Friday 30 September, west slope of El Hacho, Gaucin, 0900-1000hrs, fresh SE wind, partly cloudy, warm: Still quite a few Common Redstart in the trees with at least 3 males (see photo) and 2 females present; also Raven, Sparrowhawk, Griffon Vulture, Red-legged Partridge, Southern Grey Shrike (see photo), Blue Rock Thrush, Stonechat, Cirl Bunting, Rock Bunting, Thekla Lark, Sardinian Warbler, Blackcap (including 12 in a single tree!) and Chiffchaff sp. Nice to see the shrike still around; hopefully it will stay for the winter. I also had a very brief view of what looked like a male Ortolan Bunting - blue/green head and orange underparts were what caught my eye as it flitted across the grass - unfortunately it disappeared before I could get a good look and I couldn't relocate it!

Thursday 29 September, Camino de Gibraltar, Gaucin, 1900-2000hrs, light-fresh SE wind, partly cloudy, cool: Not a great deal around...Short-toed Eagle, pale morph Booted Eagle, Sparrowhawk, Cetti's Warbler, Chiffchaff , Cirl Bunting and a small flock of Chaffinch. Still a few Common Swift and House Martin feeding over the valley.

Monday 26 September: The local Blue Rock Thrushes are getting bolder! On Saturday at 12noon there was a male singing from a chimney opposite bar Paco Pepe and yesterday afternoon there was a pair hanging around the roofs and terraces of Calle Convento and Callejon del Pino - at one point the female landed on the terrace just 2m from where I was sitting.

Sunday 25 September, Gaucin, light SE wind, partly cloudy, warm, 0900-1030hrs. A morning visit to a rather quiet El Hacho produced the following: Griffon Vulture, Short-toed Eagle, Raven, Red-legged Partridge, Blue Rock Thrush, 2 male and 3 female Common Redstart, Stonechat, Cirl Bunting, Willow Warbler, Chiffchaff sp., Blackcap and Sardinian Warbler. I'm always hopeful that this area will have a passing Whinchat or Northern Wheatear but so far, no luck!

Thursday 22 September, partly cloudy, little or no wind, warm: Walking around the base of El Hacho mountain at 0930hrs this morning with friends and we saw the following of note: adult Egyptian Vulture, 2x Short-toed Eagle, Sparrowhawk, Common Kestrel, Southern Grey Shrike and Common Redstart. Also two harrier-like raptors that we just couldn't manage to ID, shame!

Wednesday 21 September, West side of El Hacho, Gaucin, light SE wind, sunny and warm, 1900-2015hrs: A quick early evening visit was quite productive. I saw Griffon Vulture, a pair of Short-toed Eagle, one pale morph and one dark morph Booted Eagle, Raven, Great-spotted Woodpecker, Blue Rock Thrush, Thekla Lark, House Martin, Crag Martin, 2x Red-rumped Swallow, Stonechat, 2 male and 1 female Common Redstart, Cirl Bunting, Sardinian Warbler and Iberian Chiffchaff. Also saw a Barn Swallow over the Sierra Espartina at 1200hrs.

Tuesday 20 September, Camino Monteros and the west side of El Hacho, Gaucin, light to fresh E wind, sunny and warm: Having walked along the Camino Monteros (behind the petrol station) yesterday with some friends I thought I'd go back and have a good look as there seemed to be quite a few birds there. It was all a bit quiet at 0830hrs but I did see a couple of Raven , a Sparrowhawk and a female Common Redstart. Decided to go over to El Hacho from 0930-1030hrs where there was a lot more activity. Along with the usual Stonechat and Sardinian Warbler on every other bush I saw Short-toed Eagle, Griffon Vulture, Peregrine, 2 Raven (presumably the same pair as earlier), male and female Common Redstart, Cirl Bunting, Rock Bunting (see distant photo!), Chiffchaff sp., several House Martin and a Southern Grey Shrike (see photo).