Saturday, 14th April 2012

Cabo de Palos lighthouse garden

Weather: Sky 6/8 cloud, wind SW F2-3, temp. 13ºC.  08:35 – 09:10.

A quick walk this morning just within the perimeter of the lighthouse garden itself, and round the post-office garden, and very little seen of note, just a single Woodchat and Robin, and a group of 9 Shags in the bay between Cabo de Palos and La Manga.

The only easily visible migrant this morning, this Woodchat Shrike

Species seen

Shag (Phalacrocorax aristotelis)

Little Egret (Egretta garzetta)

Yellow Legged Gull (Larus michahellis)

Audouin’s Gull (Larus audouinii)

Rock Dove/Domestic Pigeon (Columba livia)

Collared Dove (Streptopelia decaocto)

Swift/Pallid Swift (Apus apus/pallidus)

Crested Lark (Galerida cristata)

Blackbird (Turdus merula)

Robin (Erithacus rubecula)

White Wagtail (Motacilla alba alba)

Sardinian Warbler (Sylvia melanocephala)

Woodchat Shrike (Lanius senator)

Spotless Starling (Sturnus unicolor)

Greenfinch (Carduelis chloris)

House Sparrow (Passer domesticus)

Cabo de Palos (RAM)

Weather: Sky 6/8 cloud, wind SW F3-5, temp. 15ºC.  09:10 – 11:15.  With Antonio Fuentes Marín, Inés Chamón Fernández; Isidro Bartolomé

This morning was our monthly seabird watch from the cliffs at Cabo de Palos.  This normally takes place on the first Saturday of the month, unless this is a holiday in which case it is put back to the next Saturday.

Basically we sit there for 3 hours counting everything that goes by us (apart from Yellow-legged Gulls which would confuse things too much).  Highlights of today’s count were 5 Great, 1 Arctic and 1 Pom. Skua, and the auk passage lingering on with 4 Puffins and 8 Razorbills south.  Walking off the cliffs back to the car park, Isidro and I had a male Subalpine Warbler in one of the bushes, but apart from that, small-bird wise, apart from the odd ‘flava’ Wagtails flying over, things were very quiet (probably due to the wind which by then was quite strong).

Species seen

Cory’s Shearwater (Calonectris diomedea)

Balearic Shearwater (Puffinus mauretanicus)

Shag (Phalacrocorax aristotelis)

Gannet (Morus bassanus)

Great Skua (Stercorarius skua)

Arctic Skua (Stercorarius parasiticus)

Pomerine Skua (Stercorarius pomarinus)

Yellow Legged Gull (Larus michahellis)

Audouin’s Gull (Larus audouinii)

Sandwich Tern (Sterna sandvicensis)

Common Tern (Sterna hirundo)

Razorbill (Alca torda)

Puffin (Fratercula arctica)

Rock Dove/Domestic Pigeon (Columba livia)

Swift/Pallid Swift (Apus apus/pallidus)

‘flava’ Wagtail (Motacilla flava)

Subalpine Warbler (Sylvia cantillans)

Marchamalo Salinas (La Manga)

Weather: Sky 5/8 cloud,  wind SW F4, temp. 17ºC.  12:45 – 13:15. With Isidro Bartolomé.

Having finished the RAM count, and stopping off for refreshment (consisting of beers and tortilla), Isidro and I had a quick look down at the salinas.  There was very little change from the last time I visited yesterday – a reasonable sized group of Slender-billed Gulls (62 counted in total this time), Kentish and Little Ringed Plovers and a few Willow Warblers in the bushes being the only birds of note.

Part of the group of Slender-billed Gulls seen

Species seen

Shelduck (Tadorna tadorna)

Little Ringed Plover (Charadrius dubius)

Kentish Plover  (Charadrius alexandrinus)

Black Winged Stilt (Himantopus Himantopus)

Avocet (Recurvirostra avosetta)

Greenshank (Tringa nebularia)

Slender-billed Gull (Larus genei)

Swift/Pallid Swift (Apus apus/pallidus)

Willow Warbler (Phylloscopus trochilus)

Sardinian Warbler (Sylvia melanocephala)

Friday, 13th April 2012

Cabo de Palos lighthouse garden

Weather: 7-8/8 cloud cover & drizzle, wind NW F1-2, temp. 13ºC.  08:40 – 09:30.

This morning the actual lighthouse garden was very quiet, the only migrants being a single Willow/Chiff and a ‘flava’ Wagtail over, but round in the gardens next to the cliffs there were more migrants, with Robin, female Common Redstart, Subalpine Warbler and Common Whitethroat, and a relatively showy Nightingale (meaning I had it out in the open for about 30 seconds!).  Apart from that nothing out of the ordinary.

Species seen

Shag (Phalacrocorax aristotelis)

Yellow Legged Gull (Larus michahellis)

Rock Dove/Domestic Pigeon (Columba livia)

Collared Dove (Streptopelia decaocto)

‘flava’ Wagtail (Motacilla flava)

 Blackbird (Turdus merula)

Nightingale (Luscinia megarhynchos)

Robin (Erithacus rubecula)

Common Redstart (Phoenicurus phoenicurus)

Sardinian Warbler (Sylvia melanocephala)

Subalpine Warbler (Sylvia cantillans)

Common Whitethroat (Sylvia communis)

Willow Warbler/Chiffchaff (Phylloscopus trochilus/collybita)

Spotless Starling (Sturnus unicolor)

Goldfinch (Carduelis carduelis)

House Sparrow (Passer domesticus)

Marchamalo Salinas (La Manga)

Weather: 7-8/8 cloud cover, wind NW F1-2, temp. 14ºC.  09:40 – 10:00.

On the way back from Cabo de Palos I called in quickly at the Salinas at Marchamalo.  The only birds different to normal were a large group (of 68) Slender-billed Gulls, mostly adults in breeding plumage, and a female or immature male Marsh Harrier over the Mimosa grove.

Species seen

Shelduck (Tadorna tadorna)

Marsh Harrier (Circus aerufinosus)

Black Winged Stilt (Himantopus Himantopus)

Avocet (Recurvirostra avosetta)

Redshank (Tringa totanus)

Greenshank (Tringa nebularia)

Slender-billed Gull (Larus genei)

Swift/Pallid Swift (Apus apus/pallidus)

Swallow (Hirundo rustica)

House Martin (Delichon urbicum)

Fan-tailed Warbler (Cisticola juncidis)

Willow Warbler (Phylloscopus trochilus)

Sardinian Warbler (Sylvia melanocephala)

Corn Bunting (Miliaria calandra)

Linnet (Carduelis cannabina)

Thursday, 12th April 2012

Cabo de Palos lighthouse garden

Weather: Sky totally overcast,  wind NW F1-2, temp. 12ºC.  08:25 – 09:25. With Mick Brewer.

Back at the lighthouse area this morning, and a few migrants around.  Out to sea both Sandwich (which winter here) and Common Terns seen.  In the gardens area the usual birds plus in the way of migrants, 3 Northern Wheatear, 2 Robins (heard) one male Subalpine Warbler, a Woodchat Shrike and a flyover ‘flava’ Wagtail.  While walking around the cliff area, we had the spectacle of a male Kestrel chasing a small passerine (I think it was another Subalpine Warbler) 'a la' Eleanora’s Falcon.

 Kestrel, hunting over the cliffs

 And the Woodchats just keep coming

Species seen

Kestrel (Falco tinnunculus)

Little Egret (Egretta garzetta)

Yellow Legged Gull (Larus michahellis)

Sandwich Tern (Sterna sandvicensis)

Common Tern (Sterna hirundo)

Rock Dove/Domestic Pigeon (Columba livia)

Collared Dove (Streptopelia decaocto)

Swallow (Hirundo rustica)

Blackbird (Turdus merula)

Robin (Erithacus rubecula)

‘flava’ Wagtail (Motacilla flava)

Northern Wheatear (Oenanthe oenanthe)

Sardinian Warbler (Sylvia melanocephala)

Subalpine Warbler (Sylvia cantillans)

Woodchat Shrike (Lanius senator)

Spotless Starling (Sturnus unicolor)

House Sparrow (Passer domesticus)

Salinas de Rasall, Calblanque (Los Belones)

Weather: Sky totally overcast,  wind S F1, temp. 17ºC.  14:45 – 15:05.

Later in the morning Mick phoned me to say that whilst driving on the way to the airport he’d seen a large bird flying over the motorway heading towards Los Belones (where I am), possibly a Crane.  I went out of my office and kept an eye on the sky, and sure enough about 5 minutes later a large bird flew over going East, not a Crane as Mick had thought, but a White Stork.  I had a few things to do, but about half an hour later I went off to chase after it.  I thought it might have dropped into the Salinas at Rasall in Calblanque, so I went there, but no luck.  Not many birds there either, but 4 Common Sandpipers together must mean that they’re on the move.  Also a couple of Woodchat Shrikes and a single male Black-eared Wheater.

On leaving Calblanque I had to cross over the motorway to come back to Los Belones, and on doing so spotted the White Stork again, this time heading west.  I screamed to a halt to get a few photos, and then followed it back home.  I hoped to get it as a house-tick, but couldn’t re-locate it when I got home!   On downloading the photos I noticed that it was colour-ringed, but couldn’t decipher the lettering.  The sighting may not seem very exciting (White Stork, Spain, so what, they breed there don't they?), but for us in the east of the country it's pretty unusual, to the extent that I'm lucky to have one sighting per year in the region of Murcia.  They neither breed here nor is there much water so they don't tend to pass through.  It's only on days like yesterday, with heavy low cloud that they tend to get seen - there's not enough heat for them to drift on the thermals, and if one gets lost and heads east (as this one appeared to have done), when they get to the Mediterranean, the only option is to go back inland again.

White Stork, seen flying at the side of the La Manga autovia

Another shot of  the White Stork, seen flying at the side of the La Manga autovia

Species seen

Shelduck (Tadorna tadorna)

Black Winged Stork (Himantopus himantopus)

Greenshank (Tringa nebularia)

Common Sandpiper (Actitis hypoleucos)

Kentish Plover (Charadrius alexandrinus)

Yellow-legged Gull (Larus michahellis)

Audouin’s Gull (Larus audouinii)

Slender-billed Gull (Larus genei)

Woodchat Shrike (Lanius senator)

Black-eared Wheatear (Oenanthe hispanica)

White Stork (Ciconia ciconia)

Wednesday, 11th April 2012

Calblanque (Los Belones)

Weather: Sky no cloud,  wind SW F0-2, temp. 14ºC.  07:45 – 10:45. With Angel Sallent (ANSE).

Continuing with our ringing from last night, but obviously everything must have moved on overnight.  I think our total birds ringed was only 5, Greenfinch, Serin, Robin, Blackbird, Sardinian Warbler, and so we packed up early.  We were party to a display by some 8 Bee-eaters that flew through feeding, and heard somewhere in the distance the call of a Wryneck, and had a large ‘sylvia’ warbler fly by which perched but was in the sun, so we couldn’t see it too well.  Angel thought from its posture perched (very upright) that it was a Western Orphean Warbler, which if so is the first one I’ve ever seen in the region of Murcia.  We tried to refind it after it flew off, but without success.  We also had a Thekla Lark feeding in the carpark area where we do the ringing.

 And when we got there, the nets were all bare

Ringing (and eating) at Calblanque

 

On the way out of Calblanque, I counted 9 Woodchat Shrikes perched on various trees, and saw a couple of Common Redstarts, so there were some migrants about.

Species seen

Yellow-legged Gull (Larus michahellis)

Red-legged Partridge (Alectoris rufa)

Wryneck (Jynx torquilla) - heard only

Bee-eater (Merops apiaster)

Hoopoe (Upupa epops)

Swift/Pallid Swift (Apus apus/pallidus)

Crested Lark (Galerida cristata)

Thekla Lark (Galerida theklae)

Sardinian Warbler (Sylvia melanocephala)

Western Orphean Warbler (Sylvia hortensis)

Common Redstart (Phoenicurus phoenicurus)

Robin (Erithacus rubecula)

Blackbird (Turdus merula)

Woodchat Shrike (Lanius senator)

Spotless Starling (Sturnus unicolor)

Corn Bunting (Miliaria calandra)

Greenfinch (Carduelis chloris)

Linnet (Carduelis cannabina)

Serin (Serinus serinus)

House Sparrow (Passer domesticus)

Tuesday, 10th April 2012

Cabo de Palos lighthouse garden

Weather: Sky totally overcast and spitting with rain, no wind, temp. 14ºC.  08:50 – 10:00. With Mick Brewer.

Back to the morning walk around the lighthouse area, and what I consider to be classic fall conditions, overcast and spitting with no wind.  But it was not to be.  There obviously had been some movement overnight with a movement of Woodchat Shrikes, and new for me for the year, 2 Whinchat, plus a couple of both Hoopoe and Common Whitethroats, 6 Northern Wheatear, 1 female Black-eared Wheatear. 2 Common Redstart (male and female), 4 Willow Warblers and a dozen Subalpine Warblers seen apart from the normal birds.

Species seen

Shag (Phalacrocorax aristotelis)

Cormorant (Phalacrocorax carbo)

Yellow Legged Gull (Larus michahellis)

Audouin’s Gull (Larus audouinii)

Sandwich Tern (Sterna sandvicensis)

Common Tern (Sterna hirundo)

Rock Dove/Domestic Pigeon (Columba livia)

Collared Dove (Streptopelia decaocto)

Hoopoe (Upupa epops)

Crested Lark (Galerida cristata)

Swallow (Hirundo rustica)

Blackbird (Turdus merula)

Common Redstart (Phoenicurus phoenicurus)

Northern Wheatear (Oenanthe oenanthe)

Black-eared Wheatear (Oenanthe hispanica)

Whinchat (Saxicola rubetra)

Sardinian Warbler (Sylvia melanocephala)

Subalpine Warbler (Sylvia cantillans)

Common Whitethroat (Sylvia communis)

Willow Warbler (Phylloscopus trochilus)

Woodchat Shrike (Lanius senator)

Spotless Starling (Sturnus unicolor)

House Sparrow (Passer domesticus)

Corn Bunting (Miliaria calandra)

Calblanque (Los Belones)

Weather: Sky no cloud,  wind SW F3-4, temp. 22ºC.  18:30 – 21:00. With Angel Sallent (ANSE).

This afternoon we had another attempt at ringing migrants in Calblanque, but the conditions were pretty much against us, with a stiff (but warm) south-westerly wind blowing, and clear skies.

During this afternoon session we did manage to catch 5 birds of 5 different species, all of which were migrants: Bonelli’s Warbler, Robin, Blackcap, Subalpine Warbler and a very early Melodious Warbler (not surprisingly my first of the year).  Birds seen around the site were various Woodchat Shrikes and a male Common Redstart, plus all the usual residents (finches etc.)  Angél Sallent commented to me that on Isla Grosa this morning, where he had been ringing, they had caught and ringed at least 150 birds up until he left at midday, including 17 Bonelli’s Warblers, many Redstarts and 2 Iberian Chiffchaffs.

Species seen

Peregrine Falcon (Falco peregrinus)

Kestrel (Falco tinnunculus)

Woodchat Shrike (Lanius senator)

Subalpine Warbler (Sylvia cantillans)

Sardinian Warbler (Sylvia melanocephala)

Common Redstart (Phoenicurus phoenicurus)

Blackcap (Sylvia atricapilla)

Melodious Warbler  (Hippolais polyglotta)

Bonelli’s Warbler (Phylloscopus bonelli)

Robin (Erithacus rubecula)

Blackbird (Turdus merula)

Red-legged Partridge (Alectoris rufa)

Yellow-legged Gull (Larus michahellis)

Audouin’s Gull (Larus audouinii)

Swift/Pallid Swift (Apus apus/pallidus)

Crested Lark (Galerida cristata)

Spotless Starling (Sturnus unicolor)

Corn Bunting (Miliaria calandra)

Greenfinch (Carduelis chloris)

Linnet (Carduelis cannabina)

Serin (Serinus serinus)

House Sparrow (Passer domesticus)

Monday 9th April 2012

Cabo de Palos lighthouse garden

Weather: Sky no cloud,  wind SE F1, temp. 18ºC. 15:35 – 17:15.

Today I took an early afternoon walk around the lighthouse area, and noted that there were still a good number of migrants around, although nowhere near as many as yesterday.  The passage of Subalpine Warblers continues well, as does that of Northern Wheatears.  Also of note were a couple of male Common Redstarts, a Common Whitethroat, a Hoopoe and 11 Willow/Chiffs of which I identified at least 5 Willow Warblers.

Out to sea I had a couple of adult Gannets pass by south close in, and heard something that at first I couldn’t put a name to, but on locating it in the bins immediately saw what it was – my first Gull-billed Tern of the year (which joined up with two others further out).

Species seen

Gannet Morus bassanus)

Little Egret  (Egretta garzetta)

Yellow Legged Gull (Larus michahellis)

Audouin’s Gull (Larus audouinii)

Sandwich Tern (Sterna sandvicensis)

Gull-billed Tern (Sterna nilotica)

Rock Dove/Domestic Pigeon (Columba livia)

Collared Dove (Streptopelia decaocto)

Hoopoe (Upupa epops)

Crested Lark (Galerida cristata)

White Wagtail (Motacilla alba alba)

Swallow (Hirundo rustica)

Blackbird (Turdus merula)

Songthrush (Turdus philomelos)

Common Redstart (Phoenicurus phoenicurus)

Northern Wheatear (Oenanthe oenanthe)

Sardinian Warbler (Sylvia melanocephala)

Subalpine Warbler (Sylvia cantillans)

Common Whitethroat (Sylvia communis)

Chiffchaff/Willow Warbler (Phylloscopus collybita/trochilus)

Willow Warbler (Phylloscopus trochilus)

Spotless Starling (Sturnus unicolor)

House Sparrow (Passer domesticus)

Corn Bunting (Miliaria calandra)

Sunday 8th April 2012 (Easter sunday)

Cabo de Palos lighthouse garden

Weather: Sky no cloud,  wind NW F1-2, temp. 14ºC.  09:00 – 13:00.

I normally don’t go to the lighthouse garden on a Sunday as there’s too many people about (and even more so on a holiday Sunday), but having heard the night before that the bird ringers from ANSE had caught and ringed a Laughing Dove on Isla Grosa (which you can see from the lighthouse), I thought I’d have a quick look, confirm that there was nothing new, and come away and try somewhere else.  I knew there’d be nothing there as the sky was totally clear and there was a slight north-westerly breeze – hardly the ideal conditions for birds to come in.

How wrong can you be!

I noticed something was afoot when I saw a couple of Northern Wheatears and Redstarts on the fence as I went into the gardens.  And as I walked round the track at the base of the lighthouse, there seemed to be birds in every bush.  I knew it was going to take a bit longer than the normal hour to cover the whole area.  And when I got to the rocky area at the end of the track, I knew I wouldn’t be going anywhere else!  Scanning round 180º from just one spot over the near rocks, I counted 25 wheatears, the majority being Northerns, but with some Black-eared mixed in.  Out to sea I had 2 Hoopoes flying in, and the bushes were alive with Chiff/Willows and Subalpine Warblers, and a couple of Woodchat Shrikes.  And by the time I walked back to where I started, I’d seen 5 Hoopoes & 4 Woodchats, loads of Redstarts and Subalpine and Chiff/Willow Warblers.

I then walked around the rocky area to the east of the lighthouse garden perimeter where there were more Wheatears and Redstarts, and in one of the bushes, something I hadn’t seen so far this morning, a very bright (male) Spectacled Warbler – closely followed by another!

By now I’d spent 2 ½ hours in the area, and still had the other two parts of my normal walk to do (the ‘Post-office garden’ and the ‘Sirio gardens’).  There was more of the same in both these places although not in such numbers – this may be because of disturbance as there were by now a lot of people about.

 The bushes seemed to be alive with small passerines - one of many Subalpine Warblers seen

 One of five Hoopoes seen during the morning

 Woodchat Shrikes also stood out, surveying the scene

 Along the perimeter fence, Common Redstarts could be seen and heard

 Northern Wheatears were also noticeable virtually everywhere

 

Female Subalpine Warbler - a species normally hard to photograph as they have a habit of diving into bushes as soon as the camera is set up!

 The Black-eared Wheatears were particularly showy too

 

Very few Black Redstarts were on show - the majority having passed through by now

 Whereas Common Wneatears were just that - common

 Another bird not easy to photograph - Spectacled Warbler

 And together with a nice male Subalpine Warbler

 Common Redstarts were hopping all around the rocky area east of the lighthouse

As were more Subalpine Warblers

Being a glutton for punishment I decided to go back inside the perimeter of the lighthouse garden and do another walk through there.  The Wheatears and Redstarts appeared to be still arriving as there seemed to be more than before, and some of the earlier one would have moved off by now.  I added to the list of species seen with Bonelli’s Warbler, Common Whitethroat and Nightingale (I’d actually heard a short snatch of Nightingale song on my first circuit of the lighthouse garden), and 2 Common Terns in the bay from Cabo de Palos to La Manga.  I stayed trying to take photos and generally ambled around until my stomach got the better of me and I decided it was time for lunch.

 A Common Whitethroat, obviously having a 'bad hair day'

 Bushes at the edge of the rocks - Woodchats not wanting to miss anything

 Back around the base of the lighthouse, Northern Wheatears just kept coming in

 This Hoopoe didn't know where to stop

A Bonelli's Warbler that I didn't realise I'd seen untill I downloaded my photos!

 A superb morning’s birding with probably the biggest migration fall I’ve seen in Spain.

Species (and numbers) seen

Shag (Phalacrocorax aristotelis) - 2

Yellow Legged Gull (Larus michahellis) – c 80

Audouin’s Gull (Larus audouinii) - 12

Sandwich Tern (Sterna sandvicensis) - 2

Common Tern (Sterna hirundo) - 2

Rock Dove/Domestic Pigeon (Columba livia) - 5

Collared Dove (Streptopelia decaocto) - 6

Bee-eater (Merops apiaster) - 2

Hoopoe (Upupa epops) - 4

Swift/Pallid Swift (Apus apus/pallida) – c 30

Crested Lark (Galerida cristata) - 2

White Wagtail (Motacilla alba alba) - 2

‘flava’ Wagtail (Motacilla flava) - 3

Swallow (Hirundo rustica) - 25

Blackbird (Turdus merula) - 12

Blue Rock Thrush (Monticola solitarius) - 1

Common Redstart (Phoenicurus phoenicurus) – c50

Black Redstart (Phoenicurus ochruros) - 5

Robin (Erithacus rubecula) - 2

Northern Wheatear (Oenanthe oenanthe) – c 150

Black-eared Wheatear (Oenanthe hispanica) – c 40

Nightingale (Luscinia megarhynchos) - 2

Sardinian Warbler (Sylvia melanocephala) - 15

Subalpine Warbler (Sylvia cantillans) – c 70

Spectacled Warbler (Sylvia conspicillata) - 2

Common Whitethroat (Sylvia communis) - 2

Chiffchaff (Phylloscopus collybita)

Willow Warbler (Phylloscopus trochilus) – combined total collybita/trochilus c 90

Bonelli’s Warbler (Phylloscopus bonelli) – 1 (identified at home from photos)

Woodchat Shrike (Lanius senator) - 5

Spotless Starling (Sturnus unicolor) - 12

House Sparrow (Passer domesticus) - 10

Corn Bunting (Miliaria calandra) - 18

Goldfinch (Carduelis carduelis) - 1

Greenfinch (Carduelis chloris) - 6

Linnet (Carduelis cannabina) - 2

Serin (Serinus serinus) - 4

Marchamalo Salinas, La Manga

Weather: Sky no cloud,  wind SW F3, temp. 18ºC.  13:15 – 13:50.

On the way back from the lighthouse garden, I called in at the Salinas at Marchamalo, basically to see if the fall at the lighthouse was reflected here.  I took a quick walk round the wooded area, but there was no sign of a fall, so after a quick look in the Salinas themselves, I left.

 Adult Slender-billed Gulls having a shouting match

Adult male Kentish Plover, probably here to stay and nest

Species seen

Shelduck (Tadorna tadorna)

Avocet (Recurvirostra avosetta)

Black Winged Stilt (Himantopus himantopus)

Kentish Plover (Charadrius alexandrinus)

Slender-billed Gull (Larus genei)

Audouin’s Gull (Larus audouinii)

Swift/Pallid Swift (Apus apus/pallidus)

Crested Lark (Galerida cristata)

Swallow (Hirundo rustica)

Red-rumped Swallow (Hirundo daurica)

Chiffchaff/Willow Warbler (Phylloscopus collybita/trochilus)

Fan-tailed Warbler (Cisticola juncidis)

Spotless Starling (Sturnus unicolor)

Corn Bunting (Miliaria calandra)

Greenfinch (Carduelis chloris)

Linnet (Carduelis cannabina)

Serin (Serinus serinus)

Rambla de Albujon

Weather: Sky 2/8 cloud,  wind SW F4, temp. 18ºC.  16:00 – 18:00.

In the afternoon I thought I’d sit in the rambla with the camera for a couple of hours (away from all the people) to snap anything that might be about, but didn’t see anything new.  On the way home from here I did have a couple of Collared Pratincoles while driving towards Los Urrutias, these being the first I’ve seen this year.

 Water Pipit - now in its breeding plumage

This Spotted Crake's now been around for almost 2 months

Species seen

Little Egret (Egretta garzetta)

Cattle Egret (Bubulcus ibis)

Collared Pratincole (Glareola pratincola)

Common Snipe (Gallinago gallinago)

Jack Snipe (Lymnocryptes minimus)

Little Ringed Plover (Charadrius dubius)

Moorhen (Gallinula chloropus)

Spotted Crake (Porzana porzana)

Swallow (Hirundo rustica)

Water Pipit (Anthus spinoletta)

Great Reed Warbler (Acrocephalus arundinaceus)

Blackbird (Turdus merula)

Great Tit (Parus major)

Spotless Starling (Sturnus unicolor)

Serin (Serinus serinus)

Greenfinch (Carduelis chloris)

House Sparrow (Passer domesticus)