Big Skies and Huge Vistas near Albacete

Big skies, huge vistas and our presence of being out there creates a wonderful feeling within me. It is a huge country, Spain, and we always try and see more of it and still to remain focused, on some areas that we have researched and re-visited on more than in one occasion.

And so it was on Friday morning, 17th August, when we left Gran Alicant at 6.15am and a temperature of only 23 degrees. Our destination was to concentrate on the area not far from Montealegre and a favourite area for us of the route in to Higueruela on CM 3209. We took our time on the road to the village and we were soon rewarded. The ‘pig farm’ complex had House Martins flying over it and the adjacent fields produced a flock of Corn Buntings and then, a Northern Wheatear. Around a derelict structure and a pile of vegetation we saw surprisingly, a Chiff-chaff, and also Serins, Linnets and Tree Sparrows. We scanned the stubble and when we were at the corner by the railway we counted twenty Great Bustards. Okay they were not that close, but we watched a male and female walk past the bales of straw though the stubble.



In the foreground was a preening Common Buzzard, and a little further away the Bustards and in the background ‘El Pastor’ with his flock walking past. Some could say a strange juxtaposition of the wild surviving with the domesticated in an intensively agricultural setting.



We moved on towards the village of Higueruela and on a quarry face a Black Wheatear was observed with food in its beak. A Golden Oriole called from the trees without showing and a Green Woodpecker was heard.



Our usual spot was quiet, but both a Great Tit and a Tree Creeper called. The Bonelli's Warblers were absent and so were most of our regular species. A damaged Silver Washed Fritillary clung to a fence before flying away.

By this time we had experienced a little rain and the temperature was down to 18. We had good views of Buzzards and Marsh Harriers and then on the road to Petrola, flying around, and what we initially thought was a Red Kite and on closer inspection it became a Black Kite! Much better. We have seen a Red Kite here before, but to see a Black Kite was very special. And then a Short Toed Eagle perched in clear view on a distant pylon. The Short Toed would have been our bird of the day, but it will have to share that label with the Black Kite. Many species are already on the move and that could be our last chance for that species of eagle before it flies south.



At the Lagunas de Petrola the water looked dark and it stank. The margins were black for about a meter from the waterline. We counted only seventy Flamingoes, three Black Winged Stilt, one Black Headed Gull and a few Shelduck. This area has been teeming with BH Gulls and and, it seems, that the Gull Billed Terns have departed too. A Zitting Cisticola flew. Tree Sparrows too and White Wagtails flew over the mud. Marsh Harriers are often here and one ‘spooked’ three small un-identified waders. This general area has had rain the previous day and there was evidence of it although no standing water that we saw seemed to attract anything.



We moved in to our other chosen destination on the road towards Montealegre to where we knew there is a substantial area of natural water that is much more than a scrape. It was teeming with life. Little and Black Necked Grebes with Coots and Moorhens covered the water. Both species of Pochard swam with numerous White Headed Ducks. It also held 200 Flamingoes. A Water Rail squealed twice. Lapwings were in a corner and ‘eagle-eyed’ Bryan scoped two Kentish Plovers. Flying over the water the Bee-eaters hawked and gave us superb views of this colourful bird.



On two separate occasions and only in flight we saw both Black Bellied and Pintailed Sandgrouse. We saw numerous Crows but no Ravens and around some farm buildings about 200 Jackdaws assembled.



A few Swallows fed over the stubble and the odd House Martin was observed. We did not see one Swift. We were looking for incoming wintering birds and we also noted those species that were no longer evident. Seasons vary and this summer we have viewed fewer Rollers and even where we knew Bee-eaters to have bred before - they were not there. Maybe our views of them hawking this morning will be our last for this year. I will miss them, as always. Another great day out in good company.