Tuesday 04 June, Gaucin, sunny, light E-SE wind, 24C: Another new tick for the garden Walnut tree early on Monday morning (0230hrs) as a Tawny Owl spent a good 10 minutes there singing at full volume to a (presumed) female that was calling from a short distance away. It was around again last night but for less time and not quite so close to the house. This morning Janys and I went for a short walk through the orange orchards in San Pablo de Buceite and saw Griffon Vulture, Short-toed Eagle, Booted Eagle (light and dark morphs), Common Swift, Barn Swallow, House Martin, Golden Oriole (1st summer male), Woodchat Shrike, Melodious Warbler, Zitting Cisticola,  Blackcap, Corn Bunting, Greenfinch, Chaffinch and Serin; Cetti's Warbler, Common Nightingale and Cirl Bunting were heard. Non-bird sightings included European Terrapin in the dammed water below the hydroelectric plant and a rare (the first for me) inland appearance of a Monarch butterfly.

Male Stonechat near El Hacho the other day