Eagles galore

Yesterday I was with David Culverhouse and Sue on a local half day, and as they were coming from Bocairent I agreed to meet them at Muro de Alcoy - the head of the Vall de Gallinera. On the road we first found a Little Owl sat on an overhead wire followed by a pair of Bee-eaters just before we reached Planes. However it was at my favourite bridge that we spent the next 1.5 hours thoroughly enjoying sights and sounds of this area. Here we saw 5+ Golden Orioles, 2 Wrynecks, Rock Sparrows, Nightingale, Red rumped & Barn Swallows, Crag Martins, Common Swift, Sardinian Warblers, another Little Owl, more Bee-eaters, Cirl Bunting, Stonechat, Jackdaw, Greenfinches, Goldfinches, Serins and Great Tits. We continued towards the coast first stopping for a welcome coffee then just after Benissiva we saw our main target an adult Golden Eagle, so I quickly found a parking space (not always easy!). We got brilliant views as it flew across the valley being mobbed by a Kestrel towards where the eyrie was. Since it was just a half day tour time was against us so we quickly moved down to Pego Marsh where a short(ish) visit produced Squacco, Purple, Night & Grey Herons, Little & Cattle Egrets, Mallard, Black winged Stilts, Little Ringed Plovers, Audouin's & Yellow legged Gulls, Whiskered Terns, House Martin, Crested Larks, White & Yellow Wagtails, Great Reed Warbler and Zitting Cisticolas. We were nearing lunchtime and the end of the tour so we had to head back to Muro again through the Vall de Gallinera. As we entered the valley David pointed to a large raptor and I couldn't believe we were watching an adult Bonelli's Eagle, which was quickly followed by a second adult Bonelli's Eagle. Again I luckily found a parking space and spent the next few minutes watching this pair of eagles as they soared around the nearby cliffs. I have never seen Bonelli's Eagle here before, but a pair of adults - very interesting. Very pleased wth our find we headed up to Muro, en-route seeing a Woodchat Shrike and there I said my fond farewells to David & Sue. I decided to try a new way home and hit the jackpot as I found a Short toed Eagle sat on a pylon, which carefully watched a 1st year Golden Eagle pass overhead before moving on. Great behavoural activity and a pleasure to watch. It had been a great morning and all within half an hours drive of the Northern Costa Blanca.

A Tale of Two Trips

I have just returned from (almost) back to back short breaks to arguably the best mountains ranges Spain has to offer, along with their associated Plains area to the south.

The first was with Robert & Kathy Dowsett, Jim & Viv Harvey to the Belchite Plains and the Aragon Pyrenees where we were searching for Dupont's Lark, Citril Finch, Wallcreeper, Lammergeier, Red necked Nightjar, Ortolan Bunting, Rufous tailed Rock Thrush, Western Orphean & Western Bonelli's Warblers. Luckily we managed to find all of these species and many more, making for a wonderful 5 night break.

This was quickly followed by a trip to the Sierra de Culebra & Picos de Europa with it's unbelievably stunning scenery and wildlife to match. This was a combined trip with tourist company Planet Whale and 2 ladies from Singapore - Kim & Betty. Again the targets achieved included a pair of Wallcreepers, Snowfinches, Alpine Accentors, Alpine Choughs, Black Stork, Great Bustards, Honey Buzzard, Lesser Kestrels, Red backed Shrike, Iberian Chiffchaff, Western Orphean Warbler and Ortolan Bunting. Plus lots of reptiles and amphibeans such as Bocage's Wall & Iberian Rock Lizards, Marbled & Alpine Newts, Fire Salamander, Schreiber's Green & Ocellated Lizards. Mammals included Rebeco (Chamois), Red Fox, Marmots, Soprano's Pipestrelle, Red & Roe Deer. Brilliant.