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)
No comments:
Post a Comment