This was the second birding - day for Pat & Kev who are staying with us for two weeks. The weather was bright and sunny all day with an increasingly stronger easterly wind developing as the day went on.
We set off in semi-darkness at 7:30am and headed in the opposite direction to yesterday, which was northward to the mountains. Our first stop was at the River Guadiaro at Estacion de Cortes. It was nice and cool to start with and a gentle breeze rustled the hedgerows. Our first sightings were of White and Grey Wagtails on the river and a Cetti's Warbler sang from the undergrowth, we found Spotted and Pied Flycatchers and a small party of Rock Sparrows joined Goldfinches and Linnets feeding in the fields.
SPANISH (SOUTHERN BROWN)ARGUS Aricia agestis cramera
A kingfisher dashed by a couple of times and a male Golden Oriole flushed from an oak tree. We also found Red-rumped Swallows, Woodchat Shrike, Willow Warbler, Sardinain Warbler lots of Stonechats and many Griffon Vultures drifted over. On the way back to the car we watched a couple of Common Redstarts, a Great Spotted Woodpecker, Blackcaps and a Garden Warbler.
Further up the Guadiaro valley we stopped on a track near Montejaque where we enjoyed a hour or so watching the mountainside and a lush valley below us. One particular bush, which was awash with berries, attracted a good number of birds and we logged Common Redstart (5), Orphean Warbler (1), Common Whitethroat (1), Blackcap, Garden Warbler, Spotless Starling and Pied Flycatcher. We watched a Sardinian Warbler eating Blackberries and enjoyed the antics of the Blue Rock Thrush and Black Wheatear, both species were still having territorial disputes even this late in the season.
Many vultures circled above us and we also saw Common Raven, Common Kestrel, Sparrowhawk and Short-toed Eagle. A little further up the valley we stopped at a viewing point which overlooked a steep limestone gorge where we found 'true' Rock Doves, Crag Martins, Rock Bunting and more Black Wheatears.
We ate our picnic lunch in the shade of the cork oak trees before venturing into the woods for another sortie. Not many birds were seen but the walk was lovely and shaded. One target species was the Dartford Warbler, which was seen well, we also found Nuthatch (heard only), Chaffinch, Wood Pigeon, Coot, Mallard and Little Grebe were seen on the lake.
SPOTTED FLYCATCHER - one of many seen today
After driving around Ronda we headed back towards Gaucin on the Algercias road, we stopped in the wide valley where the Encinas Borrachas track is found. It was very windy by then but we did manage a fairly good list of sightings. Unfortunately the Black-eared Wheatear seems to have left its breeding grounds and gone south but we did see Thekla Lark, Little Owl, Spectacled Warbler, Corn Bunting and many finches and Linnets. Migrants that were present included a couple of good finds in the shape of Whinchat and Ortolan Bunting as well as Northern Wheatear. Another showy bird was the Rock Bunting which was coming down to bathe in the small pool nearby. As we walked further into the valley we added Red-legged Partridge and Tawny Pipit to our list and we heard up to 3 stag Red Deer delivering their fog-horn mating calls but we couldn't see them.
WHINCHAT
It was now late afternoon so we decided to return to Gaucin so that we could sit on the terrace with a nice cold beer and watch the world go by!
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