October 7th - recent sightings

With Paul away in the Uk fior 2 weeks and myself out of town birding not much has been recorded over Gaucin for several days. The weather has been superb with clear skies, light winds and great light. I have visited the coast several times since our last report and also I have taken a few jaunts inland towards Ronda.


I have made many good sightings during the last week and full details can be seen on:
http://www.wingspan2010news.blogspot.com

listed below are highlights of birds seen within 100km of Gaucin since Sept. 26th

17 Black Storks flew over San Enrique,

Lesser Crested Tern was at Palmones beach 2nd Oct, 4 Ospreys, A flock 99 White Storks at Palmones Salt Marsh on 2nd. October. 2 Marsh harriers have taken up winter residence there.

Little Bittern (2) and a Water Rail are still at laguna Camelias, Torreguadiaro, 5th October

many Whinchats and Northern Wheatears can be seen at many coastal locations.


Short-toed Eagles and Booted Eagles are still trickling through in ones and twos on migration, large numbers of House Martins and swallows with the odd Alpine Swift and also passing over daily.

Pied Flycatchers, Spotted Flycatchers and Common Redstart are seen daily in the area. More and more White Wagtails, Common Starlings, Song Thrushes, Chiffchaffs and Blackcaps are moving in for the winter.

Garden Warblers and Blackcaps can be seen on all the fig trees devouring figs as fast as they can.

Bonelli's Eagles can be seen most days up the Guadiaro valley and a long Sierra Crstellina.

It won't be too long before the Black Redstarts start to appear and Ring Ouzels will be turning up to eat the abundance of berries that can be found this year.

In this nice hot spell many butterflies are on the wing: Swallowtail, Two-tailed Pasha, Cardinal, Cleopatra, Long-tailed Blue, Saffron Skipper, Wall Brown, Speckled Wood and Red Admiral have been seen in the last few days.