A weekend's birding at Finca Limoneros - December 2002
The report below is by John Butler, licensed birding guide in the wetlands of Donana, probably the premier birdwatching area in Europe. He guides all his tours personally and can be reached via his website here.
Finding myself with a few days without any tours I decided to take up an offer to spend the weekend with Keith Seville and Sherill Green at Finca Limoneros in Alora.
The first two fully refurbished apartments in this country farmhouse are now open and my wife and I were astounded by the transformation that had taken place since we last visited in June.
Our first afternoon was spent lazing around on the sun terrace, beside the pool, and I was surprised by the number of birds that use the large garden and orchards. During the afternoon I recorded Dartford, Cetti's, Sardinian and Fan-tailed Warblers, Blackcaps, Iberian Chiffchaffs, Black Redstarts, Robins, Hoopoes, Wrens, Tree Sparrows, Stonechats, Gold, Green and Chaffinches, Serins and Linnets.
In the river valley below we could see Cattle and Little Egrets, Grey Herons and Moorhens and there were overhead fly-pasts of Jackdaws, Ravens, Cormorants, Kestrels, Crag Martins and two Black Storks.
On the Saturday I decided to show Keith and Sherill some of the nearby birding sites that feature in my book, all of which are within a 50km radius of Alora. Although they are very keen birdwatchers and walkers they have been so busy working on the finca that they have had very little time to get out and explore the area.
Our day started at a stretch of the Rio Guadalhorce on the southern outskirts of Alora. A half-hour visit here produced various warbler and finch species, Collared Doves, Hoopoes, Crested Larks, White and Grey Wagtails, Egrets, herons, Kingfishers, Little Grebes, Coots, Mallards, Little-ringed Plovers, Common and Green Sandpipers, a Black Stork and a gull that looked remarkably like a 2nd winter Ring-billed Gull.
Our next stop was at the Lagunas de Campillos, some 45kms away. We visited the smaller lagoons of Salada and Capacete first but were a bit disappointed with the bird numbers.
However, we did get two Southern Grey Shrikes, a Marsh Harrier and a few wader and duck species.
The Laguna Dulce proved much better and we had views of Greater Flamingos, White Storks, Common and Red-crested Pochards, Teal, White-headed Ducks, Great Crested and Black-necked Grebes, Lapwings, Kentish Plovers, Black-tailed Godwits, Redshanks, a Cetti's Warbler, Corn Buntings and Buzzards.
Beginning the homeward journey we decided to visit the Tajo de Torro (Teba Gorge) and the Sierra de Teba. We stopped first below the towering cliff-face of the sierra and watched the aeriel acrobatics of about 50 Red-billed Choughs and the soaring majesty of almost as many Griffon Vultures. In the olive groves below the cliff there were many finches, warblers, larks and a Little Owl.
Moving on to the the gorge we were treated to exceptional extended views (20 mins) of a pair of Bonelli's Eagles perched on the top of a rock-face. A Sparrowhawk drifted casually by but a Peregrine flashed past too quickly to be appreciated. We also had views of Blue Rock Thrushes, Southern Grey Shrikes, Black Wheatears, Thekla Larks and Rock Buntings.
Our final stop was at the Rio Turon at Ardales. The light was beginning to fade but we did manage another Blue Rock Thrush, Red-legged Partridges, Wood Pigeons, Dartford Warbler, Skylarks, Meadow Pipits, Green Sandpipers, a Kingfisher and a small flock of flying Lesser Short-toed Larks.
Although this was not a serious birding weekend we still managed to record over 80 species. Had we been serious and visited some of the other sites (Laguna de Fuente de Piedra, Chorro Gorge, Ronda, etc.), which are all close by, I have no doubt we could have seen over 100 species in what is, apart from Donana, my favourite birding area.
The Finca Limoneros is now open and Keith and Sherill will give a warm welcome to all guests to their home, which is set in a wonderful walking and birding region of Andalucia.
To find out more about Finca Limoneros and the birding possibilities in that area you can click here.
The first two fully refurbished apartments in this country farmhouse are now open and my wife and I were astounded by the transformation that had taken place since we last visited in June.
Our first afternoon was spent lazing around on the sun terrace, beside the pool, and I was surprised by the number of birds that use the large garden and orchards. During the afternoon I recorded Dartford, Cetti's, Sardinian and Fan-tailed Warblers, Blackcaps, Iberian Chiffchaffs, Black Redstarts, Robins, Hoopoes, Wrens, Tree Sparrows, Stonechats, Gold, Green and Chaffinches, Serins and Linnets.
In the river valley below we could see Cattle and Little Egrets, Grey Herons and Moorhens and there were overhead fly-pasts of Jackdaws, Ravens, Cormorants, Kestrels, Crag Martins and two Black Storks.
On the Saturday I decided to show Keith and Sherill some of the nearby birding sites that feature in my book, all of which are within a 50km radius of Alora. Although they are very keen birdwatchers and walkers they have been so busy working on the finca that they have had very little time to get out and explore the area.
Our day started at a stretch of the Rio Guadalhorce on the southern outskirts of Alora. A half-hour visit here produced various warbler and finch species, Collared Doves, Hoopoes, Crested Larks, White and Grey Wagtails, Egrets, herons, Kingfishers, Little Grebes, Coots, Mallards, Little-ringed Plovers, Common and Green Sandpipers, a Black Stork and a gull that looked remarkably like a 2nd winter Ring-billed Gull.
Our next stop was at the Lagunas de Campillos, some 45kms away. We visited the smaller lagoons of Salada and Capacete first but were a bit disappointed with the bird numbers.
However, we did get two Southern Grey Shrikes, a Marsh Harrier and a few wader and duck species.
The Laguna Dulce proved much better and we had views of Greater Flamingos, White Storks, Common and Red-crested Pochards, Teal, White-headed Ducks, Great Crested and Black-necked Grebes, Lapwings, Kentish Plovers, Black-tailed Godwits, Redshanks, a Cetti's Warbler, Corn Buntings and Buzzards.
Beginning the homeward journey we decided to visit the Tajo de Torro (Teba Gorge) and the Sierra de Teba. We stopped first below the towering cliff-face of the sierra and watched the aeriel acrobatics of about 50 Red-billed Choughs and the soaring majesty of almost as many Griffon Vultures. In the olive groves below the cliff there were many finches, warblers, larks and a Little Owl.
Moving on to the the gorge we were treated to exceptional extended views (20 mins) of a pair of Bonelli's Eagles perched on the top of a rock-face. A Sparrowhawk drifted casually by but a Peregrine flashed past too quickly to be appreciated. We also had views of Blue Rock Thrushes, Southern Grey Shrikes, Black Wheatears, Thekla Larks and Rock Buntings.
Our final stop was at the Rio Turon at Ardales. The light was beginning to fade but we did manage another Blue Rock Thrush, Red-legged Partridges, Wood Pigeons, Dartford Warbler, Skylarks, Meadow Pipits, Green Sandpipers, a Kingfisher and a small flock of flying Lesser Short-toed Larks.
Although this was not a serious birding weekend we still managed to record over 80 species. Had we been serious and visited some of the other sites (Laguna de Fuente de Piedra, Chorro Gorge, Ronda, etc.), which are all close by, I have no doubt we could have seen over 100 species in what is, apart from Donana, my favourite birding area.
The Finca Limoneros is now open and Keith and Sherill will give a warm welcome to all guests to their home, which is set in a wonderful walking and birding region of Andalucia.
To find out more about Finca Limoneros and the birding possibilities in that area you can click here.