We set off at 0730hrs and headed straight down the Algeciras coast road to the Marchenilla track hoping to see the Rufous Bush Robin we weren't disappointed! We drove a couple of hundred meters along the track and parked up, then we waited near an area where we both had some activity in recent visits.
After a short while two or three birds appeared including one very obliging male, it worked its way along the track catching insects and quite often displaying its fanned-out tail (although the tail was quite worn and the black and white markings were barely visible).
Some dipstick brought a camera with a dud battery and a the spare was also flat, so all the pictures belong to Paul.
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| The Rufous Bush Robin on the track |
Many other species were seen as we watched this special bird. Several Griffon Vultures, Short-toed Eagle (3) one of these was very obliging and flew right over the top of us, quite low! We also saw pale morph Booted Eagle,
Lesser Kestrel,Crested Lark, Thekla Lark, Woodchat Shrike
(several juveniles), European Bee-eater, Common Swift, Barn
Swallow, House Martin, Blackbird, Common Nightingale , Zitting Cisticola, Melodious Warbler, Sardinian Warbler,
Stonechat, Greenfinch, Goldfinch, Linnet and Corn Bunting. Turtle Dove
was also heard. We also saw a couple of Little Owls, one sitting on telephone cables and the other on a fence-line.
next we checked out the Black-winged
Kite site, but it was now late in the morning and the chances were slim. We also looked for European Roller that we had both seen at various times throughout the spring, but
neither bird showed;disappointing really as we were hoping to prove breeding had occurred with the Roller, we already knew that the Kite had raised at least one chick.
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