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