SIERRA DE SALINAS ALICANTE

Hi there and good morning everybody

 I've been so busy and I've got lots going on and so, unfortunately, I've not had the time to write my blog as I would like to, so this time to keep the news up to date, I'd like to redirect you to my friend's excellent blog,  for the news, 

it's because of the massive rainstorm over the weekend. This has caused some major problems for me.

Today we did however have the company of CBBC's Malcolm Plamer (A legend)

 who helped us along the way and guided us to through some unknown area's, 

 see the link below for a full rundown of what's was seen.

The link below Notes from a Birder and Writer.

John Edwards

And my photos below

Greater Short-toed Lark

Tawny Pipit

Short-toed Eagle

It's a bit crazy that we've come full circle and our unintentional offshoot off CBBC has evolved and our very small group, the NBBC  (No bins bird club ) are grateful to CBBC for putting like-minded people together.

Have a great fun day

Yeckla or local Patch thats the Question ?

 

Well our local patch won

Good morning everybody, and we decide to do our normal route which normally produces a good number of species.

 Great white Egret, Squacco, and Purple Heron, Collared Pratincoles, plus 25 pairs of little Tern under the belt, and all at our first stop. Looks like the majority of migrant waders have now gone through and only the breeding birds are left.

Collared Pratincole

We did however have a Peregrine Falcon On a power pylon, which we watch for some considerable time? But couldn't turn it into anything else.

Collared Pratincole

Today there were several moments throughout our day, the first moment was connecting with Great-spotted Cuckoo, not 1, not 2, not 3, not 4, not 5, but probably 6 including the heards, also Common Cuckoo calling for most of the day, all very showy and vocal.

Great-spotted Cuckoo

Great-spotted Cuckoos

Our next prolonged moment was the at least 4 displaying European Rollers, performing all over the place, and aerial, not happy and with the close proximity of nesting Common Kestrels in the same building, it was havoc. But great to watch the aerial combat.

 European Roller

 European Roller

 European Roller

Bee-eater

Bee-eaters  we're also very prominent. 

Other bird was seen well

Whiskered Tern may be 70+ birds, lots Common Tern, Audouin's Gull, Mediterranean Gull, thousands of Slender-billed Gulls, and Common Tern, Little Owl. Yellow Wagtails.

Audouin's Gull

We had a look at the historical Carabassi site for Rufous scrub Robin but no luck there it's not the first time I've been there this spring, it's close to my casa, so I visit regularly but no show, I guess it will be claimed there at some point, we did have a good show of long-tailed Tit family Also spotted Flycatcher, Woodchat Shrike.

A rather cute juv  Long-tailed Tit

Lovely weather hot and sunny

Have a great day

don't know

Cheers

Bryan 

Boarders Open at Last

 

October 2019 was the last time we visited.  Corral Rubio, Bonete,  Petrola, Higueruela,

And with the borders open today. We were off, an early start and raining as we left Gran Alicante.

Our target bird for today, Great Bustard, and Little Bustard, one hour twenty minutes later we were birding, Calandra Lark, Lesser Short-toed Lark, under the belt.

Lesser Short-toed Lark

 It wasn't too long before we connected with Great Bustard only 4 to start with, later another 28, and one flypast of Little Bustard. There's been lots of rain up there and all the seasonal lakes are full to overflowing.

Great Bustard

Great Bustard

Waders

 Kentish Plover

 Kentish Plover, LRP,  summer plumage Redshank, Common Sandpiper, Wood Sandpiper, Stone Curlew, Avocet, Black-winged Stilt, Lapwing,

Summer plumage Redshank

Duck

Red-crested Pochard, Shoveler, Gadwall,  Pochard, White-headed Duck, Shell Duck, Mallard,

Other birds seen

Bonelli's Warbler,

Wood Lark, Yellow Wagtail, Corn Bunting, Black Wheatear,  Bonelli's Warbler, Lesser Kestrel, Rock Sparrow, Rock Dove, Black-necked, Great-crested, and Little Grebe, Great reed Warbler, Marsh Harrier, Buzzard, Woodchat Shrike, Mistle Thrush, Thekla's Lark

 Mistle Thrush

Whisker and Gull-billed Tern around in good numbers and thousands

of Greater Flamingo. 

Greater Flamingo

Greater Flamingo

Heard Only 

4 Quail, and Great-spotted Woodpecker, Nightingale, Tree Creeper,

There were some notable absentee's like Eagles and Sandgrouse and Golden Oriole,  well we've got to leave something for next time. My favourite moment of the day was the fields full of wild poppies flowers,

 Stunning.

 wild poppies flowers

I've not mentioned every bird seen?

Make some news and have a great week.

Lesser Kestrel

Cheers

Bryan

Xixona

 

Recce to Xixona

An interesting day and we plan to revisit soon, Xixona looks like it's got the potential to turn up a good bird?

 Today's recce only turned up the expected mountain birds. The outstanding moment of the day was this amazing singing Dartford Warbler, and Melodious Warbler.

The sweets came out, for this tiny but beautiful bird and the Oscar's winning performance, Definitely won the male leading actor award.

Dartford Warbler

Dartford Warbler

Melodious Warbler

Update

5th May

Today a visit to Montnegra? But not the normal route you'd expect, a completely new route and too an unknown area. I have to say this new place blew my mind, and everybody else,  many thank Malcolm Palmer CBBC, for his knowledge of the area which is astounding, Malcolm joined us today to show this historical site for Trumpeter Finch, although no sign today,  I feel very confident it will turn up a good bird or two or even three in the future. 

First breakfast.

It was a lovely day birding with like-minded friends. We shared info,  birding stories, from way back, it was great,  We will do it again at some point.

A short detour and Wethear's were out again 5 Trumpets and also 2 Black-eared Wheatears.

Not a big bird list but does it matter?

The company more than made up for the lack of birds

Trumpeter Finch

Black-eared Wheatear

With news that the border restrictions are about to be lifted, it will be good to see some wide-open spaces

Have fun

Cheers

BT