Today I took out Chris and Nathalie who are staying near Gaucin, in a finca, taking a well earned holiday. We met at 7:30am at the edge of the village and we drove straight to the river Guadiaro at Cortes de la Frontera.
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| Chris & Nathalie in Llanos de Libar |
A Grey Heron flew up as we got out of the car and by the time I had set up the scope we had seen Grey and White Wagtails and heard a Cetti's Warbler. The first part of our walk produced a Great Spotted Woodpecker, Spotted Flycathcer (3) and a couple of Sardinian Warblers. Many House Martins flew over us as we walked along the river bank and we came across two Hoopoes sitting on a fence and not far away a single Woodchat Shrike posed nicely for us.
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| Woodchat Shrike |
Further along the river we found Stonechat, Goldfinch, Cirl Bunting, Corn Bunting and several more White Wagtails. We stood and watched several species from the shelter of an ash tree and we were delighted to see: Blue Tit, Blackcap, Chaffinch, Greenfinch, Chiffchaff, Willow Warbler, Bonelli's Warbler, Great Tit and a superb Firecrest, all of which came down to bathe. In the sky we listed Common Swift, Red-rumped Swallow, a flock of Spotless Srtarlings but not a single raptor!
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| Blue Tit, Chaffinches and a Bonelli's Warbler taking a bath |
We then drove to Monejaque and enter the beautiful valley behind the village, Los Llanos de Libar. It was now very hot so we walked slowly and sheltered when we could. From the raised track we found a little area busy with birds, there was: Sardinian Warbler, Orphean Warbler, Stonechat, Black Redstart and a family party of Spectacled Warblers all in the same bush!! A little higher up the valley we found both of our traget species: Blue Rock Thrush and Black Wheatear. Many Bee-eaters fed in the fields and high above us we found several Griffon Vultures perched on the cliff face and many more in the sky - but still no eagles!
A short stop at the dam above Montejaque we saw Crag Martins, a Common Kestrel and some Rock Doves, it was now 38C so we retired for lunch.
After a lovely tapas lunch in Montejaque we drove the short distance to the Cueva de Gato (the cave of the Cat), it was much cooler there and we had much better views of Crag martin and on the way back to the car we saw a couple of male Cetti's Warblers having afight in full view, thanks for that little birdies.
It was now too hot to continue so we headed back to Gaucin arriving at 3:30pm. Chris and Nathalie set off back to their finca for a dip in the pool, how nice!
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