JULY 31ST - DAY 3 SHORT BREAK - BIRDS 'N' BUTTS

SAN PABLO TRACK - SAN ENRIQUE WOODS - LAGUNA TORREGUADIARO - PALMONES SALT MARSH

distant but you can see it is a Roller

Another hot day but a cracking birding day. We set off at 8:30am and drove the short distance to the track near San Pablo. We stopped the car along the way to look at a bird perched high in a dead tree some 100 meters from the road. It turned out to be a Common Kestrel but to our great delight there was also a ROLLER sitting in the same tree! After several minutes of watching this lovely gem we found a second bird, two Rollers, a great start to the day.

Zitting cisticola

The San Pablo track was as good as ever, we spent a couple of hours walking to the brow of the hill, along the way we listed some good species: Zitting Cisticola, Black Kite, Raven, Common Nightingale, Melodious Warbler, Sardinian Warbler, Bee-eater and lots of common species.

Short-toed Eagle

As the valley opened up towards the top of the hill we found Tawny Pipit, Southern Grey Shrike, Sparrowhawk, Montagu's Harrier and a superb Short-toed Eagle perched on a pylon. From the brow of the hill we found lots of Bee-eaters, another Montagu's Harrier and then a female Hen Harrier put in an appearance, another great bird for the day.

Juvenile Woodchat

At San Enrique Woods we found the usual Tree Sparrow as well as Spotted Flycatcher in the woods and on the river bank we saw Common Sandpiper, Little Ringed Plover, Kingfisher and Yellow-legged Gull.

Torreguadiaro provided a number of water-birds: Common Coot, Moorhen, Little Grebe, Purple Swamphen and Mallard.

Our last stop was at the Palmones, we walked along the promenade, it was still hot with a nice cooling breeze. The tide was extremely high and most of the birds were huddled together on a, smaller than usual, sand-pit. Five species of gulls: Black-headed, Mediterranean, Yellow-legged, Lesser Black-backed and Slender-billed Gull were all present. The only wader on the sand with them was an Oystercatcher. A long search of the salt marsh produced: Whimbrel, Common Sandpiper, Grey Heron, Little Egret ans a single Spoonbill.

a record shot of Slender-billed Gull

On the way back up to Gaucin we stopped at Sierra Crestellina to look for Bonelli's Eagle, The eagle didn't show but we saw Griffon Vulture, a flock of six Red-billed Chough and an adult Egyptian Vulture, a super bird to finish the day with.

Very few butterflies were seen today but we added Speckled Wood and Southern Small White to our list.