NEW BLOG SITE

The new blog site is up and running with the first blog posted on 12 December upon my return from the UK.  All remains very much the same with the the word "NEW" added the title and the number "2" at the end of the present blog address.

Simply type:  http://birdingaxarquia2.blogspot.com   or CLICK HERE.

This blog will remain open for those wishing to look at past blogs.  A message informing readers has been placed on both the new blog and the web site.

All Redwings and Corvids

I thought it was cold at Lake Vinuela but arriving back in England at East Midlands on Saturday evening I was rather taken aback to have to scape the ice off the rental car at only 6.30 in the evening.  However, Sunday dawned with clear blue skies, calm and very sunny - but my goodness it was bloomin' cold and ice on the roads and everywhere else following recent rains.

A trip over to Bourne provided flock after flock of Fieldfares plus scores of Rooks and, as expected, so very many Blackbirds plus Magpies and Wood Pigeons.  But Jenny having met up with a close friend for some typical female therapy (I must check the credit card receipts when I get back!) I travelled back to Stamford to unload the car and with nothing else to do for a couple of hours took the short drive over to Rutland Water, mainly to check what else might be about in the neighbouring fields.

By early afternoon the sun was already low in the sky and all the above birds were seen once more along with Crows and Jackdaws.  A single Jay was also a lovely sighting as I moved along the entrance lane.  Forget the odd Collared Dove it was the number of Great Tits and Blue Tits on the feeders that first drew my attention.  No rats running about below the feeders on this occasion but there were five hen Pheasants picking up the spilled seed plus a number of both Goldfinches and Chaffinches.  Also, a most unseemly sight to see the handful of Jackdaws hanging on to the swinging feeders and trying to prize out the peanuts.

Other small birds included Pied Wagtail and lots of Robins.  How different to see the Robins at close quarters and not the least worried by the close human proximity, so unlike Spain where the birds are very timid and to so prone to skulking under the bushes and trees.  But pride of place must go the Redwings; they were everywhere.  All the trees carried berries, whether it was in the adjoining fields or copses, and there were the Redwings building up their reserves.

In the sky the occasional Kestrel and passing Wood Pigeon, not to mention the ever-moving Jackdaws, whilst, on the water, there were numerous Mallards and Teal.  From the Visitors' Centre I could also see Mute Swans, the occasion Moorhen and a number of basking Cormorants but the big "catch" of the day was the single Red-breasted Merganser that slowly drifted past.   The Gulls, mainly Black-headed but also Herring and Lesser Black-backed, seemed content to just rest on what looked like a thin layer of ice.

A quick drive down the "No through road" to Hambledon to take a look at the North Arm produced over three hundred Tufted Ducks along with scores of Wigeon feeding on the grassy bank and a few Grey Herons.  Yet more resting Cormorants and then a flock of at least fifty Gadwall.  Further along the road, passing more Blackbirds on the way, I came across a small flock of Lapwing along with a few Canada Geese at the end of the road and, on the return journey, a party of 19 Egyptian Geese resting in a field to the left.Yet more Teal, Wigeon and Cormorants along with Grey Heron and a single Little Egret had already been seen from the road bridge at the river entry at the far western end of Manton Bay.  Meanwhile, the trees on either side of the road in the Gunthorpe area were alive with thrushes, mainly Redwings but also a number of Fieldfares and Blackbirds.

All in all a rather lovely way to start our short break back in th eold country and now for Norfolk for three days.  Fingers crossed it will be dry and there will be lots of birds to be seen - especially some of the reported Waxwings that have been arriving over recent weeks along with the wintering geese.

Crossbills galore!

Thursday 29 November

A beautiful bright and sunny morning and, at last, even the wind had eased somewhat so a morning drive over to Alcaucin and up the mountain track was the order of the day.  A male Kestrel on the wires to wave goodbye and even a beautiful Blue Rock Thrush escorted me down the mountain and then it was a case of Spotless Starlings, White wagtails and House Sparrows until I crossed the valley and made the start of the mountain track just above Alcaucin.

The journey up towards the lower picnic site was very quiet with just the occasional Chaffinch and a Stonechat but once parked, neigh even before I had parked, it was obvious that the Crossbills were out in force.  The "usual" eucalyptus tree in front of me contained no fewer than ten individuals and they remained on station quite happily whilst I got out of the car and started snapping away with the camera.  I could hear a Great Spotted Woodpecker tapping away in the near proximity and then there it was, immediately below the Crossbills in the same tree.  Behind me the pair of tall, thin ornamental pine trees also contained a trio of Crossbills including a most gorgeous looking male.

A short walk up through the picnic area to the far end produced nothing other than a few more Chaffinches and a single Blackbird.  Returning to the car via the lower picnic areas I picked up a couple of Great Tits, a solitary Nuthatch appearing to be feeding on a cones and a Serin.

Still very quiet with nobody else around but very cold as the wind started to pick up s continued on to the upper picnic area which was completely devoid of birds.  Not a single Crossbill in sight or sound; no doubt they had all journeyed down the mountain to the lower site!  Them , needing to be away before midday for an appointment in Torre del Mar I decided to risk the track and finish the upward journey on to the Sierra Tejeda and return on the main road via Ventas de Zafarraya.  Annoyingly, having got half way down the mountain I received a call to tell me that my appointment was postponed so I could have stayed longer.  Ah well, back to Casa Collado in the hope that the wind was still gentle so that I could get Jenny to help me remove the cover from the rapidly emptying swimming pool.  Yet more disappointment; the wind was back to its previous gale force and Jenny had gone shopping.

Why no photographs of the Crossbills?  There are photographs but, as previously mentioned, it would appear that I  have used up my quota for this site.  Therefore, come next month and my return from the UK, readers will need to log on to the new blog where, hopefully, I will be able to start again with a full free quota pf photographs which should last me another three or four years.  At the moment I am busy copying across back ground details and, I think, am just about ready to go.  Accessing the new site should reveal the new blog, including dates for the next four Axarquia Bird Group visits, but, as yet, without an actual blog uploaded. 

The new blog is called simply that, New Birding Axarquia.

So, just add "new" to the title and you should be there; http://newbirdingaxarquia.blogspot.com

Using the previous address will take you to the present, soon to be old, site where you will still be able to access previous blogs.

Birds seen:
Kestrel, Great Spotted Woodpecker, White Wagtail, Blue Rock Thrush, Blackbird, Great Tit, Nuthatch, Spotless Starling, House Sparrow, Chaffinch, Serin, Crossbill

Check out the accompanying website at http://www.birdingaxarquia.weebly.com for the latest sightings, photographs and additional information. 

Donana National Park and Home

Sunday 25 November

Time to set off for the long journey back to Casa Collado but not before a last visit to check out the main laguna at El Rocio and then wander our way back through the National Park via Isla Mayor and a brief stop at lake in front of the Dehesa de Abajo centre.  The first provided a Stonechat as I set up the scope and then a variety of ducks including Mallard, Shoveler, Pintail and Teal.  There were a few Greylag Geese nearby and no shortage of Coots and the occasional Moorhen.  A single Spoonbill was spotted along with many Black-winged Stilts, Black-tailed Godwits and Lapwing.  Dunlins, Cattle and Little Egrets plus a Common Sandpiper were also noted.  There were lots of Black Redstarts about plus many Chiffchaffs, Spotless Starlings and House Sparrows.

Driving away from El Rocio on the back road we soon added a Hoopoe and the first of a number of both Buzzards and Kestrels.  A Raven was a pleasing sight and most of the "fence perched" birds at this relatively early time of the morning were Wood Larks.  Later, a small party of Wood Pigeons and then an equally small flock of Linnets before finding a few Tree Sparrows in a roadside bush.  Corn Buntings continued to be seen plus a rather lovely Zitting Cisticola before we spotted our first of many Marsh Harriers.  Crested Larks and Meadow Pipits were plentiful and next up a rather beautiful female Hen Harrier.

The drive through the harvested rice fields near Isla Mayor produced scores of both Cattle and Little Egrets plus very many Herons, Cormorants and White Storks.  Similarly, there were hundreds of Gulls, mainly Black-headed and Yellow-legged but also some Lesser Black-backed birds.  However, two separate sightings of individual Black Storks was rather special.  On to the lake at the Dehesa de Abajo where the water was full of ducks; mainly Shovelers and Mallards but also very good numbers of both Common and Red-crested Pochards.  A small number of Little and Black-necked Grebes broke up the monotony of all the distant Coots and we even had a single Great White Egret drop in to the field behind us where we also spotted our third Black Stork of the morning.  The shrubbery held Chiffchaffs and Cetti's Warblers whilst a few Jackdaws could be seen and heard on the far side of the water.

The drive back to Malaga Province proved very uneventful and an anti-clockwise drive down the west side of the main laguna at Fuente de Piedre, we did not enter the actual reserve, produced over two hundred Cranes and confirmed that the Flamingo numbers continue to grow with now well in excess of a thousand birds present.  A magnificent male Hen Harrier presented itself below the Mirador de Cantarranas along with a handful of Marsh Harriers including a single mature male.  Eventually home, very tired, but at least we had managed to record another 58 species bringing the total for the past week to 108.


Birds seen:
Greylag Goose, Mallard, Shoveler, Red-crested Pochard, Pochard, Little Grebe, Black-necked Grebe, Cormorant, Cattle Egret, Little Egret, Heron, Great White Egret, Black Stork, White Stork, Spoonbill, Flamingo, Marsh Harrier, Hen Harrier, Buzzard, Kestrel, Moorhen, Coot, Crane, Lapwing, Dunlin, Black-tailed Godwit, Common Sandpiper, Black-headed Gull, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Yellow-legged Gull, Rock Dove, Wood Pigeon, Collared Dove, Hoopoe, Crested Lark, Wood lark, Meadow Pipit, White wagtail, Black Redstart, Stonechat, Blackbird, Cettis warbler, Zitting Cisiticola, Sardinian Warbler, Chiffchaff, Azure-winged Magpie, Magpie, Jackdaw, Raven, Spotless Starling, House Sparrow, Tree Sparrow, Chaffinch, Serin, Goldfinch, Linnet, Corn Bunting.

Check out the accompanying website at http://www.birdingaxarquia.weebly.com for the latest sightings, photographs and additional information. 

Fieldfares in the Donana

Saturday 24 November

With the long drive home due on Sunday we decided to leave Portugal a day early so that we could make an overnight stay at El Rocio in the Donana National Park.  But first there was time to make a before-breakfast trip down to the local pool at Quinta do Lago and take a short walk along the adjacent path as far as the river where the tide was just almost half-way in.  No sooner had I arrived than I could see the Coots and a departing Grey Heron, with more of the latter settled around the pool edges, and a pair of Mallards on the water.  A couple of Cormorants were taking an early morning bask in the limited sunshine and the first of the Little Egrets had just arrived.  No need to get my feet wet looking in the scrub area for the flock of Common Waxbills as they were in the bushes alongside the road behind the restaurant; and very handsome, too, they looked.  Similarly, a good number of Blackbirds were up and bout along with the now resident Chiffchaffs along with a small number of Black-headed Gulls.

Moving around the pool I had first a pair of Blackcaps followed by the first of quite a number of Sardinian Warblers.  Next up a juvenile White Wagtail and then a pair of Gadwall on the small pool with three Shovelers paddling away on the main water.  Naturally, there were scores of Azure-winged Magpies and I also recorded both Pochard and a Little Grebe at the far end of the main pool.

The short walk along the path between wood and marsh produced, apart from House Sparrows, a small flock of Greenfinches and then a single Bluethroat.  Also present were a small number of Zitting Cisticolas.  On the mud of the river first Dunlin and Ringed Plover plus a single Curlew.  Also recorded were single Whimbrel, Curlew Sandpiper and Grey Plover.  Finally, I also added a number of Yellow-legged Gulls and many Stonechats to the list before heading back for breakfast. The direct journey back to the Donana on the motorway produced a Raven, Buzzard, Kestrel, plenty of White Storks in the Huelva area and a small number of Cattle Egrets. 

Having checked into our hotel it was straight down to the Acebuche Visitors' Centre for some good birding.  What a disappointment!  A lovely Red Kite and a few Corn Buntings as we drove towards Matalascanas and a gorgeous male Black Redstart just inside the gate but then, with lots of water about, hardly a bird other than a few Azure-winged Magpies, a single (common) Magpie and Robin.  Do we count Rock Doves and Spotless Starlings?  Only two birds seen from all the hides, a single Moorhen and Little Grebe.  Tome to head back to El Rocio with Steve and Elena leading the way.  No sooner had they departed and a telephone call telling me to try and catch up as they had come across a small flock of about five thrushes and, on closer inspection, they turned out to be Fieldfares.  One individual even moved back and started to feed immediately opposite Steve's parked car from where he was able to take both single and video photographs on his camera.  Unfortunately, when we joined him a few minutes later a couple of cars had passed by and frightened the birds away.  How annoying and frustrating was that as it would have been my first sighting of these large and handsome thrushes in Spain.  Not really a compensation to have a young Wild Boar rooting around immediately opposite the car oblivious to the rest of the world.  Strange to see both Azure-winged Magpie and Stonechats watching its every movement so that they could pick up the disturbed insects.

Leaving the new by-pass to enter El Rocio we had a small flock of Serins on the fence and then to the far end of the water on the now truncated old road to scope the lagoon.  Lots of Black-tailed Godwits and Black-winged Stilts along with a good number of Lapwing.  A good-sized flock of mixed ducks including Mallard, Shoveler, Teal and Pintails.  In the distance the main flock of Greylag Geese although there were a handful nearer to us plus five Spoonbills.  Suddenly all the birds were in the air and the culprit for the disturbance drifted into view low over the edge of the marsh in the shape of a lovely female Hen Harrier.  The few Collared Doves did nor seem to bothered and the same could be said of the Meadow Pipits feeding in the grass in the front of us and the single Southern Grey Shrike.  A quick visit to the SEO centre to confirm what and where to find for the morning resulted in Steve being shown the roosting pair of resident Spanish Imperial Eagles in neighbouring trees  and Purple Swamphens in front of the building.  Good to know that the birds successfully raised three healthy youngsters this year, especially as the male bird at three years of age was experiencing his first breeding season.  It was also interesting to be told that there were only three pairs of these magnificent eagles in the Castro Verde district of Portugal and we had, last Thursday, had close views of one of the pairs as had been duly reported.  Yet another half-century day with 55 species recorded.


Birds seen:
Greylag Goose, Gadwall, Mallard, Shoveler, Teal, Pintail, Pochard, Little Grebe, Cormorant, Cattle Egret, Little Egret, Heron, Glossy Ibis, White Stork, Spoonbill, Spanish Imperial Eagle, Red Kite, Buzzard, Kestrel, Moorhen, Coot, Black-winged Stilt, Ringed Plover, Lapwing, Dunlin, Curlew Sandpiper, Black-tailed Godwit, Whimbrel, Curlew, Common Sandpiper, Black-headed Gull, Yellow-legged Gull, Rock Dove, Collared Dove, Meadow Pipit, White Wagtail, Robin, Bluethroat, Black Redstart, Stonechat, Blackbird, Fieldfare, Zitting Cisticola, Blackcap, Sardinian Warbler, Chiffchaff, Southern Grey Shrike, Azure-winged Magpie, Magpie, Raven, Spotless Starling, House Sparrow, Common Waxbill, Serin, Greenfinch, Corn Bunting.

Check out the accompanying website at http://www.birdingaxarquia.weebly.com for the latest sightings, photographs and additional information. 

Castro Verde & 52 Great Bustards plus Spanish Imperial Eagles

Thursday 22 November

PHOTOGRAPHIC NOTE:  I HAVE USED UP MY PHOTO ALLOWANCE FOR THE THIS SITE SO PICTURES WILL BE ADDED WHEN MORE SPACE BECOMES AVAILABLE.
 
The day promised full sun and full sun and cloudless skies is what we got along with a very pleasant temperature for the couple of hours drive from our resort up to Castro Verde.  We took the scenic route through the mountains which would have been fine if we were simply on a nature drive rather than actually trying to get somewhere specific to start our birding.  Nothing but twists and turns every hundred metres or so; a far better option would have been to take the motorway west and then the new motorway north which would have been a far more comfortable drive and saved, maybe, fort-five minutes.  Anyway, having seen Jays, Azure-winged Magpies, Robins, Chaffinches and many Red-legged Partridges plus over fifty White Storks soaring over a mountain top, we finally made the main road north for the final thirty miles or so at Dogueno and then followed the N2 through Almodovar to Castro Verde.  Once on this relatively straight and fast road we soon had a number of Red Kites plus a quick sight of a perched Black-winged Kite.  A large number of Lapwing plus Stonechats and Collared Doves added to the variety.

Then it was a coffee stop in Castro Verde itself before travelling on to the Visitors’ Centre just north on the road to Entradas.  Interesting place to find and especially important as the local warden was able to pass on information where we might best find the local Great Bustards.  Whilst at the Centre we had great views of Buzzards and Golden Eagles along with the more common Kestrels and even Crag Martins.  Meadow Pipits, Chiffchaffs and White Wagtails around the site as well as more Red-legged Partridges and as we made our way back to the main road yet more Lapwings including a couple of Golden Plover in the flock plus, nearby, a large flock of Calandra Larks.

Having already seen a couple of Raven we were surprised to see a healthy population of Carrion Crows in the fields.  We had regular sightings of Corn Buntings plus single Moorhen and Common Sandpiper before taking the narrow road to San Marco da Ataboeira and then a left to Monte Salto.  We were expecting to drive to the end of the road and at the highest point starting searching the countryside whereas after a couple of kilometres we came across the Great Bustards, eventually recording a total of 52.  And still the birds came as we made our way back to the main road to then explore more country lanes around the Rolao and Penilhos area before driving towards Mertoja for the return journey back to the Algarve along the N122 via Castro Marim.  First a small number of Cattle Egrets feeding alongside the heifers at a local farm followed by a rather lovely male Hen Harrier.  Not to be outdone, a couple of female Hen Harriers presented themselves within the next thirty minutes or so along with the sight of over twenty Griffon Vultures.  

One Spanish Imperial Eagle would have been special but no sooner had we found the bird (known here as the Iberian Imperial Eagle) than the female hopped down onto the same branch from out of the neighbouring tree.  Both remained long enough to take numerous photographs and, judging from the neck collar being worn, this was obviously one of a monitored pairs residing in the area.

What else did we see?  Well, apart from our first Spotless Starlings in Portugal we even had a handful of Common Starlings.  Why a Kingfisher should have been seen near a small pond in the middle of nowhere is anyone’s guess but, nevertheless, still a welcome sight.  Add on Blackbirds and Linnets, many Black Redstarts and Grey Herons plus a couple of Hoopoes and the final total soon reached 45 species for the day.  But what species when you think of Great Bustard, both Golden and Spanish Imperial Eagles, Red kites and Hen Harriers and not forgetting the Carrion Crows.

Birds seen:

Mallard, Red-legged Partridge, Pheasant, Cattle Egret, Little Egret, Heron, White Stork, Griffon Vulture, Golden eagle, Spanish Imperial Eagle, Red Kite, Black-winged Kite, Hen Harrier, Buzzard, Kestrel, Great Bustard, Moorhen, Lapwing, Golden Plover, Common Sandpiper, Rock Dove, Collared Dove, Kingfisher, Hoopoe, Calandra Lark, Crested Lark, Meadow Pipit, Crag Martin, White Wagtail, Robin, Black Redstart, Stonechat, Blackbird, Chiffchaff, Southern Grey Shrike, Jay, Azure-winged Magpie, Magpie, Carrion Crow, Raven, Common Starling, Spotless Starling, House Sparrow, Chaffinch, Goldfinch, Linnet, Corn Bunting

Check out the accompanying website at http://www.birdingaxarquia.weebly.com for the latest sightings, photographs and additional information.

Fuente de Piedra & Laguna Dulce

Good to see that the weather continues to improve and that John and Jenny Wainwright are once more on their travels, this time back over to Fuente de Piedra and nearby Laguna Dulce.  As John reports, the single Black Stork seen the previous week is still present at the latter and now making itself more photogenic.

Wednesday 21November

Overcast but quite warm, with chilly breeze every now and then.  The approaching fields and around by the boardwalk have still good quantities of water in them and, as a result, waders were in short supply - only two Snipe on our visit here.  A few Black-winged Stilts, White Wagtails, Meadow Pipits and Crested Larks were found in the marshy areas at the boardwalk itself.  A single Stone Curlew was found in the field between the boardwalk and the main road.  On the flooded scrape we found Common Coots and Moorhens, whilst in the small bushes and weeds we found Chiffchaff and Stonechats.

Looking out from the mirador at the centre we located the Greater Flamingos - but they were way off in the distance.  Closer to us a huge raft of Shovelers, interspersed with a few Mallard and Coots; a Buzzard flew low over the water causing the Coots and ducks to take flight and in the bushes below the mirador several Sardinian and Cetti’s Warblers, more Chiffchaffs, Robins and Goldfinches were calling.  Also several Red Admirals were busy feeding on the rosemary flowers.  Three large groups of Common Cranes - a rough count of ninety birds - were seen flying at the back of the laguna.

On the small laguneta, we saw three Black-necked Grebes and several Little Grebes, Gadwalls, Shovelers, Mallard, Teal and Pochard.  A few Robins, Goldfinches, a lone Greenfinch, Hoopoe and Black Redstarts.

We departed the centre and headed for the Mirador Cantarranas.  En route we saw another twenty or so Stone Curlew (in the field opposite the new hide), a Raven, feeding on road kill, more Common Cranes in the fields to the left and a few in the fields by the olive groves (we did not expect many here as there was a lot of activity in the grove itself).

After coffee we walked up to the Mirador Cantarranas and from here we saw four Marsh Harriers ( 3 female and 1 juvenile male), a ring-tail Hen Harrier, Hoopoe, Blackbird, Sardinian Warblers, more Teal and a Southern Grey Shrike.  In the fields around I counted about a hundred Common Cranes spread out over the area.

Onto the Laguna Dulce:
As we pulled of the main road there were three Common Cranes feeding in the flooded fields.
From the hide we saw Black-necked and Little Grebes, large numbers of White-headed Ducks, Mallard, Common Coots, one Greater Flamingo, a Grey Heron, Gadwall and Shovelers.  To our right in the flooded fields we found one Golden Plover amongst a big flock of Lapwings.  Also here but in the reeds and bushes to our front we saw Goldfinches, Chiffchaffs, Cetti’s and Sardinian Warblers, Corn Buntings and Stonechats.  While I was scoping for more Common Cranes across the laguna I found four Little Bustards, so we decided to go around the track that runs at the back of the laguna to try to get some photographs.

As we neared the turning for the Guadlateba embalses prior to Campillos, Jenny spotted a juvenile Black Stork on the right.  We pulled in to get photographs but after a couple of minutes it flew away.  We found it at the small pond outside the leather factory shop, along with a dozen and a half Cattle Egrets.  On the back track, we found Corn Buntings, Calandra Larks, Linnets, White Wagtails, Crested Larks, more Common Cranes and thirty four Little Bustards, scopable to ID but not to photograph, plus two more Marsh Harriers. 

On the way back to Salar we saw three more Southern Grey Shrikes, Yellow-legged and Lesser Black-backed Gulls, Jackdaws, Azure-winged and Common Magpies, Collared Doves and Wood Pigeons.

Quite a report John and, obviously, the Cranes are with you rather than down in the Algarve area.  And there is no Black Stork but we do have both Golden and Iberian Imperial Eagles!

Check out the accompanying website at http://www.birdingaxarquia.weebly.com for the latest sightings, photographs and additional information.