Great Day Out in Alicante

Adult Bonelli's Eagle

Thanks to Ian & Sylvia Wilson, Rob & Kathy Dowsett for joining me in a day's birding around the Alicante Region, culminating in a successful search for Greater Spotted Eagle.

The day started well at Santa Pola Salinas where we found 10+ Spoonbills, Great White Egret, 1000+ Greater Flamingos, 200+ Black-tailed Godwits, 3 Curlew, Avocets, Black-winged Stilts, Slender-billed Gulls and Great Crested Grebes. This was followed by a visit to the coastal salinas of El Pinet where we added a fabulous dark-phase Booted Eagle right overhead, Redshank, 100+ Dunlin and a Gannet over the Med.

After a coffee we continued the short distance to El Hondo another excellent wetland and along the Vistabella Road we initially saw lots of Marsh Harriers, Common Buzzard and a pale-phase Booted Eagle. We walked to a small reedbed hide and found 50+ White-headed Duck, 6 Tufted Duck, Red Crested & Common Pochard, Shelduck, Purple Gallinule, Black-necked & Little Grebes. The walk back to the car was very productive as we got views of a Greater Spotted Eagle - my main target for the day and the tear list. Following this we had a walk into the reeds where we got brilliant views of a Moustached Warbler along with Southern Grey Shrike, Green Sandpiper and Kestrel. It was now getting towards lunchtime but we still had time to check the agricultural fields, which produced the 'hoped for' Common Cranes - brilliant.

Bonelli's Eagle

We drove into the Crevillente Hills to the excellent 'Finca Bonelli's Eagle' owned by my good friends Colin & Jane. This lovely villa sits beneath a fabulous site for Bonelli's Eagles and shortly after arriving I found one on the adjacent rock face. A little later we had two adult birds flying round together, which was stunning. Also during our time here we saw 3 Hoopoes sat in a dead treee, Blue Rock Thrush, Crag Martins, Sardinian Warblers and a smart Little Owl. The day ended here and was thoroughly enjoyed by all.

Many thanks to Colin & Jane for their hospitality and sadly they are wanting to sell their wonderful property, in anyone is interested in seeing more of this property please visit this website - HERE

1 Target, 2 Days, 3 Lynx, 4 Sightings - High 5's....

An incredible couple of weeks in the Sierra de Andujar with multiple sightings of this gorgeous mammal along with lots of Mouflon, Wild Boar, Spanish Ibex, Greater Mouse-eared & Daubenton's Bats, Iberian Hare and of course Rabbit.

Added to this there's Spanish Imperial, Golden and Booted Eagles, displaying Goshawk, Black and Red Kites, Marsh and Hen Harriers, White-headed Duck, Night Heron, Common Crane, 30+ Little Bustards, Azure-winged Magpie, Hawfinch and Rock Bunting, plus a superb Horseshoe Whip Snake!!!ings

The bird list is now slowing up considerably although now at 161 and with the back end of February and most of March in India and Morocco things won't progress for a wee while now - looking forward to Castilla La Mancha & Extremadura, at the end of March. 

 

However bring on India - Tigers and Taj Mahal at the end of this month.

One down, eleven to go!

Red Crossbill (Cranes, Plains & Pyrenees 2012)

The ultimate day of January 2013 brought my final species of the month and a grand total of 151. Bizarrely it was while taking a snow-boarding break (not literally, that's just bruises!) at Valdelinares, Teruel Province, just 2.5 hours drive from the house. Snow sports in the morning and swimming in the Med in the afternoon as it is currently 20+ degrees - can't be bad for January. While I was struggling down the piste Crossbills kept flying over but got to see a stonking male eye-level on top of a pine as we sat on the chair lift going back to the top.

 

The next day it was February and a check of the Valencia Birding wetland revealed there had been an American Green-winged Teal at a small reserve near the Albufera d'Valencia about 40 minutes north of where I live. Despite having to get ready for my next two Iberian Lynx trips I got up early and headed off but sadly dipped the prize, although did manage to find a Ferruginous Duck amongst the scores of Common & Red Crested Pochards, plus there were lots of Pintail, both of which were new for the year - so not a wasted journey at all.

 

So the list edges on to 153, with only another 20 days left until I head for the Indian Sub-continent in search of much larger cats! That is then quickly followed by a Southern Morocco tour but after that it's back with a vengance as I take a group to Castilla La Mancha & Extremadura, which will boost the list considerably. Then it's April and migration in full flow......