COVID FREE MORNING FOR TWO BIRDERS

WE HAVE A SMALL NUMBER OF PEOPLE INFECTED ON VEGA BAJA BUT WE BELIEVE WE HAD A COVID FREE MORNING.

The heat is certainly on, here in the Costas. We’ve done birding the easy way at Clot, gone up Monnegre both early and late and this morning we stayed local and were out just after 7am. It was a cool 24 degrees or so.

Our first stop, as usual, was just down the hill from the Santa Pola junction. Sandwich Terns (Charrán Patinegro) called and flew as we walked in. There were Gulls as usual including Slender Bill (Gaviota Picofino), Black-headed (Gaviota Reidora), and Mediterranean (Gaviota Cabecinegra). Two Great Reed Warblers (Carricero Tordal) rasped away and there was nothing unusual to see on the lagoons. We are always in the look-out for that ‘special one’. Again I had a good view of an adult Purple Heron (Garza Imperial). However, our bird of the morning had to be a perched Osprey (Águila Pescadora) distant, but identifiable.

The Salt Tower pull-in and the other area by the stones provided nothing of note except that two Collared Pratincoles (Canastera Común) were in a dry area opposite. On our return along N332 several were seen as we passed by.

El Pinet was incredibly humid and we saw (one was photographed) Black Tailed Godwits (Aguja Colinegra) and two in breeding plumage. In the distance Common Terns (Charrán Común) flew. Earlier we saw several Little Terns (Charrancito Común) and inland, Gull-billed Terns (Pagaza Piconegra), were seen.

We checked every waterway that we could to see if any Kingfishers (Martin Pescador) were around. Records seem to indicate they are not around this area during the summer, but we did see them on Friday. We will look again.

We searched for a Roller (Carraca) and found one. We have seen them in double figures before, but like Woodchat Shrikes (Alcaudón Común) they seem not to be in any great numbers. Bee-eaters (Abejaruco Común) too.

We had good sightings of many species and I have not noted all of them, and our bird-of-the-day was a flying and perched, Black Crowned Night Heron (Martinete Común) and it stayed for the photographer too.

We always pay some attention to smaller birds - Serin (Verdecillo) and Greenfinches (Verderón Común) were the most obvious. And the skies were devoid of any raptors.

Butterflies were scarce too, but we did see several Plain Tigers.

It is very hot and dry out there with no flooding of fields. However we did see a grove of Palm Trees standing in water, but with no birds. We won't be checking this local area again until at least the end of September and our next trips will be Maigmo and Monnegre again.