DAY TOUR - MARCH 5TH 2012

SAN PABLO TRACK AND SAN ENRIQUE WOODS

Not quite a full day out because we finished at 2pm! I drove from Gaucin down to Jimena de la Frontera to collect my American clients, Marty, Linda, Phil and 7 yr old Peter. It was Linda and Phil who were the birders but it was little Peter who found the most birds and showed a great deal of enthusiasm which was nice.

We arrived at 9:30am at the entrance to the track at San Pablo in good sunshine and soon we were listing species. We strated with Collared Doves, house sparrows, greenfinch, Goldfinch, Spotless starlings and barn swallows. A little further along the track we watched Black Redstarts, cattle Egrets, lots of Song thrushes, a Little Owl, Common Buzzard and Sardinian Warbler. my clients really liked the male stonechat and also male Serins, they were pleased to see Corn Bunting, Cirl Bunting, Crested Larks, Meadow Pipit and Chaffinch. Lots of birds were in full song, spring is definitely here.

Once the air had warmed up we noticed more raptors in the sky with several Short-toed Eagles, Griffon Vultures, Lesser kestrels, a lovely male Marsh harrier and a whole bunch of Black Kites.

Before we left the area we went to the river and looked for Kingfisher which failed to show but we did see blackcap, White wagtail, Grey Wagtail, Song Thrush (bathing), Serin and we heard a cetti's Warbler. just as drove toward San Martin we saw an Ostrich in a field......hold on there a minute....yes it was a male African Ostrich, god knows how it got there and I'm not ticking that one!!!

At San Enrique Woods we spent some time looking for Tree Sparrow and eventually found a flock feeding on the track with serins and chaffinches. In the woods we watched Blue Tit, Blackcap and a drumming Great Spotted Woodpecker. We walked to the river and along the way a Woodcock flew up, what a great find, a new bird for me for Spain, I think, and just over 3 weeks since I ticked one in Morocco for the first time!!

The river wasn't very productive but we did see Grey Wagtail, Little Egret, Green Sandpiper and heard another Cetti's Warbler. We had to cut our birding short because Marty had to back at 2pm so we left the woods and called it a day at 1:30pm.