Wednesday 01 October 2014, Gaucin, cloudy, showers pm, light-fresh SE wind, 21C

Whilst in the UK from 23-30 September the weather in Gaucin was quite autumnal with temperatures in the low 20s and occasional thundery showers; 15mm of rain fell during the week. Today continued in much the same vein with 3mm of rain falling late afternoon. This morning I was greeted by two 'dueling' Blue Rock Thrush, at least one of which was singing, on the rooftops in Calle Convento.

First-winter male Blue Rock Thrush

At 1015hrs there was a probable Golden Eagle just east of El Hacho; I picked it up high in the sky but, with only a short view and relatively poor visibility, couldn't be certain of the ID. An hour or so later I gave directions to a couple who are on holiday in the village and they said, un-prompted, that they had seen a Golden Eagle in front of El Hacho earlier in the morning......
At 1900hrs there were 60+ Griffon Vulture over Sierra Crestellina and at 2000hrs 50+ House Martin still around over Calle Convento.

I have been forwarded some interesting sightings from Peter, who stayed down near the Rio Genal towards the end of September:
5 Honey Buzzard on 20 Sep, 25 Black Kite on 23 Sep, Northern Goshawk on 22 Sep, Common Cuckoo (female), White-throated Dipper, Firecrest, Pied Flycatcher, 100+ Swift sp. on 23 Sep, numerous Bonelli's Warbler, Cetti's Warbler and Zitting Cisticola. The Dipper is a great record; I wonder if this is one of the birds that has dispersed from the pair that bred upstream on the Rio Genal below the Cueva del Gato near Benaojan?