The Curse

 

Sunday 21st January 

Today John and I thought we'd get out and have a look around for the recently seen  Black shoulder Kite at Palm Farm Road.

My Devil Bird

The plan was to go straight inland and start the search, as we ambled around taking this and that track and bumping into the birds that were there.

Big flocks of Serin 200+ quite a few hoopoes, Chaffinch, lots of Marsh Harrier, a few Booted Eagles, Buzzard, Corn Buntings, and Black Cap, birding was a bit slow. 

The weather was overcast and the forecast was for full sun, possibly later.

 First breakfast tea and a slab of orange cake.

Down another road, "Slow up  John" There's something in the distant tree, I said its probably a Booted and Kestrel, I'll set the scope up, while setting up the scope, John said I've got 18 Common Cranes, great stuff, I got the camera out, next second there off and flying, I said to John, blimey there flighty, we were 3 fields away.  The birds were near Vistabella Road off one of the side roads.

Anyway, we found the reason the birds were flushed, a birder / the guilty one was less than 50 meters from the birds.

The Culprit

Unbelievable.

Surely the views through the scope would have given more than adequate views, without putting so much pressure on the birds.

We watched the Cranes ( 21 of them ) fly miles away, cronking as they went their way, so we gambled and followed,

Common Cranes

God knows where we ended up after many miles of tracks, we found 3 Common Cranes in a field somewhere near San Fulgencio.

 Common Cranes

 Common Crane

Other birds seen 2 Wood Sandpiper, Greenshank, Green Sandpipers, Iberian Green Woodpecker, Water Pipit, Meadow Pipits,

I've not mentioned every bird seen, and it's not a big list.

Time to call it a day and head for home.

 We call into the Clot on route home. It was a total waste of time. As there were far too many people and families, lots of noise, some sort of an event / a party even?  and no birds, I wonder why?

Avoid the weekends at the Clot.

 Enjoyable morning Birding

 At some point, I'll break the curse of the Black Shoulder Kite.

Have fun

Cheers Bryan