Birding in Alicante Province (1 Viewer)

Bafty said:

Spotted Eagle "Tonn" I understand is now back at El Hondo...

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Ian Hayes on Twitter advises:

"Have now seen two different adult Spotted Eagles at El Hondo, Alacant: the satellite tagged Tonn on 26th (at Santa Agueda) and another with no tag on 27th (at El Hondo N gate)"

Thanks...Graham Critchell is also reporting Tonn plus another adult present.

I won't get out now until January, just waiting for it to start snowing here !

Tonn most certainly is back - here's my long-distance shot (against the light) on 1st November. The transmitter on his back is clearly visible.

It's fairly easy to connect with him as he seems to favour the same location for resting between flights, the area is known as the Santa Agueda platforms to local birders, situated to the west of El Hondo (but shown on Google Maps as Aula de Naturaleza Catral). There are two viewing points, and he will often be found in one of the two highest trees; one to the left of the northerly platform, and the one to the right of the southerly one.

Hi Mark.
I am currently in Almeria but an travelling home tomorrow via Alicante at around 5pm.

I was thinking of having a look for him before going to the airport. I will therefore have all my luggage with me. Having not visited the area before, will my car be safe or is there parking near the viewing place you mention.

Thanks Karl

Yes Karl, you park within sight of the viewing platforms, the area is quiet on weekdays (apart from all the Tonn-watchers!). It's off the beaten track from where the car thieves operate, you'd be incredibly unlucky to have any problems there.

Good luck, I see from the latest satellite tracks that he's staying faithfully to the area.

Thanks Mark

All being well I'll get over tomorrow..

Thanks for the info.

Karl

Thanks Mark
We spent an hour at El Hondo on the way to Alicante airport following the directions you gave. The Sat Nav took us via someone's back yard but we found it OK.

What a great place
7 Marsh Harriers, 5 Booted Eagles, Osprey, flock of 15 Glossy Ibis and good views of GSE Tonn sat in the tree where you said
He even did a fly by for good measure. We will definitely visit again if we have to fly to Alicante rather than Almeria and will factor in a full day there as it's only 2 hours from us in Almeria

Thanks again ...... Karl

Back out mid January for a couple of weeks hopefully in some sun. Would welcome sightings of anything worth while.

Thanks

Paul S

Bafty said:

Back out mid January for a couple of weeks hopefully in some sun. Would welcome sightings of anything worth while.

Thanks

Paul S

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As usual, keep a look out on https://birdingcostablanca.blogspot.com/ and http://www.costablancabirdclub.com/

2 x Grey Phalaropes reported at the Salinas de San Pedro on the 27th, any other accurate location ?

Not a lot of action on this page recently so here's an image taken yesterday, more images from the trip can be found on the blog below

One last image of the Brown-necked raven at Cabo de Palos, more images on the blog

Anyone out at the moment, I'll be back out in April-May so any sightings would be good.

Here's an image of a Great Egret at Los Urrutias from a few weeks back

Two weeks to go and Hondo booked, anyone out, any interesting sightings other than on the CBBC and GC sites ?

Just a heads up for people doing research on the area - it has been reported elsewhere that the Guadalentin Valley site is no longer worth visiting due to the increased amount of agricultural development going on. I beg to differ!

On a trip yesterday three of us found Montagu's Harrier, Short-toed Eagle, Buzzard, Kestrel (may have been Lesser but to far away to confirm), Roller, Bee-eater, Jackdaw, Hoopoe, three lark species, Rufous Bush Chat, Black-eared Wheatear, Spectacled Warbler, Iberian Green Woodpecker and Black-bellied Sandgrouse, as well as several heard-only Quail. Not quite the birding desert others would have you believe!

Hi Mark,

I will be in Almeria in a couple of weeks so would be interested in visiting Guadalentin.
Guadalentin Valley is that just north of Baza, if so do you have directions from Baza?
Many thanks.

BillD

Sorry for the delay in replying Bill, hope I'm not too late!

Looking at Google maps, it is quite some distance from Baza, it is between Alhama de Murcia and Cartagena off the main RM23 road. If you require more details, let me know!

Some details for birders seeking Trumpeter Finch in Alicante province!

These birds are notoriously elusive in this area, but they are around. In early spring, a wanderer was seen and photographed near La Marina on the coast south of Alicante in farmland, but despite further searches it wasn't refound.

Over the past month or two, a few of us (myself, Bryan Thomas and John Edwards) have been making a concerted effort to see these birds, and this note details our findings.

The (very) minor mountain road from Mutxamel to Monnegre was the centre of our search - Trumpeters have been reported around this road but are quite difficult to find. Bryan Thomas and another birder found three birds last month, with brief but photographable sightings, Bryan and I did a search three weeks ago, the only result we had was a possible hearing of a distant call, but last Thursday myself, Bryan and John hit the jackpot!

At a site approximately 3 km after you leave the main road, you go over a small ridge and get spectacular views of the red rock formations on the right. Someone has constructed a small pool on a track just off to the right, where there are what looks to be some disused animal pens surrounded by fencing.

We had previously heard some calls from a pull-in about 200 metres south of this, but when we turned into this area, we began to see Trumpeters in some numbers - at one point we had seven birds in view, at least two adults and five youngsters, there may have been up to 10 individuals present. The attraction was of course the small pool, and they continuously flew down to drink in the very warm weather.

We parked the car at an advantageous angle, and over a period of 1 hour and ten minutes were royally entertained by these birds. The presence of young birds probably confirms that Trumpeters are breeding in the area, we were restricted to areas along and around the Monnegre road - who knows how many more are in the surrounding valleys? This site is about half an hour's drive from the centre of Alicante, so any visiting birders should ensure this site is on their itinerary - you may have to work at it, but the rewards are there!

Rollers 'n Trumpeters

Mark Etheridge said:

This site is about half an hour's drive from the centre of Alicante, so any visiting birders should ensure this site is on their itinerary - you may have to work at it, but the rewards are there!

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I'm out this month for the first time since March 2018 :-C
Anyway, shall add this to my must do list.

Secondly, still haven't found a Roller... ever!
Can someone drop a pin on Google maps for a likely place please? Instructions by road in the past have always failed me. Tried the trees by the old footie grounds etc, zilch each time.

Hi Simon

Hope this is visible to you!

The Rollers are still around the old football pitch as advertised, but my map shows an area south of El Hondo just north of La Marina which you can access from the main N332 road. Take the CV853 towards Elche, just before the sharp right hand bend shown, there are two roads off to the left. The stars show my most recent Roller sightings during the last seven days.

The first road takes you along what is known locally as the Pallet Factory road, there is a large tree on the left which has been a regular Roller site, the bad news is that due to disturbance it looks as though they may have abandoned their nest for this year - the disturbance was due to a herd of goats, the owner spent the whole day leaning against the tree last week, the Rollers haven't returned.

The second road takes you to an abandoned Monastery which has always been good for Rollers - it is the Ermita de San Francisco as shown on the map. The Rollers will be either at the monastery or on the wires to the northeast.

The other site shown was where I saw two Rollers on Friday - this is a side track to the main road but perfectly driveable, the Rollers may well have been the pair from the Pallet road site.

The whole area on the map is good for Rollers, you may have to work the locality, but at this time of year I see one or more on most birding trips there. Good luck!