Larking about at the other end of Murcia

Hi all,

Last weekend (Saturday 16^th May to be precise), I decided it was time for my annual trip to the far end of the ‘Province’ of Murcia.  The reason for choosing Saturday was that I’d started to hear of numbers of Red-footed Falcons entering into the peninsula, and the reason I chose the Yecla area was that it was on my way to there that I saw a female last year.

But before I went to Yecla, as I did last year I wanted to try to see the Dupont’s Lark.  This small brown bird, about the size of a Crested Lark but with longer legs and a down-curved bill is a bit of an enigma to many birders.  Indeed, when I first came to Spain, I thought there was only one place in the north of the peninsula where it could be seen, otherwise one had got to go to Morocco to see it, and even then it wasn’t always guaranteed.  However, as I´ve got to know Spanish birding locations and Spanish birders, I realize that it’s nowhere near as rare as I’d originally thought, and that even here in Murcia there is a small population. 

But here lies the rub – if you thought Skylarks were early risers, they’re downright lazy compared with the Dupont’s Lark!  The Dupont’s in Murcia actually sings for a couple of hours prior to daybreak (actually it might be all night for all I know – I’ve only heard them prior to daybreak), but once the sun’s up, that’s it, shtumm!!  And they sing from the ground.  So not an easy proposition.  Which is why with sunrise officially at 06:48am, I was on my way at 4:30 in the morning, arriving at their breeding zone at 05:50am (catching a couple of Red-necked Nightjars in the cars headlamps as I approached)..  I thought I may have left it a little late, as the eastern sky was definitely getting lighter, but no, parking in the middle of a field in the middle of no-where, there they were, with their plaintiff calls (or rather, there their plaintiff calls were).  Also beginning to sing were Crested and Lesser Short-toed Larks, but the Dupont’s call really stood out – rather like a Curlews call on an open moor.

I couldn’t do much to look for them for a while, it being too dark to wander away from the car, so I just drank in all the sounds – one of the sounds being the grunting of a Wild Boar which I saw in the rear-view mirror on the track behind me, totally unconcerned by my presence.

By about 6:30 I could finally use my binoculars, but still couldn’t find the Dupont’s even though they must have been calling from closer than 10 metres, hidden by the ‘bushes’ of ‘spartina’ grass that is their habitat. At 6:40, their calls were noticeably less, and by 6:45, stopped altogether.  The sun actually broke the mountainous horizon at 6:50, at which time for about 5 minutes there was another spurt of calls from them, and then nothing.  Not that it was silent, as by now many more Crested, Lesser Short-toed and Short-toed Larks were singing away, and there was the odd rough ‘churr’ of a Magpie.

 Sunrise, waiting for the Dupont's

I hung around till 7:30 in the forlorn hope that one of the Dupont’s might wander out onto the track I was on, but no, for the second year running, seen but not heard.  The only other birds of interest as I came away from the zone was a Black Wheatear, which I remember I had seen in the same place last year, and a Thekla Lark singing.

So, slowly on to the plains of Yecla, checking all the telegraph wires as I drove in case of the odd Red-footed Falcon, but no luck with these either.  At the plains of Yecla, (which is the farmland north of Yecla on the way to Almansa in Albacete Province), I had pretty much what I would expect to see, but the two species I really wanted to get, Great Bustard and Pin-tailed Sandgrouse, were nowhere to be seen.  I think I’ll now have to wait till the autumn/winter for them.  However, I did get Black-bellied Sandgrouse, Calandra Larks, Short-toed and Lesser Short-toed Larks, Lesser Kestrels, Hoopoe, Stone Curlews and Woodlarks which were all nice to see.

 View of a wildflower meadow at Yecla

 

Short-toed Lark

 Calandra Lark

I thought that as I was up that way, I’d venture even further north west, into Albacete, and have a look around the lagoon at Pétrola.  This freshwater lagoon has been quite famous over the last few years for its breeding colony of Greater Flamingos, but also has some other quite interesting breeding birds (from a Murciano point of view).  More importantly, the roads to get there are all bordered by telegraph poles and cables, where Red-foots might be lurking.  It was while driving slowly along that I noticed a raptor (probably a Marsh Harrier) at the side of the road, being harassed by (as I thought at the time) a pair of crows.  However, the raptor turned out to be a Black Kite, and the ‘crows’, Ravens!  Because of the time of the day, the roads were clear, so I was able to stop and get some photos.

 Black Kite ...

 ... being attacked by a Raven ...

 ... but no harm came to either

In Pétrola itself, things were pretty much as my last visit there, small groups of Black-headed Gulls and Gull-billed Terns, a pair of Lapwings in breeding plumage, Little Ringed Plovers, a pair of Redshank and a Common Sandpiper, and in the lagoon itself, plenty of Red-crested Pochards, Pochards, Mallards, Shelducks and Coots, plus a pink mass, of Greater Flamingoes on the western side.  In the reedbeds, Reed and Great Reed Warblers were singing, and I was surprised to see a Water Rail (which I think was also surprised to see me!)  And in the surrounding area, Woodchat and Southern Grey Shrikes, Turtle Dove and House Martins.

 Along the fringes of water, a Lapwing ...

 Little Ringed Plover ...

 ... Gull-billed Tern ...

 ... Common Sandpiper

 Across on the other side of the lagoon, a pinkish smudge which is in fact the colony of Greater Flamingoes

 And back on my side of the lagoon, a Water Rail that popped out of the reeds

Having seen all there was to see there and with the heat haze getting up, I decided it was time to make my way slowly back towards home, with a stop at the EDAR (sewage farm) of Campotéjar, Molina de Segura to have my sandwich lunch, arriving there at about 15:15.  This was quieter than I had expected, although I did finally get to see my first Little Bittern and Squacco Heron of the year,  Other birds of note were many Swifts with Pallid Swifts mixed in with them, Swallows, Sand Martin, Reed and Great Reed Warblers, a Whiskered Tern, a pair of Common Terns, Pochards, Red Crested Pochards, White-headed Ducks, Little Grebes, Sardinian and Cetti’s Warblers, Bee-eaters, a pair of Little Ringed Plovers and a Common Sandpiper, and for me a surprise, a pair of Black-necked Grebes in full breeding plumage, obviously together.  Possibly a failed breeding pair, as I don’t think they breed at Campotéjar.

 Not too many birds, but the place was brimming with dragonflies - here a Lesser Emperor

 Nor was it short of swifts, mainly Common, but with a few Pallids thrown in

 One of a single pair of Common Terns that may be nesting on one of the artificial islands

 A pair of Black-necked Grebes with a couple of male White-headed Ducks

 First broods of Swallows are now out of their nests

 Record shot of a feeding Whiskered Tern

Now working my way back to the coast, I called into the Salinas at San Pedro del Pinatar just before 7pm, not really expecting to see much, but just in case a breeding plumage White-winged Black Tern might be floating around (as it’s the time of year for them!).  Well no luck there, but I did see 20 Little Stints, nearly all in their full reddy-brown breeding attire, plus 12 Curlew Sandpipers also in their ‘red’ form, Turnstones, Sanderlings, Ringed and Kentish Plovers, Black-winged Stilts, a single Reeve, Slender-billed and Black-headed Gulls, and about 1,000 Greater Flamingoes all in the same lagoon (maybe gathering to go off somewhere?).

 Little Stint - almost in full breeding plumage ...

 ... and a Curlew Sandpiper that's definitely there

 Wow, what was that I trod on???

 With another bird on passage now, Ringed Plover

My last call of the day was into the sailing club area of Los Urrutias on the Mar Menor.  Here the local people are complaining bitterly about the state of part of the beach which due to recent winds has gone ‘wild’ and is a bit smelly, but the wildlife are loving it – to the extent that there are more waders than ever there now (considering the time of the year).  This time I had 6 Curlew Sandpipers (three of which in their breeding plumage), Redshank, Little Stints, 10 Ringed Plovers, 4 Kentish Plovers, Little Stint, Sanderling and Turnstones.

And then back home for an early night!!  Not a bad day out at all, with 85 species seen and 7 species of lark in a day!

That’s all for now, so happy birding,

Richard

Birds seen during the day:
Little Grebe (Tachybaptus ruficollis); Black-necked Grebe (Podiceps nigricollis); Little Bittern (Ixobrychus minutes); Squacco Heron (Ardeola ralloides); Cattle Egret (Bubulcus ibis); Little Egret (Egretta garzetta);Greater Flamingo (Phoenicopterus roseus);  Shelduck (Tadorna tadorna); Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos); Red-crested Pochard Netta rufina); Pochard (Aythya ferina); White-headed Duck (Oxyura leucocephala); Black Kite (Milvus migrans); Kestrel (Falco tinnunculus); Lesser Kestrel (Falco naumanni); Red-legged Partridge (Alectoris rufa); Water Rail (Rallus aquaticus); Moorhen (Gallinula chloropus); Coot (Fulica atra); Black-winged Stilt (Himantopus himantopus); Avocet (Recurvirostra avosetta); Stone Curlew (Burhinus oedicnemus); Little Ringed Plover (Charadrius dubius); Ringed Plover (Charadrius hiaticula); Kentish Plover (Charadrius alexandrinus); Lapwing (Vanellus vanellus); Sanderling (Calidris alba); Little Stint (Calidris minuta); Curlew Sandpiper (Calidris ferruginea); Ruff (Philomachus pugnax); Common Redshank (Tringa tetanus); Common Sandpiper (Actitis hypoleucos); Turnstone (Arenaria interpres); Black-headed Gull (Larus ridibundus); Slender-billed Gull (Larus genei); Yellow-legged Gull Larus michahellis); Audouin’s Gull (Larus audouinii); Gull-billed Tern (Sterna nilotica); Sandwich Tern (Sterna sandvichensis); Common Tern (Sterna hirundo); Little Tern (Sterna albifrons); Whiskered Tern (Chlidonias hybrid); Black-bellied Sandgrouse (Pterocles orientalis); Monk Parakeet (Myiopsitta monachus); Woodpigeon (Columba palumbus); Collared Dove (Streptopelia decaocto); Turtle Dove (Streptopelia turtur); Little Owl (Athene noctua); Red-necked Nightjar (Caprimulgus ruficollis); Common Swift (Apus apus); Pallid Swift (Apus pallidus); Bee-eater (Merops apiaster); Hoopoe (Upupa epops); Dupont’s Lark (heard only) (Chersophilus duponti); Crested Lark (Galerida cristata); Thekla Lark (Galerida theklae); Calandra Lark (Melanocorypha calandra); Short-toed Lark (Calandrella brachydactyla); Lesser Short-toed Lark (Calandrella rufescens); Woodlark (Lullula arborea); Swallow (Hirundo rustica); Red-rumped Swallow (Hirundo daurica); House Martin (Delichon urbicum); Sand Martin (Riparia riparia); Spanish Wagtail (Motacilla flava iberiae); White Wagtail (Motacilla alba alba); Black Wheatear (Oenanthe leucura); Blackbird (Turdus merula); Cetti’s Warbler (Cettia cettia); Reed Warbler (Acrocephalus scirpaceus); Great Reed Warbler (Acrocephalus arundinaceus); Sardinian Warbler (Sylvia melanocephala); Woodchat Shrike (Lanius senator); Southern Grey Shrike (Lanius meridionalis); Magpie (Pica pica); Carrion Crow (Corvus corone); Raven (Corvus corax); Spotless Starling (Sturnus unicolor); House Sparrow (Passer domesticus); Chaffinch (Fringilla coelebs); Serin (serinus serinus); Greenfinch (Carduelis chloris); Goldfinch (Carduelis carduelis); Linnet (Carduelis cannabina); Corn Bunting (Miliaria calandra).

Total, 85 species.

Postscript:  This visit was a week ago, and a lot can happen in a week!  Since my search for Red-footed Falcons last weekend, I have seen TWO locally.  And it seems that at the moment they are more common than Common Kestrel in Spain - with flocks of up to 97 having been seen in the north of Spain, flocks of 17 and 40 seen in Mallorca, flocks in Tenerife where unfortunately they have been gathering at the airport, and over 20 have been killed in collisions with aircraft.  They have now probably been seen in all Spanish provinces (on Friday, 5 seen together around Pétrola, where I went).  Plus they have reached Portugal and Madeira – next stop the U.S.?  Watch out for one near you soon!

Post Postscript:  Don't forget you can get more up-to-date local birding news from my FaceBook page - just look for 'Richard Howard' and ask to be my friend!
 

Mar Menor roundup

Hi all.  Here is a roundup of what’s been seen in and around the Mar Menor during the last week.  The weather this last week has been fairly stable, a bit windy at the beginning, but otherwise sunny and warm (up to 24ºC) during the day every day.  Perfect birding weather in fact!

On Tuesday, 11^th November, an early morning visit to the lighthouse gardens was quite productive, with a fair number of winter visitors being seen.  On the sea, there were Gannets, Cormorants, a single Shag, and Balearic and Cory’s Shearwaters heading south.  In the gardens themselves, Starlings, Sardinian Warblers, Robins, Meadow Pipits, Black Redstarts, Goldfinches, Linnets, Greenfinches, Stonechats, Blackbirds, single Blackcap and Chiffchaff, and flying overhead, Crag Martins.

The following day also early in the morning, at the Arenal at Los Nietos, on the Mar Menor, good numbers of both Great Crested and Black Necked Grebes (more than 20 of each), and my first two Common Scoter of the year.  In nearby fields was a flock of 36 Stone Curlews keeping themselves well hidden (as they do).

 Stone Curlews on an abandoned field

From there I went to the old EDAR (swage farm) of El Algar, where the flock of Lapwing had now built up to 10 birds, and there was also Grey Wagtail, Hoopoe, Chiffchaff, with a Booted Eagle flying around and Common Buzzard perched on a post.  In the afternoon on the Mar Menor beach at the ‘marina de Carmoli’ some friends had the first Short-eared Owl of the autumn.

 Hoopoe, not an infrequent sight in winter

On Thursday, 13^th November at first light, while driving along the road between Los Nietos and Los Urrutias, I came across the Osprey that has been hanging around the area recently.  I tried for a photo, but the Osprey was off before I got a chance.  When I got to my destination, the marina de Carmoli, of interest were a female Sparrowhawk, a couple of Marsh Harriers hunting, a couple of Curlews and three Skylarks flew through.

This was our monthly ‘duck-count’ day at the EDAR (sewage farm) in Beaza (Cartagena), and setting off early in the afternoon, I once again went via the Mar Menor, where in the water I had a group of four Shoveler, and stopping at the parking at the ‘desembocadura de la rambla de Albujon’ beyond Los Urrutias to scan over the Mar Menor, I had for the second time this day, the Osprey fly along the Mar Menor, and over to investigate me.  This time I was ready with my camera!

The Osprey that seems to have taken up winter residence

Carrying on along towards Cartagena, I stopped off in the industrial park of Los Camachos where there is a large farm reservoir that can be seen over from the side of the road.  Although the nearby EDAR is private with restricted access, this reservoir is like a miniature version of it, and you quite often see the same species on it, although in smaller numbers.  Here, of note were a single male Pochard, four White-headed Ducks and eight Black-necked Grebes.

Moving on to the EDAR itself, although we haven’t had the official numbers back yet, what stood out were a couple of male Tufted Ducks (rare here in Murcia) and a total of 334 White-headed Ducks (not a bad number for a species that only a few years back was considered to be on the edge of worldwide extinction).

Friday 14^th November, at first light I was back at the Cabo de Palos lighthouse gardens again.  Here there were much the same birds as on my previous trip here, with of note, Chiffchaffs up to six, also a flock of six Meadow Pipits around the base of the lighthouse, five Black Redstarts, and there were definitely more finches around (Serins, Linnets and Greenfinches). 

On my way back from the lighthouse, I called into the Salinas at Marchamalo where there were 16 Greater Flamingos, a couple of Spotted Redshanks, Greenshanks, Slender-billed Gulls, and round at the Playa Paraiso urbanization side, four Little Ringed Plovers, a couple of Little Stints and seven Dunlin, plus around the bushes Fan-tailed Warblers (Zitting Cisticola), Black Redstarts, Chiffchaffs and a flock of around 70 Serins.

 Once again, typical sights for the time of year - here Greater Flamingo ...

 ... and winter plumaged Spotted Redshank

On the morning of Saturday 15^th November, I resumed my search up in ‘monte Cenizas’, Atamaria (towards Portman, behind the golf course) for the Yellow-browed Warbler and a few other species (Goldcrest, Wren), spending just over four hours there.  But of these I only found one – Wren, which is a winter visitor to this part of Spain.  In total I saw three birds and heard another two.    Other birds of interest seen were plenty of Chaffinches, Robins, Black Redstarts, Crested Tit, Firecrest, Dartford and Sardinian Warblers and Black Redstarts.

 Only found in the winter in this part of Spain, Wren

  Also a winter visitor, Firecrest ...

 ... and another which can commonly be heard singing, Chiffchaff

 One of the woodland residents - Long-tailed Tit ...

 ... and another.  Here we don't get Blue Tits, just this Crested variety

 Also in the woodland glades flying in the warm sun, plenty of Red Admirals

From there I made my way over to the Mar Menor, stopping off at some farm reservoirs ‘en route’, picking up a group of three Ferruginous Ducks, Southern Grey Shrike and Booted Eagle.   

On a farm reservoir were three of these little treasures - Ferruginous Ducks

 

I called in once again at the old EDAR Elgar, but this time drew a blank - the only bird there was a single White Wagtail. 

Carrying on to the Mar Menor, on the sea were a group of three adult Mediterranean Gulls, plus plenty of Great Crested and Black-necked Grebes, the large flock (of about 400 birds) of Cormorants and a single Sandwich Tern.   

Wandering along the beach back towards Los Urrutias (just in case there may be a Short-eared Owl in the saltings) I had a group of nine Curlew, a couple of Slender-billed Gulls and three Fan-tailed Warblers (Zitting Cisticolas).  Eventually reaching the sailing club at Los Urrutias at about 4 in the afternoon, I had a rapid sighting of the Kingfisher that has taken up winter residence, and looking down the beach towards Los Nietos, at Lo Poyo I could see the Oystercatcher which also seems to have taken up winter residence.

My last call of the day was to spend the last hour of light watching over the harrier roost at the marina de Carmoli, to count the harriers as they came in.  This time numbers were small with only four Marsh Harriers, but also flying around briefly were a ‘ringtail’ Hen Harrier, and another smaller ‘ringtail’ with an orange-brown body!  This would normally be put down as ‘Montagu’s/Pallid’ – but considering the general paucity of records of Montagu’s in this part of Murcia, and considering the date and the fact that an immature Pallid overwintered here last winter, I would say it’s more likely to have been a Pallid.  Maybe the coming weeks will tell.

Also seen on the Saturday morning, was a Griffon Vulture sat on a traffic sign close to the ‘marina de Carmoli’.  I didn’t get to hear about it till the evening, but it seems like it may have been one blown east by the winds of previous weeks, and be looking out for something dead to eat!  Definitely a bird to keep an eye out for.

 Griffon Vulture watching the traffic!

Photo copyright Antonio Fernandez-Caro Gomez

 

Sunday 16^th I made an early morning visit to the ‘Arenal’ at Los Nietos in the hope of coming across a Short-eared Owl.  In this I was unlucky, but I DID come across a group of five Richard’s Pipits, which promptly flew off towards Los Urrutias, never to be seen again.  I presume they were a migrating group, as another one stayed and actually allowed me to get reasonably close!

 

 In 8 winters of trying, probably the best photo I've got of Richard's Pipit

Other birds seen here were Stonechat, Fan-tailed Warbler (Zitting Cisticola), plenty of Crested Larks, Skylarks, Slender-billed Gulls, Sandwich Terns, Serins, Greenfinches, Dartford Warbler, Sardinian Warbler, Monk Parakeets and Crag Martins.  

 Another coastal common winter visitor, although more often heard than seen, Dartford Warbler

I walked as far as Lo Poyo where there were a number of waders feeding, including the Oystercatcher I had seen the previous day, Grey and Ringed Plovers,  Dunlin, Turnstones, and single Little Stint and Kentish Plover.

 Normally quite a rarity in Murcia, this year Oystercatchers have been very visible

From the Arenal, I went to the furthest extreme of La Manga, the Encañizadas.  Although arriving quite late in the morning for this location (i.e. when there are plenty of walkers, cyclists and general noise-makers about), I still managed to see a good variety of birds, including 35 Sandwich Terns, 2 Great (White) Egrets, 3 Spoonbills, a group of 8 Pintail asleep on the water, Dartford Warblers, Southern Grey Shrike singing in the sunshine, Bar-tailed and Black-tailed Godwits, and in amongst all the Yellow-legged Gulls, at least two Lesser Black-backed Gulls.

 The best place to see Bar-tailed Godwit - at the Encañizadas at the end of La Manga

Also the best place for Black-headed Gulls and Sandwich Terns

My last trip out of the last week was yesterday evening, when as I found myself close to the ‘marina de Carmoli’ about half an hour before dusk, I thought I’d stop for a while and see what entered the harrier roost.  In the half an hour I waited, I had Sparrowhawk, Booted Eagle, 8 Marsh Harriers and a single ringtail Hen Harrier, but no sign of the ‘Montagu’s/Pallid’ of the couple of days before.

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

Ciauu