Tuesday 30 April, Gaucin, partly cloudy, light SW wind, 13C: Another cool day after a night when 7.5L/m2 rain fell in the pueblo and on the top of Los Reales, just across the Genal valley, it fell as snow, see photo. Further up the valley towards Ronda the aptly-named Sierra de las Nieves was covered with a thick layer of snow. Is it really May tomorrow? The Common Nightingale in the garden had some competition today from a very vocal Blackbird (which for me has the better voice, anyway!), one of a couple of males that have been chasing each other around for a week or so.

Monday 29 April, Gaucin, prolonged light rain showers, light SW wind, 8C: Not much bird news today, the Common Cuckoo is still calling from the valley to the south and the Common Nightingale was rather quiet after some human disturbance in the garden over the weekend, but an interesting weather report....it was a bitter, cold day and it was snowing at the turn off to Alpandeire on the Gaucin-Ronda road this afternoon!

Saturday 27 April, Gaucin, mostly cloudy, light SW wind, 14C: A morning walk along the Casares-Secadero track down to the river Genal produced the following: 10+ Griffon Vulture, 4 Booted Eagle, 1 Short-toed Eagle, 2 Common Buzzard, 6 Black Kite, 5 Lesser Kestrel, 2 White Stork, 4 Little-ringed Plover, Grey Heron, 20+ European Bee-eater, 2 Woodchat Shrike, a cracking Tawny Pipit, Crested Lark, Common Swift, Barn Swallow, House Martin, Stonechat, Greenfinch, Goldfinch, Zitting Cisticola, Sardinian Warbler, Melodious Warbler, Cirl Bunting and Corn Bunting; 2 Turtle Dove, 3 Common Nightingale and Cetti's Warbler were heard.

The wildflowers were stunning, including wild Gladioli, see photo, and this one that I can't identify - anyone know what it is?

Little-ringed Plover

Little-ringed Plover mid-wash

A stunning Tawny Pipit

Tawny Pipit

Field Gladiolus Gladiolus communis

Friday 26 April, Gaucin, mostly sunny, calm air-light W-SW wind, 21C: Continuing light raptor passage today with small groups (1-5 birds) of Honey Buzzard, Black Kite and Booted Eagle moving through - also a White Stork at 1530hrs. Having said that our garden Common Nightingale had gone rather quiet, the last two nights it has been performing well and yesterday afternoon I was weeding within 2 metres whilst it carried on singing.

Thursday 25 April, Gaucin, mostly sunny, light E-NE wind, 21C: The last phase of the Spring migration has begun with several small groups (2-4 individuals) of Honey Buzzard passing over the village this afternoon and a group of 35 (also 5 Black Kite) at 1430hrs. At 1520hrs a single White Stork flew low over the centre of the village and at 1720hrs there was a group of four raptors high up on a thermal that on closer inspection turned out to be a Common Buzzard, a Black Kite, a Booted Eagle (pale morph) and a Montagu's Harrier! Alongside the migrants were local Griffon Vulture, Booted and Short-toed Eagle, Peregrine, Eurasian Sparrowhawk and Common Kestrel.

Wednesday 24 April, Gaucin, mostly sunny, fresh E-NE wind, 17C:  Feeling quite cool in the fresh wind. From 1000hrs-1130hrs I was down on the track near Marchenilla and saw a good range of birds including: Griffon Vulture, Booted Eagle (pale morph), Short-toed Eagle (x5), Common Buzzard, Montagu's Harrier (female), Lesser Kestrel, Eurasian Hobby, European Bee-eater, Common Swift, Barn Swallow, House Martin, Crested Lark, Common Nightingale, Woodchat Shrike, Stonechat, Zitting Cisticola, Sardinian Warbler, Common Whitethroat, several Melodious Warbler in full song, and Corn Bunting. Noticeable by their absence were Rufous Bush Chats; hopefully they'll arrive soon.

The Common Nightingale in the garden is still singing but not as frequently and the song has definitely changed over the last week or so; the sounds are now more staccato and each phrase is shorter than it was before. Common Cuckoo is still calling from the valley south of the village, too.

Andalucian traffic jam.....

Corn Bunting

Corn Bunting battling the wind

Melodious Warbler

Another Melodious Warbler

Sunday 21 April, Gaucin, partly cloudy, light W-SW wind, 19C: A mid-morning walk along a section of the Pescaderos track below Sierra Maravillas above El Colmenar produced Griffon Vulture, Booted Eagle, Short-toed Eagle, Common Kestrel, Raven, Eurasian Jay, Woodchat Shrike, Thekla Lark, Stonechat, Sardinian Warbler, Bonelli's Warbler and Serin. From about 1230hrs there was a reasonable passage of Black Kite with at least three groups of 28, 40 and 18 moving through to the north of Sierra del Hacho. Also seen was an Egyptian Mongoose, a couple of Spanish Festoon butterflies, and some interesting flora such as Dwarf Convolvulus Convolvulus tricolor, Plough-Share Serapias orchid Serapias vomeracea and Cytinus hypocistis, a parasite of the Rock Rose family Cistaceae, of which, the Narrow-leaved Cistus was in full bloom covering many of the rocky slopes.

Narrow-leaved Cistus Cistus monspeliensis

Dwarf Convolvulus Convolvulus tricolor

Plough-Share Serapias

Cytinus hypocistis

This afternoon I took a look along the Casares-Secadero track (the river was a waste of time as it was one big picnic area!) and saw the following of note: Griffon Vulture, Short-toed eagle, Booted Eagle, Lesser Kestrel, European Bee-eater, Woodchat Shrike, female Northern Wheatear, Crested Lark and Melodious Warbler. Well worth it just for the lovely views back to Gaucin.....