The blogger smiling with the weather!The temperatures have dropped and when we left Gran Alacant it was a mere 16 degrees and it went down to12 degrees in the valley. We arrived at 8am in a mist that was only gradually worn away by the sun and so we stayed to the east of the ridge having entered from Caudette. We were soon bathed in sun and we were surrounded by birds and their songs. Two hundred Wood Pigeons occupied a high wire and a mixed flock of Goldfinches and Linnets flew from off the fields. In one small bush a dozen Goldies perched and we coined the term ‘ a charm in a bush’. Towards the ridge and over the farm buildings Choughs called and flew. Indeed we heard them for most of the morning. Other Corvids flew too with regular sightings of Jackdaws, Crows and Magpies, but no Ravens today.
We were delighted to see passing through swarms of Barn Swallows and they were visible all morning too. Sad to see them go, but that is the way it is. Northern Wheatears posed well and we must have seen over a dozen individual birds.
Somewhere Stonechats called, but remained invisible. You don't always see what you are looking for!
The ubiquitous Created Larks showed well and eventually we had a clear view of a Thekla and were happy with the identification. A male Rock Bunting gave us our first sighting of this species here.
One Corn Bunting, one Meadow Pipit and one Chiff was seen with a large caterpillar in its mouth.
Chiffchaff
Meadow PipitAround us were fields of vetches with some being harvested. Two Hoopoes showed well and on an earthen bank were Rock Sparrows. We spent over and hour and half at this Caudette end before moving along our normal route where the mist had begun to clear. Red Legged Partridges ran all over.
Heading towards the Yecla end of the valley we heard Buzzards calling and at one time there were four of them circling on the thermals. However before then Bryan spotted a Golden Eagle in the distance and this obliged us by coming closer and we could see the white rump. We were happy with that ID. We counted at least six individual Little Owls as we passed through and in the ‘wine area’ we had excellent views of both Tree and House Sparrows where the comparison with theq two species could be seen.
Tree SparrowBoth sorts of Starlings were around too with many White Wagtails feeding.
Moving on towards the ridge with pines a ‘falcon’ was spotted in a field, but in the distance. We were not sure what it could be and we worked our way along the ridge using the trees as cover, but still it was difficult to be really sure of the detail. We eventually came to a conclusion that the bird was a female Lesser Kestrel. However, I saw a white patch on a cheek, a light or yellow bill and dark plumage on the back and on part of the sides. There was no rufus/red or grey as in the case of an adult Red-footed Falcon, but it could have been a juvenile. However the consensus of opinion is that it was probably a female Lesser Kestrel. We never claim that we have seen a species unless we are sure. Anyway, here is hoping that I can identify a Red-footed Falcon as I have now done the research.
A female Lesser also flew and I reassured myself that they still frequent this valley. A little later another Kestrel flew and again the photo proved that it was male Lesser ‘holding in the wind’ and not as perceived - hovering!
We heard Sandgrouse but they stayed out of sight. We noticed some butterflies, but all fast flying and difficult to see in the breeze. They are a Bath White, a Common Blue, and what we originally thought was an Orange Tip, upon examination of a photo, it is a fresh Clouded Yellow.
There were some absentees with Raven, Black Wheatears, and Calandra Larks being the more obvious ones.
What an excellent few hours and the most productive was the early ones as the sun came up and the mist cleared. It is lovely to be out there.
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