Spain Costa del Sol November 11th to 15th

Finally arrived for out cheap 5 days holiday to Costa del sol stopping in Mijas flying into Malaga.

Monday 11th

Flew in Monday at just after 12oclock so had lunch in Malaga near the Guaadalhorce reservoir, then jumed straight on the reserve for the afteroon here. The hides were great holding a few juvenile Flamingos and no fewer than 13 Black necked Grebes, the Black redstarts seemed everywhere and the Monk Parakeet were as noisy as ever.  Raptors over were a Pale phase Booted Eagle and 2 Osprey. Crag Martins were my only Herundine here. Gulls were plenty full, mainly LBBG and YLG, 2 Slender billed Gulls and a Med Gull joined the Black headed gulls. Waders on site were Turnstone, Sanderling and a Green Sandpiper. Ducks on display were 10 Marble Ducks, 5 Pintail and a good number of Shoveler. 

All in all a nice selection of 63 Species 

Tuesday 12th

A really nice visit to Ronda, it was very busy and at first i was struggling to find any decent birds including the Chough, but whilst having lunch on the edge of the gorge 4 Chough landed on roofs, after lunch whilst watching  the 4 Chough the flocks of 50 started coming in landing on the window bars of the nearby buildings. I only had bins on me at this time so digi binned some of the birds. The Vultures also started turning up 50 birds in the air, again with bins i could see most were Griffons but couldn't find a close Black Vulture. I moved to the lower valley with my scope and camera and manged better digiscoped shots of the Chough. Other birds of note, still more Black Redstart, More Crag Martins, a Dartford Warbler, Firecrest, Crested Tits, and a couple of Song Thrush. Meadow pipit with the chough and a couple of Blue Rock Thrush.

Wednesday 13th 

Felt like the world was ending today, weather warning for all the malaga costa del sol area had a major warning over the phone in the form of an alarm with a warning from the civil guard to not leave the hotel and dont go outside, so we lost pretty much all of Wednesday, it was nice to just sit in the hotel catching up on some sleep and visiting the bar a few times. From the Hotel good views of Black Redstart, Firecrest and Crossbills. 2 Grey wagtail with plenty of White Wagtails over. A Sparrowhawk was a surprise.

Late afternoon we did get out once the storm had passed to do a little sea watch. A Swift sp was brought down, double figure Balearic Shearwaters 1 Corys/Scopolis, and plenty of gulls with many med Gulls and plenty of Sandwich Terns and Gannets.

Thursday 14th

Rachels birthday so a quick trip up the mountains to the ruined castle of de la Mota. Birds were 2 Raven, More Black Redstarts and 6 Crag Martin, a Dartford Warbler was the last bird of the day. 

The rest of the day was spent doing the tourist stuff on the coast of Malaga and then to Mijas. The Monk Parakeet put on a great show.

Friday 15th

Last day already our flight was just after lunch so a visit into Mijas again as yesterday we visited late afternoon. Anyway the Firecrest and Crested tits showed really well. That ended our week in Spain, not as much birding done with my scope this time around so fewer pics to show.

Clocked just 87 Species in total. List HERE

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Spain costa del sol bird list 11th to 15th November 2024

 

1	Common Shelduck	Tadorna tadorna
2	Northern Shoveler	Spatula clypeata
3	Gadwall	Mareca strepera
4	Eurasian Wigeon	Mareca penelope
5	Mallard	Anas platyrhynchos
6	Northern Pintail	Anas acuta
7	Eurasian Teal	Anas crecca
8	Marbled Duck	Marmaronetta angustirostris
9	Red-legged Partridge	Alectoris rufa
10	Pallid Swift	Apus pallidus
11	Rock Dove	Columba livia
12	Common Wood Pigeon	Columba palumbus
13	Eurasian Collared Dove	Streptopelia decaocto
14	Common Moorhen	Gallinula chloropus
15	Eurasian Coot	Fulica atra
16	Little Grebe	Tachybaptus ruficollis
17	Black-necked Grebe	Podiceps nigricollis
18	Greater Flamingo	Phoenicopterus roseus
19	Black-winged Stilt	Himantopus himantopus
20	Northern Lapwing	Vanellus vanellus
21	Ruddy Turnstone	Arenaria interpres
22	Sanderling	Calidris alba
23	Common Sandpiper	Actitis hypoleucos
24	Green Sandpiper	Tringa ochropus
25	Common Greenshank	Tringa nebularia
26	Slender-billed Gull	Chroicocephalus genei
27	Black-headed Gull	Chroicocephalus ridibundus
28	Mediterranean Gull	Ichthyaetus melanocephalus
29	Yellow-legged Gull	Larus michahellis
30	Lesser Black-backed Gull	Larus fuscus
31	Sandwich Tern	Thalasseus sandvicensis
32	Cory's Shearwater	Calonectris borealis
33	Balearic Shearwater	Puffinus mauretanicus
34	Northern Gannet	Morus bassanus
35	Great Cormorant	Phalacrocorax carbo
36	Cattle Egret	Bubulcus ibis
37	Grey Heron	Ardea cinerea
38	Little Egret	Egretta garzetta
39	Osprey	Pandion haliaetus
40	Griffon Vulture	Gyps fulvus
41	Booted Eagle	Hieraaetus pennatus
42	Eurasian Sparrowhawk	Accipiter nisus
43	Common Kingfisher	Alcedo atthis
44	Common Kestrel	Falco tinnunculus
45	Monk Parakeet	Myiopsitta monachus
46	Eurasian Jay	Garrulus glandarius
47	Red-billed Chough	Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax
48	Northern Raven	Corvus corax
49	Coal Tit	Periparus ater
50	European Crested Tit	Lophophanes cristatus
51	Eurasian Blue Tit	Cyanistes caeruleus
52	Great Tit	Parus major
53	Crested Lark	Galerida cristata
54	Eurasian Crag Martin	Ptyonoprogne rupestris
55	Barn Swallow	Hirundo rustica
56	Cetti's Warbler	Cettia cetti
57	Long-tailed Tit	Aegithalos caudatus
58	Willow Warbler	Phylloscopus trochilus
59	Common Chiffchaff	Phylloscopus collybita
60	Zitting Cisticola	Cisticola juncidis
61	Eurasian Blackcap	Sylvia atricapilla
62	Lesser Whitethroat	Curruca curruca
63	Sardinian Warbler	Curruca melanocephala
64	Dartford Warbler	Curruca undata
65	Common Firecrest	Regulus ignicapilla
66	Eurasian Wren	Troglodytes troglodytes
67	Short-toed Treecreeper	Certhia brachydactyla
68	Common Starling	Sturnus vulgaris
69	Spotless Starling	Sturnus unicolor
70	Song Thrush	Turdus philomelos
71	Common Blackbird	Turdus merula
72	European Robin	Erithacus rubecula
73	Black Redstart	Phoenicurus ochruros
74	Blue Rock Thrush	Monticola solitarius
75	European Stonechat	Saxicola rubicola
76	House Sparrow	Passer domesticus
77	Common Waxbill	Estrilda astrild
78	Grey Wagtail	Motacilla cinerea
79	White Wagtail	Motacilla alba
80	Meadow Pipit	Anthus pratensis
81	Common Chaffinch	Fringilla coelebs
82	Hawfinch	Coccothraustes coccothraustes
83	European Greenfinch	Chloris chloris
84	Red Crossbill	Loxia curvirostra
85	European Goldfinch	Carduelis carduelis
86	European Serin	Serinus serinus
87	Eurasian Siskin	Spinus spinus

Hollesley November

Water has finally returned to Hollesley, one day the RSPB may realise that water = birds and wildlife, which is what i thought they manage the reserves for...however who knows what they represent anymore. They take our money and pay there CEO £200,000 but for what, only to cut costs to reserves to pay for there extortionate salary's...Whilst still paying peanuts to the people on the ground, and you know what they say, pay peanuts get monkeys which is the case here at Hollesley im sure. The lack of management if the reserve has been noticed by many... Anyway rant over.

2nd November

So now the water is back so are the gulls, a Few Caspian and Yellow legged gulls have returned. Wildfowl numbers have been incredible. A Water Pipit was notable.

Caspian Gull

Yellow Legged Gulls

On the Shingle Ridge on the other side of the river 3 Shorelark dropped in for a short while before disappearing over the ridge.  I was seawatching today so i was very grateful to spot my first Sooty Shearwater of the year, been looking for hours this year with no joy, usually they just aren't close enough to id. A few other bits were Common Scoter, many Brent Geese and a few Gannets 

3rd November

Did another sea watch from the bank, 3 Velvet Scoter tracked along the coast were notable. 3 Drake Eider and a juv Kittiwake also.

more Yellow legged gulls and a 2nd winter Caspian Gull on the scrape. 

2nd winter Caspian Gull

Hawfinch was a great find, there was an ongoing small movement of birds along the coast.

Finally before dark Short eared owl and Barn owls hunting. A Juv Caspian Gull into roost.

9th November

Garden watching highlights 2 Raven and 2 Brambling over. On the flash at Hollesley a single European White fronted Goose with Greylags. An Adult and 2nd Winter Northern Herring gull (a Argentatus) are always smart birds.

10th November

A late Swallow through, now 15 Whitefronted Geese 2 Marsh harriers with the Orange wing tags KS, long staying male from Castle Marsh Beccles and a new female 7P from Haddiscoe rung this June. A Firecrest and Chiffchaff along the track to the carpark.

16th November

Sat birding from the river wall when i picked up a chiffchaff calling not a call of the usual common chiffs but slightly softer, saw the bird flycatching a few times a very grey individual, Siberian Chiffchaff for sure. A whooper swan was new in and appeared from nowhere. 

On the shingle ridge, Sanderling, 8 Grey Plover, 7 Turnstone, 4 Ringed Plover and a Dunlin.  Adult Caspian Gull too.

The Stonechats were performing well from the screen.

2nd and 3rd November

 Finally some water on the scrape at Hollesley, also the sea-watching has been better. 

Water = gulls and a few Caspian gulls and Yellow legged gulls are now being seen, ive had a juv, 2nd winter and 2 Adult Caspian Gulls this weekend, and probably 4 or 5 Adult Yellow legged gulls.

Hawfinch invasion meant i found one by the screen today. Owls were good with Barn, Tawny and Short eared owls this weekend.

Sea watching was impressive with Sooty Shearwater, 3 Velvet Scoter, 4 Drake Eider, and a juv Kittiwake, also Gannets and plenty of Brent Geese on the move. Whilst seawatching 3 Shorelark came into view on the shingle ridge and a water pipit from the screen. 

Duck numbers on the scrape are coming along nicely with double figure Pintail now in.

From the garden, Grey wagtail, lots of Redwing overnight and my first Fieldfare of this winter.