hours.

Richards Pipit (Bisbita de Richard / Anthus richardi).

After seeing this bird the French guys were packing up until I found the Richards Pipit (Bisbita de Richard / Anthus richardi) just as they were getting in their van, it was again quite distant but showed well in the scope.

Trumpeter Finch (Camachuelo Trompetero / Bucanetes githagineus).

They moved off and things started to move around more as the light got better, other species seen and heard included Black-bellied Sandgrouse (Ganga Ortega / Pterocles orientalis), Eurasian Stone Curlew (Alcaraván Común / Burhinus oedicnemus), Trumpeter Finch (Camachuelo Trompetero / Bucanetes githagineus), European Golden Plover (Chorlito Dorado Europeo / Pluvialis apricaia), Eurasian Hoopoe (Abubilla Común / Upupa epops), Common Kestrel (Cernicalo Vulgar / Falco tinnunculus), Iberian Grey Shrike (Alcaudón Real / Lanius meridionalis), Eurasian Skylark (Alondra Común / Alauda arvensis), Thekla's Lark (Cogujada Montesina / Galerida theklae), Mediterranean Short-toed Lark (Terrera Marismena / Alaudala rufescens), Barn Swallow (Golondrina Común / Hirundo rustica), Dartford (Curruca Rabilarga / Curruca undata) and Sardinian Warbler (Curruca Cabecinegra / Curruca melanocephala), Spotless (Estornino Negro / Sturnus unicolor) and Common Starling (Estornino Pinto / Sturnus vulgaris), Black Redstart (Colirrojo Tizón / Phoenicurus ochruros), European Stonechat (Tarabilla Europea / Saxicola rubicola), White Wagtail (Lavandera Blanca / Montacilla alba), Meadow Pipit (Bisbita Pratense / Anthus pratensis), European Goldfinch (Jilguero Europeo / Carduelis carduelis), European Greenfinch (Verderón Común / Chloris chloris) and a couple of Vagrant Emperor (Anax ephippiger) dragonflies.

Thekla's Lark (Cogujada Montesina / Galerida theklae).

By 11:00ish the wind was starting to make things more difficult and birds were starting to keep their heads down, so after a check of the beach where I found Common Ringed (Chorlitejo Grande / Charadrius hiaticula) and Kentish Plover (Chorlitejo Patinegro / Anarhynchus alexandrinus), Sanderling (Correlimos Tridáctilo / Calidris alba), Ruddy Turnstone (Vuelvepiedras Común / Arenaria interpres), Whimbrel (Zarapito Trinador / Numenius phaeopus), Dunlin (Correlimos Común / Calidris alpina), Audouin's (Gaviota de Audouin / Larus audouinii), Mediterranean (Gaviota Cabecinegra / Larus melanocephalus), Lesser Black-backed (Gaviota Sombria / Larus fuscus) and Yellow-legged Gull (Gaviota Patiamarilla / Larus Michahellis), Sandwich Tern (Charrán Patinegro / Thalasseus sandvicensis), Great Cormorant (Cormorán Grande / Phalacrocroax carbo), Northern Gannet (Alcatraz Atlántico / Morus bassanus), Balearic Shearwater (Pardela Balear / Puffinus mauretanicus) I decided to pack up and go home earlier than planned.

Desert Wheatear (Collalba Desértica / Oenanthe deserti).

Desert Wheatear (Collalba Desértica / Oenanthe deserti) in the wind.

On the way I added Common Buzzard (Busardo Ratonero / Buteo buteo), Eurasian Sparrowhawk (Gavilán Común / Accipiter nisus), Common Woodpigeon (Paloma Torcaz / Columba palumbus), Eurasian Collared Dove (Tórtola Turca / Streptopelia decaocto), Northern Raven (Cuervo grande / Corvus corax), Carrion Crow (Corneja Negra / Corvus corone), Western Jackdaw (Grajilla occidental / Corvus monedula), Red-billed Chough (Chova Piquirroja / Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax), Eurasian Magpie (Urraca Común / Pica pica) and Crested Lark (Cogujada Común / Galerida cristata).