Tuesday 05 July, track North of San Pablo de Buciete, 0730-1100hrs, clear, warm: Wingspanner and I set off at 0700hrs in search of one of my favourite species, the tricky Rufous Bush Robin. Our first scans delivered a couple of Melodious Warbler, including a juvenile, and a possible Olivaceous Warbler of which our views were frustratingly fleeting. After half-an-hour, or so, we heard an instantly (un)recognisable snippet of song and knew that something interesting was afoot! Soon we tracked the song down to an adult Rufous Bush Robin that paused briefly on a wire fence before disappearing off into the scrub. After a good hour and a couple more glimpses we eventually located two individuals on the track and managed to get some reasonable photos, including the under-tail pattern and one sitting on a telephone wire, see below - for a generally shy species these two were extroverts in the extreme! To round the morning off we also got good views of the Olivaceous Warbler as well as seeing Short-toed Eagle (very well-marked adult), several White Stork, Common Whitethroat, juvenile Tawny Pipit (see photo), Common Buzzard, Sardinian Warbler, European Bee-eater (see photo), Collared Dove, Woodchat Shrike (including many youngsters), Corn Bunting, Goldfinch, Zitting Cisticola, Cetti's Warbler, Red-rumped Swallow, Raven, Greenfinch, Spotless Starling, House Sparrow, Blackbird, Stonechat, Barn swallow, House Martin and Common Swift. A great morning's birding, well worth the early start!

Rufous Bush Robin


Rufous Bush Robin on wire


Rufous Bush Robin


Rufous Bush Robin showing tail pattern


Juvenile Tawny Pipit


European Bee-eater