DAY TOUR - JUNE 10TH 2011

GRAZALEMA - MONTEJAQUE CORK OAK WOODS - CERRO DE TABNIZA (THE DAM THAT DOESN'T WORK) and ENCIMA DE BORRACHES

I collected Jean hardy from his Hotel in Grazalema at 7:30am, it was a bright clear morning with a light breeze. We headed out of the village towards Ronda and stopped at the roadside after 10 kilometers to view some cork oak woods.

It was fairly quiet but we saw Mistle Thrush, Spectacled Warbler (fleetingly), Bonelli's Warbler and Chaffinch. We then moved into to the Cork Oak Woods that are found a couple of kilometers north of Montejaque. This extensive woodland holds many species and has open glades and a large lake. We found lots of birds flitting around in the trees, many we typical woodland birds that are found in the UK, Eurasian Nuthatch, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Chaffinch, Wren, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Spotted Flycatcher. It got more mediterranean with Golden Oriole, Serin, Red-rumped Swallow, Short-toed Treecreeper, Booted Eagle, Bonelli's Warbler, Griffon Vulture, Hawfinch and European Bee-eater.

We then drove the short distance to the 'Dam that doesn't work'. Along the way we noted Cresked Lark and Corn Bunting - my two most favourite species!!!

The habitat was totally different and so were the birds: Blue Rock Thrush, Black Wheatear, Alpine Swift, Red-billed Chough, Common Raven, Crag Martin, Rock Dove and more Griffon Vultures. We also watched Goldfinch, Greenfinch, Serin, Linnet, Black Redstart and Jay.

Another track found us searching for Rock Sparrow and Rock Bunting, we found the former and almost the latter - it turned out to be a Cirl Bunting.

Several other stops along the Guadiaro Valley found us searching the sky for Bonelli's Eagle and White-rumped Swift, niether of them played ball but Common Kestrel, Common & Pallid Swift and Booted Eagle did.

The superb walk along the Encima de Borraches track always produces good sightings and today was no exception. We started with Stonechat, Black-eared Wheatear, Thekla Lark and Little Owl. We then moved from the open rocky area to the heath where we gained great views of Spectacled Warbler and glimpses of Dartford Warbler. At the edge of the cork oak woodland we tracked down a singing Orphean Warbler and added Woodchat Shrike, Subalpine Warbler and more Bonelli's Warblers to the list.

Our last bird was Rock Bunting, seen from a great distance as it sat on a high ridge with food in its beak, we also got sightings of Spanish Ibex with very impressive horns.