June 1, 2007
Spring Migration slows down but still plenty to see.
I saw a total of 71 Species in the Alcossebre area this May.
Two new Species were added to the Alcossebre List – Ruddy Turnstone and Whiskered Tern. The list of birds seen now stands at 188 Species.
The 1st of May started of with a flurry of activity.
18 Cormorants, 7 Little Egrets 12 Sand Martins,60 Barn Swallows and 10 House Martins flew East and Three Black Terns fished offshore.
Overnight arrivals were 2 Purple Herons,21 Turtle Doves,one Whinchat,one Grasshopper Warbler and the only Ortolan Bunting of the Spring.
The first Hobby of Spring was seen on the 4th May.
14 Ruddy Turnstones at Capycorp Lagoon were my first record here, they were in company with 4 Common Sandpipers.
Common and Pallid Swifts were passing through at 460 birds per hour,quite a sight. Overnight arrivals included 20 Blue Headed Wagtails,5 Nightingales,2 Northern Wheatears,one Subalpine Warbler,6 Willow Warblers,one each Spotted and Pied Flycatchers,2 Golden Orioles and 4 Woodchat Shrikes, a nice collection of birds.
Passage continued on the 6th May with one Gannet,4 Cattle Egrets,one Little Egret ,30 Bee eaters,15 Sand Martins and one Red Rumped Swallow flying East.
Overnight arrivals were 8 Blue Headed Wagtails,one White Wagtail,one Common Redstart,3 Spotted Flycatchers and 5 Woodchat Shrikes.
On the 8th May Overnight arrivals included one Whimbrel,3 Common Sandpipers,6 Nightigales,one Whinchat and 3 Willow Warblers.
The 10th May brought in the first Red Necked Nightjar of Spring,and other Overnight arrivals included one Night Heron and Little Egret at the Sewage pond,else where there was 2 White Wagtails,5 Melodious Warblers and 3 Golden Orioles.The first young Spotless Starlings were on the wing.
A calling Quail on the 11th May was only the second this Spring.
Overnight arrivals included 6 Common Sandpipers, one Common Redstart,one Northern Wheatear,3 Spotted Flycatchers,one Pied Flycatcher and 6 Woodchat Shrikes.
The 13th May gave me my latest Spring record for Blackcap, and the last Spring Willow Warblers. Two Black Winged Stilts and 4 Turtle Doves were Overnight arrivals.
There was a lot of bird activity on the 14th May.
Offshore there was 4 Balearic Shearwaters,two Gannets, 40 Sandwich Terns and my first ever record of Whiskered Tern here..
Along the coast the first Oystercatcher and Kentish Plover of Spring.
A fine pale phase Booted Eagle flew East outnumbered by Common and Pallid Swifts going through at 440 birds per hour.
Two Grey Herons going West were out numbered by 153 Audouin´s Gulls going East on the 15th May. Overnight arrivals included two Black Winged Stilts, one Common Sandpiper, two Turtle Doves and one each of Common Whitethroat and Spotted Flycatcher.
16 Balearic Shearwaters one Gannet and 600 Common and Pallid Swifts headed West on 16th May and Overnight arrivals were a Night Heron (at the Sewage Pond),and 4 Turtle Doves.
The only birds offshore on the 17th May were three Gannets. The Night Heron was still at the Sewage Pond and two Cattle Egrets were in the farmland.
Five Nightingales were outsung by nine Melodious Warblers on the 18th May.
This was my best total of Melodious Warblers over the five years here.
Birds going West over the sea on the 20th May were one each Baleraric Shearwater and Grey Heron plus 40 Sandwich Terns.
However, there was more going on inland – the first juvenile Great Spotted Cuckoo was seen, a count of 8 Hoopoes was the highest of the month and four singing Golden Orioles were heard.
Things quietened down bird wise until the 26th May, when three Cormorants and 24 Greater Flamingos flew East.
Hundreds of Sandwich and Common Terns going West on the 27th May probably came from the Ebro Delta, but 8 Turtle Doves going West were harder to explain?
A late Northern Wheatear was seen inland.
The Westerly feeding movement of Sandwich and Common Terns continued on the 28th May, and in amonst them were 7 Whiskered Terns.
By the 29th May/30th May the Terns numbers had decreased to a more normal count of 30 each of Sandwich and Common Terns.
The first young Barn Swallows fledged.
Alcossebre Weather for May,2007.
The first five days of May were unsettled with cloudy and overcast conditions bringing rain on the 1st and 3rd.
For the next seven days although it was generally fine and sunny that was tempered by moderate to strong winds.
High thin cloud cover to start, was the pattern of weather for a further seven days then another spell of unsettled weather from the 22nd to the 27th.
During this spell we had light showers of rain and the odd Thunderstorm.
Finally for the last four days of the month we had more´normal´weather with fine sunny days and gentle winds.
The average daily temperature was 25C (77F) and the average night- time temperature was 15C (60F).
The warmest day was the 11th May at 33C (92F) and the coolest night was the 2nd May at 10C (50F).
Total rainfall for the month was 0.8 inches (20mm) so a relatively dry month.
Winds played a big part in this months weather most days having gentle to moderate wind strenghs. On a further 5 days there were strong winds recorded.
Wind directions were mainly Easterly or Southerly – 21 days or Northerly 7 days.