May 1, 2006
April. Migrants in a hurry -here today and gone tomorrow.
I saw 85 species this April, a good total for here.
Three new species were added to the Alcossebre area list – Little Grebe, Bonelli’s Eagle and Grasshopper Warbler.
Most days in April brought in migrants, but being Spring they didn’t hang around. A good variety of birds were seen on passage.
The 1st of April started with some overnight arrivals – 5 Willow Warblers; 4 Blackcaps; 3 Subalpine Warblers ; 1 Common Redstart and one Woodchat Shrike.
On the 2nd of April passage birds included 1 Marsh Harrier and 20 Night Herons both first Spring records. 25 Cormorants and 7 Little Egrets flew East.
The 3rd of April brought in the first Turtle Dove of Spring and 4 Great Spotted Cuckoos. 110 Audoiun’s Gulls flew East.
On the 5th April 2 Green Sandpipers were at the local sewage pond, the first of Spring.3 Grey Herons flew East and 2 Meadow Pipits were the last of winter.
Although I was confined to the house for 4 days with food poisoning I did manage to see the first Bee eaters of Spring fly over the house on the 9th April!
The 10th of April brought in a first for Alcossebre - a Little Grebe at the sewage pond. It stayed for the next 3 days. Also at the sewage pond were 2 Purple Herons the first of Spring.
Three birds of prey flew past a Marsh Harrier, a Booted Eagle and a Common Kestrel. Also flying past were 7 Common Swifts, the first of Spring. Barn Swallows were passing at 65 birds per hour and House Martins at 16 birds per hour.
Overnight arrivals included the first Spring Blue Headed Wagtails (9). 1 White Wagtail and 1 Subalpine Warbler.
If I thought the 10th was a good day for birds the 11th of April was even better. Birds flying past heading North East included – 2 Balearic Shearwaters; 3 Grey Herons; 2 Purple Herons; The first Spring White Stork; 2 Black Kites; 1 Marsh Harrier; My first Bonelli’s Eagle (2) record for Alcossebre; 1 Oystercatcher, again first for Spring. 71 Black Headed Gulls in company with 95 Common Terns (first of Spring); Pallid and Common Swifts going through at 15 birds per hour; 3 Sand Martins; Barn Swallows going through at 220 birds per hour. The first Spring Nightingale; 1 Common Wheatear; 1 Black Eared Wheatear and the last Chiffchaff of winter.
Overnight arrivals on the 12th April were 2 Nightingales; a Whinchat the first of Spring and 6 Woodchat Shrikes.
Birds flying past on the 13th April included 54 Balearic Shearwaters and a Mallard – a rarity here! A Common Whitethroat was the first of Spring.
A small passage on the 14th of April included 3 Night Herons; 1 Squacco Heron,the first of Spring; 2 Grey Herons; 1 Sparrowhawk; 1 Common Kestrel; 2 Black Winged Stilts and 50 Black Headed Gulls.
The first Pied Flycatcher of Spring arrived overnight on the 15th April in company with 4 Willow Warblers and 3 Woodchat Shrikes.
A Marsh Harrier and a Common Buzzard flew past on the 16th April and a Squacco Heron visited the sewage pond.
The first Spring Kentish Plovers (2) flew past on the 17th April, and 2 Red Rumped Swallows were keeping the local Barn Swallows company.
Overnight arrivals on the 19th April included – 2 Squacco Herons at the sewage pond; 4 Whinchats; 1 Common Wheatear; 1 Blue Headed Wagtail; 1 Common Whitethroat and 10 Turtle Doves.
Passage birds on the 20th April included – 15 Gannets ( the most I’ve seen here); 6 Grey Herons in company with 3 Great White Egrets; 14 Little Egrets. Overnight arrivals were the first Spring Melodious Warbler and a female Pied Flycatcher in my garden.
30 Turtle Doves arrived overnight on the 21st April, the first time I’ve seen the local Collared Doves outnumbered! 11 Willow Warblers were the most so far, and 2 juvenile Squacco Herons were at the sewage pond.
A small overnight arrival of 3 Woodchat Shrikes, 4 Nightingales, 3 Common Wheatears and 1 Melodious Warbler greeted me on the 22nd of April.
Some overnight rain on the 23rd of April brought in some migrants. A ‘reeling’ Grasshopper Warbler was my first record here. A belated Common Sandpiper was the first for Spring – they usually arrive before the Green and Wood Sandpipers, but not this year.
8 Common Wheatears and 2 Woodchat Shrikes were new.
Birds flying past were Audoiun’s Gulls at 110 birds per hour.
The 25th of April was fairly quiet with only 1 Common Kestrel and 7 Bee eaters being fresh arrivals.
A bit more activity on the 27th April with the fluting whistle of the first Spring Golden Oriole, then only my second ‘reeling’ Grasshopper Warbler. One adult Squacco Heron and a female Pied Flycatcher at the sewage pond 7 Willow Warblers and 6 Turtle Doves were new arrivals.
9 Great White Egrets were the most I’ve seen flying past with 14 Grey Herons a Black Kite leisurely overtook them.
The Weather in the Alcossebre area for April, 2006.
A mixed month for weather with cloudy days (14) more common than the usual fine and sunny days (12). We had 8 totally overcast days, 4 with light rain showers.
The total rainfall for the month was the lowest this year so far with only 0.9 inches or 20 millimetres.
The average day temperature was 21C (72F) with the warmest day on the 1st April at 26C or 80F. The average day temperature was the same as April, 2005.
The average night temperature was 11C (52F) with the coldest night being the 7th April at 8C or 48F.
Winds were a dominant feature of April with 26 days having gentle or moderate strength winds. On four of these days the wind increased to strong.
The wind direction was predominately from the East (19 days) or the South (11 days) although on eleven of these days the wind was from a North direction in the morning changing in the afternoon to East or South.