Standing at up to 4 feet tall (1.22m) the Common Crane is one of our largest birds and really a spectacular sight for anyone interested in the wonders of our local wildlife. They are a winter visitor here in our region and can gather in … Continue readingBird of the Month – December 2021
The Iberian Magpie aka Azure-winged Magpie. Look through your guidebooks as long as you like, but you’ll never find an entry for Widdrington’s Magpie. This isn’t surprising, as it doesn’t exist! But for a quirk of timing and history, though, that’s what we might now … Continue readingBird of the Month – November 2021
Unless they’re very fortunate and live near a ‘hotspot’, birders often tend to neglect their immediate surroundings in favour of heading off to a more distant locality where a good range of species can be more reliably found. With various constraints on our time this … Continue readingBirding Sites – Vejer de la Frontera a place to explore
The Dehesa is often mentioned by birders and contributors to the ABS website and Facebook pages, but for those who are not sure what is, I’ve written this short piece by way of an introduction. Dehesa (or Montado) as it’s called in Portugal is one … Continue readingThe Dehesa – A Jewel in Iberia’s Crown
Bonelli’s Eagle Aquila fasciata Bonelli’s Eagle can be found in southern Europe, Africa, across the Indian Subcontinent to Indonesia. It currently enjoys a status classified as a species of least concern by the IUCN. Despite this classification, there is evidence to suggest it has declined … Continue readingBird of the Month – October 2021
I fell in love with Andalucia way back in 1965 when as a young back packer I spent eight weeks bumming around the Spanish coast from Gibraltar to Barcelona. I recall TorremoIinos was a quiet fishing village with two quaint double storey hotels. I did … Continue readingAn Optimistic Birder – A member’s article
Great-spotted Woodpecker Dendrocopos major hispanicus. A common resident in our part of Spain and largely sedentary, but young birds are known to disperse considerable distances and some adult individuals can have a tendency to wander, which has led to the recent colonisation of Ireland, whilst … Continue readingBird of the Month – September 2021
August and time for ‘eyes to the skies’ as millions of our birds begin their exodus to spend their winters in the more temperate and warmer climes of Africa. We are so lucky to live in a region that is situated on one the major … Continue readingAugust and Migration
Purple Heron Ardea purpurea is a widely distributed member of the heron family Ardeidae. It breeds in Africa, central and southern Europe, and southern and eastern Asia. Our Western Palearctic populations migrate between breeding and wintering habitats, whereas the African and tropical-Asian populations are primarily sedentary, except for occasional dispersive movements. Note: Above … Continue readingBird of the Month – July 2021
Fifteen members met at Bar Angela in Trebujena on what promised to be a hot day’s birding, in every sense. We drove out of town into the flat plains bordering the Rio Guadalquivir. These plains are vast stretching from just south of Seville to near … Continue readingFIELD MEETING 17TH JULY – TREBUJENA
