Too hot for birding? Maybe not.

Hawfinch  Picogordo  Coccothraustes coccothraustes

Back home and time to check out what's been happening on my patch so off to visit a couple of sites this morning before it got too hot.  And hot it did get as, upon returning home, I saw that the shaded thermometer was showing 38C!!!!  The overall impression was there there was a lack of activity; the birds were very much conspicuous by their absence.  A stop at the old railway track at Ventas de Zafarraya produced a few Black Wheatears and a handful of Crag Martins which were later joined by the odd Goldfinch but very little else.  So off down past the "Muck Heap" where only a lone Goldfinch was to be seen and on up to the entrance to the "Brambling Filed" to see if any Azure-winged Magpies might be active.  Again, they were not but a single Hoopoe did fly over the road in front of me as I made my way back to the village.

Next it was off to take the mountain track down to Alcaucin via the two picnic areas.  No sooner off the main road and I had a couple of Bee-eaters followed by a small flock of Serin.  The first of two Jays fled uphill through the tress and as I approached the upper picnic site i stopped the car to study the individual bird, pretending to be a Crossbill on sentry duty, proudly sitting on top of a small fir tree.  Yes, the first for a long time, a lovely Hawfinch.  Indeed, the bird stayed long enough to continue taking photographs even after turning off the engine.  A few metres later I was opposite the picnic site itself where there were many Crossbills to be seen and mainly juveniles of the year.  A Rock Bunting ventured out to see what I was doing and then it was on down to the lower and larger picnic site.

Adult Crossbill Piquituerto Loxia curvirostra in heavy moult

This time I was greeted by occupiers of the human variety making use of the facilities so very little to be seen other than a couple of Blackbirds and a small number of Chaffinches.  There had been Barn Swallows, House Martins and Pallid Swifts feeding above me all the way down the track but now I was also able to pick a very small number of Common Swifts.  Behind me, a Turtle Dove was singing his mournful telephone song and, as a finale, a pair of Ibex fled from the track up the slope as soon as I left the area.

Back home before lunch to cool off with only 21 species recorded including the Thekla Larks as I came up the track to Casa Collado and the pair of Woodchat Shrikes on the way down.  But they did include some rather special birds so not all bad news.

Juvenile Crossbill Piquituerto Loxia curvirostra all ready to meet the outside world

That magnificent Hawfinch Picogordo  Coccothraustes coccothraustes keeping a wary eye on the photographer

Birds seen:

Turtle Dove, Swift, Pallid Swift, Bee-eater, Hoopoe, Thekla Lark, Crag Martin, Barn Swallow, House Martin, Black Wheatear, Blackbird, Woodchat Shrike, Jay, Spotless Starling, House Sparrow, Chaffinch, Serin, Goldfinch, Hawfinch, Crossbill and Rock Bunting.

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