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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Andrew Tongue" data-source="post: 1519495" data-attributes="member: 68917">Notes from a family holiday in AndaluciaHere is a summary of the highlights of the birding I managed during a family holiday in Andalucia during 16th to 25th June 2009. We stayed in the Zurgena / La Alfoquia area: (<a href="http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?hl=en&q=zurgena&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=N&tab=wl" target="_blank">http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?hl=en&q=zurgena&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=N&tab=wl</a>) This is an arid, hilly (and at this time of the year, extremely hot) rural area not far from Huercal-Overa and approximately 40 miles (around 65km) north-east of Almeria in eastern Andalucia.I would be very interested to make contact with birders with experience of this area and of eastern Andalucia in general.If you need any further details on any particular species / sites please PM me.A family member has recently bought a property in Zurgena and I hope to be back in the area again, perhaps in late October 2009. I will be hoping to travel further afield, ideally to the Coto Donana and Gibraltar. I would be delighted to hook up with any birders on my next visit. I do not yet own any Spanish birding location books and any recommendations of reliable titles would be appreciated.Note that on this visit transport was extremely limited and much of my birding was on foot around the Zurgena area. I do drive but did not hire a car on this occasion. Another member of my family did have a car, however, which allowed me to visit some different sites, though only one of them - Cabo de Gata – was a birding hotspot. 16th June2100 local time – Arrival at Almeria airportAt least six Pallid Swifts (Apus pallidus) at the airport. This was significant as all other swift sightings for the duration of the holiday were of Common Swift (Apus apus) only.Bee-eater (Merops apiaster): Six at airportSpotless Starling (Sturnus unicolor): Significant roost at airport alongside even larger numbers House Sparrows (Passer domesticus).17th June, Zurgena0600 - 0900 & 2030 - 2130: Black Wheatear (Oenanthe leucura). There were at least five territories within a five-minute walk from the property we stayed in.White Wagtail (Motacilla alba): One territoryRed-legged Partridge (Alectoris rufa): 11 birds seen in the immediate surrounding area, including two males singing.Roller (Coracias garrulus): Approximately three territories in the immediate surroundings of where we stayed. A widespread and regularly-encountered species.Bee-eater: 8 birds seen, three nests seen. Again, a widespread bird.Hoopoe (Upupa epops): Four birds seen. At least one territory.Sardinian Warbler (Sylvia melanocephala): Relatively abundant in immediate area though very few singing.Serin (Serinus serinus): Relatively abundant in immediate area. At least two territories.Red-rumped Swallow (Cecropis daurica): Around three pairs in Zurgena with further birds seen in La Alfoquia.Crested Lark (Galerida cristata): One of the most widespread passerines in the area. Easily 40 territories within a one-mile radius of Zurgena.Spotless Starling: A widespread bird in Zurgena. Perhaps 200 individuals or more with a large mixed roost with House Sparrows roost in La Alfoquia.Woodchat (Lanius senator): One bird seen on this first day. A total of seven birds seen during the holiday, most of which were in the Zurgena area, including one pair.Yellow-legged Gull (Larus michahellis): 129 birds flew south at around 2100.Little Owl (Athene noctua): A bird much in evidence in the Zurgena area. At least five regular individuals seen.Stone Curlew (Burhinus oedicnimus): Again, a bird very much in evidence in the Zurgena area. At least six individuals seen during the course of the holiday in the local vicinity.Great-spotted Cuckoo (Clamator glandarius): Two juveniles with a Magpie (Pica pica).18th JuneZurgena 0600 – 0900:Kestrel (Falco tinnunculus): At least three birds in the local areaSouthern Grey Shrike (Lanius meridionalis): Recently-fledged young in the Rambla Parrica near to Zurgena. At least two territories in this rambla.Vera Playa 1135 - 1300:Sandwich Tern (Sterna sandvicensis): 4 flew westAudouin’s Gull (Larus audouinii):7 flew east  Kentish Plover (Charadrius alexandrinus): One male on beachPurple Gallinule (Porphyrio porphyrio): One at lagoon next to beachWhite-headed Duck (Oxyura leueocephala): At least three (two males, one female) at lagoon next to beach (same lagoon as Purple gallinule)Also here: Crested Lark and Red-rumped SwallowVillaricos 1430 – 1530:Black-winged Stilt (Himantopus himantopus): Colony here. 19 adults counted, with at least 14 chicks / juveniles counted.Iberiae Yellow Wagtail (Motacilla flava iberiae): Two malesAudouin’s Gull: Two adults flew WestWhite-headed Duck: 5 (four males, one female – one pair)19th June, Zurgena0600 – 0900: Turtle Dove (Streptopelia turtur): One singing male Black-eared Wheatear (Oenanthe hispanica): One male20th June, Mojacar Playa, Seawatching1147 – 1330Balearic Shearwater (Puffinus mauretanicus): 7 westCory’s / Scopoli’s Shearwater (Calonectris diomedia): 2 west Mediterranean Gull (Larus melanocephalus): 1 2nd summer bird westGannet: 3 west, 1 eastSandwich Tern: 3 adults eastKentish Plover: 2 east, 3 west21st June, Zurgena0600 – 0900Stone curlew: 3Serin: At least one birdHoopoe: One singing maleIberian Green Woodpecker: One. Iberian Green Woodpeckers were regularly heard around the Rambla Parrica area.Short-toed Eagle: OneFan-tailed Warbler: At least two territories between Zurgena and La AlfoquiaGoldfinch (Carduelis carduelis): 222nd June, Zurgena0800 – 0900:Serin: 2Roller: 3Fan-tailed warbler: Two territoriesTurtle Dove: 11240 – 1340 , Mojacar Playa, Seawatching:Black-headed Gull (Larus ridibundus): One adult westGannet: 6 westSandwich Tern: One westAudouin’s Gull: 6 west, 3 east Cory’s / Scopoli’s Shearwater: One eastBalearic Shearwater (Puffinus mauretanicus): 2 westYellow-legged Gull: 20 blogging2100 – 2200 Zurgena: Red-necked Nightjar (Caprimulgus ruficollis): Many calling and singing in Rambla Parrica area. Stone Curlew: 2Little Owl: 1Woodchat: Pair23rd June, Zurgena0600 – 0900:Serin 1500 – 1700 Cabo de Gatar National Park, salt pans:An incredible place where I had just two hours to spare.Greater Flamingo (Phoenicopterus ruber): 526 adultsBlack-winged Stilt: 36Black-tailed Godwit (Limosa limosa): 36Avocet (Avosetta recurvirostra): 105Kentish Plover: 23Curlew (Numenius arquata): 11Fan-tailed Warbler: 1 territory recordedOystercatcher (Haematopus ostralegus): 2Shelduck (Tadorna tadorna): 21Iberiae Yellow Wagtail: 1Slender-billed Gull (Chroicocephalus genei): 11Little Tern (Sterna albifrons): 28Common Tern (Sterna hirundo): 1Sandwich Tern (Sterna sandvicensis): 12Gull-billed Tern (Gelochelidon nilotica): 424th June, Zurgena0600 – 0900:Spotted Flycatcher (Muscicapa striata): PairFan-tailed warblerRed-rumped SwallowLittle-ringed Plover (Charadrius dubius): Male in display-flightWestern Olivaceous Warbler (Hippolais opaca): One pair, male singing1530 – 1630 Mojacar Playa, Seawatching: Cory’s / Scopoli’s Shearwater: 2 eastAudouin’s Gull: 2 westShag: 1 juv / first-year1745 – 1815 Carboneras beach:Yellow-legged Gull: 32025th June, Zurgena0600 – 0900: Black Wheatear, Bee-eater, Roller, Olivaceous Warbler, Little Owl </blockquote>

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