PLEASE REFER TO THE SPANISH VERSION

I've decided to quit updating this English version of my website because it's getting very few hits and is fairly hard work to keep up. The Spanish page is still going strong, however, so if you want to see my photos please click on the link on the right (Versión española). As for the texts, well you could always learn Spanish. It's dead easy. I spoke it as a baby . . .

Many thanks for your interest

Four out of Five

Saturday morning we decided to go to Monfragüe. It’s really quite outrageous not to go more often when it’s so close by. It’s a place that never lets you down and Saturday was no exception. We saw a Nightjar sp. in the road driving in at dawn. At Salto de Gitano we had a great time watching the pair of peregrines repeatedly buzzing a Golden Eagle, probably a second winter bird with quite a bit of white in wings and tail. This prompted us to try for the “full set” of five eagles, since the Golden Eagle is the one that’s always let us down in the past, and especially after seeing the two summer visitors up at the Castle, which could have proved tricky in October.

 Short-Toed Eagle 

From the Castle we also watched a nice group of about eight White-Rumped Swifts. It was difficult to photograph the bullet-speed buggers in a very strong wind, but here are a couple of snaps I did manage.

One of the strong suits of Monfragüe is always the magnificent Griffon Vultures, which take up all sorts of beautiful postures landing and taking off or even flying by.

This next individual is either a new species of Red-Headed Vulture or it’s just come straight from a stand-up buffet.

 Now we needed the Imperial and Bonelli’s Eagle.

At the Tajadilla, one of the best spots for Bonelli’s, we had no luck but we did see this lovely Pied Flycatcher, easily the most common migrant round here right now.

We ended up at the Portilla, where we did see a couple of Imperials . . .

. . . but no Bonelli’s. Maybe next time . . . 

PORTRAIT OF A KINGFISHER

A promise is a promise. After 4 hours waiting in my homemade hide yesterday morning, listening to the kingfisher splashing away 2 metres off without being able to see him (her actually, it's a female) and then seeing her perched calmly in full view but just too far away to photograph, at last she was good enough to land at a photographable distance, although the light was a bit strong by then. Truth is it gave me a special thrill to see this beauty so close up without causing any nuisance at all. Here are some of the photos she let me take while up close.

HOMEMADE HIDE FOR KINGFISHERS

This morning at dawn, following the tips of my friend Oscar González, I went back to Charco Salado with a homemade hide I made the previous evening. My main target was Kingfisher, without ruling out any other goodies that might turn up.

To avoid frightening off the birds I made only a small viewing slit in the cloth covering the hide, greatly cutting down by field of vision. Imagine how galling it was to hear a Kingfisher repeatedly splashing into the water to my right only metres away without being able to get the camera on him (or her as it turned out)!!

Meanwhile I snapped some of the waders feeding on the mud around the hide, including these Common Sandpipers, Green Sandpipers and Little Ringed Plover.

Common Sandpipers

 Green Sandpipers

Little Ringed Plover

While I was packing away the homemade hide to leave, the Kingfisher suddenly came back, so I shot back inside the rapidly propped up hide again. How it panned out I'll tell you in another post in a few days. But it wasn't at all bad!

CHARCO SALADO AND ARROCAMPO RESERVOIR

This morning, now back in La Vera, we went at dawn to Charco Salado near Serrejón. A Nightjar (presumably red-necked) welcomed us as soon as we stepped out of the car, flitting about above our heads and landing on the path. Once by the side of the lake with good views we saw about 60+ Black Winged Stilts, kicking up a lovely racket. Here's a photo of some of them in flight.

We also saw 3 Spotted Redshank and 5 Redshank, loads of Ringed and Little-Ringed Plovers, 2 Ruffs, 1 Grey Plover, 1 Snipe and 1 Dunlin. So much for the waders.

The Holm Oaks were full of migrants, especially Pied Flycatchers, but also with a good smattering of Whinchats and Redstarts, with stacks of Wheatears on the ground.

Whinchat

 A fox trotted by fairly close and Ravens flew overhead.

Then we went off to Cerro Alto, where this smashing Osprey turned up, although unfortunately it never came very close.

The Unpredicability of Birding

Nature is ever capricious, turning up where you least expect it. A week or two ago we spent a morning in the lovely site of Villaviciosa without seeing much to write about. Last weekend we spent 17 hours trying to see bears in Western Asturias, in a place where lots of people are seeing them all the time. Zilch. A couple of days ago, to end our summer stay in Asturias, we decided to go to an Indian restaurant in Gijón, without any idea of seeing birds. Before entering the restaurant we took a stroll along the promenade and found this gorgeous group of Knots on the beach rocks, one of them still with a hint of summer plumage. Luckily enough the camera was to hand nearby in the car. The beach was full of people swimming, playing frisbee and paddle ball, without ever suspecting that a few metres were these VIPs from the high arctic. And the birds themselves never turned a feather at all this frenetic activity roundabout. That's just how whimsical nature is sometimes.

 Here are some snaps of the beauties.

And to wind things up, a photo taken by a friend of me barefoot on the rocks photographing them.

RIA DE VILLAVICIOSA

Last Saturday we spent the morning in Ría de Villaviciosa, arriving at high tide. It’s always a delight to hear the spinechilling calls of Curlews, Whimbrels, Redshank, Greenshank and watch the waders take up their positions on the fresh mud as the tide falls. As well as the abovementioned foursome we also saw Common Sandpiper, Ringed Plover and at last we found a flock of 8 Curlew Sandpipers, a bird wed’d been seeking in vain for years in the reservoirs of Extremadura. It was lovely to see them with the last hint of their summer hues. The bushes were lively with migrants, including a male Bluethroat, Whitethroat, Willow Warbler; Yellow Wagtails called and a Savi’s Warbler sang briefly. A Booted Eagle circled overhead. Here are a couple of photos of the waders.

Common Sandiper



Ringed Plover

SEABIRDS AND CETACEANS FROM SANTURZI

Taking advantage of the fact that we're spending summer here in Asturias, we decided to go on a seatrip with Gorka Ocio from Santurzi to see seabirds and cetaceans.

The trip started at 7.30 am sharp and our aim was to cruise the edge of the deep water a few miles offshore.

We found 3 huge shearwater flocks with the 5 species wheeling round or floating on the water in rafts, together with Greak Skuas, one Pomarine and one Arctic. We also saw Storm Petrels really close to the boat.

Later on a beautiful pod of Common Dolphins was bow riding us for 5 minutes or more. We could even hear their clicking sounds!!

Due to the choppy sea we couldn't get out to the best deep water so we didn't sea many more cetaceans, only a pod of 7 Bottlenosed Dolphins on the way back in.

I hope to make another trip next year on a calmer sea with more sea mammal sightings. For those who haven't tried it, the seatrips with Gorka Ocio are magnificent. Even with such a choppy sea as we badlucked into last Sunday, the sight of dolphins and shearwaters so close to the boat is unforgettable.

Sorry also about the lack of entries lately. August is the boringest month . . .

Cory's Shearwater in flight



Common Dolphins bow-riding

A raft of Great, Cory's and Sooty Shearwaters

Storm Petrel

RED-BACKED SHRIKE. GETTING CLOSER . . .

This morning we made a lightning trip to Ribadesella and dropped in on a Red-Backed Shrike territory we know nearby, just in case. The bird proved to be super obliging in lovely early-morning sunlight. Here are a few photos of the beauty.

THE REDBACK'S LARDER

A few days ago here in Arriondas (Asturias) I was lucky enough to find something I’ve always wanted to see: a Red-Backed Shrike’s larder. It was a tad distant but even so the following sequence of photos gives a nice idea of events.

 First it arrives at the larder, swag in beak (the word “swag” seems fitting for a bird with such a robber’s mask) and pins it on the hook.

With the booty now hanging from the hook, it seems to be mulling over which titbit to eat first.

It eventually decides for the tail and bends down to amputate it.

 And down it goes to his great satisfaction.

The words in the speech bubble say “Lizard’s tail . . . mmmmmm . . . . my favourite”. Obviously this bird thinks and speaks in Spanish so we have to subtitle him.

Our Country Cousins

Every day here in Asturias we’re seeing and hearing stacks of Redstarts. There’s at least one pair nesting in every village we visit. It’s a real delight because back in Villanueva de La Vera (Cáceres) we have to hike 2 hours uphill to find one. Here are a few snaps taken in the nearby village of Bode.