One new species was added to the list - Tawny Pipit.
Most of the Spring passage birds put in an appearance, most of them later than normal and in fewer numbers.
It´s the first Spring that I have seen Black-eared Wheatear arrive before Northern Wheatear, and normally there is a constant stream of Barn Swallows and House Martins passing throught the area, but this year I only got a maximum of 80 Swallows and 14 House Martins?

The month started off quietly with a male Subalpine Warbler, one Blue-headed Wagtail and a Woodchat Shrike arriving overnight on the 2nd April.
The last big flock of Cormorants of Spring - 211 birds - flew East.
Friends Andy and Sylvia had the only White Stork of the month fly North over their house, in rural Capycorp.

There was a small passage of birds on the 3rd April. Four Purple Herons, a female Sparrowhawk and a Common Buzzard headed N/E.
New arrivals included a female Subalpine Warbler and a Common Cuckoo calling from a Carob tree in my garden, the first this Spring.
The last of the wintering Skylarks, Song Thrush and Black Redstarts were seen.
There were no passage or overnight arrivals on the 4th April, but 6 Great Spotted Cuckoos and 11 Blackcaps were noteworthy numbers.

The first Northern Wheatears arrived on the 5th April - much later than normal.
The local Corn Buntings were beginning to sing and declare their territories.

A total of 9 Night herons were found roosting in the Sewage Pond reeds on the 6th April. The first of Spring.

A small passage of birds on the 7th April included two Caspian Terns flying East over the coast, a Short-toed Eagle and a Hobby heading N/E.
Eight Night Herons flew out of some Pine Trees at Torre de Capycorp estate, and had probably roosted there overnight.

The first Osprey of Spring flew East along the coast at 8.55 am on the 8th April. Followed by another five minutes later!
The only Black Kite of the month flew over headed N/E.
Inland two Blue-headed Wagtails were new arrivals.

I got my second record here of Little Ringed Plovers on the 10th April, when a pair turned up at Capycorp Lagoon. As if that wasn´t good enough, three Whiskered Terns flew West over Rural Capycorp - no doubt heading for the Cabanes Nature Reserve. Another first this Spring.

The Little Grebe returned to the Sewage Pond on the 11th April. 18 Sand Martins flew over headed N/E, and the only White Wagtail of the month popped up at the Sewage Works.
Four Northern Wheatears were fresh arrivals.
An influx of 22 Corn Buntings outnumbered the local birds.

I thought it was going to be a good morning for birds when a female Montagu´s Harrier flew over my house at 8.10 am on the 12th April!
I wasn´t to be disappointed.
When I got to the coast a long single line of Greater Flamingos flew East.
61 Pallid Swifts with five Alpine Swifts flew North East.
The first Nightigales arrived, two birds singing in their loud fashion.
As if not to be outdone a migrant male Subalpine Warbler was heard singing.

There were two Spring firsts on the 13th April - two Black-winged Stilts roosting on Tropicana Beach, and a Turtle Dove enjoying the early morning sunshine, on a roof.
There was still at least one Little Ringed Plover at Capycorp Lagoon. and inland there were two new Blue-headed Wagtails.

The 14th April saw eight Avocets flying East along the coast, only my second record here.
A fine male Marsh Harrier soared on the thermals and headed North.
Inland the first Whinchats had arrived, with five in one field all perched on tomatoe canes.
One female Common Redstart and two Willow Warblers were new in.
The best of the day was the last call in at the Sewage Pond - a Whiskered Tern, only my third record here.

A male Common Whitethroat was a Spring first on the 15th April. There was also a small influx of Woodchat Shrikes with six seen.
Corn Buntings peaked at 30 birds, my best total for three years.

The 16th April provided me with a new species for Alcossebre - a fine Tawny Pipit, in a ploughed field with some Northern Wheatears for comparison.
Offshore the only Shags (2) of the month were seen in company with a Cormorant.
Woodchat Shrikes peaked at 10 birds, and the first Melodious Warbler of Spring was heard singing in sub-song, as if practising for the real thing!
Two Black-eared Wheatears were new arrivals.

The only highlight of the 17th April was three Purple Herons at the Sewage Pond.

There was a small influx of seven Willow Warblers, two Northern Wheatears and two Whinchats on the 18th April. While six Sand Martins and 73 Common Swifts flew North.

Five Northern Gannets offshore on the 19th April were the most this month.
Four Little Egrets flew East along the coast, followed by 60 Audouin´s Gulls and 10 Sandwich Terns.
Inland there were still at least five Woodchat Shrikes and seven Blue-headed Wagtails were new in.

The next three days were uneventful

The first stunning Golden Oriole arrived on the 22nd April with seven Turtle Doves and a male Subalpine Warbler.
A new Purple Heron was devouring Marsh Frogs at the Sewage Pond!

Overnight arrivals on the 23rd April included the first Greenshank and Whimbrel of Spring, at Capycorp Lagoon. The Greenshank didn´t hang around and flew off East, The Whimbrel just tucked it´s bill under it´s wing and continued to roost - see photo.
Inland nine Turtle Doves, two Golden Oriole and two Red-legged Partridge were new arrivals.

Passage birds on the 24th April were all heading in different directions!
Two Night Herons flew East, a Grey Heron flew West, and a soaring Short-toed Eagle headed North.
Amonst the overnight arrivals of two Turtle Doves, four Whinchats, three Woodchat Shrikes, two Northern Wheatears and two Blue-headed Wagtails were the first Spring Bee eaters (6 birds) and male Pied Flycatcher.
To cap a fine day off the first Red-necked Nightjar flew through my garden at 4.10 pm.

The 26th April started off well with a female Common Redstart in my garden.
On my walk a male Montagu´s Harrier flew over heading N/E.
The Sewage Works provided the second Pied Flycatcher of Spring.

The 27th April was only enlivened by seven Black-winged Stilts and 46 Audouin´s Gulls flying East along the coast.

A late female Blackcap was the only arrival on the 28th April, and a total of 56 Barn Swallows and 10 House Martins flew N/E:
Another Night Heron turned up at the Sewage Pond on the 29th April, and three Woodchat Shrikes, three Whinchats and one Northern Wheatear were new in.

An Osprey being mobbed by Audouin´s Gulls over the sea on the 30th April was my thrid this month.
New arrivals included three Common Sandpipers, very late this year.
Woodchat Shrikes had increased to seven, and Pied Flycatchers to three, there was even two new Nighingales singing, giving five in total.

Alcossebre Weather for April 2008.

This April was one of the driest on record.

Although we had five days when rain fell, it amounted to very little.
A total of 0.8 inches (20mm) for the month. Compare that with April 2007 when we had a total rainfall of 13 inches or 332mm!
The other main factor this month was wind, this combined to not only dry things out but kept the temperature down by three or four degrees most days.
The average daytime temperature was 23C (76F), with the hottest day on the 26th April at 28C (82F).
The average night temperature was 11C (52F), with the coldest night on the 15th at 7C (45F).
We had a total of 17 days when it was fine and sunny conditions, a further five days were a mixture of sunny and cloudy spells.
We only had four completely overcast days.
It rained on the 9th, 11th, 17th,18th and 20th of April, no of which amounted to very much.
As mentioned earlier winds were a dominant feature of the month, not so much for the wind strengh, but more for the wind direction.
Unusually we had 16 days in the month when the wind direction was South Westerly in complete contrast to April 2007 when it was Easterly for 16 days!
Wind strength thoughout the month was mainly gentle or moderate force three and four.
We only had three days of strong to gale force strength winds.

I added one new species to the Alcossebre list – a fine male Common Pochard duck. This brings the total list of birds seen in the Alcossebre area to 205 species.

Apart from the fine start to the month with the Common Pochard on the 1st March and the last wintering Rock Bunting, the next five or six days were very quiet bird wise due to strong Northerly winds.
When the winds finally dropped on the 8th March the first Alpine Swift and Common Cranes (2) of Spring flew East.
37 Grey Herons and a total of 303 Great Cormorants also flew East.
On the 9th the first Marsh Harrier of Spring flew N/E, a female.
Another big flock of Cormorants flew East, 302 in total.
The last wintering Dunnock was seen.
The 10th March saw a small movement of 14 Barn Swallows and one House Martin heading North. The last wintering Crag Martins were seen, five birds heading S/W.
In the farmlands the first singing Cirl Bunting was heard.
The only passage birds on the 11th were yet more Cormorants, a total of 420 flying East.
Inland the last wintering Reed Bunting was seen.

On the 12th March two Northern Gannets and one Great Crested Grebe were offshore, and another 400 Cormorants flew past. 22 Sandwich Terns, 13 Audouin´s Gulls rested at Capycorp Lagoon.
Inland the first singing Corn Bunting was heard, and the last wintering Grey Wagtail was seen at the Sewage Pond.

The 13th wasn’t unlucky, quite the opposite, there was a bit of Spring passage to enjoy.
As well as the usual big flocks of Cormorant (367 in total) passing by offshore there was also 12 Balearic Shearwaters and a Black Kite.
Inland two female Marsh Harriers flew N/E followed by two White Storks flying East, the first of Spring.
A total of 22 White Wagtails were counted in the newly ploughed fields.
The last wintering Common Buzzard was seen on his favorite electric pylon, and the last wintering Stonechats.
The first Common Shelducks (2) flew east on the 14th March followed by 112 Black-headed Gulls, both species probably headed for the Ebro delta.
Inland a flock of 12 Corn Buntings had arrived to outnumber the local birds.
The last wintering male Blue Rock Thrush was seen at Andy and Sylvia’s Place.
Keeping the best to the last, three Short-toed Eagles soared North above my house, my first march record here!

A morning of thick mist halted migration on the 15th, with the only bird of note being a fine Kingfisher at the sewage pond.
A male Blue-headed Wagtail on a ploughed field was the first this Spring, on the 16th March. Offshore a small Easterly passage of gulls included 97 Black-headed Gulls, 44 Audouin´s Gulls, 25 Yellow-legged Gulls and 5 Lesser Black-backed Gulls.
The 17th March saw the first Willow Warblers arrive overnight, with two at the Sewage pond. A female Merlin was the first for the month chasing birds over the farmlands.
Offshore Cormorants continued their huge Spring passage with another 300 birds flying East. 42 Black-headed Gulls also flew East followed by a Black Kite; the latter species seems to be partial to migrating over the sea.
A small passage of birds on the 18th included three Black Kites, two Common Kestrels, 27 Barn Swallows and two House Martins.
The Willow Warblers had increased to six birds at the Sewage Pond.
The 20th March started off well with a fine male Montagu´s Harrier flying over my house at 7am, followed by another at 7.30am both headed North. Later two Pallid Swifts flew over the house. Both species first of Spring.
A disappointing bird count walk on the 21st ended with a flourish when an adult Night Heron and a pair of Mallard were seen at the Sewage Pond! Both were the first seen this Spring.
Ironically Mallard are rarer here than the Night Heron!
The last wintering Chiffchaff warbler was seen.
The 22nd March saw a small passage of birds with a male Montagu´s Harrier, a Common Buzzard, a Common Shelduck and 14 Grey Herons flying East, and two Pallid Swifts, 11 House Martins and 74 Barn Swallows flying N/E.
Offshore were one Balearic Shearwater, three Northern Gannets and another 50 Cormorants.
My garden provided a fine male Common Redstart at 7.15 am on the 23rd, first this Spring. I found another, this time a female in another garden down the road from me.
Then apart from two female Marsh Harriers headed N/E
Things were quite quiet.
Strong Northerly winds for the next couple of days again put migration on hold.
The last wintering Skylarks were seen on the 25th.
When the wind dropped on the on the 26th March, a Black-eared Wheatear appeared on a ploughed field in rural Capycorp, another first of Spring.

This is the first year I’ve seen this Wheatear before the Common Wheatear?
There was also the first Spring arrival of Subalpine Warblers
With a male in some Pomegranate Trees and a female in some Almond Trees.
Five Grey Herons flew leisurely past heading East.
Overnight arrivals included 13 Willow Warblers, 23 Blackcap Warblers and 64 Linnets.
The Black-eared Wheatear was still in the same ploughed field on the 27th and there was another small overnight arrival of 13 Willow Warblers, 19 Blackcap Warblers and 80+ Linnets.

The last wintering Dartford Warbler was seen in the coastal scrub.
The Black-eared Wheatear obliged and let me take his photograph!
Another male Common Redstart popped up briefly on the morning of the 28th March in my garden. Offshore the first Greater Flamingos (18) of the month flew East.
A male Merlin was chasing the last of the wintering finches in the farmland.
The first Purple Heron of Spring flopped out lazily from some Eucalyptus Trees in the Torre de Capycorp estate. It probably roosted there overnight.

A long awaited Woodchat Shrike appeared on some Tomato canes in the farmland – usually appears in late February – that was an adult female later a saw an adult male on some overhead wires near the Sewage Works.
The last wintering Chaffinch was seen.

The last day of March added a further two species to the Spring arrival list. Six Common Swifts headed N/E and a Squacco Heron flew up from the side of Capycorp lagoon.
This was my first March record for Squacco Heron.

Inland another male Common Redstart popped up in a garden and a fine Purple Heron flew up from the Sewage pond.
A total of three male Woodchat Shrikes were seen today.

The total number of Cormorants that flew past this month was 4,117!
Where in earth do they all nest?

Alcossebre Weather for March, 2008.

A mixed month for weather, although half of the month was typically fine and sunny (15 days) on most of these days it was accompanied by strong Northerly winds making it feel cooler.
We had seven days where it was overcast with two thunderstorms on the 9th and 26th.
Overall it was a dry month with only 6 days producing rain, two of these only showing a trace of rain.
The average daytime temperature was 21C( 70F) this was 2C higher than 2007. The hottest day was on the 13th at 26C (80F).
The average night temperature was 9C (49F) with the coldest nights on the 6th and 8th at 5C(41F).
We had six days with rain, most falling on the 9th and 22nd.
However, the total rainfall was only 1.2inches (30mm) well below the usual rainfall for March.
Winds played a large part in the weather for March, we had our traditional three day winds on the 4th to the 7th and on the 23rd to the 26th, blowing strong from the North with Gale force gusts at times.
Overall the wind strength was light or gentle on 16 days and moderate to strong on 11 days.
We only had four days without wind.
Wind directions were typically Northerly (11 days) most mornings and Southerly (8 days) or Easterly (4 days) most afternoons.

Highlights this month were the earliest Spring date for Great Spotted Cuckoo, an unpredented passage of Crag Martins – 200 plus; another early Spring date for Red Rumped Swallow; confirmation of Woodlarks wintering for the first time. A first February record of Firecrests.
The mild winter had a good effect on the numbers of birds, with most surviving in high numbers.
See weather report.

Seabirds and other species passing along the coast.
One to three Great Crested Grebes were regular off shore.
Up to 145 Balearic Shearwaters were counted flying past, usually heading East.
Northern Gannets were regular off shore with a maximum of 9 birds counted, my highest February total.
With only two Shags seen this month, Cormorants easily outnumbered them. Normally up to 10 birds could be seen fishing along the coast, but a monthly total of 700 birds flew East in varies sized flocks. Continuing their year by year increase.
No Razorbills were seen this month, which is unusual.
Herons and Egrets.
Single Grey Herons were seen at Capycorp Lagoon twice.
Up to 8 Cattle Egrets were seen in the Farmland areas and one or two Little Egrets along the coast.

Birds of Prey.
While two Common Buzzards and two Common Kestrels continued to winter, and were seen almost daily. A single Merlin was seen only once.
Wading Birds and Moorhens.
No wading birds were seen this month.
Possibly the mild Winter weather persuaded the Stone Curlews of last month to move on.
Moorhens were surviving well at the Torre de Capycorp pond – maximum 20 birds, and the Sewage Works – maximum 7 birds.

Gulls and Terns.
Up to 45 Meditteranean Gulls were regular at Capycorp Lagoon, with smaller numbers on the other beaches.
Black-headed Gulls were present all month but in much smaller numbers, three birds usual. However, on the 17th 76 birds flew East, and on the 27th 106 birds flew East.
A maximum of 43 Audouin´s Gulls at Capycorp Lagoon, were quite low numbers for February.
Yellow-legged Gulls and Lesser Black-back Gulls could be counted in their hundreds on the main beaches, until disturbed by dog-walkers and the like.
A maximum of 34 Sandwich Terns counted were average numbers for here.
Pigeons and Doves.
Up to three Wood Pigeons were higher than normal numbers for February.
With only 41 Collared Doves seen this was quite a bit lower than normal.
Exotics.
One Patagonian Conure (a type of South American Parrot) was seen several times fling around the Farmland areas.
Like most Parrots could be heard long before being seen!

Cuckoos.
I recorded my earliest date for Great Spotted Cuckoo, on the 9th February, when a pair where heard and seen. Thereafter up to two pairs were seen.
Owls, Kingfishers and Hoopoes.
Up to three Little Owls could be seen and heard this month.
A Kingfisher put in an appearance at the Sewage pond on the 10th.
Hoopoes were surviving well in the mild weather with a maximum of ten birds counted.
Swallows and Martins.
This group provided a fair bit of excitement this month.
The first Barn Swallow was seen on the 21st with up to four birds thereafter.

While up to 20 Crag Martins could be seen on a daily basis, an unprecedented 200 birds flew North East on the 26th!
Amonst this passage of Crag Martins were the first Red Rumped Swallows of the year, two birds, and the first House Martin of the year.
Larks, Pipits and Wagtails.
One of the highlights of this month for me was confirming wintering Woodlarks! I had very brief views last month of five or six Larks, which didn´t call when flying? This struck me as unusual, because the resident Crested Larks and wintering Skylarks are very vocal.
Finally on the 10th February I got good views through the telescope. Unfortunately, dispite seeing them throughout the rest of the month, I never got that elusive photograph!
A maximum of 12 Crested Larks were counted and a maximum of 80 Skylarks. Both higher than normal numbers.
Up to 35 Meadow Pipits counted was more than double for February.
Single Grey Wagtails at the Sewage Pond were normal, while a maximum of 21 White Wagtails were above average numbers for February.
Robins, Chats and Thrushes.
The mild winter was helping this group of birds.
Robins peaking at 16 birds for the month, and 17 Black Redstarts were good numbers. However peak numbers of Stonechats at 19 birds was the best February total in six years.

Two male and one female Blue Rock Thrush were still wintering.
Three Blackbirds and 32 Song Thrush were above average numbers for February.
Warblers.
The mild winter was most evident in this group of birds.
All six species of warbler were well above average numbers.
Maximums of three Cetti´s Warbler, 8 Fan-tailed Warbler, two Dartford Warblers, 22 Sardinian Warbler, 16 Blackcap and 40 Chiffchaffs.
Two Firecrest that put in an appearance at Torre de Capycorp on the 29th were my first for February.
Up to 5 Great Tits were heard calling and setting up territories this month. Normal numbers.
One of the few species to show a decline in their winter numbers was Southern Great Grey Shrike, with only one bird regularly seen. Usually three or four birds hold winter territories here.
Common Magpie numbers were down also with 13 birds maximum, but Magpie trapping is still popular in this part of Spain.
Spotless Starlings were back in their Summer breeding places, while the wintering Common Starlings were still feeding in the Farmland areas in big flocks.
House and Tree Sparrows were also back in their breeding haunts.
Finches and Buntings.
Although their were still sizable wintering Finch flocks to be seen, the resident birds were displaying and disputing territories.
Maximun numbers were 96 Chaffinch, 20 Greenfinch, 40 Goldfinch, only single Siskins, 15 Linnets and 68 Serins.

The mild winter weather had the reverse effect on the Buntings with lower numbers ssen than normal.
Maximum numbers were single Cirl Buntings, two Rock Buntings, 11 Reed Buntings and single Corn Buntings.

Alcossebre Weather for February 2008.
The first ten days of February continued with the settled type of weather we had in January, and gave us our warmest day of the month on the 7th with 24C (76F).
The rest of the month was much more mixed for weather with a series of depressions with sunny spells in between.
We had eight days with rain, mainly light showers or drizzle, with the wettest day on the 24th, when prolonged heavy rain gave us 1.4 inches (36mm).
Total rainfall for the month was 3.7 inches or 94mm.
Which made this February the driest in the last six years.
The average daytime temperature was 18C (64F) with the warmest day being the 7th with 24C (76F).
The average nightime temperature was 9C (49F) with the coldest night being 5C (41F) on the 1st, 2nd, 8th and 10th.
The temperature for February continues to rise year by year.
We usually expect strong winds in February, but this year wind strength was predominately light or gentle, with only three days with moderate winds.
Wind directions were mainly North or North West in the mornings and Easterly or Southerly in the afternoons.

Alcossebre Weather in January 2008.

Overall January was a very settled mild month with fine sunny days being the norm (19 days)
This was very similar to January 2007 but 6C warmer than January 2006!
There were four days with a little light rain, giving a month’s total of 20 mm or 0.8 inches. The driest January in six years.
The average day temperature was 19C (68F) with the warmest day
being the 11th at 26C (80F)
The average Nightime temperature was 8C (48F) with the coldest night on the 1st at 2C (37F)
On six mornings we had mist covering the mountains. The mist was so thick on the 21st that it took most of the day to clear, and yet not far away at Morella it was fine and sunny!

Another feature of this month was the absence of strong winds. Most days had light winds with a number of days with no wind at all, unusual to say the least. The wind directions were mainly Northerly or North Westerly (11 days) in the mornings and Easterly (11 days) in the afternoons. We had seven days with South- Westerly winds, again unusual here.

Up to 7 Northern Gannets seen were good numbers for December.
While only single Shags were seen, a total of 315 Cormorants flew past over the month.
A single Grey Heron spent most of the month fishing in the Capy Corp lagoon.
Up to 7 Cattle Egrets frequented the Farmland areas, well down on previous Decembers.

One or two Little Egrets fishing along the coastline were normal number for here.
A single Red-breasted Merganser was seen on the sea, on the 13th.
A juvenile male Marsh Harrier headed south on the 31st, my first December record.
A female Hen Harrier – my first ever record here – frequented the farmland areas from the 1st to the 7th.
A single male Sparrowhawk was seen chasing Chaffinches on the 16th December.
Two Common Buzzards continue to winter in the area. One bird in the rural farmlands and the other in the dry river beds.

Two Booted Eagles soared above my house on the 2nd December. Making me wonder if it was the same two I saw in November?
Up to 3 Common Kestrels were wintering in the Farmland areas.
A fine male Merlin was chasing a flock of Serins over the coastal scrubland on the 29th December.
A maximum of 29 Common Moorhens were counted at the Torre de Capy Corp pond and the Sewage Works pond.
Up to 46 Stone Curlews frequented the ploughed fields from the 1st to the 13th December. When I pointed them out to a local farmer, he asked “Can you eat them?” Most definatly not, I replied.
A flock of 12 Golden Plover flew south on the 7th.
Up to 9 Northern Lapwings were counted in the Farmland areas, more than usual for December.

Counts of the five species of Gull seen varied on a daily basis depending on the weather conditions and the whereabouts of the fishing boats.
Maximum counts were 88 Mediterranean Gulls, 62 Black-headed Gulls, 96 Audouin´s Gulls and over 500 each of Yellow Legged and Lesser Black back Gulls.

Sandwich Terns were seen daily, maximum 54 birds.
A single Wood Pigeon was the first I had seen here in December, probably because they are shot wholesale!
Ironically the Hunters don´t shoot Collared Doves which up to 56 were counted.
One or two Little Owls were still quite vocal, early mornings and dusk.
A Kingfisher was seen twice at the Capycorp Lagoon.
Hoopoes were seen daily with up to 6 counted.
While the resident Crested Lark numbers- maximum 12 birds – were normal for December, Skylark numbers were the highest I´ve seen in six years, with 130 plus.
Crag Martins were seen daily, being more common around the town buildings than in the farmland areas.
Up to 27 birds counted were well down on previous years.
A Barn Swallow seen on the 1st December, meant that for the first time in six years I have seen it in every month!
Meadow Pipits at 44 maximum were more than double the normal for December.

While single Grey Wagtails were seen at the Sewage Works daily, they were well out numbered by White Wagtails with a peak of 25 birds.
A single Dunnock frequented the coastal scrubland, only my second December record.
Robins peaked at 23 birds slightly down on previous Decembers.
A maximum of 15 Black Redstarts were normal numbers for December.
There were now three Blue Rock Thrushes holding a separate winter territory, two males and one female.
Stonechats at 18 maximum were the highest count in six Decembers here, as were 4 Blackbirds.
A Fieldfare at the Sewage Works on the 12th December was my first record here, and then another turned up in the rural farmland on the 31st.
A maximum of 43 Song Thrushes was easily the highest December count in six years – 10 was the previous highest.
Like wise up to 4 Cetti´s Warblers were the highest December count.

Photo by Sam Shippey.
Up to 6 Fan-tailed Warblers and 2 Dartford Warblers were normal numbers.
Sardinian Warblers (21 birds),Blackcaps (19 birds) and Chiffchaff (41) numbers have steadily increased over the six years.
Three separate Southern Great Grey Shrikes were holding a winter territory. One in the dry river beds and the other two in the rural farmland.
A peak of 19 Common Magpies was normal December numbers.
The resident Spotless Starlings were still well outnubered by the wintering Common Starlings.
Both species giving chase to any bird of prey in the area.
House and Tree Sparrow numbers were both up to normal numbers, with a few hundred in separate flocks.
Chaffinch and Greenfinch numbers were down for December with 136 and 25 of each.

Goldfinch, Linnet and Siskin numbers on the other hand were well up, with 120, 58 and 148 of each.
Serins at a maximum of 74 counted were normal December numbers.
Of the four Bunting species seen, Cirl Bunting numbers were low with just a single bird seen.
Three male Rock Buntings were above normal numbers, as were 17 Reed Buntings and 16 Corn Buntings.

Alcossebre Weather in December 2007.
Weather conditions in the Alcossebre area from the 1st to the 14th December carried on from the settled weather pattern of November, with fine sunny days and cool nights.

This all changed from the 15th until the 23rd December when a series of Low Depression weather stayed with us. This produced dull, overcast and rainy conditions, and gave us record December rainfall.
We also had during this spell of unsettled weather an unusual situation, on the 20th December the temperature stayed at 13c (56F) through the night and day!
Normally the temperture rises and falls by at least 10c.

Thankfully, the weather then went back to the fine and sunny conditions of the first half of the month, and stayed that way until the end of the month.

The average day temperature was 17C(63F) with the warmest day on the 24th at 24C(76F).
The average night temperture was 7C(45F) with the coldest night on the 15th at 1C(35F).

Total rainfall for the month was 7.9 inches or 207mm – a lot of rain. The most rain fell on the 21st with 3.3 inches or 84mm.
This was the highest December rainfall in the six years I´ve been here!
Wind strenghs were mainly light or gentle, plus we had five days without a wind – rare here.
There were only three days with strong Northerly winds.
Wind directions varied, as they do here on a daily basis. The morning winds were mainly from the North or North West, and the afternoon winds were mainly from the East.
The winds usually died out late afternoon.

The following is a status account for each species.

A Great Crested Grebe offshore on the 30th, was the first this winter.
From the 10th to the 17th a maximum of seven Balearic Shearwaters were seen offshore, were low numbers for November.
One or two Northern Gannets and single Shags seen offshore were low for November.

Although up to nine Cormorants were seen fishing locally, these were easily outnumbered by a months total of 607 birds passing through, heading south west.
A single Grey Heron frequented the local sea lagoon at Capycorp most days, and a total of 8 birds migrated south.
Cattle Egret numbers were well down on previous Novembers at a maximum of 9 birds seen, in the farmland areas.
One or two Little Egrets fed along the shore, again scarcer than previous Novembers.
The first Red-breasted Merganser of the winter, was seen off shore on the 14th November.
Up to two Common Buzzards were wintering in the area, easily seen, either on a favourite pylon or in flight.

As mentioned in the prologue, Booted Eagles were the months highlight. A pair and then six together on the 5th November, were followed by a pair soaring above my house on the 29th.
In some years a single bird winters.

Up to three Common Kestrels were seen following the finch flocks in the farmland areas.
Three Red-legged Partridge seen on the 11th and 12th in an Artichoke field, turned out to be my first November record here.

Considering we only have two small freshwater ponds the numbers of Moorhens seem to increase year on year. A total of 28 birds wer counted at Torre de Capycorp pond and the Sewage works pond.
Two Stone Curlews seen on the 17th, in the farmland area, were the first this winter.
Up to five Golden Plovers fed on newly ploughed fields at Senia de Culla farm, from the 11th to the 19th.

Northern Lapwings were seen in their highest November numbers todate. Up to 26 birds seen either feeding in the farm fields or passing through.
Mediterranean Gulls were seen flying offshore throughout the month, and on the 11th and 12th, 100 plus birds were preening at Capycorp lagoon.
Audouin´s Gulls were seen daily, with a peak of 144 birds seen at Capycorp Lagoon on the 2nd.
A record November number of 80 Sandwich Terns were counted on the 10th with Gulls at Capycorp Lagoon.
Wood Pigeons are usually scarce this month and this year was no exception, only one or two birds seen.
Collared Dove numbers were normal with a peak of 61 birds.
Little Owl numbers were avearge for November, with one or two birds counted most days.
A count of four Kingfishers on the 20th November was the most I´ve seen here. There was one bird at the Capycorp Lagoon, one fishing off rocks at the beach, and two together at Las Fuentas Marina.

Up to five Hoopoes were seen daily, normal numbers for the month.
While a maximum of 11 Crested Larks were slightly below average, 160 Skylarks counted was well above November numbers.
Likewise a maximum daily count of 19 Crag Martins was above average numbers.
Two Barn Swallows on the 1st and a single on the 16th were late passage birds.
Meadow Pipits at 32 maximum, and Grey Wagtails at 2 maximum were normal numbers for November.
A maximum of 34 White Wagtails was well above average.
A Dunnock seen on the 20th November was the first this year!
Robin numbers peaked at 43 birds on the 20th November, well above average.

Black Redstarts peaked at 22 birds, normal numbers for November.
A female Common Redstart in the coastal scrub on the 4th and 5th, was my latest record for the species.
The usual wintering male and female Blue Rock Thrushes were defending their respective buildings from other birds.
The male a disused stone tower, and the female a stone farm building.
A maximum of 15 Stonechats and two Blackbirds were normal numbers.
A peak count of 32 Song Thrush were well above average, considering they are a prize species for shooting here!
Up to four Cetti´s Warblers were heard singing from their winter territory. Normally you only hear one or two singing on the same day.
A peak of 7 Fan-tailed Warblers was below average numbers.
Up to three Dartford Warblers were defending winter territories along the coastal scrubland.
A peak of 25 Sardinian Warblers was well above normal November numbers.
While a peak of 14 Blackcaps was normal numbers, a peak of 14 Chiffchaffs was well down on numbers.

A couple of late Willow Warblers were seen on the 17th and 20th November.
A Goldcrest seen on the 7th November was the first this year!
Only two species of Tit were seen this month, one common the other rare. A peak of 5 Great Tits was above average. While a Penduline Tit seen in the reeds at Capycorp Lagoon on the 20th November was the first this year.

Up to three Southern Great Grey Shrikes were seen, but never all in the one day.
Common Magpies peaked at 17 birds, normal for November.

The Common and Spotless Starlings and the Tree and House Sparrow numbers were very healthy with hundreds of eash species seen amonst the finch flocks in the farmland areas.
A peak daily count of 225 Chaffinch, 28 Greenfinch and 79 Goldfinch were well above average numbers for November.
In contrast only four Siskins were seen.
While Serin peak numbers – 30 birds, were well down, Linnet peak numbers – 58 birds were well up.
The four species of Bunting seen fared differently in regards to numbers. 2 Cirl Buntings and single Rock Buntings were normal for November. While 6 Corn Buntings was well below normal, 16 Reed Buntings was well above average numbers.

Alcossebre Weather in November, 2007.

A month of fine, sunny days and cold nights.
November turned out to be one of the sunniest and one of the driest months this year.
We had an unbroken spell of 19 days of fine sunny days and cold nights, from the 1st to the 19th. Then a few days of cloudy weather with a trace of rain from the 20th to the 23rd.
From the 24th to the 30th, the fine sunny weather returned.
The average day temperature was 18C (65F) with the warmest days being the 2nd through to the 9th at 21C (71F).
The average night temperature was 8C (48F) with the coldest night on the 17th at 1C (35F).
Compared with November 2006 it was colder, but exactly the same as November 2005.
Winds were mainly light or gentle in strength, (22 days), there were five days with moderate to strong winds, and three days of calm conditions.
Wind directions were predominantly Northerly or North Westerly in the mornings, turing to the East or South East in the afternoons.
Most early mornings and late evenings saw the winds ease off.

The Monthly summary was as follows.
The 1st October started with a nice variety of overnight arrivals :- one each of Common Redstart; Northern Wheatear; Pied Flycatcher and Willow Warbler and four Subalpine Warblers.
I also got the highest count of the month for Collared Doves (103), Little Owls(6) and Hoopoes (12).
The 2nd of October provided me with my first record of Grey Plover, one bird flying along the coast calling as it flew.
Two separate Southern Great Grey Shrikes were feeding in the local farmland.

Things were quiet until the 6th October, when 5 Grey Herons and 8 Little Egrets flew East, heading for the Ebro Delta.
A female Eurasian Teal arrived at the Sewage Pond.
Five Turtle Doves were the highest count for the month.
4 Sand Martins, 21 Barn Swallows and 6 House Martins headed South.
The only Blue-headed Wagtail of the month was seen.
The first Blue Rock Thrush (a female) of the autumn arrived at her usual disused farm building to winter.
The first Dartford Warbler of the autumn was seen in the coastal scrubland.

More Grey Herons (15) were moving East on the 7th October. A Eleonora´s Falcon flew in from the sea and headed North.
Overnight arrivals included the first Skylarks (2) of the autumn and four Pied Flycatchers, were the most seen this month.
The usual male Blue Rock Thrush returned to the lower disused tower building to winter.

The first Grey Wagtail of the autumn was seen on the 8th October, as were Robins (3) and one Black Redstart .8 Fan-tail Warblers were the most counted this month.

Seven Shags fishing off shore on the 9th October, were the most seen all month. As were a count of 65 Sandwich Terns.
31 Cattle Egrets counted on the local farmland were a peak count for the month.
Six Northern Lapwing flying North West were the first of autumn, as was a Meadow Pipit in the local farmland.
Two Reed Warblers and a Pied Flycatcher at the Sewage Pond were the last of the Autumn.
The second Eleonora´s Falcon for the month again flew in from the sea on the 10th October.
The next three days were unsettled weather, so no bird counts.
On the 13th October there was still some South moving birds, Barn Swallows –40+ and Sand Martins.–5.
Wintering birds were increasing day by day – Robins up to 10; Stonechats up to 8; Meadow Pipits up to 6, plus 4 new Corn Buntings.
The first Hobby of the autumn was seen on the 15th October, and 18 Sardinian Warblers counted were peak numbers for the month.

The first Crag Martins (3) and Chiffchaff (1) of the autumn were seen on the 16th October.
Cloudy overnight conditions brought in some birds on the 18th October. 34+ Song Thrushes: 10+ Blackcaps: 13 Stonechats: : 7 Black Redstarts. Two Kingfishers at the Sewage Pond were the most I´ve seen there.
On the 20th October eight Wood Pigeons seen were a high count for this area, as with Song Thrushes they are high on the local Hunters shooting list!
The first Green Sandpiper and Reed Bunting of the autumn were seen. The Sandpiper at the Sewage pond and the Bunting in the farmland.
37 Robins counted were peak numbers for the month.
On the 21st October I had the company of my friend from Essex, Sam Shippey. He brought a bit of luck with him as it was about the best day of the month for birds here!
Passage birds included a total of 465 Cormorants heading South West; 7 Northern Gannets headed East,An Arctic Skua chasing Sandwich Terns, the first of Autumn, Sam incidently,saw another that day close in to shore.
A Marsh Harrier headed South, another first for Autumn.
A Booted Eagle soaring in the distance.
The first Common Buzzard of autumn.
A Northern Greenshank flying over calling.
A total of 25 Northern Lapwings flew east.
Add to that overnight arrivals:- 35 Song Thush; 13 Blackcap; 5 Chiffchaff; 1 Willow Warbler; 14 Black Redstarts; 13 Stonechats; 14 Meadow Pipits; 47+ Skylarks; 9 White Wagtails and 4 Reed Buntings.
Although things were quiet on the 23rd October, I did get the first Sparrowhawk of the month, a male chasing Chaffinches.
The Green Sandpiper was still finding food at the Sewage Pond.

The 26th October saw a small westerly passage of Audoin´s Gulls (60+) and Black-headed Gulls (45+)
Overnight arrivals included:-17 Black Redstarts: 17 White Wagtails: 28 Meadow Pipits: 8 Corn Buntings: 2 Reed Bunting and 1 Cirl Bunting.
Two Great White Egrets flying East along the coast on the 28th October, were no doubt Ebro Delta bound.
They were the first of the month.
Another male Sparrowhawk four Common Kestrels and a Kingfisher were the only other highlights of the day.
The 29th October had a couple of surprises for me.
As well as 3 Grey Herons heading east – expected,
Thre was a total of 90+ Chaffinches heading east – not expected, they normally head south or south west at this time of the year? The mysteries of bird migration eh?

Stonechats peaked at 17 birds today.
I got the best bird of the day in the centre of Alcossebre town – a Firecrest feeding in some Pine Trees across from the local shops.
This was the first this year and only my third ever record here.
The last two days of October proved to windy to birdwatch, with strong gusting Northerly winds.

Alcossebre Weather in October, 2007.

Overall a poor month for weather. Apart from the 2nd – which turned out to be the warmest day of the month –the only other spell of fine sunny weather was the 6th to the 10th October.
For most of the rest it was a mixture of cloudy and sunny spells (12 days), or overcast conditions with rain (9 days). We had more than the average rainfall for October, with a total rainfall for the month of 219mm or 8.5 inches.
Most of the rain fell on the 11th October with 76mm or 3 inches and the 4th October with 64mm or 2.5 inches.
The average day temperature was 22C or 72F, with the warmest day being the 2nd October at 28C or 82F.
The average night temperature was 14C or 58F, with the coolest nights being the 22nd and 28th October, at 10C or 52F.
Winds were mainly light and gentle throughout the month, with only two days Strong and gusting – 30th and 31st October.
Wind directions were mainly from the North and North West in the mornings and East to South East in the afternoons.

10 species of bird were seen for the first time in September. These were :-
Squacco Heron; Greater Flamingo; Great White Egret; Eurasian Teal; Honey Buzzard; Short-toed Eagle; Goshawk; Bonelli´s Eagle; Eleonora´s Falcon and Corn Bunting.

I managed a Bird Count Walk on 23 mornings this month. 7 days were missed due either rain, wind or domestic duties!

The following is a summary of the birds seen this September.

The month started queitly on the 1st with 6 Grey Herons flying S/W. Overnight arrivals were 2 Melodious Warblers and 1 Reed Warbler at the Sewage Pond.

The 2nd started the good list of Birds of Prey for the month, with a fine pair of Bonelli´s Eagles soaring over the mountains and heading south.
Overnight arrivals included the only Nightingale of the month, plus one each of Spotted and Pied Flycatchers, and a pair of Subalpine Warblers.

There was no visible passage on the 3rd, but there were some overnight arrivals. 4 Turtle Doves; The first Whinchat of Autumn; 3 Willow Warblers; two more Subalpine Warblers; two Reed Warblers and a Kingfisher at the sewage pond.

Birds of Prey were on the move on the 4th. 9 Honey Buzzards were making use of the thermals and heading south, followed by a Black Kite.
Inland a Short-toed Eagle was surveying the land from a plylon.
Several Common Kestrels were hunting over the farmland.
Finally a fine dark phase Eleonora´s Falcon flew over the Sewage Pond, putting the local Moorhens into panic mode!
There were still two juvenile Woodchat Shrikes and one Southern Great Grey Shrike hunting in the farmland. A female Pied Flycatcher appeared in my garden at 8pm.

Passage on the 5th was light with only 14 Grey Herons flying past.
Overnight arrivals were better with 9 Willow Warblers, 4 Subalpine Warblers, 5 Pied Flycatchers and a Blue-headed Wagtail seen.

It was the opposite on the 6th with more passage than arrivals. 20 Cormorants, 3 Grey Herons,12 Little Egrets, 12 Black-headed Gulls and 6 Bee-eaters flew south west.
The sewage pond was the Hot Spot for the small birds with 3 Reed Warblers, 4 Willow Warblers and 5 Pied Flycatchers seen.

The 7th was a fairly quiet day for passage birds with only one Grey Heron and 2 Little Egrets on the move.
Overnight arrivals included 5 Willow Warblers, 3 Spotted Flycatchers, one Pied Flycatcher and 2 Subalpine Warblers.

48 Audoiun´s Gulls and 17 Sandwich Terns flew south west on the 8th.
Inland the same migrants seemed to be hanging around with only a Whinchat being new.

The Short-toed Eagle showed itself again on the 9th, and Whinchats had increased to 3 birds. There was another Kingfisher at the Sewage Pond.

On the 10th, passage included 10 Grey Heron with 10 Little Egrets.
Although no Barn Swallows or House Martins were on the move 16 Sand Martins headed south west.

The 12th turned up some newcomers for the month. 3 Red-rumped Swallows were flying around with the local Swallows and Martins.
A Northern Wheatear was the first for Autumn and a Common Greenshank took a shortcut inland, calling loudly.
A Purple Heron flew east (Ebro bound no doubt).
The Sewage Pond still had Subalpine, Willow and Reed Warblers.

The 13th was another quiet day with only the Short-toed Eagle giving a bit of interest.

I was confined to the house and garden by the heavy rain on the 14th, however, during some dry spells a Squacco Heron and 26 Bee-eaters flew south. The Squacco Heron was the first this year!

Passage birds on the 15th were 6 Greater Flamingos flying East (Ebro delta bound) and 3 Alpine Swifts flying south.
Overnight arrivals included a Blue-headed Wagtail, 2 Whinchats and 1 Subalpine Warbler.

The 17th saw the arrival of the first Cetti´s Warbler of autumn. 2 Common/Pallid Swifts flew south as did 4 Bee-eaters. Barn Swallows were going south all day at a rate of 200 birds per hour, so we are talking about thousands of birds.
Up to 4 Little Owls were seen or heard and 13 Hoopoes were counted in the farmland.

4 Night Herons flew east on the 18th, and 5 Cattle Egrets were inland.
A juvenile Woodchat Shrike was in the same area of farmland as an adult Southern Great Grey Shrike.
Overnight arrivals included 2 Northern Wheatears, 1 Whinchat and 1 Willow Warbler.

Pride of place on the 19th went to an obligling juvenile Goshawk – only my second record here. Unlike most birds of prey I managed to get a photo. The 2 Northern Wheatears were still here with 5 Willow Warblers.
A Spotted and Pied Flycatcher spent the day in our garden.

On the 20th I had the company of a Danish couple on my walk. Usually when you show folk round your Patch you don´t see much, but today luck was with us. 10 Grey Herons flew south before I met up with them.
Then an obliging Purple Heron flew over just as we met, and they got good views of it. So a good start. Further on 17 more Grey Herons flew over quickly followed by another Purple Heron. A couple of freshly arrived Northern Wheatears showed themselves along the coast, with 4 more at the sewage works later.
3 Honey Buzzards showed well and soared off to the south and then an Osprey flew by.
Overnight arrivals included 5 Willow Warblers,1 Reed Warbler, 5 Pied Flycatchers and 3 Whinchats. So a nice selection. We also missed out on a dark falcon – probably Eleonora´s – that disappeared very quickly.
Can´t win them all.
The bird that most impressed them was a Little Owl, their first.
So a photo especially for them.

I was rained off again on the 21st September.

The rain halted migration so that on the 22nd their was a good variety of birds around. I got the first autumn Stonechat and Linnets. A juvenile Gannet and a Corn Bunting were the first of the month.
Overnight arrivals included 3 Common Kestrels, 9 Blue-headed Wagtails, 1 Common Redstart, 1 Northern Wheatear, 3 Whinchats and 3 Subalpine Warblers.

More rain on the 23rd curtailed my morning walk.

On the 24th I counted at least 230 Barn Swallows held up by yesterdays rain. There were 4 Sand Martins with them but no House Martins.
There were still 7 Blue-headed Wagtails in the area.

The next three days were quiet bird wise with 2 Purple Herons flying east the pick of the highlights on the 27th.

The 28th provided some passage birds. One Osprey flying south west and 3 Great White Egrets in company with 3 Grey Herons fling east towards the Ebro Delta.
Local Hoopoe numbers were up to 20 birds.

The last day of the month was one of the best.
The only passage birds were 1 juvenile Gannet, 35 Audoiun´s Gulls and 22 Sandwich Terns. However, overnight arrivals included a female Teal, the first this year. A male Sparrowhawk, the first this autumn; 3 Red-rumped Swallows; a female Blackcap,the first this autumn; 1 Common Redstart; 1 Whinchat; 1 Pied Flycatcher and 1 Reed Warbler.
Thus rounding off a good month for birds.

Alcossebre Weather in September 2007.

A mixture of weather conditions this month.
The first half of the month was mainly fine and sunny, with light to gentle winds from the east. The exception was a thunderstorm on the 14th, with some heavy showers of rain.
The next four days were settled with some more fine, sunny spells.
From the 19th to the 23rd we had a series of overcast days with rain. The 22rd turned out to be the wettest day of the month, when 33mm (1.3 inches) of rain fell.
With the exception of the 26th and 27th when there was strong Northerly winds, the rest of the month returned to fine,sunny and settled weather.

The average day temperature was 26c (80F) and the average night temperature was 17c (63F)
The highest temperature was on the 2nd to the 4th at 29c (85F)
The coldest night was on the 28th when it was only 11c.(52F)
Total rainfall for the month was 85mm (3.1 inches).

Two species were new for Alcossebre, a Northern Goshawk and a Budgerigar both seen on the same day.
There were also first August sightings for Little Grebe; White Stork; Osprey; Mediterranean Gull; Great Spotted Cuckoo and Common Redstart.

A summary of the month follows:-

Three Mediterranean Gulls going East started off the month, on the 1st August..
A Grey Heron going North and one Southern Great Grey Shrike and the family party of Woodchat Shrikes (two adult & two juveniles) were in the farmland areas on the 2nd August.

A flock of 200 Common Starlings on the 3rd August were the first since the Spring, and a Turtle Dove was an overnight arrival.
27 Audouin´s Gulls (mainly juveniles) flew West along the coast on the 4th August.
10 Hoopoes feeding in the local fields were matched by 10 Bee eaters flying South on the 5th August.
An Oystercatcher flying East on the 7th August was the first for Autumn and a moulting male Montagu´s Harrier was seen hunting over the dry river bed of Rio San Miquel.
The 8th August provided some wader passage, with another Oystercatcher, 8 Common Sandpipers and a Whimbrel. Common and Pallid Swifts were passing through at a rate of 105 birds per hour.
Inland two family parties of Golden Oriole were seen, the first young this year.
Two Turtle Doves were overnight arrivals on the 10th August.
The first Cattle Egrets (5) of the month appeared on the 12th August ducking their heads as an Eleonora´s Falcon passed overhead!
A Grey Heron flying South on the 13th August was the only passage bird seen.
The 14th August was better for passage birds with 15 Wood Pigeons, 5 Turtle Doves and an overnight arrival of two Spotted Flycatchers.
The 15th August was a National holiday here in Spain and the local Hunters were out shooting from first light! So with all that going on I didn´t think I would see much? However, I got my third Osprey of the year, heading South. This was my first August record.
An immature Northern Gannet offshore was the first of the month on the 18th August.

Rain on the 19th August brought in some migrants. An immature Black-winged Stilt at Capycorp Lagoon. 15 Hoopoes in the farmland.
The Sewage Pond was the busiest place providing the first Willow and Reed Warbler of Autumn, plus a Melodious Warbler and a Spotted Flycatcher.

The next few days were quiet birdwise. Then on the 22nd August I got two new species for Alcossebre in the one day – a fine male Northern Goshawk soared over the Sewage Pond and a Blue Budgerigar arrived in my garden! There was also a late Great Spotted Cuckoo being pursued by Swallows in the rural farmland, and the first Blue Headed Wagtails of Autumn.
New birds on the 23rd August were 6 Cattle Egrets and 3 Spotted Flycatchers.
On the 24th August there was a flypast of Egrets, a Great White Egret flew East (no doubt heading for the Ebro Delta) and 12 Little Egrets flew South West. The Sewage Pond was hosting both Willow and Reed Warblers again.
Another few quiet days until an overnight arrival of birds on the 27th August. A Kingfisher and a male Common Whitethroat(first this Autumn)at the Torre de Capycorp pond.A male Common Redstart(again a first for Autumn) in a neighbours garden.

The Sewage Pond provided a Little Grebe, my first August record.

Birds were on the move on the 28th August with Barn Swallows going South at a rate of 600 per hour, quite a sight. Smaller numbers of House Martins were with them, and I saw at least two Sand Martins, my first of Autumn.
A fine pair of Subalpine Warblers showed well at the Sewage Pond.

Barn Swallows were still streaming through on the 29th August at a rate of 920 birds per hour, that´s a lot of birds.

Two highlights on the 30th August, 16 Bee Eaters flew South, and a fine Nightingale popped up in my garden in the evening.
The last day of August was one of the best bird wise. 18 White Storks flew leisurely South, as did 15 Grey Herons. Overnight arrivals included the first Autumn Song Thrush and a female Pied Flycatcher arrived in my garden at 8.30pm just making the August deadline!

Shelduck – 8 birds flying east, were the first seen this year.
Cattle Egret – up to 26 birds seen this month.
Little Egret – one to three birds overflying this month.
Montagu´s Harrier – single adult male and female birds seen hunting over the fields,

Probably breeding birds from the nearby Prat of Cabanes reserve.

Quail – a calling bird on the 20th July didn´t stay around. It was my first July record here.
Black-winged Stilts – an excited family party of two adults and three juveniles took up
Residence at the local sewage pond from 17th to 25th July.
Curlew – two birds flying north on the 12th July, were the first of autumn.
Common Sandpiper – one to three birds passed through from the 21st July, the first of a

autumn.

Mediterranean Gull – two birds going east were the only ones seen this month.
Black-headed Gull – up to 17 birds were seen this month along the coast.
Audoiun´s and Yellow-legged Gulls – up to 60 of each were seen along the coast.
Sandwich and Common Terns – a mixed flock of each species were fishing on the 24th.
Wood Pigeon, Collared Dove and Turtle Dove – the maximum count for each of these
species was 6, 46 and 5 birds.
Great Spotted Cuckoo – juvenile´s were seen up to the 14th July.
Red-necked Nightjars – one or two local nesting birds calling through out the month.
Pallid and Common Swifts – the maximum numbers seen this month was on the 5th July
a mixed flock of 190 birds on a feeding movement.
Kingfisher – not only was a bird seen on the 14th my first July record here, but also the
the first seen this year.
Bee-eater – our two local pairs had two and three young respectively. So that proved that
a flock of 27 birds going east on the 29th July were not local, but migrants.
Hoopoe – the local population were looking a bit ragged with their moult, see photo.

Swallow – more and more local family parties were going up, maximum seen 109 birds.
House Martin – ironically were scarcer in the countryside with a maximum of 28 birds,
whilst in and around Alcossebre town there were hundreds!
White Wagtail – one or two juvenile birds turned up at the sewage pond from the 12th.

Nightingale – the last singing bird was heard on the 14th, harder to spot them now.
Fan-tailed Warbler – they had not stopped singing/calling, some on second broods.
A maximum of 15 birds counted.
Melodious Warbler – although they had stopped singing, several pairs wer still anxiety
calling to their young.
Sardinian Warbler – this species was still singing, up to 13 birds counted.
Spotted Flycatcher – another species anxiety calling, seems to be two local pairs.
G