Birding in East Spain (1 Viewer)

Raptor migration in el Fondo

Yesterday was a fantastic birding day in el Fondo, "the raptors day". After picking two guests from Benidorm we set off to el Fondo visitor centre.

Shortlist
2 Montagu's Harrier (young birds, one in the VC and the other one in the South of the reserve). Today in Pego Marshes I have seen one while I was ringing passerines) I am attaching photo.
Osprey (a young bird also another one today in Pego Marshes)
Marbled teal
2 Bluethroath
Glossy ibises
Purple Heron, still lots of squacco.
6 Temmick stint
2 Booted Eagle (1 pale and the other one dark morph)
3 Marsh Harriers
Sparrowhowk
Grey, Little and Ringed Plover
Red and Greenshanks
Sanderling
Whiskered Tern
Gull-billed Tern
A mix flock of 4 Black Kites+2 Honey Buzzards
Sandpipers (Little, Green and Wood)
Black-necked Grebes
Harris's Hawk (it has been in the area for few weeks)
Purple swamp-hen
A distant White-headed Duck
Iberian Grey Shrike
Common Buzzard
Bee-eaters

Salinas de Santa Pola

60 Slender-billed Gull
Kentish Plovers
Avocets
Spotted Redshank
6 Collared Pratincoles
Dunlins
Turnstone

Valencia in April and Steppe birds

I will be in Valencia at the beginning of April and am looking to head to the nearest area of steppe for species like Great Bustard.

I am assuming I should head west towards the Castilla de La Mancha.

Can anyone suggest a good town to stay in and the best area to head for?

Thanks
Sean

The best area you have near Valencia is close to Albacete, around Petrola, Corral Rubio and other small villages. There are also other steppe areas not far from Albacete you can check too (Los Llanos, Barrax)

I'm coming out for the the first time in 3 years this November after making annual trips for the 6 years prior to this. Based 5 yards from La Mata salinas reserve I can't wait. I'm also leaving the family at home so will make full use of my time. Hoping to get up to Petrola and see plenty of El Hondo. Has anyone got any tips for where to go for the winter upland species? Any regular haunts? Hopefully I can find something rather better than the brace of Goldcrests from last time.

Thanks! Really appreciated!
Sean

Please help me identify this bird!

Hi! I am from Brazil and I need help to identify this bird. The photo is in a very low quality, only the outline of the bird can be seen but we can see it is from a coastal region, near the sea. I am in doubt if it is from Spain, Valencia region. Thank you so much for your help and sorry for the bad English. Lilly

El Fondo + San Pedro del Pinatar

On my way to Tarifa I have made two quick stops, one in el Fondo to look for the Pallid Harrier (no sight) and the second stop in the Salinas de San Pedro del Pinatar where I have relocated the Wilson's Paharalope (Photo).

Yet, a good number of raptors in el Fondo at the moment.

Good birding

Hi Pau,
Any suggestions for Bonelli's Eagle please, along our route: Tremp / Lleida/ Monegros / Huesca and Jaca?
We'll be in the area for a few days from the middle of this coming week.

Many thanks,

Thomas

Spotted Eagle in El Fondo

Last September 18th, a local birder reported a Spotted Eagle in el Fondo. From that day (as far as I know) there wasn't any more sights of this wintering birds until last Saturday, where I could enjoy with other fellows birders + 2 Canadian costumers a cracking view of an adult bird just in front of us. We are looking forward to see how the numbers of GSE increases this season. Besides, the numbers of White-headed ducks are up as well as Booted Eagle. Great Reeds Warblers, still present and singing.

At the Salinas, there was a good numbers of waders.

Good birding

Spectacular influx of Yellow-browed Warbler in Spain

Just a quick note about the massive influx of Yellow-browed Warblers in Spain (North and East specially).

From 1967 to 2004 there were only 45 records approved by the Spanish rarity committee. During October there has been over 75 sightings in Spain and 23 in Valencia province. The last one today (photo) from Xeraco, near my home town. They like poplar trees, so keep an eye on them.

Good birding

Birding in Costa Blanca

I have spent a wonderful day guiding a group of British birders around the mountains of Alcoi and the Costa Blanca.

Shortlist

Our first stop was in Alcoi:

Alpine accentors Click to see picture
Griffon Vultures
Crossbills
Bonelli's Eagle

Then we moved to the Salinas de Santa Pola

15 Audouin Gulls
27 Stone Curlew
Peregrin Falcon
40 Slender billed Gull
1 Water Pipit
2 Great White
15 Sanderlings
3 Hopooes
Shanks (Red, Spotted and Green)
2 Iberian Grey Shrike
40+ Little Stints and Dunlins
6 Balearic Shearwater

Our last stop was in el Fondo

50+ White-headed Ducks
10 Marsh Harriers
70+ Black-necked Grebe
Green and Wood Sandpiper
Shelducks
Red-crested and common pochard
3 Booted Eagles
20 Cranes
1 Merlin
40+ Corn Buntings
3 Grey Wagtail
4 Reed Bunting
10+ Kingfisher, many of them young birds which were very approachable. Great to take pictures.
And other common birds.

Fantastic birding all year around!!!

Have a nice Christmas full of birds

Birdwatching Spain

Spanish Sparrow in Santa Pola

Just a quick note regarding a very interesting sighting in Alicante. A colleague found over Christmas a colony of 190+ Spanish Sparrows!! I saw them yesterday in Santa Pola. There has been very few sightings in the region and the distribution of the specie is more located in W Spain.

This is another proof of the birding potencial of Alicante!!

Good birding

After 10 years visiting the area 2-3 times a year, I still have not seen Spanish Sparrows, so this is interesting!

Are they migratory birds (winter visitors)? If they will migrate, do you have a good idea when they will likely leave the area (we will visit again in March/April)? And finally, where in Santa Pola have they been seen?

Last Monday I took a couple from Switzerland to Monnegre to look for some specialities. As soon as we arrived we got 4 Trumpeted Finches in the same spot!! The last 2 years have been really bad for these guys but this spring seems more promising. The staff from University of Alicante have found 3 pairs so far.

Other interesting sightings included Golden Eagle, Bonellis Eagle, Rock Sparrow, Black wheatear, hundreds of Ballearic Shearwaters and Great Skua (the last two in Santa Pola).

On a s separate note, for anyone interested in mammals there is a fantastic place (inland of Valencia province) for watching and photographing wild genets. Yesterday, I had this incredible carnivorous just 1,5 m from me. More info

Nice birding

Sorry for my late reply but I have been really busy. They might be resident (but no proof so far) as there are many private states where no birders have been in. After my previous post I saw them once more but last Saturday they weren't around. They were located in the farmland NW of Santa Pola, in the boundaries of the park.

I will let you know if they are relocated.

Regards

lazza said:

After 10 years visiting the area 2-3 times a year, I still have not seen Spanish Sparrows, so this is interesting!

Are they migratory birds (winter visitors)? If they will migrate, do you have a good idea when they will likely leave the area (we will visit again in March/April)? And finally, where in Santa Pola have they been seen?

Click to expand...

Roseate tern and a pair of Elegant terns in Santa Pola

Yesterday, during a guided trip in Alicante I could relocated the Roseate Tern in Santa Pola (Photo attached). The elegant terns seeing last Monday are still among the Sandwich tern colony.

Good birding

Trumpeted Finches

Yesterday was an excellent birding day with Clive, Roger and Eldwyth in the Alicante province. Sightings included (to name few) over 10 Trumpeted finches, Black wheatears, Blue Rock Trush, Marbled Teals, Caspian Tern, Booted Eagle, Purple Sawamp-hen, Alpine Swift, Little Bittern, etc.

The last rains has helped a lot to the unstable population of Trumpeted Finches, increasing them up to 10 pairs. The first clutches have fledged and apparently they are going to try a second one. Great!

Some pictures in facebook, link

birding in Alicante, Albacete and Marjal dels Moros

Today, I would like to mention Marjal dels Moros, a small but very interesting wetland just few km from Valencia. At the moment there are breeding 2 terns (elegant type) in a colony of Sandwich terns. Besides, good numbers of Patrincoles, Little Bittern and White headed Duck.

On Saturday, I took Hervé, Linda and Mike to the steppes of Albacete where we saw: Great Bustards, a superb male Little Bustard, Roller, Black, Whiskered and Gull-billed Tern, Calandra Lark, Black Kite, Kentish Plover, etc. Short trip report in the following link.

On Sunday, I guide Hervé from North to South of Alicante province seeing: Red-necked nightjars, Savi's Warbler, Purple and Squacco Heron, Little Bittern, Trumpeted Finches, Black wheatear, Purple Swamp-hen, Marbled Teals (wild and from the restock programme), etc.



Some photos in the following link

Have a good birding day

Genet in Valencia and Steppes of Albacete

HOLIDAYS HIGHLIGHTS
Genet in Valencia and Steppes of Albacete
17-18 November 2016

Guide: Pau Lucio

Guests: Susan and Colin Groves

Day 1.
After greeting Susan and Colin at the Hotel in Gandia beach, we set off to Bicorp for the evening/night encounter with the Genet. After a coffee/facilities stop, we took the 10-kilometer track to reach the cottage where we would wait for the Genet. After parking the car, Pau spotted a couple of Spanish Ibex, one of them a nice male which allowed some distant pictures. We waited until Javi arrived from surveying Polecat near Villena and prepared everything to attract the Genet.

As soon as it was dark, the Genet ‘Algarrobo’ showed up! At the beginning was a bit shy but soon started to show more confidence and got closer. Pau and Javi followed him with the torch while everyone took pictures. Once the Genet was confident enough, we took few shoots with flash.
We decided to move few meters away to the olive tree orchard to have a different setting. There we got the genet climbing the trees and balancing with the tail. Just amazing! In the back we could hear Tawny owl and Common toad.

Once the genet left, we took the car and drove back to Gandia, arriving around 10:00. It was a perfect timing to enjoy some drinks and have a rest for tomorrow trip.

Day 2.

We left the hotel at 9:30 and approximately around 11:00 we were enjoying the first group of Great bustards in Higueruela. The fields were packed with Linnets, Skylarks and Crested Larks. We continued driving to the next stop finding on the way Marsh Harriers, Iberian Grey Shrike and a superb Golden Eagle! It was flying over the ridge and being bombed by a Kestrel.

This autumn has been very dry so instead of visiting the temporary lagoons, we headed off to a permanent lagoon near the railway. In a nearby field there was a Merlin on the ground which soon flew off. There were a very good numbers of birds in the lagoon: Showeler, Teal, Gadwall, Common Pochard and about 20 White-headed ducks.

We tucked into lunch in Pétrola before visiting the lagoon beside the village. There we got Corn Bunting, Greater Flamingo, Water Pipit, Sanderling, Ruff, Snipe and other waders. We headed back to the motorway following tracks and found 8 Great Bustards, a Little Owl on the top of a pile of stones and a Siskin feeding in a line of thistle.
Our last stop was in an old farm where we added Rock sparrow.

Some pics of the genet here


Mammals

Spanish Ibex
Genet

Birds

Mallard
Gadwall
Teal
Shoveler
Pochard
White-headed Duck
Marsh Harrier
Common Buzzard
Golden Eagle
Common Kestrel
Merlin
Moorhen
Coot
Great Bustard
Little Ringed Plover
Lapwing
Common Sandpiper
Sanderling
Ruff
Common Snipe
Western Yellow-legged Gull
Black-headed Gull
Feral Pigeon
Common Wood Pigeon
Eurasian Collared Dove
Tawny Owl (heard)
Little Owl
Crested Lark
Skylark
Eurasian Crag Martin
White Wagtail
Meadow Pipit
Water Pipit
Eurasian Blackbird
Song Thrush
Mistle Thrush
Cetti’s Warbler (heard)
European Robin
Black Redstart
Common Stonechat
Long-tailed Tit
Coal Tit
Crested Tit (heard)
Great Tit
Penduline Tit (heard)
Iberian Grey Shrike
Eurasian Magpie
Carrion crow
Spotless Starling
House Sparrow
Rock Sparrow
Chaffinch
European Goldfinch
Eurasian Linnet
Siskin

Birding day in El Fondo and Salinas de Santa Pola

Hi guys,

Yesterday I had a fantastic day guiding in the wetlands of South Alicante. It could have been better if the Siberian Scoter would have remained in la Marina but sadly the last sighting was 3 days ago.

Short bird list

Spotted Eagle. Adult. 3 birds at the moment and 1 possible hybrid
Booted Eagle
Marsh Harrier
Bluethroat
Glossy Ibis 300
Sociable Plover mixed in a flock of 500 Lapwing. I am attaching a poor shoot
Little Bittern
Spoonbills (4)
Red-knobbed Coots (4) from the restocking programme
Common Cranes (14)
Hoopoe
Kingfisher
Darford Warbler (2)
Red-crested Pochard (2)
Other common species..... Sanderling, Dunlins, Stint, Stilts, etc

After the heavy and abundant rain the marshes and rivers are full of water. I expect we will have an excellent breeding season not only for birds but also for butterflies and orchids.


Merry Christmas

--
Pau Lucio
Web site Birdwatching Spain
Twitter: @BirdSpain
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Phone: (+34) 676.721.763