Saturday 16 June, Gaucin, sunny, hot, light-fresh S wind, 34C: No respite from the heat today with a hot southerly wind adding to the oven effect - it's early in the summer to be getting temperatures as high as this. Birding opportunities have been few and far between but there have been a few Booted Eagle around and this afternoon a well-marked Short-toed Eagle was above the Gaucin-El Colmenar turning. There is a pair of Red-rumped Swallow trying to nest-build on a house on the Loma de Avedin in Gaucin but as it's so dry they must be having difficulty finding any mud (see photo of early-stage nest); this is the first time I've seen this species nesting so close to Gaucin. This evening the Swifts were on fine form with some coming within less than a metre of me. Interestingly, many were landing on the house roof and seemingly resting a few seconds before rejoining the rest of the flock.