A QUICK STROLL ROUND ROSARITO

Last Sunday we decided to pay a a quick evening visit to Rosarito after the rain stopped, despite the strong wind that took over.

We've never seen the reservoir so empty, though I managed this nice shot of flying cormorants against the choppy water. Looks like the sea.

Walking back to the car we saw a hundred-strong flock of Spanish Sparrows.

The days are a bit longer now after the clocks have gone forward so we also had time to visit a nearby lake. Along the way we saw this Red-Legged Partridge and Corn Bunting.

Very little at the lake, only the cheerfully twittering swallows.

As for the Nightingales, the first one clocked in here on the 25th. Here's a message written by my dad to Goce birdwatching forum about the event.

But "Plusma" got back yesterday, on the 28th.

ORCHID HILL AND ARROCAMPO RESERVOIR

Yesterday morning we set off for Arrocampo Reservoir, which is about one hour’s drive from our house. Halfway there we stopped to bid farewell to the Supermoon.

See you in 2031!!!!!

As soon as we got to Hide 2 in Arrocampo we saw this miracle of engineeering on the entrance ramp.

Over the next 3 hours at Hide 2 we saw 3 Bearded Tits, quite rare in this area, including beautiful views of a male, sometimes launching into his display flight. A Bluethroat also dropped by and many Reed Buntings were moving about in the reeds. Sedge Warbler, Reed Warbler (1) and Savi’s Warbler were all singing in the reedbed. Great White Herons, Little Bitterns, Purple Swamphens and Purple Herons were all strutting or flying about and this lovely male Marsh Harrier flew over, also treating us to its display flight.

     A Monk Vulture also soared overhead.

After Arrocampo we went off to orchid hill near Almaraz. A little early yet but we managed to see and snap all the following:

Orchis champagneuxii

Orchis italica

                                                                      Orchis lactea

Ophrys lutea

                                 

                                                     

                     In my opinion, the most beautiful of the lot: Ophrys vernixia (speculum). 

                                

                                     

Ophrys tenthredinifera

                                                            

Lastly we went to Casatejada to see the Lesser Kestrels that breed in the church. They’re still a bit flighty but I managed to get this snap of one flying over a stork.

Suddenly all the kestrels, starlings, pigeons and jackdaws shot out of the church and flapped about in a panicky cloud. We were wondering why when the culprit flew over our heads.

Walking back to the car we saw this fetching pair of Swallows resting up from making their nest. In this family it’s obvious who does the building work.

                                                                      The layabout male

                                                                  The female trowel.

WAITING FOR PLUSMA 2011

Although it’s still bloody cold here in Villanueva de la Vera we are already looking forward to the arrival of the first Nightingale some time this month. In recent years the first one has turned up two days earlier every time. First of all the record holder arrived on 28 March, then 26, then 24 and last year on 22. We nicknamed this new recordholder “Plusma” (short for “recordholder” in Spanish) and he even made the newspapers. Extrapolating this trend, this year’s first bird should arrive on the 20th!  I post below a couple of photos of Plusma taken last year when I was still digiscoping. I hope to get a good snap of him with my SLR this year.

Meanwhile, today we saw the first Short-Toed Eagle. The village is now full of Swallows and House Martins, so the summer visitors are arriving . . . despite the weather . . . .

ASTURIAS JUNE 2010

Last June we spent some time in Asturias flat hunting in Arriondas. While there I lucked into a Squacco Heron on the River Sella. The record was sent up to an Asturias forum and they told me it was very rare there. Just my luck. I come up from northern Extremadura where you can see them almost every day and instead of seeing a nice Red Backed Shrike or Yellowhammer, what do I see – a Squacco Heron! Anyway it’s a smart bird so here’s a photo of him sitting on the bank of the River Sella.