Today I returned to Spain in good time to collect a bus and my next group, four of which were arriving at Malaga Airport at midday. they all arrived on time so John & Penny, Eddy & Glenda joined me for the first birding excursion of the trip. Ian and Debra are joining us tomorrow.
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| Bee-eater |
It took all of five minute to drive to Guadalmar where a large piece of waste ground lies next to the beach and in direct line to the main runway of the airport.
Within a couple of minutes we had found a good number of Bee-eaters, several were very close and we found that they were digging nest holes in a low sandy bank. Next we saw Spotless Starling followed quickly by Eurasian Hoopoe, Serin, Monk Parakeet and Goldfinch. A short walk took us to a small stream lined with tall eucalyptus trees, in the trees we found Turtle Doves, a Bonelli's Warbler, Spotted and Pied Flycatchers and many Bee-eaters sat in the dead twigs at the top of the trees.
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| Monk Parakeets |
Feeding on the banks of the stream we found a couple of pairs of Little Ringed Plovers and a Common Sandpiper. Under a bridge we noticed a pair of Red-rumped Swallows had made their nest, they were making regular soirees to and fro. In the sky a number of Yellow-legged Gulls joined Barn Swallows, House Martins, a Common Kestrel and a single Common Swift.
A brief stop was made just before we reached Casares, we looked over a valley covered in oak woodland and recorded our first Booted Eagle and Griffon Vultures.
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| Serin |
At Sierra Crestellina we stopped to look at the Bonelli's Eagle's nest, a single chick could be seen standing on the nest, it is now well developed and must be about 3 weeks old, there was no sign of the adults. Good numbers of Griffon Vultures circled over the mountain ridge and to our great surprise we saw a Red Kite. in the distant we also saw Red-billed Chough, Crag Martin and many Pallid Swifts screamed above us.
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| Turtle Dove |
In the fields, hedgerows and fences we found Stonechat, Greenfinch, Woodchat Shrike, Crested Lark, Goldfinch and another surprise, a small group of Rock Sparrows.
We made it to Gaucin at 5:30pm where the group settled into their rooms and later we ate a lovely dinner cooked by my lovely wife Dawn. it's good to be back in Spain again.
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