Article from Newsletter in October 2007.

The two successive days of rain in mid-September seems to have convinced the local bird population that now is a good time to pack up and head off for warmer lands! The sun may have returned but the Bee-eaters were gone. Most of the Hirundines and Swifts had already made a start but a few straggling Swallows and Red-rumped Swallows could be seen until the end of the month, and a few more may well be seen in the next few days. I always find that, unlike the UK, the House Martins go first rather than the Swifts.

The Woodchat Shrikes are now long gone but this month has seen the arrival of our “Winter Visitors”; or rather, some of our residents become more obvious to see! This group includes the Southern Grey Shrike (the equivalent of the UK’s Great Grey Shrike) 

and they may be seen sitting on electricity cables, alone, and appearing to have a long tail. Pale below with a hint of a pale rose colour on the chest if you have binoculars they too, like their cousin the Woodchat Shrike, have a habit of “falling off the wire” when disturbed. However, in a car you can usually get quite close before the bird ups and away. Look at the head and think of the “Lone Ranger”. Look for the small hooked beak and a lovely black mask through the eye.

Another resident that you should see through the winter months is the Blackcap. For the beginner, be careful not to confuse this bird with our resident Sardinian Warblers. Both are basically dark grey above and paler below and also about the same size when seen in the field. Both are shy birds and will be seen flitting around in and out of bushes close to the ground. So how to tell the two apart? The Blackcap’s overall colouring is more grey with the back and front not so marked. The Blackcap also lives up to his name and has a black cap; the black does not extend down to the neck. (The female Blackcap has a brown/ginger cap.) On the other hand, the Sardinian Warbler is much more of a contrast appearing dark above and pale below; the black of the head seems to continue down the back. If you have binoculars you may well pick out the red iris around the Sardinian Warbler’s eyes and, probably, the best guide in the field is to watch the bird fly away from you. If you see a flash of white on the outer tail feathers then you are looking at a Sardinian warbler; the Blackcap has no white on the tail.

Another regular from now until April/May, and almost certainly in your gardens if you live above the valley floor, is the Black Redstart. 

The male may have lost his glossy dark black before the end of next month but the red tail feathers will identify this bird as he (or she) flies away. The female may be brown rather than black but both exhibit that flash of red as they fly.

If you leave your swimming pool uncovered (but with water!) in the coming months then you may be visited by Crag Martins. These Hirundines breed in caves in the mountains and often come down for the winter months where they can be seen hawking for insects over rivers and lakes as well taking a drink from your pond. Think of a dark House Martin and you will recognise the bird; larger than a Sand Martin and without the latter’s chest band the birds behave like typical Swallows. By the way, not to confuse the issue, the native British Swallow is known as a “Barn Swallow” in these parts of Europe.

What else is about? Plenty of Goldfinches and you soon start to see flocks of Chaffinch, Greenfinch, Linnet and Serins. If you are out walking and away from human habitation, don’t assume that you are looking at flocks of House Sparrows. The “sparrow-like” Linnet has white in its tail feathers and, seen at this time of the year, the males still have a little “rust” on their chests. Think small (as in neat) and clean and you may well be looking at Linnets. The same with the Serin. This is a very common bird in this part of Spain and, again, at first glance may be mistaken for a House Sparrow. During the coming months they will lose the bright yellow so you will be looking at a striped brown and dark green bird. As always, the male will be brighter than the female. Both have a lovely yellowy-green rump that is usually very easy to spot as the birds fly away. Again, however, be careful not to confuse this sighting with the slightly larger Greenfinch.

If you are living in the valley bottom then you are obviously used to seeing Blackbirds. Now is a good time to keep a look out for visiting/passing through thrushes. Both Mistle and Song Thrush can be seen and if you venture up into the hills then you may well see Blue Rockthrush and even a Ring Ouzel. This last bird is about the size of a Blackbird and even looks like a Blackbird until you realise that it is sporting a white (pale) crescent on its chest. Last year I saw a few when visiting El Torcal.

Now to some bigger birds. To date, the mass migration of our large raptors seem either not to have happened yet or they slipped by the house un-noticed. Another photographic opportunity missed! During the last two weeks of September I have seen small numbers of Griffon Vulture and Honey Buzzards, mainly in single figures rather than the hundreds which can occur. Keep looking because the birds will still be passing through until, possibly, mid-October. Most of our summer eagles, the Short-toed Eagle, will have moved south but some individuals do over-winter. On the other hand, as well as this large white eagle (when seen from below) from October onwards we may start to see the smaller Booted Eagle, known as the “Mountain Eagle” by many of the local Spanish bird watchers. A special treat during the last week of September was to have two sightings of a Peregrine Falcon hunting over the mountain top. This morning, 2 October, we had three Honey Buzzards circling over the top of the mountain before drifting away to the south-west.

This month’s “Bird Walk”

Following on from last month’s suggestion, it is back up the road to the Venta de Zafarraya as previously described. Stop off at the old railway track as soon as you pass under the bridge and check out for any Choughs and Crag Martins that may be about. Look up to both peaks and see if any Griffon Vultures are soaring around, or anything else, 

before setting off again in the car towards Alhama de Granada. We are going to a small lake less than two kilometres away from the town – but not into the actual town itself, unless you fancy a lovely walk along the gorge.

The secret this time is not to follow the main road to Alhama de Granada. Rather, as you get to the end of Zafarraya, petrol station on right and further on the banks and chemist, the road takes a sharp right but we are going to turn off left on this sharp bend. New markings on the road make this less of a dangerous turn than previous. As soon as you turn off (in fact you are taking a straight line rather than turn) you should see new building on the right and the soccer pitch on your left. This is a really scenic route and far better than the main road. Initially, you will pass through beautifully cultivated fields, ripening tomatoes and salad foods, and over a small stream on a bend. Do not hurry as you pass some of the harvested fields with soil showing. This is where you are likely to see a late Wheatear or possibly a tawny Pipit. Lots of small birds will be feeding including Chiffchaffs and finches.

As you leave the fields and climb, what appears to be the far side of an old volcano crater that you have just driven though) the landscape takes on a very weathered look and soon you will have trees on both sides of the road. This is the best local place for seeing the impressive Azure Winged Magpies that frequent these woods. Watch out for a large blue bird crossing over the road. The birds are usually in small flocks, have long tails but are smaller then our common Magpie. If you do not see one on the outward journey then look again on your way home. As you drop down from the woods the road splits with a turn to a small village away to the left. You need to go straight on (you have right of way) and about 5 kilometres later you drop down into Alhama, almost directly opposite the Guardia Civil barracks.

Rather than turn left towards the town, hot springs, etc. make a left turn away from Alhama as if you were returning to Zafarraya. At the top of the hill, about three or four hundred metres away, on the left you will see a turning with an O KM marker. Take this turning and the lake is just over 1 km away. This small, reed-fringed lake has two public hides which you will find very useful; one to the right and the other to the left. Gauge the sun before deciding on which side to start your bird-watching.

The right-sided hide is off a turning to the right just before you cross the stream. On a bend, the track is wide, but not concreted, and leads slightly up and along the edge of the lake. As you start to drop down, look for a turn on the left which will take you to the lake’s edge and the hide. If you miss the turn and carry on, in a few metres you will come to a picnic site. This is well worth a visit as you are likely to see both Hoopoe and Great Spotted Woodpecker.

Back at the hide, a walk around the edge to the left may give you the chance to see small birds, such as Long-tailed Tit, Chiffchaff or a late Flycatcher if you go in early October before looking at the water. Depending upon the time of year and conditions, as well as resident Little Grebe (Dabchick), Moorhen, Coot, Mallard and Pochard you could see Cormorant, Heron, Shoveler, Teal, Great Crested Grebe, Squacco Heron, Red Crested Pochard, Crag Martins flying over and, further up, a hunting Marsh Harrier or Osprey.

Return to the road and drive to the other side of the lake and you will find not only the second hide but a very convenient Venta that does a good (and cheap) meal-of-the-day. The potential problem here is that other customers may not bother with the hide or speak in their usual loud voices! If you think you are first to arrive for some while, then quietly creep up to the hide and look down to your right where you may be lucky enough to see a perching – or fleeing – Kingfisher. There are a couple of good perching trees here where I regularly see a mixture of small birds. Just as the dam wall is a good spot for seeing both Grey and White Wagtails, they may also be seen from this hide

.

Whenever I am passing through this town, if not making a special visit, I always stop at this small lake as it has so much to offer. If you have time, leave the car in front of the hide and walk back along the road and where it turns left cross over and follow the track back trough the gorge to Alhama itself. A lovely walk of about thirty minutes each way. Unless I forget, I think the Venta is closed on Mondays!

Until next time

Bob the Birder