Tuesday, 6 March 2012

Monday, 5th March 2012



Rambla de Albujon
Weather: Sky 1/8 cloud, wind NE F1-2, temp. 17ºC.  16:05 – 19:15.

I went to the rambla to check if the Spotted Crake was still around (which it was), and to try to get some decent photos of it.  However, it wasn’t in its normal place, so after wasting a couple of hours waiting for it (in which time I did manage to get some shots of a male Bluethroat), I wandered further down the rambla and found it feeding, together with Moorhen, a Water Rail and a Purple Gallinule (Swamphen), more Swallows, my first Corn Buntings of the year, 4 Jack and 5 Common Snipe, a Water Pipit, and a Grey Wagtail.  Quite a pleasant afternoon.


 While waiting for the Spotted Crake to show, A Bluethroat came out of the reeds to keep me company



 But true to form, it didn’t stay out too long


 Trying a different location, one of the crake’s cousins, a Water Rail showed itself distantly
 
 


Together with others of the family, Moorhens


 And the biggest of the family, a Purple Gallinule (Swamphen) showed itself briefly


And finally the star of the show made an appearance, the Spotted Crake

 
Species seen

Booted Eagle (Hieraaetus pennatus)
Moorhen (Gallinua chloropus)
Common Snipe (Gallinago gallinago)
Southern Grey Shrike (Lanius meridionalis)
Bluethroat (Luscinia svecica)
Water Rail (Rallus aquaticus)
Spotted Crake (Porzana porzana)
Purple Gallinule (Porphyrio porphyrio)
Swallow (Hirundo rustica)
Grey Wagtail (Motacilla cinerea)
Water Pipit (Anthus spinoletta)
Great Tit (Parus major)
White Wagtail (Motacilla alba alba)
Goldfinch (Carduelis carduelis)
Cetti’s Warbler (Cettia cetti)
Chiffchaff (Phylloscopus collybita)
Corn Bunting (Miliaria calandra)
Jack Snipe (Lymnocryptes minimus)
Marsh Harrier (Circus aeruginosus)
Cormorant (Phalacrocorax carbo)
Grey Heron (Ardea cinerea)
Reed Bunting (Emberiza schoeniclus)

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