Paul's Blog - All comments and views are my own,

Wednesday 6 January 2016

Gibraltar and Apes....

This morning was another cool slightly overcast start but it turned into a day of almost unbroken sunshine when we were in Gibraltar.

The view to Morocco some 24kms away was a bit hazy but the mountains were visible if shielded by low cloud.

The mountains of Morocco North Africa

I had hoped for a few birds, but the best that I could muster were., White Wagtail, Robin, Black Redstart, Yellow Legged Gull and PEREGRINE.

A guided tour took in the Upper Rock Nature Reserve, the home of the famous Barbary Macaques.

The Alpha male of one of the five troops on the Rock

It has been proven by DNA that the Macaques on Gibraltat today originated from the mountains of North Africa and are not a remnant population of the species that did once inhabit southern Europe.

Barbary Macaque

Tuesday 5 January 2016

Another long walk...

After overnight rain, the morning quickly improved to clear skies and sunshine, with the temperature topping 21' with a brisk westerly wind

We headed on foot along the sea front towards Benalmedena and the marina.

Given how busy with walkers it was there was little in the way of birds but we did pick up...

A classic 1st winter Yellow Legged Gull

Crag Martin (100+)Black Headed Gull, Lesser Black Backed Gull (1000+), Yellow Legged Gull, Mediterranean Gull (2), along with Monk Parakeet, Spotless Starling and possible Rock Dove.

Monk Parakeet

A few of the L B B Gulls on the beach, the adult 2nd from the is wearing a blue darvic but it looks too worn to read any detail.

feral pigeon or 99% Rock Dove?

Crag Martin

Monday 4 January 2016

Paraje Naturale Guadalhorce (Guadalhorce Nature Reserve)

Today was overcast to begin with then clear blue skies overhead, with really dark clouds over the mountains to the north and towards Gibraltar. The temperature topped out at 22' with 80% humidity and a gentle breeze.... perfect for a LONG walk (8.5km)

After being dropped off in the wrong place by the really friendly taxi driver we eventually ended up where we needed to be.

The area is a former gravel workings on an island between two arms of the river Guadalhorce.

The birds came thick and fast unfortunately the photographer didn't live up to the challenge.

A List of the choicest contains. WHINCHAT, STONECHAT, SARDINIAN WARBLER, MOUSTACHED WARBLER, TREE PIPIT, BLACK REDSTART, SERIN, BOOTED EAGLE(2), HOOPOOE, BLACK NECKED GREBE, WHITE HEADED DUCK, SPOTLESS STARLING, CATTLE EGRET, KESTREL, SNIPE (3), CHIFFCHAFF, REDSHANK, COMMON BUZZARD, MARSH HARRIER, LAPWING GANNET (off the beach), and SANDWICH TERN (off the beach).

Take my word for this, one of two Booted Eagles

Black Necked Grebe

Cattle or should that be horse Egret

White Headed Duck is an incredibly localised bird having almost being wiped out by hybridisation with Ruddy Duck ( a North American bird escaped from captivity in the UK!!!)

Sandwich Tern

White Headed Duck, a new species for me

Sunday 3 January 2016

Spain 3rd January 2016

An unexpected trip to Spain.....

Bearing in mind this is a "rescue" mission for a relative, who has been hospitalised in Torremolinos, I'm not expecting great things but the first day has been interesting.

A walk along the sea front brought the expected Yellow Legged Gulls what was unexpected though were the CRAG MARTINS, they winter in their breeding area in Southern Spain, an unidentified EAGLE sp ( no bins ) could have been any of the big Aquila eagles.

An unfamiliar squawk went unidentified but logged in my mind, only to be recognised when the emerald flash of a MONK PARAKEET and many of its fellows flew through the line of palms.

Monk Parakeet, a feral bird in parts of the world.

Monk Parakeet

Other birds included, SPOTLESS STARLING, GREY WAGTAIL, WHITE WAGTAIL, BLACK REDSTART, MALLARD, GANNET, COLLARED DOVE, BLACKBIRD and HOUSE SPARROW another eagle probably, BOOTED EAGLE

Tomorrow is set aside for proper birding on a local nature reserve, a few miles from the hotel.

White Wagtail

Spain 3rd January 2016

An unexpected trip to Spain.....

Bearing in mind this is a "rescue" mission for a relative who has been hospitalised in Torremolinos I'm not expecting great things but the first day has been interesting.

An unfamiliar squawk went unidentified but logged in my mind, only to be recognised when the emerald flash of a MONK PARAKEET and many of its fellows flew through the line of palms.

Monk Parakeet, a feral bird in parts of the world.

Monk Parakeet

Other birds included, SPOTLESS STARLING, GREY WAGTAIL, WHITE WAGTAIL, BLACK REDSTART, MALLARD, GANNET, COLLARED DOVE, BLACKBIRD and HOUSE SPARROW another eagle probably, BOOTED EAGLE

Tomorrow is set aside for proper birding on a local nature reserve, a few miles from the hotel.

White Wagtail

Friday 1 January 2016

NEW YEAR 2016 Friday 1st January

NEWS UPDATE.

The weather has played havoc with any plans to go ringing etc so.....

I'm off, tomorrow, to the Andalucia region of Spain.

If the technology works there, will hopefully, be updates from there.

Wednesday 23 December 2015

Wednesday 23rd December 2015

With a decent day on the cards, and it being Wednesday it was volunteer day at Pembrey LNR.

When I arrived on site I was surprised how busy it was but then today was the first "dry" day for a while.

The light was great.

one of the "ephemeral" pools

After talking to a few visitors I made my way on site to be greeted with the tell-tale signs of poachers- a group of blokes standing around looking at the ground with terriers standing by. Further investigation revealed 6 adult males and three children, three or four terriers and a couple of ferrets, sadly one of the adults was a local sporting star!

After establishing the rights and wrongs they left and we carried on with some tasks.

Top of the list was putting up some information sheets in the hut, nothing too expensive just in case of vandalism.

the "respect" and "enjoy" board

Birds to be seen

Then it was completing the removal of a field fence before it fell into the sea, and a litter pick.