Here 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:
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http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?hl=en&...-8&sa=N&tab=wl)
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 June
2100 local time – Arrival at Almeria airport
At 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 airport
Spotless Starling (Sturnus unicolor): Significant roost at airport alongside even larger numbers House Sparrows (Passer domesticus).
17th June, Zurgena
0600 - 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 territory
Red-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 June
Zurgena 0600 – 0900:
Kestrel (Falco tinnunculus): At least three birds in the local area
Southern 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 west
Audouin’s Gull (Larus audouinii):7 flew east
Kentish Plover (Charadrius alexandrinus): One male on beach
Purple Gallinule (Porphyrio porphyrio): One at lagoon next to beach
White-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 Swallow
Villaricos 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 males
Audouin’s Gull: Two adults flew West
White-headed Duck: 5 (four males, one female – one pair)
19th June, Zurgena
0600 – 0900:
Turtle Dove (Streptopelia turtur): One singing male
Black-eared Wheatear (Oenanthe hispanica): One male
20th June, Mojacar Playa, Seawatching
1147 – 1330
Balearic Shearwater (Puffinus mauretanicus): 7 west
Cory’s / Scopoli’s Shearwater (Calonectris diomedia): 2 west
Mediterranean Gull (Larus melanocephalus): 1 2nd summer bird west
Gannet: 3 west, 1 east
Sandwich Tern: 3 adults east
Kentish Plover: 2 east, 3 west
21st June, Zurgena
0600 – 0900
Stone curlew: 3
Serin: At least one bird
Hoopoe: One singing male
Iberian Green Woodpecker: One. Iberian Green Woodpeckers were regularly heard around the Rambla Parrica area.
Short-toed Eagle: One
Fan-tailed Warbler: At least two territories between Zurgena and La Alfoquia
Goldfinch (Carduelis carduelis): 2
22nd June, Zurgena
0800 – 0900:
Serin: 2
Roller: 3
Fan-tailed warbler: Two territories
Turtle Dove: 1
1240 – 1340 , Mojacar Playa, Seawatching:
Black-headed Gull (Larus ridibundus): One adult west
Gannet: 6 west
Sandwich Tern: One west
Audouin’s Gull: 6 west, 3 east
Cory’s / Scopoli’s Shearwater: One east
Balearic Shearwater (Puffinus mauretanicus): 2 west
Yellow-legged Gull: 20 blogging
2100 – 2200 Zurgena:
Red-necked Nightjar (Caprimulgus ruficollis): Many calling and singing in Rambla Parrica area.
Stone Curlew: 2
Little Owl: 1
Woodchat: Pair
23rd June, Zurgena
0600 – 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 adults
Black-winged Stilt: 36
Black-tailed Godwit (Limosa limosa): 36
Avocet (Avosetta recurvirostra): 105
Kentish Plover: 23
Curlew (Numenius arquata): 11
Fan-tailed Warbler: 1 territory recorded
Oystercatcher (Haematopus ostralegus): 2
Shelduck (Tadorna tadorna): 21
Iberiae Yellow Wagtail: 1
Slender-billed Gull (Chroicocephalus genei): 11
Little Tern (Sterna albifrons): 28
Common Tern (Sterna hirundo): 1
Sandwich Tern (Sterna sandvicensis): 12
Gull-billed Tern (Gelochelidon nilotica): 4
24th June, Zurgena
0600 – 0900:
Spotted Flycatcher (Muscicapa striata): Pair
Fan-tailed warbler
Red-rumped Swallow
Little-ringed Plover (Charadrius dubius): Male in display-flight
Western Olivaceous Warbler (Hippolais opaca): One pair, male singing
1530 – 1630 Mojacar Playa, Seawatching:
Cory’s / Scopoli’s Shearwater: 2 east
Audouin’s Gull: 2 west
Shag: 1 juv / first-year
1745 – 1815 Carboneras beach:
Yellow-legged Gull: 320
25th June, Zurgena
0600 – 0900:
Black Wheatear, Bee-eater, Roller, Olivaceous Warbler, Little Owl
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