Sunday 5th May 2013 – Local roundup

Hi all,

Over the last few days there has been a bit of a fall of passerine migrants with the last few expected Spring species.  After the Pied Flycatchers of earlier in the week, the last few days has seen many Spotted Flycatchers and Melodious Warblers arriving. 

A quick visit in the afternoon on Thursday, 2nd May to Calblanque, Los Belones produced Pied Flycatcher, 3 Spotted Flycatchers, Whitethroat, Nightingale, a couple of Woodchat Shrikes and 3 Melodious Warblers.  Also there, at the Salinas of Rasall was a group of 8 Curlew Sandpipers, and a Great (White) Egret was roosting on one of the dividing walls.

 One of a few Spotted Flycatchers seen in the last few days

Carrying on to Cala Reona (Cabo de Palos), a walk around the bushes in the cove area brought to light another male Pied Flycatcher and Spotted Flycatcher, and continuing on to the lighthouse garden at Cabo, there were male Common Redstart, 2 Woodchat Shrikes and 3 more Spotted Flycatchers.
 

 At Cala Reona (Cabo de Palos) a male Pied Flycatcher...

 

 ... and in the lighthouse garden, the Woodchats are still coming through

Yesterday, Saturday 4^th May, I had a look round the Salinas at San Pedro del Pinatar. In the garden area of the information centre where all the tamarisk bushes are, there were again a few migrants around, with a couple of Melodious Warblers, female Redstart, a male Pied Flycatcher and 5 Willow Warblers.  I also had my first sighting of a family group of juvenile Sardinian Warblers fresh out of the nest.

 Sitting quietly at a picnic table in the Information Centre garden at San Pedro del Pinatar definitely paid dividends - here a male Pied Flycatcher...

 ... Willow Warbler...

 ... another Willow Warbler. Some of the birds that have been going through recently have looked quite large

 

 And here Sardinian Warbler

In the afternoon, back at Calblanque (Los Belones), more signs of a fall with 3 Spotted Flycatchers, 4 Woodchats, a male Common Redstart, 3 Melodious Warblers and 4 Willow Warblers, and later at the lighthouse garden at Cabo de Palos another 4 Melodious Warblers, male Redstart, 3 Willow Warblers and a Robin.

Finally, this morning in the lighthouse garden, a Woodchat Shrike, Whinchat, male Redstart, 2 Robins and 3 Willow Warblers.

Here a surprisingly confiding Robin.  Here in Spain they are nowhere near as confiding as in the UK

And don't forget, we're now entering the traditional time of year for Spring rarities (this morning in Sevilla, a Red-breasted Flycatcher, and in Zamora, Terek Sandpiper and Red Necked Phalarope), so keep alert!

Chauu!

14th February 2013 - Mar Menor area roundup

Hi all!

This is a local roundup covering the period 8th to 13th February.

On Friday the 8th in the morning, I went down to the now famous layby at km.8 on the F-34 (just west of Punta Brava/Las Urrutias).  En route, just outside Los Nietos I had 2 Magpie fly across the road.  This may seem like nothing exceptional, especially as I suspect they now breed in the 'marina de Carmoli', but apart from one seen once at the Cabo de Palos lighthouse garden, this was my most easterly sighting.  They seem to be slowly but surely moving further and further east.

On the shore of the Mar Menor in this area, there were relatively quite a few waders - 3 Curlew, 8 Turnstone, 2 Grey Plover, 2 Ringed Plover, plus the ever present Little Egret and a couple (pair?) of Slender-billed Gulls, and on the Mar Menor itself were Great Crested Grebes, Black-necked Grebes, Cormorant, Mallard, Shelduck, Common Scoter and possibly a single Velvet Scoter, and the Red-throated Diver was still present.

While I was there there was a constant stream of Crag Martins flying east to west along the shore, and in amongst them were a small group of three Swallows and a single House Martin.

On Sunday the 10th, also in the morning, at the same place, a single Booted Eagle (pale phase) was flying around, and on the sea, a group of 9 Common Scoter, Black-necked and Great Crested Grebes and the Red-throated Diver, but no sign of any Velvet Scoter.

In relatively calm water before the wind got up, the Red-throated Diver was showing well

I moved on from here to the rambla de Albujon, where interesting birds were 3 Little Egrets and a Great White Egret, 6 Black Winged Stilts, 2 Green Sandpipers, another Magpie, and while talking on the N-332 bridge over the rambla, a Water Rail ambled along the rambla itself, out in the open, towards the bridge.  As always though, setting up my camera should it come any closer, it dived into the reeds never to be seen again!

 Great White Egret with its cousin, the Little Egret

Time to go!

On Monday the 11th in the afternoon, yet another visit to the same place along the Mar Menor.  This time it was quite windy and waves high enough to hide any ducks.  I did eventually see a group of 9 Common Scoter plus Great Crested and Black Necked Grebes, but there was no sign of the Diver.

Calling in briefly at the EDAR El Algar, I noticed that a pile of earth had been dumped across the road just after the gates to the EDAR itself - I wonder if this is to deter birdwatchers going up to the reservoirs at the end - and the gates of the EDAR were wide open although I couldn't see anyone in there working.

My last call was to Calblanque where I hoped to read some colour rings on Audouins Gulls.  En route to the salinas I had a very nice male Rock Bunting, but at the salinas themselves, there had obviously been some water pumped in as the further lagoons were full, and all the Audouins were on the walls of these lagoons, directly in the sun and too far for me to get any readings.

As it was still quite breezy, I thought I'd do a half hour or so's seawatch at the far end of Calblanque, and this worked out to be very worthwhile, with half a dozen Gannets, 3 Cory's and 3 Balearic Shearwaters and most surprising of all, 7 Mediterranean Gulls (all adults) all flying east with the wind, and reasonably close in.  Closer to where I was sitting was a Thekla Lark and Black Wheatear.  On my way back, I surprised a Kestrel that was struggling with a small rat, trying to carry it off.

 The wind was quite good for a short seawatch - here an adult Gannet

 While seawatching I had a couple of smaller birds around me - here a Black Wheatear...

 ... and here a Thekla Lark

 As you can see from this, the wind was moving the Med. a bit!

 On my way out of Calblanque, I came across this Kestrel with its prey

On Wednesday the 13th, in the early afternoon, I called into the 'Club Nautico' area of Los Urrutias.  The water level here is now very low, and between the shore and club nautico itself is almost a carpet of algae.  On this 'carpet' were groups on Ringed Plovers and Slender-billed Gulls plus a Little Egret, while at the edge of the algae the winter resident Great White Egret was fishing.

At the km.8 on the F-34 again afterwards, with the Mar Menor calmer at last, the group of 9 Common Scoter were being chased around by kite-surfers, and also on the water were 22 Great Crested Grebes and 6 Black Necked Grebes.  Apart from this, all was quiet.

I was going to go on to the Rambla de Albujon from here - however in the parking area there was only one car with suspicious looking characters in it, so I decided I didn't want to risk leaving the car for an hour or so, so I went over to Calblanque again.  This time, as it was warmer and calmer, I walked around the back of the salinas in order to read some Audouin's rings, and was very surprised to see an Osprey sat on a post there.  When it saw me it was off, but I did manage to snap a quick photo as it made it's way off towards the Med. and then on west towards Portman.  I counted around 200 Audouins Gulls (but only managed to read 5 rings) and with them were a couple of adult Lesser Black-backed Gulls (not common around here) and 10 or so Yellow-legged Gulls.  Other birds of interest seen here were Black Wheatear, Little Owl, Dartford and Sardinian Warbler, Stonechat, Songthrush, Rock Dove, Shelduck, Mallard, Hoopoe and Common Buzzard, and I heard Green Woodpecker.  Also while walking around the back of the salinas I saw a couple of Rabbits and a single Iberian Hare.

 On a warmer, calmer day today, this Thekla Lark was up there giving it's all

 One of the adult Audouins's Gulls coming in from the Med. to the salinas

 One of a couple of pairs of Little Owls in Calblanque

 

The surprise of the day - this Osprey that was sitting on a post in the middle of the salinas

 
And that's all for now.  With warm southerly winds forecast for this weekend, there should be plenty to see.
Good birding!

EDAR Cabeza Beaza, Cartagena – Thursday 16th August 2012

Weather: Sky clear, no wind, 30ºC.  With Diego Zamora Urán, Antonio Fernandez-Caro.

Today we did the monthly count at the Cartagena sewage farm at Cabeza Beaza, just outside Cartagena.

We had all the normal birds seen on the two lagoons – around 1,500 Black Necked Grebes, Little Grebes, Mallard, Cattle Egrets, Coot, Moorhen, Shelduck, Mallard, 50+ Pochard, the first couple of Shoveler of the post-breeding period, around 150 White Headed Ducks.  Of note were 11 Red-crested Pochards, and in amongst the Pochards a single adult male Tufted Duck in eclipse plumage.  Also 4 adult Greater Flamingos.  Of waders there was a sizeable group of Black Winged Stilts (around 200), 2 Common Sandpipers and a single Ruff.

No photos of the ducks I'm afraid - as always they were a long way off, but a few photos of the other birds seen. 

 Hoopoe seen out of the car window

 Part of the group of Black Winged Stilts

 ...that soon took to the air

Part of a family group of 4 Red-rumped Swallows

 

Flying continually over the lagoons were both Common and Pallid Swifts, Swallows, Red-rumped Swallows and House Martins, while around the edge of the lagoons were both Iberian and White Wagtails.  On overhead H.T. cables were a large group (50+) of Woodpigeons and another of 30+ Turtle Doves.

Species seen

Little Grebe (Tachybaptus ruficollis)

Black-necked Grebe (Podiceps nigricollis)

Cattle Egret (Bubulbus ibis)

Greater Flamingo (Phoenicopterus roseus)

Shelduck (Tadorna tadorna)

Pochard (Aythra ferina)

Red-crested Pochard (Netta rufina)

Tufted Duck (Aythya fuligula)

Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos)

Shoveler (anas clypeata)

White-headed Duck (Oxyura leucocephala)

Yellow-legged Gull (Larus michahellis)

Black-headed Gull (Larus ridibundus)

Coot (Fulica atra)

Moorhen (Gallinula chloropus)

Kestrel (Falco tinnunculus)

Black-winged Stilt (Himantopus himantopus)

Common Sandpiper (Actitis hypoleucos)

Ruff (Philomachus pugnax)

Red Legged Partridge (Alectoris rufa)

Swift (Apus apus)

Pallid Swift (Apus pallidus)

Woodpigeon (Columba palumbus)

Collared Dove (Streptopelia decaocto)

Turtle Dove (Streptopelia turtur)

Hoopoe (Upupa epops)

Iberian Wagtail (Motacilla flava iberiae)

White Wagtail (Motacilla alba alba)

Swallow (Hirundo rustica)

Red-rumped Swallow (Hirundo daurica)

House Martin (Delichon urbicum)

Tuesday, 19th June 2012 – Birding locally

In general things are pretty quiet locally, but as the afternoon was not quite as hot as it has been recently, I thought I’d have a look around at some of the local areas to see if there was anything about.  I started at 6p.m. at Cabo de Palos, having a look over the Mediterranean, but after 10 minutes of seeing absolutely nothing, I gave that up and had a wander around the clifftops and lighthouse garden.

On the clifftops I specifically wanted to see if the small colony of Common Terns were around again this year on a small island just off the cliffs (in previous years there have been up to 10 pairs), but there was not a sign of any birds.

Walking through the lighthouse garden area, it was again very quiet – apart from numerous House Sparrows, the only other birds seen being a few Collared Doves, 2 Linnets, 4 Swallows and 2 Red-rumped Swallows, and I heard a single Blackbird singing some distance off.

From here I went to have a look at the Salinas at Marchamalo, starting on the La Manga side (below the go-kart track).  There has obviously been some effort to fill some of the lagoons with water, but the overall aspect of the Salinas is still pretty sad.  Driving past the two lagoons that now do have some water in, there was not a sign of a bird, or in any other of the dry lagoons.

I went from here round to the other (Playa Paraiso) side of the Salinas, but here too all the lagoons were dry and birdless, apart from a few House Sparrows along the fence.

I wasn’t sure whether to go straight home from here, but decided in the end that as I was having a look around my local sites, I should have a look at Calblanque first.

Calblanque, Los Belones

Weather: Sky 4/8 hazy cloud, very humid, wind NE F1-2; temp.28ºC.  19:00 – 20:30.

I started at the old Salinas (Salinas de Rasall), but there were no birds on there at all and very little water.  I then drove down to the Cabo de Palos end of Calblanque, but apart from a couple of Crested Larks heard, again there was nothing.  Finally I went to the hides’ area of the Salinas, where there was plenty of water.  Here I saw a pair of Kentish Plover, and a pair of Shelduck with at least nine well grown ducklings.  There were also a couple of Green Sandpipers, presumably the first returning migrants, and a pair of Stone Curlews flew over.  On the fence of the Salinas were 4 Bee-eaters, and on a nearby fig tree, a group of around 70 Spotless Starlings. As it got later, more and more Swifts and Pallid Swifts started flying around the pools, presumably feeding on the mosquitoes of which there were more than a few.

Part of the group of Spotless Starlings seen on a fig tree

 A Bee-eater settled on some bushes at the side of the track

But once it saw that I'd stopped, it was off

Leaving at about 8-15, on the way back home I came across a Little Owl sitting out in the open on top of a broken stone wall.

On my way out of Calblanque, I came across this Little Owl keeping an eye on me

Species seen/heard

Shelduck (Tadorna tadorna)

Stone Curlew (Burhinus oedicnemus)

Kentish Plover (Charadrius alexandrinus)

Green Sandpiper (Tringa ochropus)

Woodpigeon (Columba palumbus)

Bee-eater (Merops apiaster)

Swift (Apus apus)

Pallid Swift (Apus pallidus)

Crested Lark (Galerida cristata)

Blackbird (Turdus merula)

Sardinian Warbler (Sylvia melanocephala)

Southern Grey Shrike (Lanius meridionalis)

Spotless Starling (Sturnus unicolor)

House Sparrow (Passer domesticus)

Linnet (Carduelis cannabina)

Serin (Serinus serinus)

Saturday, 16th June 2012 – Campo de Cartagena

Weather: Sky clear, no wind, temp. 18 – 28ºC.  08:50 – 11:45.

Today several local birdwatchers, myself included, took part in a census around the ‘campo de Cartagena’ (agricultural fields around El Algar, La Palma, La Puebla and Torre Pacheco).  The reason for the census was to see if we could find any new colonies of Collared Pratincoles.  There were 7 groups of us in the field, but when we joined up again after the census, no new colony had been found.

That doesn’t mean that the morning was wasted – it was good to go round some of the inland areas, seeing good numbers of Stone Curlews, Short-toed and Crested Larks, Black-winged Stilts around almost all of the farm reservoirs, Iberian Wagtails, hundreds of Swifts and Pallid Swifts feeding over the fields, Turtle Doves and a few Bee-eaters on overhead cables and Gull-billed Terns searching for insects, and I did see some Collared Pratincoles, and hear a single Quail.

 Probably the commonest bird seen on the ploughed fields, Short-toed Lark

I used to think that the Redshank was the noisiest wader you could see, until I came to Spain - the Black Winged Stilt can really give you a headache if you get too close!

Species seen/heard

Quail (Coturnix coturnix)

Stone Curlew (Burhinus oedicnemus)

Black-winged Stilt (Himantopus himantopus)

Little Ringed Plover (Charadrius dubius)

Collared Pratincole (Glareola pratincola)

Gull-billed Tern (Sterna nilotica)

Turtle Dove (Streptopelia turtur)

Bee-eater (Merops apiaster)

Hoopoe (Upupa epops)

Swift (Apus apus)

Pallid Swift (Apus pallidus)

Crested Lark (Galerida cristata)

Short-toed Lark (Calandrella rufescens)

Iberian Wagtail (Motacilla flava iberiae)

Southern Grey Shrike (Lanius meridionalis)

Spotless Starling (Sturnus unicolor)

House Sparrow (Passer domesticus)

Serin (Serinus serinus)

Greenfinch (Carduelis chloris)

Linnet (Carduelis cannabina)

Goldfinch (Carduelis carduelis)

Corn Bunting (Miliaria calandra)

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)