A bright and breezy morning, the temperature is now dropping to a nice level, 20C this morning. I collected Deborah & Ian at 8am from the edge of Gaucin and took them onto the A405 towards the coast.
The light improved but the sun was still behind the hills as we stopped along a track some 10km out of the village. We parked in an open valley with gentle slopes on either side of the road, grass and scrub to our right and dense sc
rub to our left. It took a while for the birds to start showing but when they did we had a great time. Turtle Dove was our first sighting quickly followed by Short-toed Eagle, Stonechat & Woodchat Shrike (juv). A small party of Cirl Buntings fed in the grass near a feeding trough and we had good views of Spotted Flycatcher, Common Redstart (male), Sardinian Warbler, Red-rumped Swallow and Lesser Kestrels (4). A large flock of Bee-eaters flew over just before we left.
Deborah & Ian just before lunch
Our next stop was in the valley just before Jimena, we parked along a track that overlooked vast stretches of grassland holding cattle and horse, in the distance we could see a high wooded ridge and the town of Jimena. A sitting Zitting Cisticola posed for our cameras but our main interest was in the sky where in just 30mins we logged: Griffon Vulture (45), Honey Buzzard (9), Common Buzzard (2), Sparrowhawk (1), Short-toed Eagle (6), Booted Eagle (4), Black Kite (13).
We walked the track to give our necks a rest and found another Woodchat Shrike (juv), Pied Flycatcher, Spotless Starlings and many Stonechats.
Another stop just outside of Estacion de Jimena, produced many Corn Buntings and lots of the raptors listed above. We spent some quality time watching a group of 12 Lesser Kestrels whilst they fed, perched and hovered just across the road from us.
The light improved but the sun was still behind the hills as we stopped along a track some 10km out of the village. We parked in an open valley with gentle slopes on either side of the road, grass and scrub to our right and dense sc
rub to our left. It took a while for the birds to start showing but when they did we had a great time. Turtle Dove was our first sighting quickly followed by Short-toed Eagle, Stonechat & Woodchat Shrike (juv). A small party of Cirl Buntings fed in the grass near a feeding trough and we had good views of Spotted Flycatcher, Common Redstart (male), Sardinian Warbler, Red-rumped Swallow and Lesser Kestrels (4). A large flock of Bee-eaters flew over just before we left.Deborah & Ian just before lunch
Our next stop was in the valley just before Jimena, we parked along a track that overlooked vast stretches of grassland holding cattle and horse, in the distance we could see a high wooded ridge and the town of Jimena. A sitting Zitting Cisticola posed for our cameras but our main interest was in the sky where in just 30mins we logged: Griffon Vulture (45), Honey Buzzard (9), Common Buzzard (2), Sparrowhawk (1), Short-toed Eagle (6), Booted Eagle (4), Black Kite (13).
We walked the track to give our necks a rest and found another Woodchat Shrike (juv), Pied Flycatcher, Spotless Starlings and many Stonechats.
Another stop just outside of Estacion de Jimena, produced many Corn Buntings and lots of the raptors listed above. We spent some quality time watching a group of 12 Lesser Kestrels whilst they fed, perched and hovered just across the road from us.
A poor picture of a Zitting Cisticola
A brief stop at a small 'embalse' (man made reservoir), produced a flock of Cattle Egrets and not much else. Our lunch was taken in the pine woods at Pinar del Rey where we enjoyed a picnic whilst watching a Crested Tit. A woodland walk then ensued which gave us Jay, Short-toed Treecreeper, Blackcap, Spotted Flycatcher, Chaffinch & another Crested Tit.
The rest of the afternoon was spent at the very windy salt marshes of Palmones. a decent variety of waders were joined by gulls, herons, egrets and storks. The star bird was Osprey, 2 were present, one of which made a single attempt at catching a fish but gave up due the wind. Amongst the waders noteworth
y sightings were Oystercatcher (3), Whimbrel (3), Redshank (22), Knot (5), Sanderling (18), we didn't count the Dunlin, Ringed Plovers, Kentish Plovers, Common Sandpipers, Greenshank or Black-winged Stilts.
A good flock of some 50 Sandwich Terns were only slightly outnumbered by White Stork (54).
Many Booted Eagles drifted over, it appeared that the wind was driving them back inland from Gibraltar and our final sighting was a Sparrowhawk which flashed across the marsh putting up all the wader.
A brief stop at a small 'embalse' (man made reservoir), produced a flock of Cattle Egrets and not much else. Our lunch was taken in the pine woods at Pinar del Rey where we enjoyed a picnic whilst watching a Crested Tit. A woodland walk then ensued which gave us Jay, Short-toed Treecreeper, Blackcap, Spotted Flycatcher, Chaffinch & another Crested Tit.
The rest of the afternoon was spent at the very windy salt marshes of Palmones. a decent variety of waders were joined by gulls, herons, egrets and storks. The star bird was Osprey, 2 were present, one of which made a single attempt at catching a fish but gave up due the wind. Amongst the waders noteworth
y sightings were Oystercatcher (3), Whimbrel (3), Redshank (22), Knot (5), Sanderling (18), we didn't count the Dunlin, Ringed Plovers, Kentish Plovers, Common Sandpipers, Greenshank or Black-winged Stilts.A good flock of some 50 Sandwich Terns were only slightly outnumbered by White Stork (54).
Many Booted Eagles drifted over, it appeared that the wind was driving them back inland from Gibraltar and our final sighting was a Sparrowhawk which flashed across the marsh putting up all the wader.
A pair of Knots at Palomones
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