Sunday 19 April 2015, Gaucin, partly cloudy, light W-NW wind, 22C

Not much to report, despite a couple of days of more westerly winds. Whilst driving to Ronda on Friday morning there were 16 Red-billed Chough over the rocky slopes just before Encinas Borrachas. In Ronda itself there was an 'unkindness' of 20 Common Raven over the gorge, plus many Griffon Vulture, Lesser Kestrel, a single Red-billed Chough, at least 2 Alpine Swift, a singing male Black Redstart, lots of Serin and, best of all, a pair of displaying Bonelli's Eagle in the distance towards Sierra Grazalema.
A quick stop at the Rio Genal this morning produced Booted Eagle, Little-ringed Plover, European Bee-eater, a singing Melodious Warbler and at least 3 singing Common Nightingale.

1st summer male Black Redstart

Serin

If you have to go shopping Ronda isn't a bad place! View towards Sierra Grazalema

Thursday 16 April 2015, Gaucin, mostly cloudy, light W wind, 17C

This week has seen typically Spring-like weather with a lot of cloud and outbreaks of light rain/drizzle, plus the occasional dramatic electrical storm. Today down on the Rio Genal below Gaucin in dull, damp conditions, the first Turtle Dove of the year appeared, with 2 perched on power lines. Also seen were Griffon Vulture, Booted Eagle, Eurasian Sparrowhawk, Grey Heron, Great Cormorant, Little-ringed Plover, 60+ European Bee-eater, 2 Common Kingfisher, (a belated-first) Woodchat Shrike, Common Swift, Barn Swallow, House Martin, White Wagtail, Grey Wagtail, Common Nightingale, Sardinian Warbler, Serin, Cirl Bunting and a single Hawfinch; Cetti's Warbler was heard. The Bee-eaters were quite a spectacle, dashing from tree to tree like a horde of gaudily-clad, over-excited children let loose on a school trip - the noise was quite something!
Back in the village there were 4 Black Stork flying over at 1830hrs and yesterday, a single early afternoon.
This is purely anecdotal, but there seem to be more Barn Swallow around in the village this year - 2014 was a poor year but they are back in good numbers swooping along Calle Convento and chattering on the telephone cables first thing in the morning - a great sight!

Calle Convento - driving through the village is a bit tricky at the moment!

European Bee-eater- trying to look colourful in the dull light

European Bee-eater

Sunday 12 April 2015, Gaucin, cloudy, fresh E-SE wind, 14C

A morning walk from Venta Solera (at the turning to Cortes de la Frontera on the Gaucin-Ronda road) to Algatocin along the old drovers track produced a couple of good sightings though the continuing fresh easterly winds made it feel a lot chillier than the actual temperature of 14C!
The best bird was a singing male Ring Ouzel, though he only graced us with a few seconds of song, most likely a migrant heading north. Also seen were Griffon Vulture, Short-toed Eagle, Booted Eagle, Peregrine, Blue Rock Thrush and Woodlark; Bonelli's Warbler was heard.
There were several tired-looking Yellow Ophrys Ophrys lutea and one rather nice Sawfly Ophrys Ophrys tenthredinifera.

Woodlark - just about visible in the gloom!

Sawfly Ophrys

 

 

 

Some bad news for Europe's migrating birds as Malta narrowly votes in favour of continuing Spring hunting - the only European country that allows it......
Malta votes to continue bird slaughter

Saturday 11 April 2015, Gaucin, mostly cloudy, light SE wind, 14C

Watching the skies to the south of the village on and off for 30min from 1600hrs produced the following:
Griffon Vulture, Short-toed Eagle, Booted Eagle, 19 Black Kite, Peregrine, Eurasian Goshawk and Eurasian Sparrowhawk. The Booted Eagle included a displaying pair above the Loma de Enmedio; one climbing high above the other before diving down at speed.
A mid-morning walk down from the village along the Camino de Casares produced no birds of note but there were a couple of good orchid finds, White Helleborine Cephalanthera damasonium and a lovely example of a Mirror Ophrys Ophrys ciliata, plus a few stems of wild asparagus Asparagus officinalis.

White Helleborine

White Helleborine

Mirror Ophrys

Wild asparagus

 

Friday 10 April 2015, Gaucin, mostly cloudy, light SE wind, 16C

A few observations from today:
1430hrs: 2 Common Raven above Calle Convento; one was producing the weird toy trumpet sound. Also 2 Short-toed Eagle and a pale morph Booted Eagle.
During the afternoon a couple of groups of 10 and 15 European Bee-eater moved through and there were at least 2 Common Nightingale singing  just south of the village. Swift numbers during early evening are now in excess of 150.
At 2030hrs a painfully slow 2cy male Marsh Harrier struggled north-eastwards against the wind low over Calle Convento.

Wednesday 08 April 2015, Gaucin, cloudy, frequent light rain, light-fresh E-SE wind, 9C

Very little to report over the last week as a combination of poor weather and other activities have kept me away from birding and a succession of easterly winds have blocked raptor movement over Gaucin! Since the weekend it's been back to winter temperatures but it was good to hear a Blue Rock Thrush in full song on the roof of the chemist in Calle Convento yesterday morning and there have been Short-toed and Booted Eagle, plus 4 Common Raven, around and about.

Low cloud over Salitre last Friday

Thursday 02 April 2015, Gaucin, partly cloudy, fresh SE wind, 20C

After five days with temperatures in the mid-20s, today was back to 'normal' with a cooling easterly breeze that continued to block any significant raptor migration over the village; since Monday there have been occasional Black Kite, Short-toed Eagle and Booted Eagle. Tuesday produced a Common Nightingale singing its heart out next to the bridge on the Gaucin-Ronda road; on Wednesday morning the Common Cuckoo was still singing below the Herriza hotel where there was also a very white Common Buzzard and a light passage of 15-20 Black Kite.
This morning Colin, who is visiting the village, and I set off for a visit to the Rio Genal below Gaucin, Sierra Crestellina, Casares-Secadero track and tracks to the south of San Pablo de Buceite. The fresh breeze kept bird numbers down, and it felt quite cool after the mini-heatwave, but we saw many interesting species including:
Griffon Vulture, Short-toed Eagle, Booted Eagle, Lesser Kestrel, Little Owl, Yellow-legged Gull, Great Cormorant, White Stork, Little Egret, Cattle Egret, Little-ringed Plover, European Bee-eater, Spotless Starling, Crested Lark, Stonechat, White Wagtail, Grey Wagtail, Sardinian Warbler, Chiffchaff sp., Blackcap, Goldfinch, Greenfinch, Serin, Corn Bunting and Cirl Bunting; Cetti's Warbler, Common Nightingale and Melodious Warbler were heard.
Mid-afternoon a Common Cuckoo was heard in the cork oak woods just off the road to Ronda on the edge of Gaucin.