Ton Up!!!

On the evening of January 7th I drove down to my friends Rob & Kathy Dowsett's home in Murcia, seeing a Stone Curlew fly across the road. We had a plan to do a full day's birdwatching in Alicante Province which proved most fruitful. 

So as we set off the next morning I needed 20 new species to achieve my target of getting to 100 birds for the year. We started at the pine forest of Maigmo where an initail slow start resulted in adding Common Crossbill, Mistle Thrush, Jay, Red-legged Partridge and Short-toed Treecreeper. This was then followed by visit to the mountain village of Monnegre for Black Wheatear, but sadly not but we did see a cracking male Dartford Warbler and Thekla Lark.

Things were generally quite so we decided to head for the coast and the ever reliable Santa Pola Salinas. On the way we did stop off at the lagoon adjacent to the Museo de Sal, which added Black-necked Grebe and Water Rail to the list before arriving at the salinas. We started to find some new waders with Greenshank, Spotted Redshank, Black-tailed Godwit, Common Snipe, Ringed Plover, Grey Plover and Curlew. Kathy then did incredibly well finding a Purple Gallinule in the far reeds - species no. 195

It was now lunch time so we headed for the beach on this lovely warm day and sat watching the sea in the sunshine. There wasn't much happening but persistance paid as I found 3 female/1st winter Common Scoter loafing on the water - brilliant.

El Hondo natural reserve now beckoned so we first visited the Vista Bella Road and the first new bird here was a Green Sandpiper, followed by a Booted Eagle high over the reserve - 199!!! We then walked down to the hide and as we entered the first birds I saw was a flock of 21 White-headed Duck, my 100th bird of the year and also quite appropriate. However it didn't stop there as we continued to add wildfowl such as Shoveler, Gadwall, Wigeon, Common Pochard and a female Tufted Duck. In the reeds there was a Moustached Warbler singing and a Zitting Cisticola bounced around above. As we left the hide and made our way back to the car a couple of Penduline Tits called from the phragmites bed.

It was now getting towards late afternoon but we still had time for a quick detour to the visitor centre, which produced the biggest surprise of the day. We only had time to check the little pool behind the centre but what a decision by Rob as we found a pair of Red-knobbed Coots amongst their commoner cousins - only the second time ever I've seen this species here - brilliant.

Our final destination was our friends Jane and Colin at Finca Bonelli's Eagle for their eagles and a warm beverage after a long day. The sun was low in the sky when we got there and sadly there was no sign of the eagles. However they are very reliable and 20 minutes later a gorgeous pair of adult Bonelli's Eagles flew over the ridge and into the canyon, where they nest and roost. It was a brilliant end to the day watching them fly round and eventually land on the crag opposite where we were. However we had one last species of the day as it got dusk a pair of Eagle Owls started singing to each other - a great end to a fabulous day.

Thank you very much Rob & Kathy for all your sponsorship, help and driving - it's very appreciated and see you next month in India!  

January continues...

...the 2nd resulted in a failed attempt to see Eagle Owl locally bu I did manage to add Kestrel, Grey Wagtail and Wren.

However the following day I was meeting Jane at Alicante Airport so got there a couple of hours early and visited the nearby Santa Pola Salinas. This was superb in just a very short time I had added quite a few new species including an Osprey, Great White Egret, several Spoonbills, Little Stints and Dunlin plus lots of Greater Flamingos, Slender-billed & Lesser Black-backed Gulls, Avocets, Black-winged Stilts, Shelduck & Great Crested Grebes.

Today while playing backgammon on the roof terrace I added my 76th bird of year with an over-flying Common Buzzard - things seem to be going well! Please continue sending your pledges of sponsorship, my new target of 2000 euros is getting ever closer.

The best cure for a hangover!

Whenever you're doing any kind of bird race (any race for that matter) it's always useful to a good start, and today was no exception. After seeing in the New Year with friends and loved ones it was a bit of a miracle that I was out birding at 10:30am.

It wasn't the best of mornings, being overcast and with fresh winds but as I exited the front door a White Wagtail flew over calling - the list had started, and this was then quickly followed by several House Sparrows.

Oliva Beach produced the usual suspects with 50+ Balearic Shearwaters, Audouin's Gull, Gannets, Sanderling and Kentish Plovers being the highlights.

It was then on to Pego Marsh and sadly there was disturbance from the local hunters but added lots of new species, which included a cracking male Bluethroat, Kingfisher, Water Pipits, Tree Sparrows, Southern Grey Shrike (above), Marsh Harriers, Lapwings and lots of herons and egrets.

It was back home for lunch and as the weather had greatly improve I took a walk round Oliva Castle ruins, which surrounded by scrub and Black Pine. This was very productive with a couple of surprises - a small group of Siskin and a couple of Goldcrests. These were amongst the commoner Firecrests, Crested, Coal & Long-tailed Tits plus Little Owl, Sparrowhawk, Blue Rock Thrush, Black Redstart, Blacaps and Sardinian Warblers. I finished the day with a very creditable 53 species, 17% of my target!