THE GREAT PLAINS OF ALBACETE

 THE BORDERS ARE OPEN AND WE WENT NORTH INTO CASTILE LA MANCHA

SO JUST GET OUT NOW THERE IS FLOODED AREAS WITH STANDING WATER

Monday 9th was our first chance to get to  Corral Rubio, Petrola, Bonete and Higuerruela and we gave it a thorough going over. We did the miles and it was a good days work. I thought that it might become a good Eagle day and it wasn’t. It was cold by ‘Costa’ standards, cloudy and with a threat of rain. But we worked together and our list for the day was outstanding. There were some notable exceptions though.

It was reasoned that there would be plenty of water there and that was correct. The dried out areas of two years ago were under water and that is what we wanted. 

Our aim was to get see those beautiful Great Bustards - Avutardo Común to give Gareth his first views of them. We managed to get a good look at four before 10am and later we saw a total of twenty-eight. Such a sight and close enough to give clear views. In one tight group of ten they were all male except for one. What’s going on there? As we were watching them a lone Little Bustard - Sison Común flashed past and was gone.

We paid attention to everything. The verges were gorgeous with their colours and Poppies (Amapala) showed a bright read. We listened hard and on four separate occasions we heard  Quail -  Codorniz Común and of course they remained hidden. But they were there. Some of the fields yielded many larks that included Calandula - Calandria and Lesser Short-toed -Terrera Marismena and we had constant fly pasts.

I am going to generalize and say where there was water there were birds. Much can be easily seen and on one lake there was six species of Duck, including Gadwell - Ánade Friso, two species of Terns, species of Grebe and more besides.

Lagunas de Petrola was overflowing and the wind had blown the ‘foam’ onto the shore line. On the side of the track two Kentish Plovers - Chorlitejo Patinegro were so close they gave me the best views ever. Not far away a Redshank - Archibebe Común showed brilliantly.

We did the rounds and most tracks were firm and good. By the Madrid railway line our passage was blocked by water that we had not seen there before. We turned back and went to Higueruela by a metaled road. I love this spot which has yielded seventeen species on a previous occasion. Today our total included Bonnelli’s Warbler - Mosquitero Papialbo, two Wood Larks - Totovia, a Mistletoe Thrush - Zorza Chario, a singing Nightingale - Ruiseñor. A thrice tapping Great Spotted Woodpecker - Pico Picapinos, a possible Redstart, a Serin -Verdecillo, a Greenfinch - Verderón Común, a Tree Creeper - Agateador Común heard only and an Iberian Green Woodpecker - Pito Real and then a Chaffinch - Pinzon Vulgar. That’s not a bad  list for about 30 minutes and there would have been more if we had stayed.

We had many great views and today ‘holding-in-the -wind a male Kestrel was photographed and confirmed it was a lesser - Cernicalo Primilla. And with old buildings nearby they could be nesting.

It was a long day but we had our rewards. Now we wait and see who gets up there and see what they have seen. But we did it first!