We set off at 8:30am after a late breakfast (the guys wanted a lie in) heading down the mountainside to the Rio Genal. It was a bright and beautiful morning, cloud free and a lovely temperature. We stopped just outside Gaucin to look at 3 Honey Buzzards that were flapping their way up the hill towards the village and later from the river we saw another 14 Honey Buzzards, 2 Short-toed Eagles and 5 Booted Eagles, all migrating north over Gaucin.
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| Tres amigos - at PALMONES today with Gibraltar in the background |
Back down on earth we found Serin, Chaffinch, Greenfinch, Sardinian Warbler and both Grey and White Wagtails. A couple of Blackcaps sat out nicely and we heard Common Nightingale, Cetti's Warbler and Golden Oriole, a Great Spotted Woodpecker flew over us as we began to walk along the track upriver.
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| the Rio Guadiaro viewed from the SECADERO track |
We then drove up the hill passed Sierra Crestellina where we made a quick stop to look at a Woodchat Shrike and a few Griffon Vultures.
The track down to river towards Secadero is always a favourite of mine but today it was a little disappointing. The wind picked up and it was difficult to see many birds in the bushes and trees. A single Bee-eater sat forlornly on a wire and a Turtle Dove landed next to him and 'turred' to try to cheer him up. A few pairs of Little Ringed Plover milled around on the shingle banks as did White Wagtail and lots of finches came down to drink.
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| male Serin |
In the hedgerows and bushes we found Sardinian Warblers and Stonechats and not much else. A pale morph Booted Eagle circled low over the top of us and gave superb views to the guys and a little later we saw an adult EGYPTIAN VULTURE drifting along the ridge towards Crestellina.
Further along the track we stopped and walked along the sandy banks looking for Olivaceous Warbler which proved elusive at first but showed well in the end. Along the river we saw Little Egret, Common Sandpiper, White Wagtails and more Little Ringed Plovers.
Next we drove to San Enrique woods where we had the best excitement of the morning, we decided to eat our picnic lunch on the entrance track to the woods. It was fairly quiet until a WRYNECK called out from the tree right next to us, what luck, the bird showed very well from a number of perches giving us excellent views, a second bird called from within the woods. Another target bird was the Tree Sparrow and one of them landed on the track in front of us, meanwhile a puddle further along the track provided a bathing pool for Serins and Cirl Buntings.
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| WRYNECK at San Enrique Woods |
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| A second bird seen a little later |
We made a very brief visit to the Laguna TORREGUADIARO and saw not a lot! The reeds have grown so high that you cannot hardly see the water, a waste of time now.
At PINAR del REY pine woods we spent an hour walking through this unique habitat of 'umbrella pines' and ended up getting great views Crested Tit, Bonelli's Warbler and Iberian Chiffchaff.
PALMONES was also disappointing, we only saw six species there!! When usually there are at least 7-10 species of waders we saw only two, Kentish Plover and Ringed Plover, there were also two gulls, Black-headed and Yellow-legged and one tern, a single Sandwich Tern. A couple of Yellow Wagtails took us up to the six species mark.
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| three of the six species seen at PALMONES, Sandwich Tern, Black-headed and Yellow-legged Gulls. |
On the way home we stopped to look at the Lesser Kestrel colony near San Martin, a few birds were present, we also had a brief view of a Melodious Warbler.
Throughout the day Alan had been keying an eye on the butterflies, we listed several species including: Monarch, Cleopatra, Speckled Wood, Brown Argus, Small Copper and Bath White.
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