Spain - Day 3

 

Thursday - September 17th

Senda Littoral - 7.45 - 9.30a.m

Other than Monk Parakeet and White Wagtail, virtually the first bird seen was no less than a site tick, an Osprey. The time was 07.08a.m in dawns early light, and whilst watching 2 Audouins Gulls, both suddenly cocked their heads skywards. 

Without there action, at that time of morning, I wouldn't have been looking skywards for Raptors, I would have likely missed it, a site tick no less.

Not surprisingly very crap photos at that time of morning, sunrise wasn't even up, I would presume it had roosted fairly locally to be active this time of morning, possibly even on the rocks.

Cory's Shearwater’s were on the move mostly heading west and Audouins Gulls were present in very good numbers,1 flock on the rocks totalled 42 birds. On previous visits here as well there has always been very good numbers, possibly a stop off towards wintering grounds.

Unusually no Sanderlings but a single Whimbrel was on the rocks with the usual Turnstones.

                                                                    Poor photo of Osprey

 

 

Battersea Power Station - 100 up!

Hi, I had been wondering which species it would be to reach the magic site list figure, often imagining something fairly rare in London, like an overhead Osprey or Cattle/Great White Egret but I then located it in one of the Gardens!

A site 1st in the shape of a Coal Tit, was located with a Blue/Great Tit flock moving through, I managed a couple of very poor photos but enough to capture and identify it, initially hearing it call.
Possibly a bird from Battersea Park, they breed there, so good to see that the Power Stations ever maturing habitat of Trees and Bushes, is attracting different species.

Along with this, not 1 but 3 Common Sandpipers made an unscheduled stop over at the Power Station, after flying low upriver, I spotted them from Switch House East Gardens but unfortunately for them, the male peregrine, ringed ABB also spotted them.
He dived on them and then a 2 minute chase over the Thames then ensued as the male repeatedly tried to grab one, the little Sandpipers, at times ditching into the river to evade him, in the end all 3 flew towards the sanctuary of the Coaling Jetty.

I immediately went down to the Northern Park and found all 3 sitting adjacent to the Jetty on a concrete beam, ABB had alighted back on the Power Station, I could see then that he was watching them intently, no doubt waiting for them to fly again.

Eventually after 75 minutes ABB gave up and flew off south, shortly after this the 3 amigos flew again and resumed their journey upriver!

Despite their name, they are not common in Central London, not even annual, this marks the highest count I have had at the Power Station.



Also very pleased to say that I connected with not 1, but 3 Grey Wagtails, if you recall these have been amiss on the previous visits.
They fed on the tideline and also on the now exposed grass, although patchy, still a food source. We now need to get them back breeding again, I have a few ideas.

A single fleeting view was of a Black Redstart, a female/juvenile type, it was a quick view and unusually the first time I have connected with one in the west side gardens.

Our female Peregrine is still going strong, she does seem to sleep a bit, she laid down after feeding on the Thames Water Tower, before then returning, straight into the nest box no doubt for another kip! She has earned it since arriving many years ago.
At her age, if she makes 2027, she will be around 16-17, she arrived in adult plumage in 2011 so it's entirely possible that she could even be older.

If I am ever able to read her metal BTO leg ring numbers, I would know her exact age and where she was ringed and came from.

Good to see also, a Common Darter Dragonfly, quite a rarity on the Estate.

27 species recorded on the day, slightly down, I usually aim for 30 on every monthly visit, however I made it to 100 species, 26 years in the making!

                                                                 Common Darter

                                                                Common Sandpiper

                                                 Heading up river before being intercepted

                                                            Male chasing Sandpipers

                                                        Coal Tit in there somewhere

 

Spain - Day 2

Wednesday - September 16th

Punta y Observatorio de Calaburras - Sea Watch 7.50 - 11.15a.m


Lots of sunshine from the off with a very light westerly wind, unfortunately the shelter was closed as they are installing a new boardwalk/platform.
From dawn good numbers of Cory's Shearwaters were moving through with lesser numbers of Balearics ,only a single Gannet was seen the whole morning.

I ended up with 269 Cory’s and 19 Balearics, 3 Audouins and 2 Med Gulls + 1 Common and 9 Sandwich Tern.

Waders amounted to a single Whimbrel, 9 Turnstone, 2 Ringed Plover and 5 Sanderling.
2's and 3's of Grey Heron moved steadily west, the group of 3 we're way out. I would presume they were heading for Gibraltar and the narrower crossing but who knows, they were so far out they could have been going straight to Africa.

Rancho Miraflores - Sis and Dave's

3.45 - 7.00pm


Birding and chilling out really doesn’t get any easier, one of my favourite places in the world, incredible views, a massive sky, the Med, beer, cheese and olives, you couldn’t ask for anymore.

A really good afternoon sitting on the balcony, a fairly strong easterly produced multiple Bee Eater flocks heading west to Gibraltar, totalling 186 birds made up of around 5 flocks.

A Marsh Harrier also came through, a male relatively low over the complex. Other Raptors included Sparrowhawk and 2 Kestrels
Also good numbers of Barn Swallows, around 80 in several flocks with a couple of Red Rumps mixed in, also a few House Martins and Common Swifts with a few Pallid’s amongst these also.