Carabassi Road and Clot de Galvany

Early start and trending around the historical Rufous-tailed scrub Robin site on the Carabassi Road and just in case the bird has turned up.  After a decent wander around, it's a no show, at this site, incidentally previously this site was a wash with rubbish left by holidaymakers but today it was clear of leftover waste and pristine. I watched today a major clean-up along the road and also lots of concrete blocks being laid along the length of the road. Maybe to stop the camper vans?  Plenty of Spotted Flycatcher there and the odd Turnstone on the beach.

The Clot de Galvany. 

Little Bittern, Squacco Heron, Night Herons, in good numbers. Whiskered Terns, Audouin's Gull, Black-necked Grebe, Great reed Warbler and Reed Warbler seen.

 Audouin's Gull

The Surprise of the day was a Penduline Tit.  Marbled Duck seems to be doing well and the same for White-headed Duck.  The resident Ducks like Red-crested Pochard, Common Pochard, and Mallard, are all present and breeding.

Penduline Tit

So That's the end of my Birding with Trevor till the Autumn when he returns. 92 species on the list, which is not too bad as we've only done a few mornings till about 11 o'clock and the nightjars for a few hours. And we've seen not travelled more than 50+ kilometres.

Pallid Swift

Tomorrow I have a Wedding to do, so no pressure.

Enjoy the rest of the week and go birding.

Cheers Bryan 

Maigmo Mountian

You never know what's these mountains are going to give you, will we be lucky today?

 Brimstone

An odd overcast day and high humidity, bird wise lower down nothing much happening 6+ Crossbills was the best of it.

Crossbill

As we began to drive up we picked up Crested, Long tailed, Coal, and Great Tit, also a Short toed Tree Creeper.  Flushed the first of four Rock Bunting's.  A Buzzard circled above us and Trevor pick out a large Swift but lost it?

Crested Tit

Several Bonelli's Warbler we're seen close to the top also lots of Chaffinch, and some bref views of Jay and Mistle Thrush. And at the top an Alpine Swift gilded around for a little while.

At the Balcony of Alicante 2 more Rock Bunting's and a few more Chaffinch coming to a small watering hole could be an interesting place to keep an eye on.

Rock Bunting

Rock Bunting

 Brimstone

For me the best thing about today was the shear amount of Butterflies and the different types Brimstone, it looks like they've just hatched absolutely everywhere,  lots of Swallow Tailed, a few Painted Lady,  Fritillary Butterfly, Spanish Gatekeeper, Clouded Yellow, Grayling,

Swallow Tailed

 Painted Lady

So nothing out of the ordinary and the best bit not a bird but the Butterflies

Mediterranean Fritillary 
Female

but where next?

Cheers Bryan.

The Tarmac Road

 3 more trips up and down the Santa Pola lighthouse road, for Trevor and me.  No sign of any Red-necked Nightjars on the Tarmac road,  but at twilight, there were a few moments around the car park of Red-necked nightjar with a few flyovers and a limited photo opportunity. both specie's seen or heard

Red-necked Nightjar 

Red-necked Nightjar 

No sign or any calling of Long-eared Owl from our previous visit?

The moment of the day was an SUV that turn up and lit up the night sky, the car park and the surrounding area, and the loudest music blasted out with deep bass (why)

We gave up,  but not before we jigged about and we left them to Shaggy and Boombastic blasting out music into the cosmos

Unbelievable 

Oh to be 20 again

Tomorrow another day let you know how it happens

Cheers Bryan 

Early Bird ect

So this morning Trevor and I set out to find a few European Rollers, on the way we checked out Santa Pola Salinas adding a few of the resident breeding birds to Trevor's trip list.

It didn't take too long to find the Rollers 3 on a wire together, so as we watch them, one flew straight towards a palm tree and promptly disappeared into a hole in the Palm, a new nesting site. We didn't stay long and moved off. Lots of little Owl the odd Bee-eater, and a Peregrine Falcon.

European Roller

Collared Pratincoles seem to have had a good breeding season as there are plenty around and another Roller  ended our morning's birding

Time for home

I've not mentioned every bird seen

Cheers Bryan 

Santa pola lighthouse Road and more

,

Trevor and I thought we'd try some late afternoon birding and try to stay out of the heat of the day but it didn't work, as the temperature still hit 40 degrees +.

Trumpeter Finch

Back at Montnegra and the Trumpeter Finch site and in the good afternoon light, plenty of visiting Trumpeter Finch not sure at this moment in time, if there are any new birds.  I've not had a chance to review all the photos, but more or less the same birds visiting the site. There did seem to be more Trumpeters visiting the site today and it came in waves, only 3 juveniles were seen at one time but a lot more adult birds some with rings, but the majority without, so I'm guessing but probably 5 + Adult males  + 3 Juvs it's very difficult to ID individual birds without leg rings and females don't seem to of appear to be showing as yet?

Juv Trumpeter Finch

N8539?

So we spent a few hours watching and waiting and our plan after that was to find Red-necked Nightjar on the Santa Pola lighthouse road.

We set off around 21.30 after a light supper at my house, to be honest, we could have been in place well before that as the nightjar were already up and flying as we arrive. Both species of nightjar were seen and heard in the twilight and easy. 

 long-eared owl
a very poor photo of a very good bird.

The big surprise of the evening was the calling of long-eared Owls in total probably 4 birds from different areas one photographed in pitch blackness, it is amazing what these cameras can do, a very poor photo of a very good bird.  Also heard Little Owl, Stone Curlew, and a possible very distant Scops Owl.  And despite several trips up and down the full length of the road, there were no nightjars on the Tarmac road. To be honest, there was lots of traffic up and down, maybe it was that, at some point, we will do a night sky at Montnegra.

long-eared Owl from my Archive

Make some news

And have fun, have a great weekend.

Cheers Bryan

More Questions that Answers

And so today we confirm the breeding of Trumpeter Finch at  the Montnegra site yesterday morning only 2 juvenile birds so far,  and the frequent visiting Adult Male with the leg ring ending in 596, pretty sure more juveniles will turn up at some point, over the next few days, I'll let you know how we get on.

596

Juveniles

As soon as we arrived a Black-eared Wheatear perched up also Spotted Flycatcher. Pavarotti the Blue rock Thrush was giving it stick endlessly. A few Black Wheatear, Melodious Warbler, Nightingale, Red-rumped Swallow,  Barn Swallow, Bee-eater,  a few Swallow-tailed Butterfly.

Black-eared Wheatear
whos a pretty Boy

Black-eared Wheatear starting to show sign of wear

Not bad for a few hours of birding, it's hot and by about 11 o'clock it's all over, too hot for the birds and it all goes quiet. 

Time for home and a cool down.

Incidentally, it is the hottest June in 60 years, god helps us if it carries on in July and August.

Have fun

Cheers Bryan

Unfinished Business update

 

Wednesday 8th of June

On another visit to Montnegra, we are trying to find out where the Trumpeter Finch were ringed and just how many birds there are, and where they are nesting?  We have a good idea by the direction of flight but finding and proving could prove to be impossible

Info

The nest is mostly a loose collection of twigs, plant stalks, down and fibres, grass, animal hair and occasionally feathers, placed in a shallow depression in the ground, under rock, shrub or grass tussock, above ground in a pipe or wall of the house. The nests in the cavity between rocks may have small stones placed at the entrance. They lay a clutch of 4–6 eggs. The incubation is done by females. The incubation period is 11–14 days. The chicks are fed and cared for by both parents. The nestling period is 12–14 days. The young frequently leave the nest before able to fly. The young are independent 11 days after fledging

Adult male Trumpeter Finch no leg ring

Yesterday I think I've identified at least one new bird, the most birds seen at one time was 3 and all-male, we've almost got a complete ring number by photographs all we have to do now is find out where and who's been ringing Trumpeter Finch. Over to John for that.

 Trumpeter Finch same bird below

 Trumpeter Finch

We are mostly seeing different adult Male Finches which makes me think that the females are on eggs?  And if you think that through and if all breeding was successful we could, in a few weeks possibly have between 12 + fledged/juvenile birds plus the Adult birds, the most bird seen at any one time was 11 juveniles a few years ago in 2019 If  I've got the year correct.

 Trumpeter Finch new bird possibly same bird in top photo

 Other birds seen in the ravine 4 Black-eared Wheatear 2 Melodious Warbler and a Spotted Fly,  Black Wheatear Blue rock Thrush 2 Jay and Mistle Thrush and Nightingale.

leg ring number 596  AMB and i think it could spell Madrid?

same as above

Have a great weekend

Cheers Bryan

Unfinished Business

 

Another day in the life in the Valley Montnegra.

Nice early start and in place and Birding well before 8 o'clock, it was a refreshing breeze almost chilly.  It didn't take more than a few minutes and a Black-eared Wheatear popped up and then a Spotted Flycatcher showed close by on a fence.

Black-eared Wheatear

Spotted Flycatcher

The resident Blue rock Thrush put on a fabulous open-air concert, singing all the time while we were there, amazing.

Pavarotti

 The star of the show was a pair of Trumpeter Finches which dropped in briefly, this pair of trumpets are different from last week's sightings as they both have Leg rings.

Nice Trumpeter Finch, crap background.

 Also Black Wheatear, and Red-rumped Swallows. 

The trip around, and stopping at our favourite sites produced at least 3 Melodious Warblers.

Melodious Warbler Number 1

Melodious Warbler Number 2

 This bird was deep in a black hole and a dense reed bed. I don't know how I've managed to pull this photo out of the shadows but it can be done in Canon RAW.

 Also a few Nightingale. The big surprise of the day was at least 2 Orphean Warblers which were very mobile, sorry no photos.

Go birding, enjoy being out there in the expanse and make some news.

Cheers Bryan

But where next?

Of interest, the police have on the N332 have been Stopping UK drivers and unlicensed motorists and checking their papers at the Gran Alicante turn off.

They're Back

Another Mega of Megas.

What a day in the Valley of Montnegra, we just had to go back, some unfinished business. So we started with Black-eared Wheatear then a Spot Fly, Serin's, and a Blue Rock Thrush a few Rock Sparrows, Nightingale's sounding off in the bottom of the Ravine, Red-rumped Swallow overhead. Nice.

 Blue Rock Thrush

First Breakfast. 

A cup of tea and a slab of Lemon Drizzle and we watch and waited, and not so long though, to tell the truth.

Ohh, I forgot to say those nice little Finches with the big thick red bills have returned, only a few at the moment, but they're back!

Trumpeter Finch

I did think on our last visit to Montnegra

  A week or go or so, I heard them but it was a distant call and I wasn't 100 per cent? So I let it go.

 At some point, we'll soon be visiting the other known sites. 

Back to the Trumpets.

And at the very same moment, the Trumpeter Finch's showed well, at a few meters, bugger me an Orphean Warbler popped up. ( well you just couldn't write it could you)

Trumpeter Finch

Unbelievable.

 Well, we both (john and I ) didn't know where to look. I didn't know where to point the lens this way or that way.

  It was all a bit chaotic and Messy (sod's law) and I fluffed both birds. Brilliant views of both birds, but only a few photographs.

Orphean Warbler 

I've been looking for Orphean Warbler for a while and it's a new bird for my Spanish list. ( Nice to find your own bird and grab a photo ) 

Bonelli's Eagle

A Bonelli's Eagle circled close by. One of the same bird from a week or ago, and after looking at the photo I think it's got a kill in its talons. Rock Bunting and another Spot fly, and at least 2 Subalpine Warblers are seen briefly.  (Why are these birds so difficult to photograph) More Nightingales, and a pair of Common Kestrels.

It was 36 degrees and hot, most birds had headed into the shade, we thought it was a good idea, and we headed home.

Any day you get a tick in the book of life is good, I don't get many these days.

it's never a big list a Montnegra but it's quality that counts.

So today felt good.

Have fun

La Marina - Santa Pola Salinas

I was awake at 5 o'clock, looked through the bedroom window to a Heavy Sea Fog and visibility of only a few meters and our plan to stay local and bird our patch might have, to be a rethought. John, Michelle and I weighed up the options. We bit the bullet and hoped the fog would burn off quickly. 

We set off across our local patch Santa Pola Salinas, our first stop we couldn't see anything  but could hear plenty of Little Terns, by the time we reached the Salt tower the fog had lifted a little and a Purple Heron flew overhead, a few Yellow Wagtails we're seen, Whiskered Terns were common, 

The Standing Stones

It was now misty and burning off fast another pair of Yellow Wagtails and that was it, besides the residents breeding birds.

El Pinet

All the usual suspects there and good numbers of Avocets, Black-winged Stilt, Slender-billed Gulls, Sandwich Tern, the odd Kentish Plover,  15 Collard Pratincole, Stone Curlew, lots of Little Tern, and Common Tern, 2 more Purple Herons flyovers. Common Swift, Pallid Swift, House Martin, Red Rumped Swallow, Barn Swallow.

Avocet
Early days but already showing the sign of moulting and breading fatigue.

Lower La Marina

Happy Days

 A Mega moment of the day was a pair of European Rollers at about 5 meters. Perched on the top of the fence taking in the heat from the warming sun.

 It was almost an emergency stop." Well done John"

 ( John was a driver, for the Police rapid response team so his training kicked in ) 

European Roller

 I didn't spot them till late hence our closeness, we must have had this pair of Rollers for the best part of 15 minutes the birds were completely content with our close presence, even falling asleep in front of the busy cameras.  A massive moment, I don't think I (we) have ever been allowed this very honoured privilege to be so close and observe them so closely for so long, "simply a wonderful moment" and never to be forgotten. A few times they responded to the clicks from the camera shutter noise.

Unbelievable.

European Roller

 Also in the surrounding area 2 Great-spotted Cuckoo and a total of 7 Rollers in that area,  a few Bee-Eaters on wires and a few more Turtle Doves, Gull-billed Terns, and Stone Curlew and just a single Nightingale and a stunning flock of Green Finch. ( I don't know why they don't split this bird to Iberian Green Finch, as I think they are so much brighter and bigger) who knows they must have done the DNA test?

Turtle Dove

It's getting hot and with high humidity. 

It's a bit Sweaty and there are plenty of mosquitoes about.

Have fun

Make some news

 have a great week

Go Birding

Cheers Bryan