Monday 19th March 2012

Cabo de Palos lighthouse garden

Weather: Sky 1/8 cloud, wind NW F0-1, temp. 10ºC.  08:10 – 09:45.

Another early morning walk to check for migrants, and this time it seemed that some had come in.  I saw 5 species of sylvia warblers (2 Subalpine Warblers; 8 Sardinian Warblers; 2 Dartford Warblers; 2 Blackcap; 1 Common Whitethroat), plus Robins, Blackbirds and a few Black Redstarts about.  On the sea, 3 Shag and a Cory’s Shearwater, and a group of 15 or more Audouin’s Gulls heading north.  As I got into my car to leave, something unexpected – 2 Jackdaws came over from the west, flew round the lighthouse but appeared not to like the prospect of flying over the sea, and returned the way they came.

Species seen

Audouin’s Gull (Larus audouinii)

Yellow Legged Gull (Larus michahellis)

Swallow (Hirundo rustica)

Sardinian Warbler (Sylvia melanocephala)

Blackcap (Sylvia atricapilla)

Dartford Warbler (Sylvia undata)

Common Whitethroat (Sylvia communis)

Subalpine Warbler (Sylvia cantillans)

Serin (Serinus serinus)

Blackbird (Turdus merula)

Robin (Erithacus rubecula)

Chiffchaff (Phylloscopus collybita)

Black Redstart (Phoenicurus ochruros)

Spotless Starling (Sturnus unicolor)

Rock Dove/Domestic Pigeon (Columba livia)

White Wagtail (Motacilla alba alba)

Crested Lark (Galerida cristata)

Serin Serinus serinus)

Meadow Pipit (Anthus pratensis)

Cory’s Shearwater (Calonectris diomedea)

Shag (Phalacrocorax aristotelis)

House Sparrow (Passer domesticus)

Jackdaw (Corvus monedula)

Collared Dove (Streptopelia decaocto)

Cabo de Palos (seawatch)

Weather: Sky 2/8 cloud, wind NE F6-7, temp. 15ºC.  16:45 – 17:30.

In the afternoon, although it wasn’t very cloudy, the wind had really got up,  and I thought it may be a good time to do a seawatch.  I only lasted ¾ of an hour though – the wind was blowing seaspray everywhere, and although there were some auks passing, I was loosing them too easily behind the waves.

In the time I spent there, I had the following:

Species seen

Gannet (Morus bassanus) – 7 (3 south, 4 north)

Balearic Shearwater Puffinus mauretanicus)  - 81 (55 north, 26 south)

Cory’s Shearwater (Calonectris diomedea) – 11, north

Mediterranean Gull (Larus melanocephalus) – 6 all north

Audouin’s Gull (Larus audouinii) – 2 north

Sandwich Tern (Sterna sandvicensis) – 18 all north

Puffin (Fratercula arctica) – 2, south

Auk. Sp. – 34, all south

Calblanque, Los Belones

Weather: Sky 1/8 cloud, wind NE F6, temp. 15ºC. 18:10 –18:40.

On the way back I called in to Calblanque to see what effect the winds were having on the Audouin’s Gulls.  There were certainly more than of late (214) – the wind obviously holding them back from migrating north.  I managed to read 16 rings.

Apart from the gulls, there was very little else visible, but there was a Green Woodpecker calling continuously from one of the palm trees nearby.

Species seen

Audouin’s Gull (Larus audouinii)

Yellow-legged Gull (Larus michahellis)

Cattle Egret (Bubulcus ibis)

Green Woodpecker  (Picus viridis) – (heard only)