BIRDING BOOK S TO CONSIDER

A horrible wet and windy day to finish the month so what better way than to consider your reading material. Below I have given details of four birds that you should consider, unless you already have purchased/acquired, or, maybe, suggest to relatives and/or friends as suitable Christmas presents.

Field Guides:

Collins Bird Guide (2009 edition)

This is, probably, now the standard reference book and will be found on most serious bird watchers. Indeed, if toy come across birders from Spain, Holland, Germany, Sweden etc. on your visits the likelihood is that his is the book they carry. Whilst my copy, and other UK books I have seen, is in paperback, everyone else seems to have a hardback edition. Perhaps, this is why I leave my copy at home and carry an old "Hamlyn Guide" in the field.

The really good news when checking (today) prices on WHSmith (see further details below) is that, according to the web site, the hardback version reprinted this year is now cheaper than the paperback! Explain that to me.
Details:
Collins Bird Guide by Lars Svensson and Peter Grant
Illustrations by Mullarney & Zetterstrom (Translated from Swedish by David Christie)
Published by Harper Collins (2009)! [My edition purchased 2007 was printed 2001]
ISBN: 0-00-711332-3
Paperback £17.99
Hardback £25 (WHSmith for £17.50)

Identifying Birds by Behaviour

Friend Ron brought a copy with him for his stay and visit to Donana a couple of weeks ago. Looked very informative and easy to follow. I have ordered a copy and, hopefully, Jenny will bring it back with her from UK in a couple of weeks.
Identifying Birds by Behaviour by Dominic Couzens
Published by Collins
ISBN: 0-00-719923-6
£16.99 (WHSmith £11.21 inc. postage)


Bird sites to visit:

Where to Watch Birds - Southern and Western Spain (Andalucia, Extremadura and Gibraltar)

This is the 3rd Edition (2008) of this great paperback which I have found invaluable as I explore new areas. Friend Andy, who has live in the area for the past 20+ years, produces wealth of information on how to access sites and what can be found there at different times of the year. You can also find more information, and the birds that we see on our neighbouring coast, by visiting his blog at "http://birding-the-costa.blogspot.com".
Where to Watch Birds - Southern and Western Spain by Ernest Garcia & Andrew Paterson
Published by AC Black (2008)
ISBN: 978-0-7136-8315-8
£16.00 (WHSmith £11.89 inc. postage)


General Reading:

Al-Andalus (How Nature has Shaped our History)

Jenny brought me this book earlier this year and I cannot recommend it enough. If you live out here you really do need to get hold of a copy and enjoy reading about the development of this country; its nature, geology, history, etc. It's a wonderful read and includes some superb photographs. The book was printed in Spain and published towards the end of last year. Jenny bought my copy in the English book shop in Torre del Mar so it may very well still be available locally. Not sure of the price in Euros, but when purchased from WH Smiths they are suggesting a four-week delivery date.
Al-Andalus (How Nature has Shaped our History) by Clive Finlayson
Published by Santana Books (2007)
ISBN: 978-84-89954-69-4
£16.99

Before writing out the above, I checked the WH Smith website (www.whsmith.com) for the latest retail price and their internet price. The price in brackets show substantial savings.


Many of you will be familiar with buying from companies such as Amazon but have you tried WH Smith? Until recently both charge a postage price for orders under about £15 but I am lead to believe that Amazon may have reduced this figure. However, WHSmith give you as choice; free delivery to your local WHSmith shop or pay for home delivery. My latest purchases, however, show that that WHSMith will now deliver FREE to either home or shop. So, if you worry about potential damage in the post (the books are always well packed) then you have a choice. I am not sure about postage rates to Spain - I always order to coincide with a UK return visit or family/friends coming out to stay.

I should ad that I get no commission by recommending either of the above outlets!

Enjoy your reading; it's certainly all your going to do today. Never mind watching birds, I cannot even see the drive in front of me! On the hand, the pool has now been filled.

DONANA - A Birder's Paradise

Now that the publishing problems have been resolved and I have a few minutes to spare before dropping down to the Rio Velez in Torre, I thought it might be time that I brought you all up to date with my eight days in the Donana and surrounding area with my friend Ron and respective wives.

What a week! We were able to do as much bird-watching as we liked and were certainly not disappointed. A final count of 109 species by the time we got back to our mountain home including lots of raptors, waders and new species for us both to see. It makes it difficult to know where to start!

Before setting off ahead of the bad storms of Saturday 11 October (but still windy following overnight rain), Ron and I had already made short visits to both the Guadalhorce in Malaga and the latter's arrival day and Zafarraya and Alhama de Granada the previous days. If you include the additional 14 species encountered here but not in the Donana, then Ron's total for his stay was a wonderful 123 species.

We stayed in a very pleasant hotel in Matalascanas and, after one day, decided to take advantage of the half-price offer on half-board. All the food we were eating for breakfast and dinner, there was no need to top up during our days out! This base also enabled easy visits, twice, to the marshes adjacent to the river Odiel in Huelva. A great site which produced even more bird varieties than the lakes and pools centred on El Rocio in the Donana. Judging by the very high water levels, Seville and Huelva would appear to have received far more water than we here in the Axarquia.

Of the larger birds, we were privileged to see a passing Spanish Imperial Eagle, a very wet Spotted Eagle waiting for the fog to clear so that he could find a warm thermal to rise on, a single Black Kite (all probably moved south by now), lots of Red Kites and a magnificent Black-Shouldered Kite. Indeed, when we told the wives about the last bird we stopped on our return journey and found the bird sitting within ten metres of the original sighting! Also seen were very, very many Marsh Harriers, a female Hen Harrier, Common Buzzards on the return journey and loads and loads of Kestrels. On one expedition over the Donana marshes we saw a Kestrel on over twenty consecutive electricity poles! Finally, we had some very good, and many, views of the Southern Grey Shrike.

Of the variety of waders seen, perhaps pride of place should go to the Curlews and Whimbrels. Not often that you get a chance to see both together and able to compare overall body size, colouring is very similar, and the length of the beaks. The same can be also said of the Black-tailed and Bar-tailed Godwits that we saw plus the Dunlins and Little Stints. Also seen were a range of sandpipers, Greenshank and Redshank and a couple of Grey Plovers in their winter plumage.

Most of you will by now have seen the local Egrets and be able to separate the Cattle and Little species, so it was a delight to come across a total of at least eight Great Egrets on the Wednesday as we drove back from the Isla Mayor towards, eventually, El Rocio. Again,I am sure that you will all be familiar with our common Heron (Grey Heron) so, likewise, it was good to get a very close view of a Purple Heron. We did eventually find a small group of Spoonbills, a small flock of Black Storks, hundreds of White Storks. lots of Glossy Ibis and the Greater Flamingos could, at worst, be counted in many tens and, at best, by the thousand! Where would the Storks, Ibises, Egrets and Herons be without the extensive rice fields of the area?

Also on the water, I was able to get some close views of Gadwall that had "dropped in" near some Mallard, Shoveler and Pochard and, finally, the Purple Swamphen (Purple Gallinule) put in its usual very noisy appearance.

Of the smaller birds, we regularly saw Kingfisher and Pied Flycatcher plus a couple of Spotted Flycatchers. A Whinchat was also found as was a Short-toed Treecreeper. A new bird for me in Spain was a Yellowhammer with other Buntings including Reed and Corn. Lots of Larks including Thekla, Crested and Calendra and we lucky enough to see quite a few Northern Wheatears taking a feeding rest of their return migration.

Overhead and over the water we saw a range of Gulls including Common (not as common as the name implies!) and Audouin's. However, the real star was not the Sandwich or Little Terns that we saw but, rather, the individual Caspian Tern, with its huge red beak and red legs, that kept us enthralled for ages.

For me, another "first" was a close view of a Common Waxbill Estrilda estrilda; a very small grey-brown bird with a red eye mask, pale underside and a red patch on its belly. However, the little so-and-so dashed off to a thick bush for cover before I could get the camera in focus. Like the Red Avadavat, the Waxbill is a native of Africa which has established itself in this part of Spain and breeds in the reeds and bulrushes similar to their native territory. Unlike the Monk parakeet, which is large noisy and green, these little birds are very difficult to spot.

Finally, I could not finish without mentioning the (common) Magpies and Azure-winged magpies that put in their daily appearance in great numbers; often, in the case of the former, before we had even reached the end of the street!

All in all, a wonderful week with good company and a selection of great birds. Who could ask for anything more?

Domesticated Booted Eagle

Our near neighbour, Carol, joined us for lunch on Saturday whilst her hubby was sunning it up in Dublin playing golf. Well, someone has to look after the animals and home whilst doing the necessary cleaning!

Anyway, last week whilst sweeping the terrace near the pool she spied a massive great bird getting closer and closer. Was their a slithering snake behind her or a delicious lazy lizard offering himself up for morning tapas? And still the bird came closer and closer.

So close that it decided to land on the pagoda and take a short rest but long enough for Carol to get a real, and close up from about five metres, look at this magnificent raptor. What to do? Scream? Run for your life? Enjoy the moment? Became the main course, a very special menu del dia, instead of the intended tapas?

The real problem you will by now have realised, is that if you move the bird flies but normal people do not do their everyday cleaning with a camera around their neck. So, no way of photographing the bird; just remain quietly where you are and enjoy this, for the great majority of us, one and only experience that is most likely to be never repeated.

And the bird in question? Almost certainly too late for a Honey Buzzard and we hundreds passing over us from mid-August until late September. I described a Griffon Vulture as these great beasts of the air are still passing through, usually in small numbers. Carol did not think so. So when she arrived for lunch I had had time to think about the current raptors quartering our particular piece of the Axarquia and thought, if it had not landed a Booted Eagle; not so different from our resident Short-toed Eagles and Honey Buzzards that Carol sees in the autumn on a regular basis. An illustration in the Collins Guide quickly caught Carol's attention and this was the bird she recognised from very close quarters.

However, reading the latest report from Andy Paterson on his local birding blog (see "http://birding-the-costa.blogspot.com"), he refers to juvenile Griffon Vultures that seem to undertake this sort of behaviour pattern on a regular basis. Andy would say not here because we are too safe; the birds like the challenge of a main street or house roof in a large metropolis! But Carol insists that there was nothing "vulture like" about the birds head and/or shoulders. It sat upright as if resting and enjoying the view, which I admit is very spectacular, with its browny streaked breast.

Now all of you out there can pass your own comments and see if we can help or confuse Carol even more!

Zafarraya and Motes de Malaga

Yes, I know, I still have to write out my Donana report! But I will get it done by the end of the week.

Sunday saw a morning visit to the Zafarraya pass and the little pool above Alhama de Granada whilst yesterday we took advantage of the sunny day and paid a visit to the Montes de Malaga, entering the woods by the recommended access points off the old Malaga road as we drove down from Colmenar. Great when you have directions and milepost numbers, e.g. take a right just after KM544, the get to Colmenar and discover that the road has recently been changed to the A7000 and that the numbering now starts here rather than Madrid. Fortunately, the workers may have put up new road and signs and km posts but left the original stone markers in place!

It was sunny but quite breezy on Sunday up at the pass and we saw a very limited number of birds. There was still a large flock (20 - 30) of Crag Martins feeding under the cliffs beyond the tunnel and lots of Stonechats. We also saw Black Redstart, a lone, distant Blue Rock Thrush and a close view of a true pair of Kestrels. Overhead, a single Griffon Vulture drifted north. But there were no Choughs or Rock Buntings on this occasion.

At the pool there were the usual small numbers of Little Grebe and Pochard plus an overflying Heron but the main attraction was the huge number of Coots. However, a real scan of the far shore did turn up one stranger, a Red-crested Pochard feeding with his Common (no pun intended) relatives.

Meanwhile, out at the Montes de Malaga yesterday we saw most of the Tit family Great, Blue, Coal and Long-tailed but not Eric's Crested Tit from last week. We also saw Firecrest, Black Redstart, Blackcap and Sardinian Warbler plus a quick, fleeting view of an Azure-winged Magpie as we turned in off the Colmenar road and a longer look at a Jay.

Calling in for a swim upon our return to Torre, as we left the beach that we used near Alminarte we were inundated with Serins plus a solitary Tree Sparrow in with his paser domesticus friends who are more associated with houses!

Eric's Exploits!

The following is an email I received from Eric Lyon on Friday 24 October about his visits to the Montes de Malaga and Rio Velez in Torre del Mar. I have also included my reply and a further comment from Eric re his follow-up visit to the Velez in Torre.

The day after the strong southerly winds (the beginning of last week?) we had 70 - 100 House Martins with a handful of Swallows circling around the house. Are these just late travellers held up by the wind or could they have been blown back from across the water? (Almost certainly the former coming from further north in Europe and might well include many juveniles from late(r) broods.)

Having now re-kinmdled my bird-watching, I have been carrying binoculars on our walks and it's amazing the extra interest it adds. We went to Montes de Malaga for the first time on 13 October and saw loads of Coal, Great, Crested and Long-tailed Tits and Firecrests - with one Short-toed Treecreper. Walking around Canillas de Albaida we now see the first lot - but I suppose they were always there!

This morning I went to Rio Velez and amongst other things there was a large group of Crag Martins below the bridge (and close enough to catch as they flew past). But the real point of the email is that I saw two birds separately whose identification I doubt. Both were at a distance on the reedy grass and with short views before they flew. The first was, I think, a Trumpeter Finch (see photo, taken January 2007 in Cabo de Gata) - certainly a clean, pale greyish to buff head and body with pinkish beak and pale legs, pink-reddish tail (definitely not a Redstart) but I didn't get a good enough sight of the size of the beak. Possible or not?
The second was a much shorter view and more impossible to guess. It was small - Serin size - and dumpy bit head and body were completely dullish brick red with brownish wings. The only look aloike in my bird book is the Red Avadavat - but white spots weren't visible in the time I had. Could it be an escape or is theer anything else?

My reply:

Thanks for the email that I have just read; it makes me feel quite envious! Now you know why I want to set up the Axarquia Bird Club so that individuals can send in their sightings/reports, as you have done,to be included in a monthly summary for the whole area.

I am still to really explore the Montes de Malaga (see "http://birdingaxarquia.blogspot.com" as we went there today!) so you will have to tell me where you went. I could do with Coal, Crested and Long-tailed Tits plus Firecrest to add to my this month's total!

Like you, I was at the Velez river mouth in Torre this morning. I arrived late, about 11.30, not having expected to go today but the forecast for tomorrow was awful. No sign of your Crag Martins which are quite common for the next four months or so but I did see a single Swallow flying over the end pool of the river. Also a single Cormorant looking for the fish that got away! In general, not much about for the hour and a half that I was there apart from lots of Stonechats and Crested Larks. Also saw Serin, Greenfinch and Goldfinch plus Cetti's Warbler and Zitting Cisticola (used to be called Fan-tailed warbler). So, re your two mystery birds. I have not heard of Trumpeter Finches at the river bed but, in Spain, just about anything seems possible. In general though, these finches prefer a drier habitat. At this time of the year (winter) they just look like House Sparrows until you notice the hint of pink/red and then see their, relatively, huge beaks. I thought I saw a Red Avadavat but did not get a long or close enough view through my binoculars. They are very small birds, about Blue Tit/Wren size (just like the Common Waxbill which we saw last week in the Donana) and basically brownish. Breeding season, which I think is just about to start according to some references, shows the birds with a very dark red cobvered in in whitish spots. My first "where to watch birds" for this area refers tothe rio Velez as their main collony in Spain with as many as thirty pairs. Ha! They are all over the place now and I saw my first bird at the reserve on the outskirts of Motril and still have tio see one here! This book also refers to favoured crops and I suspect here it is the artichoke fields, where I saw my suspect this morning; often above the road bridge towrads the motorway bridge. Where did you see yours? Looking again at your description, I think you may have seen a Zitting Cisticola. The sun was bright this morning and the bronze colouring may well have given a reddish impression. Small brown bird with a streaked head; worth checking.

Second email from Eric:

I agree, I can't understand why I didn't pick out the beak of the possible Trumpetere Finch even though the view was quite short. But definately not a Zitting Cisticola. The only thing I'm sure about was the all over brick red colour, no streaking, and small size. Whatever it was, it flew off, unaccompanied, across the river and into the the fields westward.

Eric's gone birding!

It would appear that my new friend Eric Lyon has decided to do a little bit of serious birding; and not just a weekly visit! On the other hand, it may have something to do with his wife being back in the UK for a week or so.

Anyway, I received a great email about Eric's recent visit to the Montes de Malaga and follow-on visits (TWO!) to the River Velez at Torre. It certainly made great reading. Once I have sorted out why this blog keeps rejecting my recent, long blogs, you will find a full report with my comments on the alternative blog "http://axarquiabirdclub.blogspot.com".

Suffice to say that Eric seemed to have seen all the Tit members at the former sight (Crested, Coal, Great, Blue and Long-tailed) plus Firecrests. His visits to the Velez estuary turned up Crag Martins, Loads of Robins, a Dunnock, Cetti's Warbler, Zitting Cisticola and, best of all, a Wryneck, possible Trumpeter Finch and a sighting of what was probably a Red Avadavat.

If only I could have seen them - and especially the Dunnock which would appear to be very scarce in this area. Great Eric and keep on looking!

Why no news lately!

It would appear that the program will not allow any "cut and paste" activity. Great as I have just spent literally hours putting together a report, including lots of photos, of my recent eight-day visit to the Donana National park and surrounding sites! So, be patient, and I will try and extract all the information and start all over again with my little fingers tapping away all day and night. I also had the same problem on on Axarquia Bird Club blog so that has to be re-typed.

They say it is better to find out so that you do not make the same mistake twice (or more in my case before I discovered the reason). But why is it always after a long report rather than a short sentence?

Bob

A week's birding with Ron

First thing tomorrow morning, Saturday 11 October, Ron and I with our wives will be off to the Donana National Park for some serious bird watching and the challenge of seeing at least a hundred species. The day will start with a call in at the Fuente de Piedra to see what is on the "Flamingo Lake" and then on to the park via the back roads leading to and from Isla de Menor. (By the time we return, I shall have to check that I have all the Spanish names correctly spelt!)

So, it's to be sea birds, ducks, terns, waders, little brown jobs and, hopefully, lots of raptors - not to mention just about every member of the stork and heron club!

First meeting of the new Axarquia Bird Club

In future, details of the Axarquia Bird Club will appear on its own "blog"

http://axarquiabirdclub.blogspot.com"

but for now the full report is given below, in addition to publication in the above.

.......................................................................................................................

It was cool, very wind and cloudy with the promise of rain in the air as we seven set out from Puente don Manuel, below Lake Vinuela, to visit the old railway track at the Ventas de Zafarraya and the small pool on the outskirts of Alhama de Granada. Indeed, we were not to be disappointed as very light rain began to fall after passing through the old railway tunnel but not enough to spoil our birding.

Ventas de Zafarraya:
No sooner had we parked our cars than we were greeted by close views of two Peregrine Falcons above the rock with the latter being mobbed by a Kestrel. Walking along the track we quickly picked up a Black Wheatear, Great Tit and Stonechats followed by the first of many sightings of Blue Rock Thrush.

Meanwhile, clambering up the rock on our right just before the tunnel entrance very good views wee had of a t least a dozen Ibex. Quite a bonus for us all. Whilst I have called these animals "Ibex", my illustrated Spanish edition of "Guia de Campo" (Jan Toman & Jiri Felix, published by Susaeta, ISBN 84-305-7413-1) identifies the animals as "MUFLON"; about half the size of Ibex weighing in at around 50 rather than 100 kg and identified by the white legs with black stripes to the front. Probably a small family group of females and young. You learn something new every day!

It was also about this time that we all had very clear views of Rock Buntings.

A single Crag Martin took the opportunity to exit the tunnel immediately in front of us and then it was more Stonechats and Blue Rock Thrushes until we reached the old ruin where we saw in excess of a hundred Goldfinches; more then a "charm" to satisfy all. Finally, as we made our way back to the cars, all the Thekla Larks decided to make an appearance.

Zafarraya growing fields:
Very quite as we stopped to check the previous manure dumping ground. Mainly a mixed flock of Goldfinch, Serin, Greenfinch and House Sparrows. But the tomatoes were doing well! In the far distance, a group of Spotless Starlings were searching out a good resting place on the overhead electricity cables.

Alhama de Granada:
As usual, the small pool to the north-east of the town was full of Coots and this time a goodly number of Pochard as well as some Little Grebe and a White Wagtail. The small copse at the side of the pool produced Cetti's warbler, Blackcap, Blackbird, Robin, in excess of thirty Wood Pigeon and a single Great Spotted Woodpecker as the first of us entered the trees. At the same time, a single Grey Heron flapped off over the far corner of the water.

Journey back through the woods:
Not having seen the "main bird" on the outward journey, the Azure-winged Magpie made up for lost ground with as many as thirty seen on the return journey to Zafarraya. It certainly made the solitary Corn Bunting on the fence look rather insignificant!

And so back down the mountain to our starting point, where at last we also saw one of the resident Collared Doves, and home for a late lunch. A final total of 28 species seen during the morning.

Next Meeting:
A good start and a whetting of the appetite for our November visit which will be to the Guadalhorce reserve near Malaga airport on Tuesday 4 November. If all goes well, we will meet up outside Dunnes at the Eroski car park by 9 am so that we can have a full morning looking at waders, ducks and anything else to be seen. This visit should last in the region of about three hours and the intention is to finish with a menu del dia before setting off back home.

Visit to Granada & Almeria Provinces - 29 & 30 September

Charca de Suarez Reserve, Motril

Entering the reserve when it opened at 6 pm it was obvious tat, compared with the previous Thursday evening when I called in for thirty minutes, that there were far fewer Blackbirds but more Chiffchaffs in evidence. So, straight to the hide at the main pond to discover that there were well over 70 Herons already in for the evening whereas on the last visit only two were to be seen - and these roosting at the top of the neighbouring trees. Similarly, at thios time there were only two Little Egrets and a solitary Cattle Egret.

By the time I left at 7.45, I had watched group after group of the latter fly in for the evening, usually in flocks of about 15 to 20, so that the final count was well in excess of 150!

Of the total of 25 species seen during the evening, seven others caught my eye: Immediately before entering the reserve a short walk along the exterior neigbouring path revealed my first Bluethroat of the season plus a low flying, beautifully marked male Marsh Harrier.

Back inside the reservem we three observers were entertained from the start by a very hungry Kingfisher who chose to perch right outside the hide as he checked on the latest food supply. At the same time, a ravenous Little Tern spent the whole evening moving around the pool diving continually for his supper. Later in the evening, the tern was joined a by a Whiskered Tern; the message had obviously got round that there were plenty of small fish on the market tonight!

In addition to the Herons and Egrets, there were plentiful Moorhen and Coot plus at least four Purple Swamp Hens (Purple Gallinule), including one with and accompanying juvenile, and resting at the edge of the reeds a juvenile Night Heron. So "spotty" you would have thought it was an aquatic owl of some sort.

Overhead, as the hirundines appeared there were quite a few Sand Martins in with the Barn Swallows, a drifting Kestrel and small finches including Serrin, Greenfinch and Goldfinch.

Cabo de Gata, Almeria

The next morning I was up early and off to salinas of the Cabo de Gata on the far side of Almeria, arriving just before 11 o'clock on a very hot and sunny day. On the other hand, it was also very windy with the breeze coming off the lagoons towards the sea and blowing straight into my face making the use of the telescope and camera quite difficult.

A very welcome start as a group of 6 Curlew dopped onto the scrubland in front of me and, on reaching the hide, it was evident that were in excess of 150 Greater Flamingo on/in the water. Similarly, a great many Avocet and Black-winged Stilt, but only the odd Grey Heron, plus a varity of shore waders including Ringed, Little Ringed and Kentish Plover, Redshank, Little Stint, Sanderling and a dozen Bar-tailed Godwits that decided to join the party in mid-afternoon. After much searching, I finally found a small party of resting Shelduck in the lee of one of the small islands. In addition to the , mainly, Black-headed Gulls resting on the pool, there were at least 20 GullsSandwich Terns and a lone Whiskered Tern was taking a breather on a stick just off the above island.

A drive up the cliff to wards the ligh-house and then on up the mountain revealed Black Wheatear, Stonechat and Kestrel and the small river near the camping site contained a few Moorhen and Pochard plus another fifty Greater Flamingo, including close at hand a few juveniles who were happy to pose for the camera.

It is not only the birds that need to feed and, thinking the Cabo prices would be a little inflated to take account of the many vsitors, I resorted to the small farming hamlet about three kms south to enjoy a menu del dia with the workers. Whata mistake to make! I am used to feeding myself silly for between 7 and 9 Euros including plenty of drink; here it was a whopping 12 Euros; 'nough said I think!