Tuesday 29th May 2012 – Mar Menor

Today I decided to do a sweep around the south of the Mar Menor.  Starting at the Salinas of Marchamalo, I then went to a farm reservoir at San Gines, then the old sewage farm (EDAR) at El Algar, and finished up at the Ramble de Albujon.

In general, birds are very quiet at the moment.  Most spring passage has now finished (although there are still a few migrants around, such as the Ringed Plovers). The majority of birds locally are now nesting and so keeping a low profile, neither showing themselves nor singing.

Marchamalo Salinas, Playa Paraiso, 17:30 – 18:45  

Weather: Sky 5/8 cloud, wind S F2-3, 28º.

Along the beach side of the Salinas, in the second lagoon (the first being totally dry now) I had a good group of Slender-billed Gulls, 66 in total, of all ages.  Surprisingly only one seemed to be colour ringed, and too far away for me to be able to read.  I also noticed that one of the 25 Avocets had a metal ring (definitely impossible to read due to the heat haze).  Apart from these, the only birds of note were 7 Ringed Plovers which all appeared to be in breeding plumage, and which are presumably visiting migrants, and a group of around 15 Pallid Swift high up.

A mixture of Avocet, Slender-billed Gulls and Shelduck

Species seen/heard

Shelduck (Tadorna tadorna)

Avocet (Recurvirostra avosetta)

Ringed Plover (Charadrius hiaticula)

Kentish Plover (Charadrius alexandrinus)

Yellow-legged Gull (Larus michahellis)

Slender-billed Gull (Larus genei)

Audouin’s Gull (Larus audouinii)

Common Swift (Apus apus)

Pallid Swift (Apus pallidus)

Collared Dove (Streptopelia decaocto)

Monk Parakeet (Myiopsitta monachus)

House Martin (Delichon urbicum)

Spotless Starling (Sturnus unicolor)

House Sparrow (Passer domesticus)

San Gines farm reservoir, 19:00 – 19:20

Weather: Sky 3/8 cloud, wind NE F2, 25º.

I decided to have a look here as the last time I passed by, there were a pair of Red Crested Pochard, but today there was nothing out of the ordinary, apart from a large loose German Shephard, so I didn't stay too long!.

Species seen/heard

Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos)

Coot (Fulica atra)

Cattle Egret (Bubulcus ibis)

Woodpigeon (Columba palumbus)

Turtle Dove (Streptopelia turtur)

White Wagtail (Motacilla alba alba)

Blackbird (Turdus merula)

Woodchat Shrike (Lanius senator)

House Sparrow (Passer domesticus)

Greenfinch (Carduelis chloris)

Serin (Serinus serinus)

EDAR El Algar, 19:35 – 19:45

Weather: Sky 3/8 cloud, wind NE F1-2, 25º.

In the single lagoon visible from the gates, there were 10 Black Winged Stilts and a pair of Little Ringed Plovers, and wandering around the area, a family group of 2 adult Red-legged Partridge with 13 chicks, and a lot (10+) Turtle Doves.  I also had a group of 3 Hoopoe fly over.

Species seen/heard

Red-legged Partridge (Alectoris rufa)

Shelduck (Tadorna tadorna)

Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos)

Black Winged Stilt (Himantopus himantopus)

Little Ringed Plover (Charadrius dubius)

Hoopoe (Upupa epops)

Turtle Dove (Streptopelia turtur)

Collared Dove (Streptopelia decaocto)

Common Swift (Apus apus)

Swallow (Hirundo rustica)

White Wagtail (Motacilla alba alba)

House Sparrow (Passer domesticus)

Greenfinch (Carduelis chloris)

Serin (Serinus serinus)

Desembocadura, rambla de Albujon, Mar Menor, 20:00 – 20:55

Weather: Sky 2/8 cloud, wind NE F1 - 2, 23º.

Calling in at the south western corner of the Mar Menor, I walked a way up along the river bank. There was little about, apart from Reed and Great Reed Warblers singing in the reedbeds, a couple of male Sardinian Warblers and 2 Fan-tailed Warblers also singing.  Out of place was an adult Audouins Gull flying along the beach of the Mar Menor.

Species seen/heard

Red-legged Partridge (Alectoris rufa)

Moorhen (Gallinula chloropus)

Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos)

Black Winged Stilt (Himantopus himantopus)

Ringed Plover (Charadrius hiaticula)

Little Ringed Plover (Charadrius dubius)

Kentish Plover (Charadrius alexandrinus)

Yellow-legged Gull (Larus michahellis)

Audouin’s Gull (Larus audouinii)

Little Tern (Sterna albifrons)

Collared Dove (Streptopelia decaocto)

Common Swift (Apus apus)

Blackbird (Turdus merula)

Reed Warbler (Acrocephalus scirpaceus)

Great Reed Warbler (Acrocephalus arundinaceus)

Sardinian Warbler (Sylvia melanocephala)

Fan-tailed Warbler (Cisticola juncidis)

Great Tit (Parus major)

Southern Grey Shrike (Lanius meridionalis)

Spotless Starling (Sturnus unicolor)

House Sparrow (Passer domesticus)

Serin (Serinus serinus)

Greenfinch (Carduelis chloris)

Friday 25th - Sunday 27th May 2012 – A weekend in Nerpio (Albacete)

This weekend I went with other members of the Natural History group of the Popular University of Cartagena (Naturalistas Desahuciados) to the town of Nerpio, which is just over the Murcian border, in the province of Albacete.  This is a small mountain town located in the Sierra del Segura mountain range, which has for the past few years, been promoting itself as an ornithological mecca of unspoilt, high mountain habitats (the area in general is over 1,000 metres above sea level, with some peaks just short of 1,500 metres).  Here we would meet with local Albacete birders.  (For more details of the area, see www.alasparanerpio.blogspot.com.es.)

The main aim of the weekend was to take part in the ‘censo de aves nogales’, or Walnut Tree bird census.  Around here is one of the main walnut growing areas of Spain, and we were to count the birds that use this habitat type, of small fields with Walnut trees and bush cover at the edges of mountain streams.  Very different to what we’re used to around Cartagena.

We stayed the weekend in a local ‘albergue’ (youth hostel) just outside the main town, the ‘Cortijo Covaroja’. In total there were more than 30 of us, including the group from Albacete.

Our lodgings for the weekend, Cortijo Covaroca

Friday, 25^th May 2012 – Cartagena to Nerpio

Weather: Sky 1/8 cloud,  temp. 28ºC.  12:30 – 20:00.  With Diego Zamora Urán, Isabel Campillo Inglés

We set out from Cartagena at 12:30, very warm and hardly a cloud in the sky.  As I was in the car of Diego Zamora and Isabel Campillo, I had the luxury of being able to birdwatch out of the car window all the way, although the only birds of note was a White Stork north of the RM15 motorway halfway between Alcantarilla and Mula, and a Griffon Vulture close to Archivel, just inside the Murcian border.  As we got higher, we did start to note Carrion Crows in fields at the side of the motorway.

Stopping for a late lunch in Nerpio itself, we then went to our lodgings.  These were all closed up, so Diego and I decided to have a walk to try to accustomize ourselves to local birds (and more importantly, their calls and songs) while we waited for it to open.

We took a leisurely walk along the side of a road for about an hour each way, reaching a small hamlet, checking all the birds we saw and heard en route.  Then back at the cortijo for supper and a short talk on the census method for tomorrow morning, and an overview of the birds we might see and hear.

Species seen/heard

Red-legged Partridge (Alectoris rufa)

Great Crested Grebe (Podiceps cristatus) – (Taibilla reservoir)

White Stork (Ciconia ciconia) – (en route)

Griffon Vulture (Gyps fulvus) – (en route)

Coot (Fulica atra) – (Taibilla reservoir)

Swift (Apus apus)

Bee-eater (Merops apiaster)

Great Spotted Woodpecker (Dendrocopos major)

Woodlark (Lullula arborea)

Swallow (Hirundo rustica)

Black Redstart (Phoenicurus ochrurus)

Mistle Thrush (Turdus viscivorus)

Black-eared Wheatear (Oenanthe hispanica)

Melodious Warbler (Hippolais polyglotta)

Spectacled Warbler (Sylvia conspicillata)

Dartford Warbler (Sylvia undata)

Spotted Flycatcher (Muscicapa striata)

Long-tailed Tit (Aegithalos caudatus)

Crested Tit (Parus cristatus)

Coal Tit (Parus ater)

Blue Tit (Parus caeruleus)

Great Tit (Parus major)

Nuthatch (Sitta europaea)

Chough (Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax)

Spotless Starling (Sturnus unicolor)

House Sparrow (Passer domesticus)

Rock Sparrow (Petronia petronia)

Chaffinch (Fringilla coelebs)

Serin (Serinus serinus)

Greenfinch (Carduelis chloris)

Goldfinch (Carduelis carduelis)

Corn Bunting (Miliaria calandra)

Saturday, 26^th May 2012 – Nerpio, ‘censo de aves nogales’

Weather: Sky 2/8 cloud,  temp. 12 - 22ºC.  07:30 – 10:30.  With Diego Zamora Urán, Antonio Fernández-Caro Gómez

The main reason for the visit.  After a sleepless night (not easy to sleep in a room with 20 other people in bunk beds without someone snoring), I was up at 5-30am, and went outside to hear, apart from Woodlarks, single Tawny and Scops Owls.

We started the census at 7:30am.  Each group of birders had a number of stations to check.  The method was to spend 5 minutes at each station, noting all birds seen and heard, in three distinct groups - within 25 metres, outside 25 metres and distant birds.

Our group, made up of Diego, Antonio and myself, had 5 stations to check, and were lucky in that three of them could be checked from the roadside.  Although we only had to annotate birds during a 5 minute period, we actually spent nearer 20 minutes at each site – after all, we don’t get too much chance to see such birds as Nuthatch, Great Spotted Woodpeckers, Short-toed Treecreepers or even Coal Tits locally so we decided we would make the most of it.  A surprise bird during our census was a female Pied Flycatcher – a late migrant or maybe a breeder (in which case it would be the first recorded breeding).

A typical (and not uncommon) bird of the area, Nuthatch

A record shot of another typical, fairly common bird, Great Spotted Woodpecker

It wasn't all birds - a Red Squirrel keeping an eye on us

 As we were finishing our cencus, this Common Buzzard flew overhead

 

At the end of the census, many of us made our way up to the holiday home of one of the participants, in a small group of houses known as Los Poyos.  Here we saw a Short-toed Eagle overhead, and saw many Rock Sparrows, Rock Buntings, Black Redstarts plus a very pale Northern Wheatear (and enjoyed a very welcome beer or two).

 A Rock Sparrow, of which there were quite a few

Male Northern Wheatear which was nesting somewhere nearby

 

In the afternoon, we went to various high viewing points in search of the elusive Lammergeier which have recently been re-introduced nearby and are occasionally seen.  We had no luck with this, but en route did see another local rarity, Egyptian Vulture, which is now becoming very scarce in the south of the Spanish peninsula.

Becoming rare now, we were lucky to trip over this Egyptial Vulture
 

In these high barren areas, we had some more local specialties, such as Tawny Pipits singing, a large flock of around 40 Chough, plus Carrion Crows, Magpies, Booted Eagles, Peregrine and Griffon Vultures.

 And the common vulture around here, Griffon Vulture

 Part of the group searching for Lammergeier

Species seen/heard

Red-legged Partridge (Alectoris rufa)

Griffon Vulture (Gyps fulvus)

Egyptian Vulture (Gypaetus barbatus)

Short-toed Eagle (Circaetus gallicus)

Sparrowhawk (Accipiter nisus)

Buzzard (Buteo buteo)

Booted Eagle (Hieraaetus pennatus)

Peregrine (Falco peregrinus)

Woodpigeon (Columba palumbus)

Collared Dove (Streptopelia decaocto)

Cuckoo (Cuculus canorus)

Scops Owl (Otus scops)

Tawny Owl (Strix aluco)

Swift (Apus apus)

Bee-eater (Merops apiaster)

Hoopoe (Upupa epops)

Wryneck (Jynx torquilla)

Great Spotted Woodpecker (Dendrocopos major)

Woodlark (Lullula arborea)

Crag Martin (Ptyonoprogne rupestris)

Swallow (Hirundo rustica)

House Martin (Delichon urbicum)

Tawny Pipit (Anthus campestris)

Grey Wagtail (Motacilla cinerea)

White Wagtail (Motacilla alba alba)

Wren (Troglodytes troglodytes)

Robin (Erithacus rubecula)

Nightingale (Luscinia megarhynchos)

Black Redstart (Phoenicurus ochrurus)

Stonechat (Saxicola torquatus)

Northern Wheatear (Oenanthe oenanthe)

Black-eared Wheatear (Oenanthe hispanica)

Blackbird (Turdus merula)

Mistle Thrush (Turdus viscivorus)

Cetti’s Warbler (Cettia cetti)

Melodious Warbler (Hippolais polyglotta)

Blackcap (Sylvia atricapilla)

Spectacled Warbler (Sylvia conspicillata)

Dartford Warbler (Sylvia undata)

Spotted Flycatcher (Muscicapa striata)

Pied Flycatcher (Ficedula hypoleuca)

Long-tailed Tit (Aegithalos caudatus)

Crested Tit (Parus cristatus)

Coal Tit (Parus ater)

Blue Tit (Parus caeruleus)

Great Tit (Parus major)

Nuthatch (Sitta europaea)

Short-toed Treecreeper (Certhia brachydactyla)

Golden Oriole (Oriolus oriolus)

Jay (Garrulus glandarius)

Magpie (Pica pica)

Chough (Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax)

Carrion Crow (Corvus corone)

Raven (Corvus corax)

Spotless Starling (Sturnus unicolor)

House Sparrow (Passer domesticus)

Rock Sparrow (Petronia petronia)

Chaffinch (Fringilla coelebs)

Serin (Serinus serinus)

Greenfinch (Carduelis chloris)

Goldfinch (Carduelis carduelis)

Linnet (Carduelis cannabina)

Crossbill (Loxia curvirostra)

Cirl Bunting (Emberiza cirlus)

Rock Bunting (Emberiza cia)

Corn Bunting (Miliaria calandra)

Sunday, 27^th May 2012 – Mingarnao feeding station, Nerpio

Weather: Sky 2/8 cloud,  temp. 12 - 24ºC.  07:30 – 12:00

The morning was spent with a trip to the Mingarnao feeding station, where a couple of dead goats and sheep had been left, to try and attract vultures.  Although fairly quiet for much of the time with just a few Carrion Crows and Griffon Vultures, by the time it warmed up and there were thermals, we had up to 60 Griffon Vultures circling overhead.  Also seen was a dark phase Booted Eagle and a Common Buzzard.  Around the area of the hide was a male Subalpine Warbler pulling apart the silk nest of processionary caterpillars, presumably to use for its own nest, and a couple of male Black-eared Wheatears singing their hearts out.

Male Subalpine Warbler

And another Griffon Vulture seen flying to the feeding station

 

While waiting for the vultures to make an appearance, I took a walk around the area trying to photograph to identify butterflies, and think I saw the following:  Wall (Lasiommata megera); Large Wall Brown (Lasiommata maera); Western Marble White (Melanargia occitanica); Spanish Marbled White (Melanargia ines).  I took photos of these, and if any butterfly expert thinks they are mis-identified, please let me know.

Wall - Lasiommata megera

Large Wall Brown - Lasiommata maera

Western Marbled White - Melanargia occitanica

Spanish Marbled White - Melanargia ines

We then went into the town of Nerpio for some r&r and also to try to find a Dipper that lives there, but had no luck.  From there, back to the cortijo for lunch (where I found another butterfly I’d never seen before, a Knapweed Fritillary (Melitaea phoebe occitanica)), and then home to Cartagena having made a quick stop at the Taibilla reservoir en route.

Knapweed Fritillary - Melitaea phoebe occitanica

 

Species seen/heard

Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos)

Pochard (Aythya ferina)

Coot (Fulica atra)

Red-legged Partridge (Alectoris rufa)

Little Grebe (Tachybaptus ruficollis)

Griffon Vulture (Gyps fulvus)

Buzzard (Buteo buteo)

Booted Eagle (Hieraaetus pennatus)

Kestrel (Falco tinnunculus)

Woodpigeon (Columba palumbus)

Collared Dove (Streptopelia decaocto)

Cuckoo (Cuculus canorus)

Swift (Apus apus)

Alpine Swift (Apus melba)

Hoopoe (Upupa epops)

Great Spotted Woodpecker (Dendrocopos major)

Woodlark (Lullula arborea)

House Martin (Delichon urbicum)

Black Redstart (Phoenicurus ochrurus)

Black-eared Wheatear (Oenanthe hispanica)

Blackbird (Turdus merula)

Subalpine Warbler (Sylvia cantillans)

Melodious Warbler (Hippolais polyglotta)

Great Tit (Parus major)

Magpie (Pica pica)

Chough (Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax)

Carrion Crow (Corvus corone)

House Sparrow (Passer domesticus)

Chaffinch (Fringilla coelebs)

Serin (Serinus serinus)

Wednesday, 23rd May 2012 – EDAR Cabeza Beaza, Cartagena

Weather: Sky 1/8 cloud, wind E F1-2, temp. 28ºC.  17:00 – 19:15.  With Diego Zamora Urán, Antonio Fernández-Caro Goméz.

This afternoon was the monthly count at the EDAR (sewage farm) at Cabeza Beaza, just outside Cartagena,

The water levels of the two lagoons was again very low, giving large muddy margins, and there appeared to be many Black Winged Stilts nesting on these margins.

Notable amongst the ducks were five male Red Crested Pochards, and very surprisingly, a male Garganey. The number of Common Pochard was high – 34 seen in total, all but four adult males. 

Probably all these three species are in movement prior to their complete post-breeding moults.

In amongst the Black-necked Grebes were 2 leucistic birds, one of which was almost completely white.

The majority of the wader species seen last month had disappeared, the only non-breeding waders still on passage being 3 Ringed Plovers and 2 Avocets.

The number of immature Greater Flamingos had increased to 18, including the ringed individual seen last month.

Record shot of the male Garganey

Species seen and numbers

Grey Heron (Ardea cinerea) - 1

Greater Flamingo (Phoenicopterus roseus) - 18

Little Grebe (Tachybaptus ruficollis) - 29

Black-necked Grebe (Podiceps nigricollis) - 131

Shelduck (Tadorna tadorna) - 123

Red-crested Pochard (Netta rufina) - 5

Pochard (Aythra ferina) - 34

Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos) - 179

White-headed Duck (Oxyura leucocephala) - 12

Garganey (Anas querquedula) - 1

Yellow-legged Gull (Larus michahellis) – c330

Red-legged Partridge (Alectoris rufa) - 5

Coot (Fulica atra) - 132

Moorhen (Gallinula chloropus) - 5

Black-winged Stilt (Himantopus himantopus) - 202

Avocet (Recurvirostra avosetta) - 2

Ringed Plover (Charadrius hiaticula) - 3

Little Ringed Plover (Charadrius dubius) - 24

Swift (Pallid Swift (Apus apus/pallidus) – c 150

Bee-eater (Merops apiaster) - 2

Woodpigeon (Columba palumbus) - 3

Collared Dove (Streptopelia decaocto) - 1

Turtle Dove (Streptopelia turtur) - 3

Iberian Wagtail (Motacilla flava iberiae) - 2

Sunday 20th May 2012 – Calblanque & Marchamalo salinas

Calblanque, 11:05 – 12:20 (37.601583, -0.751097 ringing area; 37.605403, -0.734413 Salinas de Rasall)

Weather: Sky 2/8 cloud, no wind; 17º.

                                                                                           

As I hadn’t been over to Calblanque for a while, I decided to have a quick look, both around the ringing site, and the abandoned Salinas de Rasall.  There weren’t many birds around at all, but in the ringing area, lots of finches (Linnets, Greenfinches & Serins), mainly young birds, and on the way there a couple of Woodchat Shrikes showing themselves in the tops of trees.  In the carpark area were 4 or more Thekla Larks.

Round at the Salinas were a Little Egret, 35 Yellow-legged Gulls and surprisingly, 17 Audouins Gulls, one of which was a first summer bird (unusual to see around this area).  The only other bird of note was a Willow Warbler in the bushes on the approach to the lagoons.

A Little Owl on its normal perch on the way to the salinas

Species seen/heard

Little Egret (Egretta garzetta)

Yellow-legged Gull (Larus michahellis)

Audouin’s Gull (Larus audouinii)

Little Owl (Athene noctua)

Swift (Apus apus)

Crested Lark (Galerida cristata)

Thekla Lark (Galerida theklae)

Fan-tailed Warbler (Cisticola juncidis)

Sardinian Warbler (Sylvia melanocephala)

Willow Warbler (Phylloscopus trochilus)

Spotless Starling (Sturnus unicolor)

Woodchat Shrike (Lanius senator)

Greenfinch (Carduelis chloris)

Linnet (Carduelis cannabina)

Serin (Serinus serinus)

House Sparrow (Passer domesticus)

Corn Bunting (Miliaria calandra)

Marchamalo salinas, 12:30 – 13:20 (37.631874, -0.726648)

Weather: Sky 2/8 cloud, wind SW F3 - 5; 18º.

Leaving Calblanque, I went over to Marchamalo Salinas.  On the La Manga side, I saw only a single Shelduck, but round at the Playa Paraiso side near to the beach on the second pool back, there was quite a gathering of waders and 18 Slender-billed Gulls, the waders consisting of 26 Avocet, 27 Curlew Sandpipers, 4 Black Winged Stilts, 8 Kentish Plover, 4 Ringed Plover, 4 Sanderling, 3 Little Stints, 2 Dunlin and singletons of Reeve and Greenshank.  There were also 15 Shelduck and 2 Little Egrets, and many House Martins dropping down to the muddy fringes to pick up mud for their nests.

A general view of the 2nd lagoon taken from the beach side (looking into the sun)

A closer view of some of the birds there - Slender-billed Gulls, a Greenshank and Curlew Sandpipers

 

Species seen/heard

Shelduck (Tadorna tadorna)

Little Egret (Egretta garzetta)

Black Winged Stilt (Himantopus Himantopus)

Avocet (Recurvirostra avosetta)

Ruff (Reeve) (Philomachus pugnax)

Curlew Sandpiper (Calidris ferruginea)

Little Stint (Calidris minuta)

Sanderling (Calidris alba)

Dunlin (Calidris alpine)

Ringed Plover (Charadrius hiaticula)

Kentish Plover (Charadrius alexandrinus)

Yellow-legged Gull (Larus michahellis)

Slender-billed Gull (Larus genei)

Audouin’s Gull (Larus audouinii)

House Martin (Delichon urbicum)

Fan-tailed Warbler (Cisticola juncidis)

Spotless Starling (Sturnus unicolor)

House Sparrow (Passer domesticus)

Saturday, 19th May 2012

Saladares del Guadalentín, Alhama de Murcia (37.760109, -1.398948)

Weather: Sky 4-2/8 cloud,  wind SW F0 - 4; temp.18 - 28ºC.  09:20 – 17:20.

I had planned to go with Mark Powell to try again for the Cream Coloured Coursers, but as there was no news on them, and the weather forecast was for high winds and storms, we decided against it.

As it happened, there was no wind at all and only light cloud, so I decided to go the saladares again, where I saw the Rollers last week.  Arriving there at 9-20, instead of going straight to the Rollers area, I went first to another area where in previous years I have seen Rufous Bush Chats.

I had no luck with these, but did see various Woodchat Shrikes and Turtle Doves and a Spotted Flycatcher there, and had a Lesser Kestrel fly overhead.  In the distance over the middle of the saladares I saw two large raptors soaring, and on getting my ‘scope on them, could see they were two adult Golden Eagles, which slowly drifted away.

 The Lesser Kestrel I had flying high up overhead

And one of a pair of distant Golden Eagles

I drove slowly around the perimeter of the saladares along the service roads and tracks, checking out any ploughed fields just in case there might be Coursers here (and more likely, Black-bellied Sandgrouse), but drew a blank on both.  Partway round, on an electricity pylon, was an immature Peregrine.

Peregrine on a pylon

I got round to the Rollers about midday.  They had obviously finished their displays for the day, but on searching around, I did see several of them, including a pair being harassed by a third.

 Always good to see, a pair of Rollers

And they weren't too happy when a third Roller flew over them

The Bee-eaters were being very showy, and nearby was a male Spectacled Warbler singing.

  

 "Here you are dear - have a fly"

"Thank you very much - what do I have to do in return?"

A bird you can never see too many of

I then took some of the tracks through the middle of the saladares, where I saw Calandra, Short-toed and Lesser Short-toed Larks and a pair more of Spectacled Warblers and two Chough, and was lucky enough to flush two Black-bellied Sandgrouse from a field.  As I was by now quite close to the area where I started, I decided to have a second go for the Rufous Bush Chats.  On the way round I flushed a further three Black-bellied Sandgrouse, and saw a third (juvenile this time) Golden Eagle.

One of several Short-toed Larks seen looking for grubs on the ground

 And this male Spectacled Warbler singing from on top of a weed

Once they start singing, there's no stopping them

 

Nearby, a Calandra Lark keeping a lookout

 Decided it was time for a song too

 In the distance, a group of three Black-bellied Sandgrouse came out of nowhere

 One of a couple of (Red-billed) Chough that were also grubbing around on a ploughed field

Back at the Bush Chats area, I had a stroke of luck and saw two Rufous Bush Chats flying at the back of an abandoned ochard.  I decided to have a walk through to see if I could get a closer view, and although I didn’t see them again, I did almost step on a Red-necked Nightjar which flew a few metres and sat back down again for as long as it took for me to get my camera out, and was off again.

I spent the rest of the afternoon on the other (west) side of the River Guadalentín, but saw nothing else out of the ordinary.

 On the west side of the Guadalentín river were several Tree Sparrows

 View of the River Guadalentín from the west side looking south

And looking north

Species seen/heard

Little Grebe (Tachybaptus ruficollis)

Grey Heron (Ardea cinerea)

Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos)

Coot (Fulica atra)

Moorhen (Gallinua chloropus)

Stone Curlew (Burhinus oedicnemus)

Black Winged Stilt (Himantopus himantopus)

Little Ringed Plover (Charadrius dubius)

Yellow-legged Gull (Larus michahellis)

Golden Eagle (Aquila chrysaetos)

Kestrel (Falco tinnunculus)

Lesser Kestrel (Falco naumanni)

Black-bellied Sandgrouse (Pterocles orientalis)

Red-legged Partridge (Alectoris rufa)

Roller (Coracias garrulous)

Bee-eater (Merops apiaster)

Hoopoe (Upupa epops)

Red-necked Nightjar (Caprimulgus ruficollis)

Green Woodpecker (Picus viridis)

Collared Dove (Streptopelia decaocto)

Turtle Dove (Streptopelia turtur)

Woodpigeon (Columba palumbus)

Rock Dove (Columba livia)

Swift (Apus apus)

Crested Lark (Galerida cristata)

Calandra Lark (Melanocorypha calandra)

Short-toed Lark (Calandrella brachydactyla)

Lesser Short-toed Lark (Calandrella rufescens)

Swallow (Hirundo rustica)

Red-rumped Swallow (Hirundo daurica)

White Wagtail (Motacilla alba alba)

Blackbird (Turdus merula)

Black-eared Wheatear (Oenanthe hispanica)

Spotted Flycatcher (Muscicapa striata)

Rufous Bush Chat (Cercotrichas galactotes)

Reed Warbler (Acrocephalus scirpaceus)

Spectacled Warbler (Sylvia conspicillata)

Sardinian Warbler (Sylvia melanocephala)

Fan-tailed Warbler (Cisticola juncidis)

Woodchat Shrike (Lanius senator)

Southern Grey Shrike (Lanius meridionalis)

Magpie (Pica pica)

Jackdaw (Corvus monedula)

Chough (Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax)

Spotless Starling (Sturnus unicolor)

House Sparrow (Passer domesticus)

Tree Sparrow (Passer montanus)

Serin (Serinus serinus)

Greenfinch (Carduelis chloris)

Corn Bunting (Miliaria calandra)