Birding Eastern Andalucia+Sierra Nevada+Málaga+Almería Forum (1 Viewer)

I could not forget the eastern part of Andalucia that many of us use to visit once or more times a year. Beautiful landscapes with alpine species, deserts and plains where steppe birds occurs, saltpans and coastal lagoons at Cabo de Gata or Wadalhorce mouth river... So many places to visit and get superb watching time!!! Provinces of Málaga, Granada, Almería, Jaén and also Murcia.

Get information of these interesting places and unspoilt spots, or being up to date about local affaires is oftenly a difficult task without speak any Spanish at all. Three weeks ago more than 1.000 White-headed ducks were in an isolated lagoon close to the western bank of the coastal Granada province border. Wouldn't have been there a real dream?

I would also like to balance the importance of the Western Andalucía as a birding destination, with an impressive scenery and several habitats where find unusual birds is a an extraordinary experience.

Being based in Andalucia, I will be glad to help with clues and information in order you to visit this lovely land, improving its conservation!!! :-O

Saludos
Jorge

Birding the Alpujarra (Sierra Nevada) in autumn

In our latest outing to the Alpujarras last sunday, the 8 members party checked the wintering birds movements in the southern valleys of Sierra Nevada. All the breeders are now gone but we managed to discover maybe the latest one leaving the territory, a female Subalpine Warbler in the upper Guadalfeo river. However wintering birds are arriving, and Robins roam the area with the first wintering Song Thrushes just arrived.

Call winter to our weather conditions is joking...:-O as we had warm temperatures, bright skies and sun, which was perfect to check our local species, adding Blue Rock Thrush, Black Wheatear, Rock Sparrow, Iberian Shrike, Iberian Green Woodpecker or Cetti's Warbler to our list.

Interesting butterflies are still flying around with outstanding views of Swallowtail and Spanish Scarce Swallowtail laying eggs on their food plants. The walk along the acequias (waterways) was also productive, with teneral males of Common and Red-veined Darters and males of Migrant and Southern Hawkers. The Alpujarra in autumn with its small white villages and quietness is a delightful place to discover.
Saludos
Jorge

Hi Jorge, thanks for the info. I'll keep an eye on the thread. Looking forward to seeing what's out there! I'm in Mecina Bombaron.

Another good idea, Jorge. Let's hope you'll be very busy!

yeractual said:

Hi Jorge, thanks for the info. I'll keep an eye on the thread. Looking forward to seeing what's out there! I'm in Mecina Bombaron.

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Well, there is a good group of people birding around, and maybe could meet one of theses days around the area.

It is still valuable to put the eyes on the skies as last Sunday, when I was climbing the Puerto de la Ragua, I saw an Osprey migrating south along the Bayarcal-Laroles valley. That Osprey probably will get the sea following the Guadalfeo river to rest at tha Charca Suárez by Motril harbour, or probably will end wintering there!!!
Saludos!

Jorge

John Cantelo said:

Another good idea, Jorge. Let's hope you'll be very busy!

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Thank you Jonh, hope you will have time to visit these superb places!!!
Saludos!

Jorge

First snowfalls in Sierra Nevada

Hi,
Just to say that showers and the first snowfall has arrived to Sierra Nevada ranges. A short review and a couple of pictures are in my personal blog, although mainly in Spanish, picture feet are in English. Go to: http://www.garzon.gr/media

Winter conditions starts up there with mild temperature down in the valleys. The autumn wildflowers season about to start!!!
Saludos

Jorge

The more information on Spanish birding away from the obvious sites, is a very welcome addition, as i'd love to start discovering more of what Spain has to offer.
Have been looking at the Almeria region as a possible visit, so your expert knowledge of these areas will hopefully prove invaluable.

osprey31 said:

The more information on Spanish birding away from the obvious sites, is a very welcome addition, as i'd love to start discovering more of what Spain has to offer.
Have been looking at the Almeria region as a possible visit, so your expert knowledge of these areas will hopefully prove invaluable.

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Hi osprey31,
You're right! Almería offers a wide range of nature watching and birds to see, but it's also a quite large province itself. Inland you will discover the most wild and isolated landscapes with steppe birds as its best (Black-bellied Sandgrouse, Little Bustard, Calandra Lark and many others...; central areas combines the most stunning desert landscapes with Sierra Nevada and the Alpujarra, where Trumpeter Finch, Citril Finch or Lesser Kestrel inhabits; and along the coast we have a wide sort of wetlands, saltpans and dry volcanic ranges offering superb conditions for birding and botanising. Do not hesitate to come down here!!! as there are also direct links to Almería (or Málaga airport) from London and main British cities.

I send you a link of the Sierra Nevada range after the first snowfalls, (Yes, it's no the Himalayas, It's one of the main biodiversity hot-spots in Europe, with 213 bird species, and the 30% of the Iberian flora in such small place!!! Just Sierra Nevada has 118 species of butterflies, and Almería province touches the eastern side of this unique paradise.

The link for the picture: http://www.flickr.com/photos/63037493@N03/6282514156/in/set-72157627865964694/lightbox/

Have a nice day...

Jorge

Pallid and Hen Harriers by Sierra Nevada

Hi,
This autumn seems to have brought us a regular presence of Pallid Harriers in Southern Spain. Despite of the birds recorded at western provinces, we have also located birds in eastern Andalucía.

Two of our outings at the beginning of the week gave us interesting watchings. Black-shouldered kites have become regular now as wintering birds in Granada and Murcia provinces, with unusual records, like late Northern Wheatears crossing our territory.

But the star of the week is being the Juvenile Pallid Harrier we located by the Sierra Nevada wheat fields. A superb bird that performed to us together with other seven Hen Harriers coming back to a local roosting place.

I know most of the folks here are not able to read any Spanish, but there is a brief report at our Sierra Nevada Bird Report page: http://anuariosierranevada.wordpress.com Even if you don't manage to understand the text, the pictures, taken by digiscoping technique at 220 m away, well deserve to have a look! Pictures are taken with a Zeiss Diascope 85T telescope and a Sony HSC10 digital compact camera, no adaptor al all, just trusting my steady hand! :t:

Saludos!
Jorge

Desert Wheatear

Hello again and Merry Christmas to all of you,

This Christmas time is given us unusual mild temperatures and also unexpected birds around our area. Since last week a beautiful Desert Wheatear has arrived to the western side of the Cabo de Gata area and tomorrow morning we will be there trying to relocate this bird and getting good images of it.

We will keep you informed!

Saludos
Jorge