November 4, 2006
The Birdman of Alcossebre – October 2006 Bird News.
Red Backed Shrike, Short Toed Eagle and Lesser Kestrels were some of the highlights of the month.
84 species were seen this month in the Alcossebre area.
There was one new species to add to the Alcossebre list this month – Lesser Kestrel, see 19th October.
Other highlights were the second Red Backed Shrike – see 8th October and a Short Toed Eagle on the 19th October.
Otherwise we had the usual overlap of summer birds and winter visitors.
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Observations started on the 6th October.
Off shore 3 Balearaic Shearwaters were the only record for the month and Sandwich Terns peaked at 47 birds .
Inland passage included 12 Alpine Swifts and two Turtle Doves.
Two wintering Blue Rock Thrush appeared. A Mistle Thrush was the first of the year. The first of the wintering Blackcaps arrived with 8 birds seen.
The first of three Southren Great Grey Shrikes arrived, and the first Stonechat was seen.
The first Robins and Cetti´s Warbler arrived on the 8th October. A single Little Egret flew past over the sea.
One of the local hotspots – the sewage works – turned up only my second Red Backed Shrike. a juvenile (it stayed until the 11th October).
The 9th October gave me my highest number of Hoopoes in one day since I´ve been here – 22 birds. By next day they were back down to more normal numbers, 3 birds.
A flyover Black Kite was the only record for the month.
A solitary Gannet was seen off shore.
Two Lapwings flying East on the 10th October were the only record for the month, as were 18 Blue Headed Wagtails feeding in an Artichoke field
Three Song Thrushes were the first of the winter.
One Hobby was a flyover heading south west.
The sewage pond turned up a Little Grebe on the 12th October, and the first Skylarks of the winter arrived.
A Grey Heron flew south on the 13th October while a Cirl Bunting was singing in the farmland.
Overnight arrivals on the 14th October included 3 Willow Warblers while 2 Crag Martins were the first of winter, and the last Sand Martins passed through.
5 Little Owls were counted today.
Two Gannets passed along the coast on the 15th October and a Honey Buzzard was being mobbed by Starlings inland.
The 16th October saw 14 Cormorants going South and 2 Grey Herons go East.
Inland the only Kingfisher for the month was seen and the first Chaffinches, and Black Redstarts of winter.
The first Merlin of the year passed through on the 17th October, as did another Alpine Swift. A male Sparrowhawk caused panic amonst the small birds at the sewage pond, with a Subalpine Warbler joining in and alarm calling.
Crested Larks peaked at 17 birds, and Collared Doves at 120 birds.
The 19th October followed a day of heavy rain and overcast conditions which brought in a variety of passage birds. They were all intent to make up for lost time!
The Raptor count was 3 Booted Eagles, 3 Common Kestrels,4 Lesser Kestrels – my first Alcossebre record, 3 Hobbies. A Short Toed Eagle was trying to get a rest on some pine trees,but 8 Magpies took exception to it.
8 Alpine Swifts and 2 Common or Pallid Swifts flew south. The first of the winter Chiffchaffs (3) were seen.
Finches were going through all day at a rate of 150 Chaffiches per hour, 75 Greenfinches per hour, 75 Goldfinches per hour and 40 Linnets per hour.
So we are talking of thousands of birds on the move!
There were still birds passing through in numbers on the 20th October.e.g. Swallows, a 100 per hour and the last House Martins passed through.
A couple of Arctic Skuas chasing terns off shore.
Inland the first Meadow Pipits arrived for winter, and overnight arrivalls included Booted Eagle,Turtle Dove, Common Redstart and another Subalpine Warbler.
The 21st October was quiet in comparison. Another Common Redstart and a Reed Warbler arrived overnight, and a male Sparrowhawk was mobbed by Starlings.
The 22nd October provided two addittions to the month list. 22 Mallard flying East and a Common Wheatear. The last Alpine Swift flew South, Sam Shippey saw 2 more. At least 21 Sardinian Warblers were counted.
Song Thrushes were going through at 60 birds per hour on the 23rd October, and a 2 more Common Wheatears were seen.
The only Common Sandpiper of the month was seen by my friend Sam Shippey along the coast on the 24th October. Inland 44 Skylarks ,14 Fan Tailed Warblers and 54 Blackcaps were counted.
The 26th October saw another Arctic Skua pass by as did 45 Black Headed Gulls, inland a Coal Tit was the only one seen this month. 17 Magpies were counted.
The 28th October saw a big increase in White Wagtail numbers, counted 43 birds in one field. The first Dartford Warbler of the winter seen, and a Sparrowhawk headed South. A total of 94 Cattle Egrets were seen in the fields, including one which was dyed pink!
Sea passage on the 29th October included 204 Cormorants and 120 Black Headed Gulls heading South West. Inland a Booted Eagle soared overhead, two Common Teal were flushed from the sewage pond and the first Reed Buntings of winter were seen. Black Redstart numbers were up to 21 birds, and 16 Stonechats were counted.
Robin numbers were up to 35 birds, Chiffchaffs to 18 birds and Corn Buntings to 16 birds.by the 30th October.
Alcossebre weather for October 2006.
October was a fairly settled month with mainly sunny and warm weather – average daytime temperatures were 26C (79F) with a high of 33C (91F) on the 1st October.
This was 3C higher than October 2005.
Average night temperature was 16C(66F), again 3C higher than 2005.
There were only five days with rain, three of which was light overnight rain.
Heavist rainfall was on the 18th October when 2.8 inches( 68mm)of rain fell during the day.
The months rainfall total was only 4.3 inches (108 mm).
Winds were mainly light to gentle. Most mornings the wind direction was from the North West, while the afternoon wind direction varied from the East to the South West.
Unusually for here there was only one day of strong wind, on the 5th October.
