A Local Half Day

Sunday 22nd March :- Having just got back from Southern Morocco I was commissioned by Katy Phipps to take her and her husband Ralph for a half day's birdwatching as a birthday present for Ralph. We met at Pego Marsh where the 'now drained' paddy fields held lots of Audouin's Gulls, Little & Cattle Egrets. The only substantial water was along the eastern tracks so we drove around to the viewing platform and boardwalk, where we found a pair of Little Ringed Plovers along the track. Leaving the vehicle we immediately got good views of a Zitting Cisticola sat on a reed as well as a lovely male 'Spanish' Yellow Wagtail. We walked along the boardwalk flushing a Grey Heron then at the platform we enjoyed a purple patch of finding a couple of Purple Herons, Red Crested Pochard, Marsh Harriers, Moustached & Savi's Warblers. Hirundines and swifts were moving north on this lovely sunny day with a full compliment of Alpine & Pallid Swifts, Barn Swallows, Crag, Sand & House Martins. Next we continued along the track but it was fairly quite flushing a Green Sandpiper from the side of the road, plus Water & Meadow Pipits, Hoopoe, Greenfinches, Goldfinches, Serin and Spotless Starlings. We then left this area and visited the river on the north of the reserve where we had a walk looking specifically for Kingfisher. Blackcaps and Chiffchaffs snag from the shrubs and trees then the peep of a Kingfisher signalled our first blue gem as it flashed through. We stood by a reedy pool and waited listening to the acrocephalus warblers deep within the reeds. Another Kingfisher appeared followed by a second and we managed to get some good flight views but only briefly sat on reeds unfortunately. A surprise happened next as a male Little Bittern flew across the pool but sadly landed out of sight and couldn't be found. We wandered back to the car seeing a Common Buzzard plus Hoopoe, Stonechats, Blackbirds, White Wagtails and another Little Bittern - excellent. The final place we visited was to walk up the hill to the pumping station, which gives fantastic views out over the whole area. It was pleasant but didn't add too much bird-wise with only Sardinian Warbler, Black Redstart and Robin being added, although on the way down we did find a cracking male Sub-alpine Warbler, which was probably new in. It was now getting quite hot so we left the coast for the cooler mountains of the Val de Gallinera. Our target was the pair of Golden Eagles that frequent this terrain but without success, which was a little surprising due to the time of year. We stopped at several places en-route to the head of the valley seeing Red billed Chough, Kestrels, Chaffinches and Crested Larks. Ralph & Katy had very kindly invited me to a 'menu del dia' so we stopped at the Venta de Margarida and sat outside in the warm sunshine. During lunch we saw a few birds including a Sparrowhawk, a few Ravens and heard a Wryneck, but couldn't find it. After lunch we made our final visit of the day at the Barranco de Encantado where we stood at the bridge enjoying several Rock Sparrows, Grey & White Wagtails, Wren, Crag Martins, Sardinian Warblers, Cirl & Corn Buntings. So mid-afternoon we returned to Pego where I said my farewlls to the couple and continued home to Oliva.