[lazza]

So, I hauled my way up to Crevillent today, into a strong breeze as well as up hill, taking the road around the north of El Hondo from Urb La Marina. I then headed up into the mountains, coming to a couple of signs showing circular walks (pilgrim walks?) so took the rough road heading northwards and upwards, eventually reaching the end of the accessible road and two further tracks both sign-posted Prohibidar so I thought I could go no further. However a grip of mountain bikers came by and went through, so I tried following them, only for them to go off-track pretty quickly. So I turned back, but still made it up to some nice rocky valleys. And what I'd I get for my efforts? Raptor? No! Interesting mountain species? No! Greenfinch and serin? Yes!

Also called in to the two hides near the visitor centre at El Hondo on the way back, but lustred conditions meant very little on view, although had 3 or 4 whiskered terns by the viewing tower

[Vipers]

Hi Lazza

The link below shows where you need to head for.

http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?hl=en&...16469&t=h&z=17

[john-henry]

[quote=lazza;2694241]So, I hauled my way up to Crevillent today, into a strong breeze as well as up hill, taking the road around the north of El Hondo from Urb La Marina. I then headed up into the mountains, coming to a couple of signs showing circular walks (pilgrim walks?) so took the rough road heading northwards and upwards, eventually reaching the end of the accessible road and two further tracks both sign-posted Prohibidar so I thought I could go no further. However a grip of mountain bikers came by and went through, so I tried following them, only for them to go off-track pretty quickly. So I turned back, but still made it up to some nice rocky valleys. And what I'd I get for my efforts? Raptor? No! Interesting mountain species? No! Greenfinch and serin? Yes!

Have a look at this site Mark.

http://www.fincabonelliseagle.es/index.html

[lazza]

Originally Posted by Vipers

Hi Lazza

The link below shows where you need to head for.

http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?hl=en&...16469&t=h&z=17

Thanks. Wasn't too far off! Will try heading that way next time. Any idea if there's much to see at the lake near Crevillent? Thought I might call by there next time.

[Vipers]

Originally Posted by lazza

Thanks. Wasn't too far off! Will try heading that way next time. Any idea if there's much to see at the lake near Crevillent? Thought I might call by there next time.

Sorry we never really checked out the lake, we did have a couple of Black Wheatears nearby though.

Finca Bonelli's Eagle is in the centre of the map, it's worth dropping in for lunch. We stayed there for a few days and I remember sitting outside with a cold beer watching the Bonelli's Eagles and with a Black Wheatear hopping around my feet. Now that's birding.

[lazza]

I think I read somewhere that it's up for sale. Wasn't exactly sure where it was but now I have the location, I reckon it's just about reachable on my bike. Any ideas about trumpeter finches? Also are there ever any sightings of wallcreeper - looks ideal for them...?

[Vipers]

I Haven't heard of any Wallcreeper sightings but Trumpeter Finch has been seen there. The best place to see Trumpeter Finch is in the Montnegre area (see link) but I think it would be a canny bike away.

http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?q=Riu+...Montnegre&z=15

[Phil Andrews]

I am staying near San Javier in June and expect to be heading up into Alicante for several birding trips. I think I am OK for sites for Marbled Duck, White-headed Duck and Moustached Warbler but am at a loss on where to start for my fourth target bird, Red-necked Nightjar. Any clues gratefully received!

[lazza]

Back home in chilly Northumberland after six days on the Costa Blanca just south of Alicante - our usual Easter break. With family commitments, and this being only a short holiday, I didn't get much time to go birding, but I got out most days on my bike from La Marina for an hour or so.

With 5 good sunny days out of 6, there was plenty of the usual species around, and I also added a lifer and a couple of species to my Spain list.

Around the local Urbanizacion in La Marina were the usual species - lots of spotless starling, house sparrows, serin and sardinian warbler, but also had a southern grey shrike trilling from a TV aerial, and on my last afternoon, a group of 8 or 9 bee-eaters came down in a neighbour's tree. Also, common swift seem to arrive on the last couple of days, adding to the odd barn swallow .

But also a surprise to me were cormorant flying over almost daily, in the evening. First time I recall seeing them here, but we were a few weeks earlier than usual so it's possible they have all left when we are usually here.

One of the tracks from the Urabanizacion to the coast, alongside one of the many canals, also added proved quite fruitful (I noticed many of the canals were very full at this time of year), with many zitting cisticola, white wagtail, little egret and serin, and several woodpigeon, red-legged partridge and kestrel. Also, a cuckoo calling from the farmland most days, and many fields holding lark sp(presumably crested).

My first proper trip out (on my bike) was past the river crossing over the Vinalopo (as described on the Costa Blanca bird club website), which didn't add the hoped-for Temminck stint, but a 20 minute stop still revealed little grebe and my first sightings of snipe in Spain, along with moorhen and mallard, with a couple of fly-over hoopoe. I moved on to El Pinet salinas, which again seemd to have very high water levels, but plenty of gulls (mostly slender-billed gull and black-headed gull, but also a handful of common terns and mediterranean gulls, and a couple of sandwich tern) and as usual, a large number of water birds (mostly avocet and black-winged stilt, but also flamingo and a pair of shelduck). A later visit back to El Pinet also added another new species to my Spain list, with 3-6 sanderling dabbling about on the beach between groups of walkers and joggers.

I also managed a couple of trips to the public hides around El Hondo reserve (San Felipe de Neri and Vistabella rd hides), which as always, was very fruitful. From the Vistabella road hides I had my only lifer of the trip - a single great white egret present in the same reedbed on both visits - and from the hides were visible several dozen Pochard and coot, as well as red-crested pochard, great crested grebe, white-headed duck and black-necked grebe. On the first visit there were a large number of flamingo, although far fewer later in the week, along with stilt, little- and cattle egret. From the reeds, the warblers were giving it some gusto, mostly reed warbler, sardinian warbler and cetti's warbler (but possibly also an aquatic warbler...?). There were far fewer birds visible from the hides near the San Felipe visitor centre, but the viewing tower gave distant views of collared pratincole, yellow-legged gull, a large number of black-headed gulls, and a small number of black-tailed godwit. Also, on my second visit, a pair of whiskered tern.

Other species seen on the Vistabella road included grey heron, wood sandpiper (on the small pool by the road), northern Wheatear, hoopoe and a flock of about 15 glossy ibis.

As mentioned in my earlier posts above, I also made a trip by bike up to Crevillente, aimed at adding some interesting raptors or mountain species, but it wasn't to be, with greenfinch and serin being the only species seen (and chaffinch heard, I think).

Finally, a couple of trips to Guardamar/the Segura estuary added Audouin's gull on the beaches, and great tit and green woodpecker along the Segura.

So, all in all, 62 species seen, which doesn't seem a bad return for a 6-day family holiday

[Mark Etheridge]

Originally Posted by Phil Andrews

I am staying near San Javier in June and expect to be heading up into Alicante for several birding trips. I am at a loss on where to start for my fourth target bird, Red-necked Nightjar. Any clues gratefully received!

If you can get to the Gran Alacant urbanisation south of Alicante (on the N332) go up the hill to "Top Alacant" and turn right along Avenida de Escandinavia. This takes you almost to the lighthouse, which is a good site for RN Nightjars and they are also seen around some of the urbanisations along that road.

Alternatively you can continue along the N332 south past Gran Alacant for about 1Km and you will come to a road on the left signposted "Faro del Cabo de Santa Pola", which is a long straight road taking you to the same lighthouse. If you go along this road just after sunset you are almost guaranteed to pick one up sitting on the road in your headlights!

[david kelly]

Just came back from a week in Torrevieja. Covered La Mata on three days with a visit to Santa Pola on one and El Hondo with Graham Critchell last Saturday. My first visit to this area and I would recommend the area for birding. As we did not hire a car there were limited chances for new birds for me. Highlights of the trip were White-headed Duck, Montagu's Harrier, Purple Swamphen, Osprey, Booted Eagle and Marsh Harrier at El Hondo. I definitely will return and maybe this time go inland for some upland birds.

David