Mar Menor roundup

Hi all.

 

I’ve not made a blog entry for a few weeks now, basically due to the lack of action on the birding front.  Everything has been really quiet, with until last weekend mild conditions, rainy on a few days.  The rain has helped at the old EDAR (sewage farm) of El Algar, there now being an almost permanent pool of water in the first lagoon, which has enticed a group of Lapwings to hang around with up to 10 birds (Lapwings in this area have been very scarce in the last few years).  Also there, have been Water Pipits and a single Grey Wagtail on and off.

I’ve made a few visits to the lighthouse gardens at Cabo de Palos just on the offchance that something might have come in, but there it’s also pretty quiet with just the usual Blackbirds, Stonechats, Black Redstarts, Sardinian Warblers, Chiffchaffs, Starlings of both species (there’ll be a Rosy one day!), Crag Martins, Robins, Meadow Pipits, House Sparrows, Collared Doves and the occasional Blackcap.  You can tell how quiet it’s been if I say that the outstanding bird there has been a possible Barbary Dove in amongst the Collared Doves (it wouldn’t call/sing, so I couldn’t confirm it).

Plenty of mixed Starlings at the lighthouse gardens ...
 

... and this possible Barbary Dove

Calblanque has similarly been quiet with even the usual Audouin’s Gull build-up failing to happen, although there’s always four or five around.

 In Calblanque, some of the winter visitors - here Black Redstart ...

 

 ... and Chiffchaff

And a resident, Thekla Lark

On the Mar Menor, a build-up of Great Crested and Black Necked Grebes has been noticeable (and it’s always worthwhile looking through them just in case there might be a diver or seaduck amongst them).  At several places along the Mar Menor (e.g. desembocadura de la Rambla de Albujon; club nautico Los Urrutias) there are Kingfishers wintering, and in amongst the few Turnstones and Ringed Plovers visible from Los Urrutias to the desembocadura Rambla de Albujon, I’ve had the occasional Knot, and on the 23^rd November almost trod on a Jack Snipe along the tideline.  You also occasionally hear Bluethroats calling, although they are not easy to see, and in the reedbeds the occasional Penduline Tit can be heard on windless days.

 Typical birds along the Mar Menor - here Curlew ...

 ... Jack Snipe ...

... mixed wader flock of Turnstone, Dunlins and Knot  ...

 ... Knot ...

 ... and again ...

... Bluethroat ...
 

 ... Turnstone ...

 ... Ringed Plover ...

 ... Dunlins ...

... and Grey Plover in the winter sun

At the Marina de Carmoli, just beyond Los Urrutias and Punta Brava on the Mar Menor, watching the evening harrier roost, I’ve had up to 9 Marsh Harriers and a single ‘ringtail’ Hen Harrier, but no sign of the other smaller ‘ringtail’ that I mentioned in my last post.  However a couple of weeks ago a friend asked for my help in identifying a small harrier that he had photographed close to Cartagena hunting over a farm reservoir, and it turned out to be a ‘ringtail’ed juvenile/female Montagu’s Harrier, and could easily be the bird that I saw and mentioned in my last post.

Record shot of the 'ringtail' Hen Harrier
 

At the Salinas at San Pedro del Pinatar, bird numbers seem very low – even the Greater Flamingos – although if you stick at it, there is a reasonable selection of species – on my last visit I had Greater Flamingo, Grey Heron, Cattle Egret, Little Egret, Spoonbill (2 in amongst the Grey Herons), Black-tailed Godwit, Avocet, Black Winged Stilt, Spotted Redshank, Redshank, Greenshank, Dunlin, Little Stint, Common Sandpiper, Ringed and Kentish Plover, Ruff, Kingfisher, Mallard, Moorhen and Kestrel, plus all the usual passerines such as Black Redstart, Stonechat, Chiffchaff, Meadow Pipit, White Wagtail, Greenfinch, Serin, Chaffinch and House Sparrow.

At the salinas at Marchamalo there is now a constant group of Greater Flamingos, and Shelduck and Avocet numbers are starting to build.  Last weekend a surprise was the number of Spotted Redshanks (12) and the winter group of Golden Plovers that roost on one of the lagoon wall has finally arived, with 79 being seen.
 

 Feeding Spotted Redshanks ...

... and a short video of them ...

... and some of the Golden Plover

 And round at the Playa Paraiso side, more Chiffchaffs
 

With regards to woodlands birds I have been several times now to the woods between the ‘La Manga Club’ and Portman (Monte Cenizas), looking for winter birds, but the specific bird I have been searching for, Goldcrest, just hasn’t been there (plenty of Firecrests, but no Goldcrests!).  This last weekend though I did see my first Siskins of the year.  Other birds of interest there were Chiffchaff, Chaffinch, Crested Tits, Wren, Robin, Long-tailed Tit, and Sparowhawk.

 The Firecrests seem more common this year in the woods

 Record shot of a surprise bird seen last weekend - Siskin

My only ‘out of area’ visit was on Saturday when I went up to the top of Sierra Espuña, looking for winter thrushes and Alpine Accentors, but my visit coincided with the first really cold spell of the winter, and although I had thermal gear on including thermal gloves, by the time I reached the ‘Pozos de Nieve de Murcia’, my fingertips had turned purple, there was a gale blowing and the spring I normally wait by was dry (and the only other water was in the form of thick ice-covered puddles), so having seen just a few Mistle Thrushes and a single Ring Ouzel, I came back.  Was I ever pleased to find the restaurant at the bottom open even though it was a public holiday – the hot coffee was more than welcome!

A word of warning for anyone who tries going up to the radar station at the top – for those who know the area, the military zone has been extended so you can only go as far as the ‘layby’ where you have to turn around.

And that’s all for now folks, so till my next post, happy birding!!

Ciauu