The Birdman of Alcossebre (Spain)

Monthly Muse Part Two

Hi fellow birders worldwide

Here is my monthly report from my part of the world.

Weather in July

The daytime temperatures never dipped much below the high 80s, so essential to be out bird watching early in the day!
Nightime temperatures rarely fell below 70F.
We had some rain on the 3rd,7th 11th and 17th.
Two thunderstorms passed through on the 6th and 17th.
Most days were hot and sticky with occasional early morning mist.
What winds we had were mainly Easterly or Southerly which helped bring some passage birds.

The Farming scene (closely linked to what birds were feeding where).

Artichokes were finished for the season and the fields were either ploughed up or left in fallow. Attracting Cattle Egrets to the ploughed fields and Hoopoes to the fallow fields.
Outdoor Tomatoe crops were beging to ripen and the support canes were good perching places for a variety of birds i.e. Serins.
Ground crops of Mellons and Marrows were beginning to ripen and provided a good insect harvest for Crested Larks.
Almond Trees were beginning to shed their leaves with the heat making it easier to see the odd Golden Oriole.
Olive Trees were beginning to fruit and were playing host to a lot of snails which the wintering Song Thrushes will enjoy.
Orange Groves were still looking green with no sign of fruit yet.
Grap Vines were producing a good crop this year and were being raided by marauding flocks of House and Tree Sparrows - unless the latest bird scaring method was being used - old C.D.s suspended amonst the vines!
A number of fields were in fallow and had developed a wonderful assortment of weeds, much appreciated by a variety of Finches.

Now a full round up of the birds seen during July in the local Alcossebre area:-

A couple of offshore Gannets and single Cormorants.

Up to 4 Grey Herons passing through.
One Purple Heron flying East on the 21st .

A nice group of 21 Greater Flamingos flying East on 5th July - probably heading for the Ebro Delta.
Up to 7 Cattle Egrets and 5 Little Egrets seen.

4 Mallard flying West on 10th only record this month.

One Black Kite flying West on the 26th.
My first record here of Short Toed Eagle on the 13th July, flying East.
Single Kestrels seen.

Moorhen have now got two broods on show at the local sewage farm.

One Mediterranean Gull flying East on the 19th July.
Up to 70 Black Headed Gulls passing through.
Maximum daily count of Audouin´s Gull was 170 flying West on 31st.
Hundreds of Yellow Legged Gulls passed through.
Maximum daily count of Sandwich Tern was 34.

Highest daily number of Wood Pigeon was only 3, contrast that with Collared Dove at 40.
A family party of 6 Turtle Doves were seen on the 27th.

The last juvenile Great Spotted Cuckoo was seen on the 17th.

Up to 3 Little Owls were seen daily. First road kills this year seen.

One or two Red Necked Nightjars were calling through out the month.

Pallid Swifts - there was a large westerly passage on the 12th, 450 birds.

Bee eater first family groups seen.
Hoopoe up to 3 seen daily.

A Green Woodpecker was totally unexpected here on the 16th, pretty treeless.

Crested Larks up to 10 seen daily.

Swallows starting to build up numbers, maximum seen 61.
Red Rumped Swallow one passed through heading east on 26th.
House Martins building up' numbers, maximun seen 22.

White Wagtails singles seen.

Blackbirds one or two nesting for second time this year.

Fan Tailed Warbler also double brooded here maximum daily count 16 birds.
Melodious Warbler up to 3 seen, still feeding young.
Sardinian Warbler also double brooded here, maximum daily count 7 birds.

Spotted Flycatcher singles seen.

Great Tit family parties seen throughout

Golden Orioles males still calling from Olive and Orange groves

Woodchat Shrike scarce during the nesting time odd birds seen

Magpie maximum daily count 10 birds.

Spotless Starling flocks of 20 to 30 seen

House and Tree Sparrows flocks of 30 to 40 seen.

Greenfinch maximum daily count of 12 birds.

Goldfinch maximum daily count of 31 birds.
Serin maximum daily count of 24 birds.

Cirl Bunting odd sight of one nesting pair.

a total of 49 species for the month.

Posted by Flamingo at August 2, 2004 04:20 PM