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......