Hans Martin Høiby
Happy amateur
This was a one-week family & cultural affair to Granada-Cordoba-Sevilla, flying to/from Malaga with public transport en route. Itinerary with birding highlighted:
Fri 02OCT15 – travel to Malaga
Sat 03OCT15 – travel to Granada
Sun 04OCT15 – visit Alhambra; travel to Cordoba by bus/train
Birdwatching 6PM / 7:30PM by the Guadalquivir, Cordoba
Mon 05OCT15 – visit the Mesquita, travel to Sevilla by train
Birdwatching 07AM / 08AM by the Guadalquivir, Cordoba
Tue 06OCT15 – Sevilla
Wed 07OCT15 – Sevilla
Thu 08OCT15 – Travel to Malaga by train
Fri 09OCT15 – Birdwatching the Guadalhorce River Mouth, Malaga 08AM – 12:15AM
Sat 10OCT15 – Travel home
Resources
Gyldendals Fugleguide (Norwegian ed. of Collins)
Chiclana/Garzon: Where to watch birds in Donana
Garcia/Paterson: Where to watch birds - Southern and Western Spain
Birdforum.net
Reservoirbirds.com
FB: Rare Birds in Spain
Outfit
Canon 20D, 300F4, 1.4Extender
8x40 Binocs
Opticron MM52 & LW Tripod
Digression
The week before departing home I joined a couple of groups on Facebook, of which one, Rare Birds in Spain, on 01OCT, 04.07pm reported a Solitary sandpiper by the Guadalhorce River Mouth. The same site confirmed this in a new message on 03OCT, but also stating the bird was not seen 02OCT. Furthermore the website reservoirbirds.com gave the same information, citing various sources. Upon arriving back home I found Andrew Patersons blog describing his observation on 01OCT, and the search on 02OCT. Anyway, all this www exercises was to no help for me this time – the bird was obviously gone.
Resume
This is not a complete trip report by any means, as I visited only two sites, but birded along our cultural track. A total of 79 species was recorded during the week of which one – the White-headed Duck – was a lifer. I could have spent a day birdwatching from Sevilla, but hiring a car on short notice was very expensive + the usual uncertainties regarding driving, finding the sites, finding the birds & having a good birding experience …
Some generalities
For a complete, day-to-day and site-specific species list, please see the attached file. I will only mention ‘honourable species’ in the text.
Rio Darro – Grenada
On the 3rd a Dipper and Grey Wagtail was observed here
Alhambra and Albaicin areas – Grenada
3rd and 4th combined; A Grey Wagtail was feeding on waterplants in some of the artificial pools. Lots of passerines in the gardens, not all to be identified due to just sounds, not sights (heard it before, any?). Autumn-singing Garden Warbler and Black Redstart was nice enough.
Rio Guadalquivir – Cordoba
Two visits, one in the evening on the 5th, walking from the Puente Romano bridge on the NW bank, and on the bridge itself. Did not stay until sunset. Little Egret, Kingfisher, migrating Willow Warblers, both Pied and Striped Flycatchers, several Rose-ringed Parakeets and three Muscovy Ducks.
Early morning (7-8am) on the 6th, went straight to the Puente de San Rafael ‘western’ bridge. A Tawny Owl was hooting on the north side. In the the streetlights two Grey Herons, 12-13 Night Herons, and and 1cy Squacco Heron – clearly white underparts and defined dark bill tip –was seen. And then the rain in Spain that falls mainly on the (Andalucian) Plains came! Game over.
The two full days in Seville added Blackcap as a new tour species, not so much for the records.
On the 8th
… we took the slower train from Seville via Osuna back to Malaga. Just after the town of Utrera the train paused for on-coming trains, giving good looks of one passing Red Kite, many Black Kites, common Buzzards, one perched White Stork, Carrion Crows and Ravens and several larks, Crested Lark positively identified. Real bonus.
Paraje Natural – Desembocadura del Guadalhorce.
So on Friday the 9th, the weeks Ornithological Expedition was on its way. As we stayed in Malaga City, I chose to go by bus. Line no 5 passes thru the town of Guadalmar, just next to the Guadalhorce River Mouth area. Service every 35 minutes or so both directions. I jumped off and on close to the school, but there are more possibilities here. Also near the MA21 and Toys R Us there are bus stops in both directions.
Anyway, I visited the area from 8am to 12:15am, that was from well before sunrise and well into the heat. Slightly overcast from the start, but more sun from ca 10am. I did not cover the whole area, but visited the hides at Laguna Casilla, Rio Viejo, L. Escondida and L.Grande. The latter was somewhat spoiled due to the visit of at least two student groups having a nice day out. The area was well visited, by people walking, jogging, cycling and walking dogs, but not crowded – just some noisy individuals here and there. And some fellow birders of both the British and Spanish kind.
I quickly found one of my target species, the White-headed ducks, which was easy to see in both L.Cassila and L.Escondida. The part of the Rio Viejo closer to the see held mostly the vaders, and the passerines filled in the gaps along the various paths. A male Common Redstart and a Whinchat was perhaps the more surprising. The ducks were spread in all the pools, I didn’t succeed in finding any Pochards, though. Thanks to my scope/tripod I was able to identify a Booted Eagle in some distant trees, but it was later seen close in flight. An Osprey was also seen both perched and flying, at least two Marsh Harriers as well. Finally a Southern Grey Shrike was the last of 50+ species seen this morning.
Fri 02OCT15 – travel to Malaga
Sat 03OCT15 – travel to Granada
Sun 04OCT15 – visit Alhambra; travel to Cordoba by bus/train
Birdwatching 6PM / 7:30PM by the Guadalquivir, Cordoba
Mon 05OCT15 – visit the Mesquita, travel to Sevilla by train
Birdwatching 07AM / 08AM by the Guadalquivir, Cordoba
Tue 06OCT15 – Sevilla
Wed 07OCT15 – Sevilla
Thu 08OCT15 – Travel to Malaga by train
Fri 09OCT15 – Birdwatching the Guadalhorce River Mouth, Malaga 08AM – 12:15AM
Sat 10OCT15 – Travel home
Resources
Gyldendals Fugleguide (Norwegian ed. of Collins)
Chiclana/Garzon: Where to watch birds in Donana
Garcia/Paterson: Where to watch birds - Southern and Western Spain
Birdforum.net
Reservoirbirds.com
FB: Rare Birds in Spain
Outfit
Canon 20D, 300F4, 1.4Extender
8x40 Binocs
Opticron MM52 & LW Tripod
Digression
The week before departing home I joined a couple of groups on Facebook, of which one, Rare Birds in Spain, on 01OCT, 04.07pm reported a Solitary sandpiper by the Guadalhorce River Mouth. The same site confirmed this in a new message on 03OCT, but also stating the bird was not seen 02OCT. Furthermore the website reservoirbirds.com gave the same information, citing various sources. Upon arriving back home I found Andrew Patersons blog describing his observation on 01OCT, and the search on 02OCT. Anyway, all this www exercises was to no help for me this time – the bird was obviously gone.
Resume
This is not a complete trip report by any means, as I visited only two sites, but birded along our cultural track. A total of 79 species was recorded during the week of which one – the White-headed Duck – was a lifer. I could have spent a day birdwatching from Sevilla, but hiring a car on short notice was very expensive + the usual uncertainties regarding driving, finding the sites, finding the birds & having a good birding experience …
Some generalities
For a complete, day-to-day and site-specific species list, please see the attached file. I will only mention ‘honourable species’ in the text.
Rio Darro – Grenada
On the 3rd a Dipper and Grey Wagtail was observed here
Alhambra and Albaicin areas – Grenada
3rd and 4th combined; A Grey Wagtail was feeding on waterplants in some of the artificial pools. Lots of passerines in the gardens, not all to be identified due to just sounds, not sights (heard it before, any?). Autumn-singing Garden Warbler and Black Redstart was nice enough.
Rio Guadalquivir – Cordoba
Two visits, one in the evening on the 5th, walking from the Puente Romano bridge on the NW bank, and on the bridge itself. Did not stay until sunset. Little Egret, Kingfisher, migrating Willow Warblers, both Pied and Striped Flycatchers, several Rose-ringed Parakeets and three Muscovy Ducks.
Early morning (7-8am) on the 6th, went straight to the Puente de San Rafael ‘western’ bridge. A Tawny Owl was hooting on the north side. In the the streetlights two Grey Herons, 12-13 Night Herons, and and 1cy Squacco Heron – clearly white underparts and defined dark bill tip –was seen. And then the rain in Spain that falls mainly on the (Andalucian) Plains came! Game over.
The two full days in Seville added Blackcap as a new tour species, not so much for the records.
On the 8th
… we took the slower train from Seville via Osuna back to Malaga. Just after the town of Utrera the train paused for on-coming trains, giving good looks of one passing Red Kite, many Black Kites, common Buzzards, one perched White Stork, Carrion Crows and Ravens and several larks, Crested Lark positively identified. Real bonus.
Paraje Natural – Desembocadura del Guadalhorce.
So on Friday the 9th, the weeks Ornithological Expedition was on its way. As we stayed in Malaga City, I chose to go by bus. Line no 5 passes thru the town of Guadalmar, just next to the Guadalhorce River Mouth area. Service every 35 minutes or so both directions. I jumped off and on close to the school, but there are more possibilities here. Also near the MA21 and Toys R Us there are bus stops in both directions.
Anyway, I visited the area from 8am to 12:15am, that was from well before sunrise and well into the heat. Slightly overcast from the start, but more sun from ca 10am. I did not cover the whole area, but visited the hides at Laguna Casilla, Rio Viejo, L. Escondida and L.Grande. The latter was somewhat spoiled due to the visit of at least two student groups having a nice day out. The area was well visited, by people walking, jogging, cycling and walking dogs, but not crowded – just some noisy individuals here and there. And some fellow birders of both the British and Spanish kind.
I quickly found one of my target species, the White-headed ducks, which was easy to see in both L.Cassila and L.Escondida. The part of the Rio Viejo closer to the see held mostly the vaders, and the passerines filled in the gaps along the various paths. A male Common Redstart and a Whinchat was perhaps the more surprising. The ducks were spread in all the pools, I didn’t succeed in finding any Pochards, though. Thanks to my scope/tripod I was able to identify a Booted Eagle in some distant trees, but it was later seen close in flight. An Osprey was also seen both perched and flying, at least two Marsh Harriers as well. Finally a Southern Grey Shrike was the last of 50+ species seen this morning.
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