Spain, Costa Blanca, Alicante and Murcia areas May 12 to 16th

I am very fortunate to have aunts and uncles living in Spain, namely the southern La Manga area and the others are further up east in the Valencia region. This year I was lucky enough to be able to visit my uncle Bill in Los Balones, his villa is on the fringe of a mountain region, just outside La Manga. The views are spectacular, mountains on one side , the Parque Natural de Calblanque,the opposite side gives you views over the ‘inland sea’ of Mar Menor.

Mountain view ( click on photos too enlarge )

I flew from Stanstead to Murcia with Ryanair at a cost of £78.00, flight time was 2 hours 15 minutes, I have now flown with them a number of times and personally I think you get good value for money, bit of a free for all getting your hand luggage in but at £78.00 I was not complaining.

I would also like to say a big thank you to Richard Howard who took me to some sites on the 14th and 15th, he knows my uncle, without his help and local knowledge, I would not have seen half the ‘speciality’ species.

Bee Eater

Friday May 13th                                                                                                               
Dawn found me walking the lower mountains outside the villa, as the light came up many species started singing. Serin seemed to be everywhere and the calls of Thekla and Crested Lark soon joined the chorus, unusual sight of the morning was a Little Owl hovering over grass, never seen this before.

It soon became apparent that Fan Tailed and Sardinian Warbler were pretty common as I saw them everywhere, also heard Green Woodpecker.

Other species seen were-                                                                                              


Woodchat Shrike                                                                                                                                        Peregrine- Tiercel seen on Mountain

Hoopoe – 2 seen and calling

Spotted Flycatcher

Spotless Starling

Bee Eater – 4 seen hawking

Red Rumped Swallow – pair breeding next door

Swift – numerous

Pallid Swift – 1 definite

From here I headed out to explore the coast of the Mar Menor, 1st stop was an area of flat sand which is popular with the Kite Surfers, I arrived pretty early so not too many about. It is located around 2k further on from the village of Los Nietos as you head up the coast towards San Javier. As I arrived there was a very large flock of Yellow Legged Gulls resting up near a large pool of water, very shallow which obviously suited the birds present.

Kentish Plover

Grey Headed flava type Wagtail

Red Rumped Swallow

Black Winged Stilts, Avocet, Kentish and Ringed Plover were numerous, the shore line held a single Sanderling, a Gull Billed Tern, 20+ Little Tern, a couple of Commons and a single Sandwich.

Slightly inland were 8 Red Rumped Swallows and a couple of Grey Headed flava type Wagtails, cracking looking birds as were the Red Rumped, both gave good photographic opportunities.

Red Rumped Swallow

Time was flying by and could have stayed there for hours photographing but moved on up the coast, next stop was the very large working salt lake next to Torremendo, very hard to cover, many tracks lead to it but hard to get close. I went around this for about 3 hours covering probably 50% of it, best bird by far was a male Montagu’s Harrier, stunning. Other notable species seen or heard were Nightingale, every Orange or Lemon Grove seemed to hold one, Turtle Doves were numerous, always good to see. By now it was late afternoon so headed for home, very hot and heat haze everywhere, a beer was calling.



May 14th                                                                                                                             

The plains of Guadalentin                                                                                                         

I arranged to meet Richard at 7.30 and in little over an hour, we were on the plains in good weather. I have to say that this was one of the best days birding I have ever had, the list of species seen, and numbers, especially of scarce species, was staggering. There simply is no substitute for local knowledge, thanks again to Richard. During the course of the day we covered miles, sometimes on decent roads, but more often than not, on a farm track, it was great birding, you simply did not know what was round the corner. Using the car as a hide also gave us very good views of the specialist Larks, namely Short Toed, Lesser Short Toed and Calandra, additionally we both got some great shots.

Calandra Lark

Short Toed Lark

Southern Grey Shrike

This trip also provided also produced 3 lifers for me, Lesser Short Toed Lark, Rufous Bush Chat and best of all, Roller. Along with the ever present Bee Eaters, Rollers were spectacularly colourful, I have waited a long time to see one of these, well worth the wait.

Rollers

Male on left

A very colurful cable

Raptor of the day went to a pale phase Booted Eagle that gave good views.

Below is a list of just some of the species that we saw.

Rufous Bush Chat – 1 seen

Roller - a minimum of 8 seen

Quail - at least 8 heard

Little Bustard – 2 seen distantly

Hoopoe – 5

Stone Curlew – 8

Spectacled Warbler – 12 seen, a majority of these were singing males

Southern Grey Shrike – 3 seen

Great Spotted Cuckoo – 2 seen

Gull Billed Tern – 2 heard

Bee Eater – 12+

Booted Eagle – 1

Woodchat Shrike – 1

Red Rumped Swallow - many

Calandra Lark – 15

Short Toed Lark – 18

Lesser Short Toed Lark – 12

Also recorded were 12 Clouded Yellows.

We did not catch up with any Sand Grouse, it just provides a great reason to go back.

Stunning looking birds

From here we headed for a small lake on the edge of a mountain range called La Charca de Las Moreras, this provided great views of a pair of Great Spotted Cuckoos along with at least 10 White Headed Duck. The drakes really are cracking looking ducks, also present were numerous Great Reed Warbler, Red Rumped Swallow, Purple Gallinule, 3 Bee Eaters, 2 Cattle Egrets and a Hoopoe.

Spectacled Warbler

Pale phase Booted Eagle

To end the day we visited another site, a pair of Black Wheatears greeted us on arrival, I never realised that they are quite confiding, behaving just like garden Robins, not sure if this is normal behaviour but certainly appreciated to end a great day.

Black Whaetear

Black Wheatear admiring the hire car

May 15th

El Hondo                                                                                                                                                
I picked Richard up from Los Belones at 6.30am and we headed up the motorway towards Alicante passing Torrevieja and then heading for Dolores, El Hondo is sign posted from then on. The sign posts actually read ‘ El Fondo’.

The reserve is very big, made up of 2 reservoirs bordered by extensive reed beds, in total around 1100 hectares. The site in winter holds good numbers of the larger birds of prey, last winter they recorded up to 5 or 6 Greater Spotted Eagles, one of which I understand has a tracker.

White Headed Duck

Whiskered Tern

On arrival at the car park and visitor centre, it is very modern looking, we looked on an adjoining farmers field and had 3 Audouin’s and around 10 Mediterranean Gulls, whilst scanning we heard a very unusual call. First thoughts for me were perhaps a Crake, later seen, it turned out to be a Southern Grey Shrike, I would never have connected the call to a Shrike, having said that, I heard a Woodchat Shrike singing also, some of it sounded Finchy. You never stop learning.

Squacco Heron

As we entered the reserve, it was still quite early, the mossies massed and made a bee line for the fresh meat, got a few bites before we could get the repellent on, they are persistent little buggers.

As we walked towards the hide we picked up our 1st Heron, a Purple, shortly after this they all started to appear, Squacco was next with a bird giving good views on a flyby.

I then got onto 2 ducks flying at distance, initial thought was Gadwall, and I then got the head pattern and wing bar, Marbled Teal, a lifer. We later got good views of these and ended up seeing 2 pair. We reached the hide and the birds on show were spectacular, double figure counts of Black Necked Grebes all in there summer plume finery, Whiskered Terns up and down, Collared Pratincoles hawking and White Headed Ducks right in front of us.

Marbled Teal

Male Little Bittern

I had a brief view of a female Little Bittern behind me before Richard located a male that had climbed up on to a reed stem, between us we probably took over a 100 photo’s of this little cracker.Red Crested Pochard probably numbered over 50 and we also had 2 Purple Gallinules.

Species of note seen were

Whiskered Tern – 8

Great Reed Warbler – numerous

Southern Grey Shrike – 2

Cattle Egret – 4

Marbled Teal – 4

Collared Pratincole – 10

Squacco Heron – 6

Little Bittern – 2

Black Necked Grebe – 10+

Little Tern – 3

White Headed Duck – 4

Stone Curlew – 1

Green Sandpiper – 1

Purple Heron – 4

Alpine Swift – 2

Woodchat Shrike – 1

Peregrine Falcon – 1 female

We spent a good few hours in the hide, it was hard to go and leave such a display but we decided to visit another part of the reserve, this turned out to be the move of the day.

On pulling up we got onto a male Montagu’s Harrier giving good views over a reed bed, a stunning looking bird, as we watched another came up and joined it, then another and so on.....

Male Montagu's Harrier

In the end there were 5 males up and a ringtail, as quickly as they showed they all disappeared again, in the next hour we had some good views of a male hunting and calling, I also managed to get a couple of shots of him.

This area also produced 3 Rollers nearby, one of these mobbed a male Monty, too far away too photograph but a very persistent individual, it was quite a sight.

Moustached Warbler was also heard briefly but simply too much thick cover to view.

Santa Pola Salinas El Pinet

This is not very far from El Hondo, it is a series of man made large pools and hosts large numbers of breeding Avocet, Black Winged Stilt, Common, Sandwich and Little Tern and a very large colony of Slender Billed Gulls. I would say the colony of Slender Bills is probably around the 250 mark, they are simply everywhere.

Slender Billed Gull

Also present were 3 Collared Pratincoles, Whiskered Tern and a Southern Grey Shrike.

Would have like to have stayed longer hear but we were pressed for time and called it a day.

I did not think much could match Guadalentin but the birds seen at El Hondo, especially the male Montagu’s Harriers did so.

May 16th Bills

Last morning before flying home so I did a dawn stint from the rooftop for around 2 hours.

Birds of note seen were

Peregrine –Tiercel climbing for all his worth, obviously on to something higher up

Blue Rock Thrush – 1 flying to mountain side

Wood Lark – 1 overhead

Spannish Sparrow – 1 possible seen briefly

Alpine Swift – 3 in amongst the Swifts and Red Rumps

Stone Curlew – flight calling at dawn, took me a while to suss out what it was before I saw it.

Rufous Bush Chat

Summing up, I saw some great birds all within a 60- 80 minutes drive away, I plan to go again, especially at migration time, I think it could possibly be good for Raptors moving down the coast towards Gibraltar, only one way to find out.....

Temmincks Stint

A Temmincks Stint was found this evening by Dick Jefferies in the Ingrebourne Valley, pretty sure a 1st for the site and long overdue, well done to him.I cant recall one as long as I have been covering the site, around 20 years, so a very welcome addition.

Click on photos to enlarge

The viewing area is drying up fast but should hopefully provide a good habitat for another couple of weeks, it looks excellent for a Wood Sandpiper etc..., well worth checking.

Hopefully the bird will stay and will be around for others in the morning.

Great Black Backed Gull

Barking Outfall probably hosts the largest Herring and Lesser Black Backed Gull colony in London, past counts have well exceeded 50 of each incubating, with Lesser being the predominant breeder. The colony is centred on a disused jetty and a number of free standing Victorian pillars.

Part of the Jetty structure ( click on photos too enlarge)

Last weekend, whilst watching the river, I was also keeping an eye on the colony, many are already incubating with others back and forth to terra firma to gather moss and grass. If anyone has visited a large Gull, or even a small Gull colony it is pandemonium, noise, fights and protecting your square of ‘turf’ is the norm.

As I was watching I also noticed an adult Great Black Backed Gull towards the very end of the jetty, all the others, naturally were giving him or her space, any that came to close were seen off. Definite territorial behavior so I made a mental note to keep an eye on him/her.

Photos show sections of jetty

I visited the site again this morning and amongst all the chaos I got a glimpse of a Great Black Backed Gull carrying some moss and disappearing around the back of the jetty. On this evidence it may be that they intend to breed, it certainly looks this way, this or another GBBG appeared shortly after and ‘layed ‘ up.

Great Black Backed Gull

In 2010, at Barking Bay, myself and Paul were both dived at by an adult GBBG calling and showing aggression, this bird came straight from another Jetty, possibly a breeding adult protecting eggs/young, or a fledged juvenile.

It would be good to record breeding for the London area, BWP gives there breeding range far away, higher up the east coast and the West Country if I remember correctly.

Photo’s were taken on May 4th,this morning I recorded 38 incubating Herring and 61 incubating Lesser Black Backed Gulls, as mentioned earlier, many are still building and I can only see, say 60% of the jetty and pillars.

The Valley

As I write this I am suffering, I have just returned from twitching the Nightingale at 5.30am that turned up on Friday next to St.Georges Hospital. The suffering is self inflicted and happens once a month up the Railway pub, I even pay to feel like this, the bike ride this morning should have made me feel better, it did not.

Greenshank, Green Sandpiper and Redshank in the viewing area

Whilst out on the bike this morning I decided to carry on and check the viewing area, I had in mind, after last nights rain, that a wader could have been pushed down. Although the viewing area looked great, there was not a single wader present, bit of a surprise, cant complain though as I have been very lucky with recent waders. The area looks so good, surely it is just a matter of time before a Wood Sandpiper etc… drops in. With the predicted heat wave coming, it is more likely to dry up completely, it is a pity that the water levels cannot be controlled to aid breeding birds like Lapwing, Redshank and possibly even Common Snipe.

Sedge Warbler

On Wednesday May 4th I had an afternoon of work and walked part of the Valley, clear blue skies and sunshine promised a good raptor. Still a little early for Honey Buzzard but with the recent warm weather, everything seemed to be early this year. Half way through the walk I did locate 2 soaring raptors, these turned out to be 2 Common Buzzards, very high but showing the variation in plumage, one light, the other dark. Even higher above them was a Sparrowhawk.

Light and dark phase Comon Buzzards

The viewing area produced a Greenshank, 2 Green Sandpipers, a pair of Redshank and 3 Little Egrets, I suspect as do others, that the Little Egrets are localized breeders and not birds just visiting from Rainham Marshes RSPB.

2 additions to the year list were added with Ringed Plover and Common Sandpiper seen on the Reservoir.

Green Hairstreak

Small Heath

I also recorded my highest count of Green Hairstreaks with 19 seen, again the weather is playing its part making it ideal for butterflies, it looks as if it will be a good year for them. 3 Small Heaths and a Cinnibar Moth were also seen, the Cinnibar usually come out around mid May.

Dragons were made up of one Hairy and a big emergence of Blue Tailed and Common Blue Damselflies.

Spotted Redshank - Dagenham Riverside

Monday May 2^nd

I decided to check the Riverside which is on a private estate after John Archer located a Spotted Redshank yesterday afternoon from the Kent side.

I was not very hopeful, having seen a couple at Rainham in the past, they never seem to stay long, this one was also going to be pushed off by the tide.

I located the bird in the same position that John had seen it which was a welcome surprise, it was also  into adult plumage and looked like a female, it certainly topped the birds seen previously at Rainham, to coin a phrase, it was a stunner.

Adult female (click on photos too enlarge)

Also present were 4 Bar Tailed Godwits, 6 Ringed Plovers and an Oystercatcher.

The quality and numbers of waders that have graced this section of the Thames over the bank holiday weekend has been very impressive, the numbers of Bar Tailed Godwits on passage is the highest I can remember for London.

Little Stints - Barking Bay

Sunday May 1st

As is usual these days I popped into the Bay after a dawn start at Battersea Power Station.After yesterdays wader fest by John and others across the Thames, I was hoping that some may have lingered and I could catch up with a few.

Bar Tailed Godwits (click on photos too enlarge)

Greenshank

Anyone who birds on this side of the Thames will know that you are always facing glare from the sun, today was no different with a strong easterly making it even harder to get a decent photo, I am saying this now as the photos below are poor. What I need is an anti-glare image stabilized telescope.

Little Stints

On arrival I walked the shoreline looking for waders, located Whimbrel, Curlew, 9 Bar Tailed Godwits, 3 Ringed Plovers, a single Dunlin, 2 Common Sandpipers and 4 Greenshank. An excellent assortment of birds, the male Bar Tails really are striking.

Little Stint, Ringed Plover and Dunlin

 The 2 Little Stints were glued to 3 Ring Plovers and the Dunlin, had a few doubts at first, it all goes through your head, the last Little Stint that I saw was a few years back, the length of bill seemed longer than I remembered. Paul and Bradders turned up and were lucky enough to see them before the tide sent them on there way, hopefully they will be relocated, Rainham has got to be favourite.