4 days birding with Arte Lesyvor

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Arte Lesyvor Returns

 Didn't plan on going too far, but just did our local patch completely. 

Out most days about 9 ish returning about 4 o'clock 

Bluethroat

So I'm briefly doing the highlights, it has been tough going it seems to be getting harder and harder to find the Birds, with two day's hardly see anything.

Ferruginous Duck

I think we covered the area well and we didn't miss much, with one exception, Great Spotted Eagle. we spent some considerable amount time looking for this bird

At the Clot de Galvany

Stand out moment was the Ferruginous Duck a total of 8 birds were seen and showing well, and the best time to see them occurs late afternoon.

Ferruginous Duck

Good numbers of White-headed Duck and Black-necked Grebe,

White-headed Duck 

Maigmo Mountain 

 Firecrest, Rock Bunting, Crested Tit, Dartford Warblers,

Dartford Warbler

Dartford Warbler

San Felipe

Penduline Tits,  A Subalpine Warbler,

 was a very surprising sighting, at Santa Aguada I sat down on one of the benches taking the sun well i phished and up it popped right in front of me, well i nearly fell of the bench, I got the relevant features pale eye ring, I called Arte over we got another look at it wasn't easy as worked it's way through scrub. they never are.

just to muddy the water there was a pair of Sardinian warblers which were in the same area of scrub which I photographed by mistake thinking it was the Subalpine. Bluethroats and a quite few Booted Eagles.

Sardinian warbler

The areas covered Santa Pola Salinas, El Pinet, lower La Marina, Palm Farm Road, Palette Road, The Monastery,  Bellavista Road, Maigmo Mountain, Montnegra, and Carabassi Beach Road. And everything in between and returned many times to the same locations as we looped around.

Penduline Tit

Penduline Tit

Not mention every bird seen

Arte's total is 75 my total is a few more probably 80+

Serin

have fun go birding

Swallows are back seen quite a few

Cheers Bryan

Santa Pola Salinas

       A quick run around our local patch today 

      So we set off today at about 8:00

First stop there were lots of Greater Flamingos, lesser Black-backed Gulls lots of black winged Stilts, Ruff, Great white Egret, the odd Marsh Harrier,

 Greater Flamingo

Great Crested Grebe, Cetti's Warblers were in good song,

El Pinnet.

About 150 Golden Plover, about a dozen Stone Curlew, and Grey Herons there were quite a few during the morning, things seemed to happening the once numerous Black Redstarts looked like they were thinning out and moving North, Cattle Egret, Little Egret with plumes, lots of little stuff Gold Finch, Serin, Greenfinch, Linnet all in song a sure sign things are moving, a few Tree Sparrow, at pallet Road, I've never understood why its called pallet road. 

Southern grey Shrike

 Several Kestrels, Southern grey Shrike, Zitting Cisticola, and Stone Chat's seem to be everywhere, the odd small group of Meadow Pipits, plenty of Chiffchaff. And 3 performing Hoopoe's

Hoopoe's

Hoopoe

Palm Farm Road and on route to San Felipe 

More Marsh Harriers, Kestrels, a lovely male Black Redstart, at least 3 Booted Eagles, and Green Sandpiper's

Black Redstart

San Felipe

Waste of time it's more like a holiday park Camper Vans lots of people on electric bicycles a family or two and lots of children, having a picnic on the boardwalk under the canopy, people walking Dogs, what was there not much Red-knobbed Coot, European Snipe, Glossy Ibis, Purple Swamp Hen, Teal, Shoveler, Black-necked Grebe, Spoonbills,

Black-necked Grebe

The standout moment of the day was the Moustached Warbler, not just one but there were several singing from the reed bed on the route back and one bird showed well for a few seconds on and off, I must be getting slow with my big lens as I should have nailed it.

 Kestrel

Clot de Galvany

Only went to old hide nothing on the water except little Grebe and Galdwall,

57 species for morning birding isn't bad,

I've not mentioned every bird seen 

 Chiffchaff

With migration just around the corner, it is time to get out there

Having stretch

I did manage to get to the Guadalentin Valley last week on arrive, got an engine warning so i headed back before something major happened

Spanish Sparrow my only photo from the trip

Tonight's Moon

Have fun 

Sierra Espuña

My annual visit to Sierra Espuña

For the Wintering Thrushes

Left GA around 8 o'clock arrived at Alhama De Murcia an hour and a bit later and then the twisty road route to the top, first stop on the way up got us a brilliant Jay, now Jays are flighty and you would normally get a glimpse of the bird disappearing into a pine tree, but not this bird in full view for a few minutes, let hope it carries on that way.

Next stop we got Crested Tit, Crossbill, Great Tit, Long-tailed Tit, Robin, and Black Redstart, it felt quiet and not much bird song, or movement so up we went and on to the Mirador where there were more Crossbills, Coal Tit, Black Redstart, onwards and up we went, till we arrived at the place for the Thrushes and set off on the walk to the site.

Crossbill

Now I have to explain the hiking boots I was wearing were given to me and to be honest they were a size too small, but they looked brand new, I've never worn them before, I only have Crocs or open-toed sandals, and not what you would wear at 1:495 meter high.

So off we set I was struggling right from the beginning with these hiking boots, well the bottom treads on both boots started hanging off.

So I was walking basically in my socks to the site. Not nice on the grave path. A few Griffons Vultures passed over a few times very close, and the camera was in action.

Griffon Vultures

At the Ring Ouzel site, some hikers and dog walkers had just left the site, and that would normally spook the Thrushes and it would take time to settle again, you can hear them even distantly but today they were silent, surprisingly 1 or 2 Ring Ouzels popped up from nowhere.

Ring Ouzel

Mouflon

Then a heard of Mouflons of about 20 turned up on the Plato which put off the the Ring Ouzel again, so we waited, and after a bit, between half a dozen popped in and out.

Ring Ouzel

A few photos later and photos under the belt, I've been here many times over the years but it felt quieter than before and not so many birds.

Black Redstart

But that's how it is birding it's unpredictable

What was before might never be repeated, live in the moment.

Have fun going birding

Celebrate

Cheers Bryan

El Clot quick visit

 Monday 20th January

Nothing too much out of the ordinary its winter, but a nice selection of birds not bad for an hour.

Best bit 4 Ferruginous Duck probably the same birds from last year returning, they have been there a while now. White headed Duck now showing a blue bill spring is just around the corner.

 Ferruginous Duck

The weather has been great mostly sunny with plenty of blue, 

but cold at night. The coldest night was last week at -1 but during the day it's in the high 30s,

 Ferruginous Duck

Lots of Teal, Red-knobbed Coot, Shoveler, Mallard, Common Pochard Gadwall, Little Owl, Southern Grey Shrike, Cetti's Warbler, Bluethroat, Robin, Kingfisher, Marsh Harrier, Long Tailed Tit, Little Bitten. Grag Martin, Stonechat, Linnet, Greenfinch, a few gulls probably yellow-legged, a few Black Headed, Audouin's Gulls.Cattle Egret.

Cattle Egret.

There's a problem at the Clot as there are many foxes at the clot I've seen 2 or possibly 3 individuals hunting I've also heard that at night they trying to shoot them.  Also, I've met a Norwegian guy who told to me there are wild boars there and he was attacked by one.

The Eider Duck still Santa Pola Harbour. 

Eider Duck last month

I caught a glimpse of the comet going over to the Western skies at sunset and also photos of the Moon recently and the snow on the Mountains

Full Moon

Comet G3

Snow

Cheers 

Birding Costa blanca with a friend

With Dutch friend Jeanett 

I've known Jeanett for some years so when she contacted me for a day's birding I jumped at the chance. I've not caught up with her since Eider Duck in Santa Pola Harbour. 

Female Black Redstart

No plan but to just bird and see what's drops out of the sky to be honest it was what you would expect from all the usual suspects and a respectable total of 71 species seen for an extended morning's birding.

Bluethroat

Not so many photographic opportunities. I'm a bit more selective in what I press the button on nowadays but couldn't resist pressing the button a few times.

Chiff

For me, the high lights were just the sheer amount of chiff's, good numbers of Great white Egret a good selection of waders hi lights 3 Spotted red Shank. Several Blue throats, Water Pipit, Booted Eagle,

Great white Egret

So lovely mornings birding no mega's but we gave it our best effort and went everywhere started birding at 8 o'clock and 8 hours later I arrived back home.

Kestrel

Big thanks to Jeanett

Have fun go birding

Kestrel

Marsh Harrier

Cheers Bryan 

Arte Lesyvor

 Four days Birding 

With Arte Lesyvor from Holland 

I met up with Arte on Sunday the 3rd of November the plan was to bird locally, so we set off at a very leisurely pace across the Santa Pola Salinas. 

At the first stop, we got Mediterranean Gull, Audouin's Gull,  Kentish Plover, Little-ringed Plover, Dunlin,

Kingfisher, Marsh Harrier, Cetti's Warbler, and Stonechat.

At the Standing Stones

Spoonbill

 50 plus Great White Egret, about the same number of Spoonbills 2 Osprey lots of Little Egret, and hundreds of Great-crested Grebe. I think it's probably the most I've ever seen of Greater Flamingo on the Salinas. Water must be short elsewhere

Great White Egret

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Spoonbills 

Great White Egret 

We bumped into a few other birders who said they had heard about a possible Eider Duck at Santa Pola Harbour, so we set off to find the Duck. On checking it's the 2nd or 3rd for Spain in the Mediterranean so it's a possible Mega.

Juvenile Eider Duck

Juvenile Eider Duck 

We spent an hour or so with no luck, and with the weather closing in we gave up and set off for El Pinet we didn't see much there and then the heavens opened and the rain stopped play.

So after a promising start, it went pear-shaped.

Montnegra, Maigmo Mountain.

So the next day before setting off to Montnegra we went back via Santa Pola Harbour it took about 20 minutes to find the Eider Duck. This juvenile Duck liked to be photographed and posed point blank,   A tick for Arte, any day you get a tick is a very good day.

A Werther's moment and the luxury sweet came out

Montnegra

Was a disappointment only adding Blue Rock Thrush, Raven, and Dartford Warbler to the list.

Maigmo was much the same. So I said, we should cut our losses and go to the Clot de Galvany.

Kingfisher 

We found a Wryneck which was a devil to photograph and didn't want to play but we had good views and was easy to locate as it was calling most of the time, Kingfisher, Marbled Teal, Gadwall, White-headed Duck, Shoveler, Teal, Pochard a possible Ferruginous Duck, that was miles a away,  Black-necked Grebe, Great-crested Grebe, Barn Swallow, 4 Little Bitten, Great White Egret, a sky full of Grag Martins.

Bonete and the surrounding area.

The forecast was good a low of 10 degrees and a high of 27 degrees with clear blue skies, perfect I thought.  The forecast couldn't be more wrong a lovely morning as we left with dawn just breaking.

The closer we got to Bonete the worse the mist got and so we sat in the car at Bonete waiting for the thick fog to clear.  An hour and a half later it was beginning to lift, it was patchy but we added Rock Sparrow,  later Chough, Black Redstarts were abundant, Hoopoe, lots of Kestrel the odd Iberian Southern Grey Shrike at Corral-Rubio, and patchy fog still hanging around.

Out of the murk Arte picked out a large raptor on an electrical pylon and a long way away even through the scope and the fog it was big So I said "Arte let's go down that track" It'll get us closer to ID the bird (I thought it could be a Spanish Imperial Eagle)  down the track we went which ended abruptly. 

Unknown 

Half the distance was cut down. Telescope up and I D confirmed Spanish Imperial Eagle, Werther's original sweet came out to celebrate. The second Werther in two days. It can't be bad two sweets in a day or two. A very good Bird to find, Arte was happy finding his bird. Now how do I get a photograph,  I said to Arte I'd walk it, but it was maybe still 3 fields away and in the patchy mist.

Spanish Imperial Eagle

So I got some images but not the best but given the distance and weather conditions, it's ok and confirmed.

About this area

Given the recent rainfall and disaster in Venencia. I would have expected the seasonal lakes would be full of water.

But that's not the case there are no seasonal lakes up here. All have mostly disappeared and it's been that way for a year or two. Petrola is still evaporating and mostly lost half of its water. With very few birds.

There is one other lake with water which had lost lots of water but still has Birds on it.

This is only the second time in 22 years of birding I've not connected with Great Bustard the last time was earlier this year (springtime)

My thoughts are it's Climate change.  Great Bustard is always associated with some water with the continued drought they moved on to somewhere else. 

With a difficult day behind us but rewarding, we went to Yecla hoping things would improve there. We worked hard and covered the miles and were repaid with a very nice Ring-tailed Hen Harrier Black Wheatear, Corn Bunting, heard only Pin-tailed Sandgrouse, more than 60 more Chough 

Ring-tailed Hen Harrier

Ring-tailed Hen Harrier

A full day of birding of more than 12 hours with a few rare birds under the belt and lots of miles covered.

The last morning 

The plan? Get to San Felipe and bird back to GA

Little Bitten

We struggled with 3 Coach loads of children which in my mind is good to get the kids interested in wildlife but negative for birding.

Our fault? We Should have been there earlier.  And there was lots of maintenance going on cutting of reed and margins so birding was poor. We cut our losses and headed home

Booted Eagle 

Not the best birding day. Some mega highlights but that's birding for you.

Booted Eagle 

I've not mentioned every bird seen but ended up with 91+ species for the 4 days and considering the elements which were always against us it's not so bad with 2 mega's thrown in.

Photos to follow

Cheers Bryan 

Go birding and make some new

Have fun