JULY 2ND 2012 - DAY TOUR

SAN PABLO TRACK - RIO GUADIARO - SIERRA CRESTELLINA - MONTEJAQUE - RIO GUADIARO AT CORTES

Today I took out 4 American clients who are staying with us here in Gaucin, in fact 3 of them were with me on the recent Pyrenees and Picos Tour. They still needed a few species for their list before returning to California despite seeing 170 species last week with me!

Geraldine, Mike, Ross & Natalie on the San Pablo track

So at 7am. Mike, Ross, Geraldine and Natalie piled into my car and we set off down the mountain towards Jimena de la Frontera. Just after San Pablo we turned off the main road and then we turned onto to one of my favourite tracks.

It was a beautiful morning, clear blue sky and very little wind. Along the route we stopped to look at Woodchat Shrike, Bee-eater and a perched Short-toed Eagle.

The track was brimming with bird life, birds were everywhere, lots of family parties roamed the hedgerows  and we quickly ran up a nice list. Sardinian Warblers seemed to have done very well this season there were lots of those, also Goldfinch, Greenfinch, Linnet and Blackcaps.

Melodious Warblers were also very numerous and each pair of Woodchat Shrikes had at least 3 young in tow. We saw a distant Peregrine perched on a pylon, a Raven flew over and a Booted Eagle drifted by.

A little further along the track we bumped into a Common Whitethroat, a great sighting and one of the species needed by my co-birders. Just after watching the Whitethroat we found two Rufous Bush Robins, our main traget species. Over the next hour we had a dozen or so good views of this lovely birds, there appeared to be a family of four, they kept dropping down onto the track and showing vbery well.

Whitethroat

Next stop was along the Rio Guadiaro where we searched for Olivaveous Warbler, it took us about 30 minutes to track one down. The bird was carrying food so we followed it as it flew over the bank of the river, we quickly located its nest which held chicks. So we retired to safe position and watched the parent birds coming and going to their nest, great result and another wanted species in the bag. We also saw several Turtle Doves, a Kingfisher, Little ringed Plover, Grey Heron, Booted Eagle, Red-rumped Swallow, Pallid Swift and another Booted Eagle.

At Crestillina we parked at the roadside so we could scope a Bonelli's Eagles nest. It was empty as expected but we hoped for a fledged bird to be near or close by. We were right, a Short-toed Eagle flew near the nest and a juvenile Bonelli's Eagle flew off the cliff face towards the passing bird, the youngster was calling as if begging, perhaps mistaking the Short-toed Eagle for its own parent!!Anyway, we go great views of the Bonelli's as it flew over us, a third 'new' species in the bag for my Americanos.

poor picture of Rufous Bush Robin

 After picking up lunch supplies back in Gaucin we drove to Montejaque and parked along a track just above the village. We ate our picnic lunch sitting on boulders in warm sunshine. A Black Wheatear appeared briefly but not long enough for the others to get a good enough view. The wheatear was a 'must-see' species so after lunch we drove round to the Tabniza dam in the beautiful limestone gorge a kilometer north of Montejaque. We immediately found a pair of Blue Rock Thrushes, the male was looking superb in the afternoon sunshine. Then a male Black Wheatear appeared and finally everyone got great views of it perched in the open on a rock pinnacle. Number 5 in the bag. Other species seen included: Alpine Swift, Rock Dove, Black Redstart, Common Kestrel and Griffon Vulture.

We decided to make a quick stop at the Rio Guadiaro on the way back to Gaucin as there was a chance of seeing White Rumped Swift, I have seen them many times coming to drink at the river during the afternoon. We positioned ourselves in the shade of a large ash tree and waited with anticipation.

Turtle Dove

 Despite the heat of the afternoon many species were active: Linnets, Goldfinches, Greenfinches, Chaffinches, Turtle Doves, White Wagtails, Little Ringed Plover, Cirl Bunting, Rock Sparrow, Red-rumped Swallow, Barn Swallow, House Martin, Pallid Swift, Blackcap, Short-toed Treecreeper (within 2 metres above us) and a nice surprise, a Spainsh Sparrow, another tick for the group.

An hour passed and suddenly the White-rumped Swift appeared, fantastic, everyone got to see it well as it circled over us, great result. A few Alpine Swift popped in to say hi too!

Seven new birds for the Group, 5 sought after and two surprises, not a bad day out all. There can't be many areas in Spain where you can see such a variety of scarce Western Palearctic species all in one day.

P.S.  AN EVENING WALK ALONG THE RIVER GENAL PRODUCED SOME GREAT SIGHTINGS OF RED-NECKED NIGHTJARS, WE HAD SEVERAL VIEWS OF PERCHED BIRDS AND IN FLIGHT.     NEW BIRD NUMBER 8 FOR THE GROUP.