Corral-Rubio, Bonete, Petrola, Yecla, and El Clot ect

At last a rewarding day Birding

Thursday the 27th of March 

Early start and away and on the road by 7 o'clock and on route to Bonete and 1 hour 15 minutes later we were Birding, Calandra Lark was easy, and the odd Barn Swallow looped around, at El Bachilla, Good numbers of Rock Sparrow, also there a good number of Common Kestrels and also Lesser Kestrels, probably 13 + birds in the air at one time and close range. Squabbling over territory and the cracks in the farmhouse wall, 

Big flocks of Gold Finch, Linnet, and several Hoopoe, we managed to flush 3 hares which were good as they ran right in front of the car, a little bit further on there was  a nice group (7) of the mostly male Northern Wheatear, also there Woodchat Shrike, And Iberian Southern Grey Shrike, Stone Curlews, and Marsh Harriers, and during the day we saw lots probably (30+)

The plains of Corral Rubio and Petrola

It wasn't long before we found Great Bustards' first group of 13 which took flight and watched them disappear over the ridge, and another group of 16, Avocets, Gadwal, and Yellow Wagtail, were also seen. The bird of the day was an impressive Spanish Imperial Eagle, which hawked low over the plains flushing the Calandra Larks, and Corn Buntings we lost it as went over the undulating hills only for the bird to pop up again, we gave chase and managed some better views. What a bird and massive. I forgot to bring Werther's butter sweets to celebrate the Eagle so a eucalyptus cough sweet was used instead. 

This is my second encounter with this Spanish imperial Eagle in recent months see my blog Four Days Birding With Arte Lesyvor 8th, of November. 

So the Spanish Imperial Eagle has overwintered around the Corral Rubio area and hadn't strayed very far from that area. 

Habitat

So after the recent bad weather, the seasonal pools are back but there is no way near the levels of 3 or 4 years ago, and they will dry up fast so if want to make the most of it and planning to go birding.

Go Soon.

Corn Bunting singing almost everywhere. Green Sandpipers, Kentish Plover, Red Shank, Greater Flamingos, Black-winged Stilts, Black-necked Grebe, Lapwing,

We stopped at the Estación for the little bustard but with no luck, we decided to make a quick dash for Yecla.

Which worked for us first bird seen was a Black Wheatear quickly followed by Black-eared Wheatear, a Blue Rock Thrush, another Woodchat Shrike, and a female Black-eared Wheatear, watched a Booted Eagles take out a baby Rabbit, a flock of 12 Pin-tailed Sandgrouse which I did initially dismissed as pigeons but as follow through the binoculars I was mistaken.  A Red Kite popped up from nowhere and had a duel with Buzzard.

Clot De Galvany  Santa Pola Salinas

Mainly Duck's at clot and we didn't venture far from the hides

Marbled Duck, Red-crested Pochard, Pochard, Teal, Shoveler, Gadwal, Ferruginous Duck, White-headed Duck, Red-knobbed Coot, Santa Pola Salinas Great White Egret, Sandwich Tern, 200 + Mediterranean Gulls, Slender Billed Gull, Great Crested Grebe, Cetti's, Warbler, Grey Herons, Dunlin, Little Stint, Little-ringed Plover, Glossy Ibis, Reed Warblers,

Many thank to 

Agha Verdits

Photos to follow I had to return UK the UK yesterday so no. Time to process the images

Have fun make so news go birding

Cheers Bryan 

4 days birding with Arte Lesyvor

,

Arte Lesyvor Returns

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

Out most days out ish about 9 oclock clock 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