Spain - Day 1

Tuesday - September 15th

Parque Fluvial 7.30a.m - 9.30a.m – Fuengirola



The legs these days are a shadow of what they once were as I fast approach 70, so I had decided previously to work local sites from dawn, before then visiting the local mountain raptor watchpoint Mirador de las Aguilas. The idea being more time spent birding and less driving.

In regard to the watchpoint, I have to say a big thanks to Paco - Francisco Rios Bosquet, along with Blaz, they man the watchpoint, Paco got me on and identified a good few distant Raptors.


Not surprisingly, having arrived late Monday night to Spain, Parque Fluvial was my first port of call come Tuesday morning, I have been lucky enough to have seen some good birds here in the past like Squacco, Night and Purple Heron.

The usual dawn arrival produced a Night Heron flying around in low light, before heading off up towards the trees where I have seen them before.
I was then treated to at least 70 Yellow Wagtails leaving an overnight reedbed roost, searching the big pool failed to produce any more of the rarer Herons.

I gradually worked my way up the river, heading towards the Sea, 2 Kingfishers were the highlights before arriving at the Med.
A 20 minute sea watch produced 16 Cory's and 2 Balearic Shearwaters, the beach itself held a Little Egret and 2 Mediterranean Gulls.

As I retraced my steps, bird of the morning flew over in the shape of a Hoopoe, a Spain speciality but gone before I could nail it with the camera.

I was keeping an eye out for Waxbill and Penduline Tit, both had come up on previous E Bird reports.

Iberian Chiffchaff was also added on the walk back but nothing to add regarding more specialities – 31 species observed.

Tuesday - September 15th

Mirador de Las Aguilas 10.00a.m - 2.00pm

A good visit to my favourite Raptor Watchpoint, no less than 30 minutes from La Cala, Raptors can be a bit distant but better than a 75 minute drive to the Tarifa Watchpoints.

Although a good number of Raptors passed through, the undoubted highlight was witnessing a pair of Bonelli's Eagles target and chase, and then catch a Honey Buzzard. I saw this at the same time last year, very likely the same resident pair, chase and try and take a Booted Eagle which they failed on.

Nature in the raw and obviously very unfortunate for the Honey Buzzard, time and time again it evaded them, one high one low, before it was eventually snatched at low level.

From what I understand, it is common knowledge here, that resident pairs of Bonelli's Eagles, take advantage of the Autumn Raptor migration heading for Tarifa, by regularly targeting Honey Buzzard, Black Kite and Booted Eagle.
These are going through in numbers, but just as likely to be other Raptors of a similar size like Marsh Harrier, though these I suspect would be a harder catch being more agile.
Before the Honey Buzzard was taken, we had seen the pair previously diving on another Raptor just behind a hill, the outcome on this was unknown, presumably failing as an hour later they targeted the Honey Buzzard.

In regard to what else was seen, nothing really close but several flocks of Honey Buzzards totalling 111 birds, 4 Short Toed Eagles, 19 Booted Eagles, 5 Sparrowhawks, Marsh Harrier and 30 Bee Eaters.

                                                                     Short Toed Eagle

                                                             Honey Buzzards etc way up

                                                                     Booted Eagles

Battersea August 2026

At last some easier cooler weather greeted me on Sunday morning August 23rd, great weather from the off as I headed immediately to the Coaling Jetty on a low but rising tide.

Virtually the first bird seen, other than the ever present Gulls, was a Common Sandpiper calling and heading down river. A bit of a rarity in Central London, I am lucky if I see one over the year at all.
Add to this shortly after, a Little Egret flying up river, before then undertaking a u turn and going back down river, this was the best of the species.

Moving on from the Jetty, I searched the Northern Park and other than the usual Blue/ Great Tits there was little bird activity. Obviously with the recent heat, birds have been struggling quite a bit.

Only 2 Pied Wagtails were seen and I again failed to see Grey Wagtail, usually nailed on, hopefully they will return in the Autumn. With no insects in the now brown dusty grass, the same everywhere, ground foraging is not providing a food source with insects.

Watching from Switch House East gardens, also provided little bird activity with no sign of any Black Redstarts, it's possible that these may also have moved on to a better food source.

The Peregrines were active, especially the male from Parliament, colour ringed ABB, who was hunting basically since dawn, no successful hunts but a couple of near misses including a Feral Pigeon losing much of its tail.
It took me a good while to find the ringed female, yes she is still with us and with 2027 fast approaching, she is heading for her 17th year at the Power Station!

I eventually located her on a very distant Crane towards Vauxhall, she actually spent a good few hours in the same position, no doubt keeping an eye on the male hunting from the chimneys.

Just a pity that they cannot breed now paired, he is a young male 2 years old, so 14 years between them, I seem to say this every year, it will change with a new female but so far she continues to prove me wrong.
On other peregrine nest sites, older females are often ousted/replaced over the course of a few days, for her to stay this long is quite a feat so hats off to her.
Her last successful breeding was 2021, since then no laying, as befitting her age, she spends a lot of time in the nest box sleeping.


E Bird list below, 25 species recorded.


https://ebird.org/checklist/S386015456

                                                                         Male - ABB

                                                                           Female

                                                                        Little Egret

                                                              Female on distant Crane

Trail Cams

Red Legged Partridge on the Rock with 2 chicks, fairly regular on it. Put a Trail Cam on the new Little Owl Box for 2 days/nights and lots of activity.


No Little Owls yet but Barn Owls trying to access it through curiosity, or even looking for a roost possibly, this happened quite a lot over 2 nights. Would suspect fledged juveniles possibly looking for there own Box.


Kestrels already on it no doubt between hunting foray's to rest up, will place Cam again over the weekend.

Little Owl Pole Box

On Sunday with the valued help of my Amigo’s, Paul and Shaun and Freddie supplying the water which proved a godsend, we concreted in as above, a Little Owl Pole Box.

A bit of a bugger on the dig, I hit a few lumps of concrete on the way down, but rather miraculously, I got lucky and there was enough room for the telegraph pole to go down 1 metre.

On Sunday the whole event from start to finish took only 50 minutes, stand it up, plumb it and then concrete it in. Paul/Shaun did all the work but I could see they needed my guidance, so nagged them as much I could.

In all seriousness though the boys did a great job as usual and I removed the struts, levelled the substrate and placed a Trail Cam on it Monday morning.

It will be interesting to see how long it takes for the little fellas to find it, or if the Stock Doves find it first!

Watch this space.

 

Cooling Marshes

 

August 8th

As you know one of my favourite places that has rarely disappointed over the years, I visited with Paul at dawn on the Saturday, only my 2nd visit this year.

Lots of Curlew in the Breach on a rising tide, I estimated around 180+ also a single Grey Plover seen along with 6 Black Tailed Godwits and 4 Whimbrel the best of the waders.

The morning however will go to 7+ Bearded Tits, juveniles all, it seemed staying faithful to one particular Reedbed, always good to catch up with these. Additionally they stayed for a good while allowing me to get some half decent photos.

Raptors were represented by Common Buzzard, Hobby, Kestrel, Marsh Harrier and a juvenile Peregrine flew overhead, no rings that we could see. This far out ‘in the wilds’ possibly a juvenile that has left the natal site and is now self-sufficient.

Good birds/migrants seen on the drive out to the road included a Northern Wheatear, 2 Corn Bunting, 4 Whinchat and a Stonechat.

Battersea Power Station July 2026

July is always a bit of a quiet month with birds, migrants mostly start to move  August onwards, consequently I was not expecting a high species count, however good to see many juveniles around.

Setting myself up on the Coaling Jetty looking down river, virtually the first wildlife seen was a Grey Seal, very distant but the unmistakable head shape was a give-away, this is the 3rd Grey Seal I have seen at the Power Station over the years.

There used to be a big male around Chelsea Harbour a few years back, I suspect it's even possible the same beastie not being that far up river.

A good start to the morning as I then set about locating the Peregrines, the male(ABB) was very evident still at roost in the early hour, however the female was nowhere to be seen.

I left him in peace whilst I checked the Northern Park and Switch House East Gardens amongst others, good to note previously from the gardening team, that one of the nest boxes had a family of Blue Tits in it. I dare say this was the family seen up there later.

Looking down on Phase 3/4,I immediately located the pair of Black Redstarts on the Rock Pile, an elusive species as we know, they are very much at home on the Rocks with all its nooks and crannies.

Eventually the female Peregrine arrived with prey, which immediately stopped the male from actively hunting.

There then followed a number of chases after feeding, as she tried to cache the prey somewhere he would not locate it, eventually the pressure paying off as he claimed his share.

Still on 99 species for the life list - the 100th is out there somewhere.

                                                              Male after a Feral Pigeon

Pair of Black Redstarts