lazza
Well-known member
And then it was off to Spain for 2 weeks, to our usual place on the Costa Blanca south of Alicante. As our Easter trip was quite late this year, a lot of the summer visitors had arrived, leaving me with fairly low expectations of adding many new species for the year, but I still managed quite a few, as well as adding some new birds to my Spain list. I've split the list into locations, although some were visited a few times, so the list is not necessarily in chronological order....
On a first cycle ride out along the canals near Urbanizacion La Marina:
82. Green sandpiper
And on several early mornings, on the same ruined barn (and where I've seen them in previous years):
83. Little owl*
On an early evening ride out to the mouth of the Rio Segura, across the river from Guardamar:
84. Spotted flycatcher* - new for Spain
85. Pallid swift*
.... as well as very close views of a woodchat shrike.
Over 3 or 4 visits to El Hondo reserve:
86. Kingfisher
87. Dunlin
88. Sanderling(?)
89. Ruff (?) - new for Spain
90. Little bittern*
And at the tower along the N332 on Santa Pola Salinas:
91. Turnstone
92. Whimbrel - new for Spain
My only lifer of the trip came in the form of a pale-coloured
93. Booted eagle*
drifting lazily over Urbanizacion Oasis one morning. A stunning sighting of a lovely, elegant bird.
As advised, I also had a ride out to the northern side of El Hondo, along the so-called "palm-farm road", and true to expectations, I had good sightings of
94. Roller*
(not one, but 4, in two separate pairs a couple of km apart).
And the final addition was quite a surprise, during a visit to Laguna La Mata (ain't no passing phase...!):
95. Oystercatcher
At the same location, I had yet another spotted flycatcher, and an unidentified dark green/yellow, large-ish warbler (Bonelli's? Wood?), but that may have to remain off the list.
[This all took my 2014 Spain list to a very pleasing 95, 4 more than my previous best last year]
* of which 6 are not on an earlier/higher list
On a first cycle ride out along the canals near Urbanizacion La Marina:
82. Green sandpiper
And on several early mornings, on the same ruined barn (and where I've seen them in previous years):
83. Little owl*
On an early evening ride out to the mouth of the Rio Segura, across the river from Guardamar:
84. Spotted flycatcher* - new for Spain
85. Pallid swift*
.... as well as very close views of a woodchat shrike.
Over 3 or 4 visits to El Hondo reserve:
86. Kingfisher
87. Dunlin
88. Sanderling(?)
89. Ruff (?) - new for Spain
90. Little bittern*
And at the tower along the N332 on Santa Pola Salinas:
91. Turnstone
92. Whimbrel - new for Spain
My only lifer of the trip came in the form of a pale-coloured
93. Booted eagle*
drifting lazily over Urbanizacion Oasis one morning. A stunning sighting of a lovely, elegant bird.
As advised, I also had a ride out to the northern side of El Hondo, along the so-called "palm-farm road", and true to expectations, I had good sightings of
94. Roller*
(not one, but 4, in two separate pairs a couple of km apart).
And the final addition was quite a surprise, during a visit to Laguna La Mata (ain't no passing phase...!):
95. Oystercatcher
At the same location, I had yet another spotted flycatcher, and an unidentified dark green/yellow, large-ish warbler (Bonelli's? Wood?), but that may have to remain off the list.
[This all took my 2014 Spain list to a very pleasing 95, 4 more than my previous best last year]
* of which 6 are not on an earlier/higher list