SUNDAY 13TH OCTOBER 2013 - DAY TOUR

SERRANIA DE RONDA

SIERRA DE LAS NIEVES AND ENCINAS BORRACHAS TRACK

This was my last day tour of the year here in sunny Spain, boo, hoo!! I drove to Ronda to collect Pat and Joseph who are on holiday from Texas, USA.

The weather was superb, clear sky, no wind but it was a little chilly, 6C to start with!!! Oops!

We met on the famous bridge just as a flock of Red-billed Chough flew over, nice start. We then drove 10km down towards the coast to visit the beautiful region of the Sierra de las Nieves. We birded from the car park at the entrance to the park where it was a little quiet at first but birds began to appear as we walked in the open parkland. Both Black Redstart and Common Redstart showed really well and my American friends enjoyed the likes of Eurasian Jay, Blue Tit, Great Tit, European Robin and Common Chaffinch.

A view within the Sierra de las Nieves park

As we drove deeper into the park we stopped to look for Black Wheatear but all we got was fleeting views of Rock Bunting and a couple of Stonechats. More Stonechats appeared on the open heath where we also enjoyed good views of 3-4 Dartford Warblers, a number of Goldfinches and a couple of Cirl Buntings.

Another stop produced more Rock Buntings, 4 Hawfinches and a small party of Common Crossbills, this latter species was especially pleasing for Pat and Joseph as they had searched for Crossbills over a number of years during visits to Scotland without success.

record shot of Common Crossbill

In a mature pine wood we stopped to watch another collections of species: Crested Tit, Firecrest, Eurasian Nuthatch, Great Spotted Woodpecker (drumming), Grey Wagtail near a stream and more Common Crossbills coming down to drink.

After we ate our picnic lunch we drove back out towards the exit, we stopped at a couple of places to look for the elsusive Black Wheatear, again without luck. We find a lot more Jays, Wood Pigeon and a string of Griffon Vultures.

Just outside the park we decided to take a coffee at a roadside cafe, we sat outside in the warm sunshine. The view was stunning as we looked over the park and the distant mountains. We counted over 30 Griffon Vultures circling over the hills and to our great surprise they were joined by, first a Golden Eagle, 1cy, and then by an adult Bonelli's Eagle. Wow what luck and both gave great views in superb light. A Common Kestrel continuously mobbed the Bonelli's Eagle which was quite entertaining.  A few Serins and a couple of Rock Buntings added to our 'coffee watch'.

the Encinas Borrachas track

For the rest of the afternoon we walked along the Encinas Borrachas track found on the Algeciras road west of Ronda. The light was simply magical, we could see a flea on a Wren's back from half-a-mile away!

Thekla Lark

 High up on the mountain ridge we scoped Black Wheatear and Blue Rock Thrush and in the hawthorn scrub we found a couple of Southern Grey Shrikes and a Song Thrush. A Little Owl sat out on a ledge and a couple of Northern Wheatear flitted from bush to rock. Many Stonechats sat atop the bushes and several Thekla Larks fed in the grasses. After watching more Goldfinches and a couple of Linnets we then enjoyed a Woodlark as it sang in flight above us. For the next hour we had a great time watching Sardinian and Dartford Warblers, both gave excellent views as fed in mulberry bushes, the berries being both prolific and ripe at this time.

two record shots of Dartford Warbler

Our last species of the day was a flock of Corn Buntings sitting on telephone wires, how nice to see my favourite bird at last!

Our total of 45 birds wasn't great but the quality of the list was excellent.

Watch out for my 8 day tour of Coto Donana and Extremadura which begins tomorrow.