Birding in Serrania de Ronda/Sierra de Grazalema (1 Viewer)

wolfbirder said:

Birdguides have reported a Moussier's Redstart at Grazalema last Wednesday (not sure if they mean just gone on previous week) !!!!

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Hi Nick,

Couldn't find this report anywhere. Do you have to be able to sign-on to see the report? If so could you copy and paste it here?

Thanks.

Peter

Hi Pete


Managed to copy and paste the hour including the report at 16.15 you want - but it don't say anything else i am afraid. Except it is a male. You could email Birdguides and ask them where the report came from, they are yusually very helpful.


16:45 09/04/10 Glaucous Gull Cheshire Richmond Bank
juvenile still; also reeling Grasshopper Warbler
16:45 09/04/10 White Wagtail Cheshire Pickerings Pasture 15:30
three on the marsh from the hide; also 3 Wheatears
16:45 09/04/10 Great White Egret Somerset Shapwick Heath NNR
still showing well on the scrape
16:44 09/04/10 Glossy Ibis Somerset Ham Wall RSPB
two 1st-winters again showing well from the second viewing platform along the canal
16:44 09/04/10 Great White Egret Cornwall Marazion 16:15
one again in pines at the RSPB reserve late afternoon
16:43 09/04/10 Osprey Cumbria Ulverston 15:15
one drifted southwest towards Ulverston as viewed from the layby at the A590
16:37 09/04/10 Garganey Staffs Aqualate Park 16:10
two (1 drake) late afternoon
16:35 09/04/10 Common Redpoll Lancs Langden Valley 10:00
at least two Mealy Redpolls at Langden Intake with 15+ Lesser Redpolls this morning
16:34 09/04/10 Hobby London Stoke Newington Reservoirs 15:00
one north over
16:34 09/04/10 Osprey Lancs Singleton 13:00
one over the River Wyre early afternoon
16:16 09/04/10 Ring Ouzel Norfolk Waxham
two males just north of the Shangri-la Bungalow
16:15 09/04/10 Cuckoo Notts Budby Common 10:30
in woods behind pumping station
16:15 09/04/10 Euro News: in Spain, a male Moussier's Redstart on Wednesday at Grazalema, Malaga-Cadiz.

15:56 09/04/10 Waxwing Beds The Lodge, Sandy 15:20
two reported at the back of the gardens mid-afternoon
15:43 09/04/10 Black-tailed Godwit Herefs Wellington GPs
summer-plumaged bird on the scrape; also Green Sandpiper and 4 White Wagtails
15:40 09/04/10 Ring Ouzel Norfolk Wiveton 15:10
two by the road in the first field west of the old tip between here and Langham mid-afternoon
15:27 09/04/10 Common Redstart E Sussex Seaford 12:00
two in bushes at back of Frog Firle at midday
15:25 09/04/10 Little Ringed Plover Essex Abberton Reservoir 13:00
three at Layer Breton Causeway early afternoon


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wolfbirder said:

Hi Pete


16:15 09/04/10 Euro News: in Spain, a male Moussier's Redstart on Wednesday at Grazalema, Malaga-Cadiz.


[email protected][/email] or tel. 01909 560992

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It's also now on 'Rare birds in Spain' website at

www.rarebirdspain.net/arbsr000.htm#forecast

Jon

Jon Turner said:

It's also now on 'Rare birds in Spain' website at

www.rarebirdspain.net/arbsr000.htm#forecast

Jon

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I saw it Jon, but can't determine who exactly is responsible for the sighting! It would certainly require some description to be accepted.

Peter

Mystery solved? A couple of members from the local SEO group saw a male Moussier's Redstart it was on the 07 April, near the top of Coros (Puerto de las Palomas) Grazalema. They were at Coros in order to set the antenna for the radiotracking of one the vultures involved in a project for the Junta de Andalucia.

I'm due to get some distant photos of the bird, so will keep folk informed!

Peter

Black Wheatear said:

Mystery solved? A couple of members from the local SEO group saw a male Moussier's Redstart it was on the 07 April, near the top of Coros (Puerto de las Palomas) Grazalema. They were at Coros in order to set the antenna for the radiotracking of one the vultures involved in a project for the Junta de Andalucia.

I'm due to get some distant photos of the bird, so will keep folk informed!

Peter

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hi peter just read through all your posts what a fantastic area you bird i would love to live there,i am staying in algorfa for 10 days in june, i know that this is not your local patch but would you be able to point me in the direction of a few areas nearby that would be good for birding..
kind regards kev..

So, what's this Yellow-headed Yellow Wagtail at Fuente D, Peter?

I also note from the 'rare birds in Spain' website several firsts for Spain - great stuff.

Also this:

Red-billed Tropicbird Phaeton aethereus (1)
(1) El Hierro According to local communications to the author, the species is breeding this year at El Hierro island, while some scant sightings have been recorded in nearby islands (Albert Martínez-Silvestre)

El Hierro is one of the Canary Islands I think. So of course, well out of your area!

Still hoping to fly (fingers crossed) out on May 2......

Jon

Jon Turner said:

So, what's this Yellow-headed Yellow Wagtail at Fuente D, Peter?

I also note from the 'rare birds in Spain' website several firsts for Spain - great stuff.

Also this:

Red-billed Tropicbird Phaeton aethereus (1)
(1) El Hierro According to local communications to the author, the species is breeding this year at El Hierro island, while some scant sightings have been recorded in nearby islands (Albert Martínez-Silvestre)

El Hierro is one of the Canary Islands I think. So of course, well out of your area!

Still hoping to fly (fingers crossed) out on May 2......

Jon

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Hi Jon,

Not long then to the big off? Yep, been getting a few rarities the Yellow-headed will be a 1st for Spain, tried everything to turn it into a Citrine 'cause I still need that on my European list!!! Bloody nuisance having to fill forms in.

Apart from the above we had Moussier's Redstart, Little Swift, Ruppell's Vulture and Alpine Chough this spring in the Serrania de Ronda, so things going along nicely!

Peter :t:

Black Wheatear said:

Hi Jon,

Yep, been getting a few rarities the Yellow-headed will be a 1st for Spain, tried everything to turn it into a Citrine 'cause I still need that on my European list!!!
Alpine Chough this spring in the Serrania de Ronda, so things going along nicely!

Peter :t:

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I found a Citrine Wagtail on Majorca in the 80's, (it was my first foreign birding hol) I think it was the first for Spain at the time. Amongst the first people we saw and told of the sighting was one P J Grant! I think somehow the record was credited to him! Never did understand why!!

Where was the Alpine Chough? That's way out of range isn't it?

Jon

ps hope to bump into you sometime up Montejaque way! Or at John's doing some ringing?

Jon Turner said:

I found a Citrine Wagtail on Majorca in the 80's, (it was my first foreign birding hol) I think it was the first for Spain at the time. Amongst the first people we saw and told of the sighting was one P J Grant! I think somehow the record was credited to him! Never did understand why!!

Where was the Alpine Chough? That's way out of range isn't it?

Jon

ps hope to bump into you sometime up Montejaque way! Or at John's doing some ringing?

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I have been reliably informed Alpine Chough are noted sometimes at this time of year in small flocks at Gibraltar, so my one at Montejaque wouldn't have been so far away from previous reports. They are assumed to come from the Moroccan population.

Speaking of Montejaque, some absolute bastard and moron has dug-up my only local plant of Butterfly Orchid! What I would give to find the person responsible! (see photo of actual plant below).

Peter :C

Black Wheatear said:

I have been reliably informed Alpine Chough are noted sometimes at this time of year in small flocks at Gibraltar, so my one at Montejaque wouldn't have been so far away from previous reports. They are assumed to come from the Moroccan population.

Speaking of Montejaque, some absolute bastard and moron has dug-up my only local plant of Butterfly Orchid! What I would give to find the person responsible! (see photo of actual plant below).

Peter :C

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Must have been really upsetting Peter!! Good to read all the news on the collection of rarities this spring. Alpine Chough was unexpected, but also read they are seen some years in Gibraltar.

When is your next ABS field trip?

Derek

Firetail said:

Must have been really upsetting Peter!! Good to read all the news on the collection of rarities this spring. Alpine Chough was unexpected, but also read they are seen some years in Gibraltar.

When is your next ABS field trip?

Derek

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Thanks Derek, next field meeting now posted on the Andalucia Bird Society thread.

Still can't get over someone digging up the Butterfly Orchid! Had great day out and around the Osuna - Marchena trail. Roller, Collared Pranticole, Montagu's Harrier, Little and Great Bustard, Short-toed, Calandra, Thekla and Crested Lark, plus loads of other stuff including the find of a couple of very large colonies of Lesser Kestrel.

Peter :t:

After landing at Malaga we went up through the mountains to Fuente D. WOW never seen it with more than a puddle of water. Astonishing to see the water right up to the visitor cente and all around the edges. Fabulous. One Collared Pratincole, plus the usual suspects.

Laguna Dulce also up to the road with water. A few Black Terns at the far side supplementing the Gull-billed and Whiskered.

Most of the usual fare at Teba although no Black Wheatear.

A few Honey Buzzards over Jimena early today.

Jon

And today, for the first time I saw a Roller near Jimena! By the new (but not finished) golf course between Jimena and San Pablo de Buceite. Just sat on a telegraph pole by the road.

Juan

Saw another Roller on Friday, and then yesterday in a field behind Marchenilla, 300+ Griffon Vultures in a field full of sheep trying to get at the carcass of a dead sheep - unfortunately for them it was being protected by the guard dog! Also, he was eating it!! There was an immature Black Vulture present and also 2 Egyptian Vultures (also imms). All gone today.

Sadly no Ruppell's amongst them!

Jon

Jon Turner said:

Saw another Roller on Friday, and then yesterday in a field behind Marchenilla, 300+ Griffon Vultures in a field full of sheep trying to get at the carcass of a dead sheep - unfortunately for them it was being protected by the guard dog! Also, he was eating it!! There was an immature Black Vulture present and also 2 Egyptian Vultures (also imms). All gone today.

Sadly no Ruppell's amongst them!

Jon

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Personally, these days I'd rather see a Black Vulture as I still need it for my Cadiz list!

Took a drive out to the coast today, stopped at Cazalla (closed) but watched a big in-migration of Pallid Swifts. Couldn't see anything different among them (except a few House Martins) At the cave above Bolonia a pair of Little Swifts (Spanish tick for me) entertained for a while.

Sadly, no sign of any Lesser Crested Terns on Playa de los Lances. (100 or so Sandwich Terns only) Also no sign of Bald Ibis at the Montenmedio golf driving range up near Vejer.

Very little to report from La Janda, which was extensively flooded, and now there are virtually NO crops growing - just a lot of ploughed fields. A colony of Cattle Egrets have taken up residence.

Jon (or Juan while I'm in Spain)

Quick trip up to Malaga today, (Osprey over the motorway, and a few Honey Buzzards) then a quick look in the Guadalhorce reserve. Still a few White-headed Ducks in residence, along with two Spoonbills and a few pairs of Black-winged Stilts. Also saw a flyover Little Bittern, which is a site tick for me! There still seem to be lots of Swifts in large flocks generally around.

Juan

At last a decent hot day for a picnic at Montejaque! No sign of Rock Bunting or Bonelli's Eagle, but most of the other usual suspects in residence. Including Spectacled warbler! As usual, very lovely up there.

Juan

Jon Turner said:

At last a decent hot day for a picnic at Montejaque! No sign of Rock Bunting or Bonelli's Eagle, but most of the other usual suspects in residence. Including Spectacled warbler! As usual, very lovely up there.

Juan

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Great to follow your news Juan! Keep it coming, I'm so busy guiding I haven't had time to update here, but I will. Off now with a group.

Peter :t: