This report appears by kind permission of one of our guests, Paul Winter, a keen birdwatcher who compiled his list, complete with several outstanding photographs, during his week's stay at Finca Limoneros from 12 - 19 April 2003. A total of 96 species were recorded with many valuable notes as to numbers and locations.
Our thanks to Paul.
| Name | Locations |
|
Little Grebe (Tachybaptus ruficollis) |
One heard from Finca Limoneros on several occasions; One at Paraja Guadalhorce (18/4) |
|
Great Crested Grebe (Podiceps cristatus) |
One at Embalsa del Conde (16/4) |
|
Night Heron (Nycticorax nycticorax) |
One briefly in flight at Rio Guadalhorce (Alora) (18/4) |
|
Squacco Heron (Ardeola ralloides) |
Two on the marsh at Rio Velez (13/4) |
|
Cattle Egret (Bubulcus ibis) |
15 at Paraja Guadalhorce (18/4) |
|
Little Egret (Egretta garzetta) |
Common in the Guadalhorce valley; 60+ noted from Finca Limoneros flying N towards dusk on 13/4 |
|
Grey Heron (Ardea cinerea) |
Less common then Little Egrets |
|
Black Stork (Ciconia nigra) |
One flying south over Finca Limoneros (12/4) |
Greater Flamingo (Phoenicopterus roseus) |
6000+ at Fuente de Piedra (14/4); At least 20 at Laguna Dulce (19/4) |
|
Gadwall (Mareca strepera) |
Present at Paraja Guadalhorce (18/4) and Laguna Dulce (19/4) |
|
Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos) |
On most wet areas |
|
Shoveler (Anas clypeata) |
A pair at Laguna Dulce (19/4) |
|
Red-crested Pochard (Netta rufina) |
Five distantly at Laguna Dulce (19/4) |
|
Pochard (Aythya ferina) |
Seen at Paraja Guadalhorce (18/4) and Laguna Dulce (19/4) |
|
Black Kite (Milvus migrans) |
One between Laguna Dulce and Teba (19/4) |
|
Egyptian Vulture (Neophron percnopterus) |
Two at Teba Gorge (15/4 and 19/4). |
Griffon Vulture (Gyps fulvus) |
Seen at Teba Gorge (8 on 15/4, 5+ on 19/4); Ronda / Puerto del Viento (A356) (3 on 15/4) and El Chorro (5 on 16/4) |
Short-toed Eagle (Circaetus gallicus) |
One at Teba Gorge (15/4) |
|
Montagu's Harrier (Circus pygargus) |
A male came over the A-92 on the way to Fuente de Piedra; another male was hunting at Laguna Dulce (19/4) |
|
Sparrowhawk (Accipiter nisus) |
One seen near Cartama (15/4) and another from the Alora to Malaga train (17/4); |
|
Buzzard (Buteo buteo) |
One at Cartama (13/4) (I'm sure there were others but not in my notebook!) |
|
Booted Eagle (Hieraaetus pennatus) |
A pale-phase adult above Cartama (13/4) and another over the A-357 near Zalea (15/4) |
|
Bonelli's Eagle (Hieraaetus fasciatus) |
A pair at Teba Gorge (15/4) |
|
Kestrel (Falco tinnunculus) |
Good numbers |
|
Peregrine (Falco peregrinus) |
Three frightening the pigeons of Malaga (17/4) |
|
Moorhen (Gallinula chloropus) |
On any wet area |
|
Coot (Fulica atra) |
Seen at Fuente de Piedra (14/4) and Paraja Guadalhorce (18/4) |
|
Black-winged Stilt (Himantopus himantopus) |
Seen at the Rio Guadalhorce (Alora) (4 on 13/4, 2 on 18/4); Fuente de Piedra (many on 14/4); Paraja Guadalhorce (20+ on 18/4); Laguna Dulce (20+ on 19/4) |
|
Avocet (Recurvirostra avosetta) |
Good numbers at Fuente de Piedra (14/4) and several at Laguna Dulce (19/4) |
|
Little Ringed Plover (Charadrius dubius) |
At least 7 on the Rio Guadalhorce (Alora) and also at Rio Velez (13/4) |
|
Kentish Plover (Charadrius alexandrinus) |
Ones and twos at Rio Velez (13/4), Fuente de Piedra (14/4) and Paraja Guadalhorce (18/4) |
|
Sanderling (Calidris alba) |
10 at Paraja Guadalhorce (18/4) |
|
Little Stint (Calidris minuta) |
At least one at Fuente de Piedra (14/4) |
|
Curlew Sandpiper (Calidris ferruginea) |
One, almost in summer plumage, at Paraja Guadalhorce (18/4) |
|
Dunlin (Calidris alpina) |
Two at Paraja Guadalhorce (18/4) |
|
Redshank (Tringa totanus) |
Seen at Fuente de Piedra; Paraja Guadalhorce; Laguna Dulce |
|
Green Sandpiper (Tringa ochropus) |
One on the Rio Guadalhorce (Alora) (13/4) |
|
Common Sandpiper (Actitis hypoleucos) |
Two on the Rio Turon (Ardales) (16/4) |
|
Mediterranean Gull (Larus melanocephalus) |
At least 30 first winter/summer birds at Rio Velez (13/4) |
Audouin's Gull (Larus audouinii) |
Five (4 s-s, 1 f-s) at Paraja Guadalhorce (18/4). One of the second summer birds had been ringed as a chick on 18/06/01 in the colony at the Ebro Delta |
|
Yellow-legged Gull (Larus michahellis) |
Seen often |
|
Gull-billed Tern (Sterna nilotica) |
Noisy numbers at Fuente de Piedra (14/4). Also seen at Embalsa del Conde (16/4); Rio Turon (Ardales) (16/4) and Laguna Dulce (19/4) |
|
Whiskered Tern (Chlidonias hybrida) |
At least 20 with the Black Terns at Laguna Dulce (19/4) |
|
Black Tern (Chlidonias niger) |
Only one seen at Fuente de Piedra (14/4) but at least 20 at Laguna Dulce (19/4) |
|
Rock Dove / Feral Pigeon (Columba livia) |
'Pure' looking individuals at both Teba Gorge and El Chorro |
|
Collared Dove (Streptopelia decaocto) |
Widespread |
|
Turtle Dove (Streptopelia turtur) |
One seen at the Rio Turon (Ardales) (16/4) and one heard at the Rio Guadalhorce (Alora) (18/4) |
|
Monk Parakeet (Myiopsitta monachus) |
Three seen (more heard) at Paraja Guadalhorce (18/4) |
|
Cuckoo (Cuculus canorus) |
One heard at Teba Gorge (15/4) and one seen on a roadside fence between Ronda and Puerto del Viento (15/4) |
|
Little Owl (Athene noctua) |
One on a ruin at Fuente de Piedra (14/4) |
|
Swift (Apus apus) |
Widespread |
|
Pallid Swift (Apus pallidus) |
Seen regularly from Finca Limoneros |
|
Alpine Swift (Tachymarptis melba) |
Seen at El Chorro (12/4) and from Finca Limoneros (3 on 19/4) |
|
Bee-eater (Merops apiaster) |
Widespread. 20 roosting in a tree below Finca Limoneros (13/4) |
|
Hoopoe (Upupa epops) |
Seen or heard daily |
|
Crested Lark (Galerida cristata) |
Common |
|
Crag Martin (Ptyonoprogne rupestris) |
Seen at Teba Gorge (to about 6 feet!); Ronda and El Chorro |
|
Swallow (Hirundo rustica) |
Widespread |
|
Red-rumped Swallow (Hirundo daurica) |
A few seen at El Chorro (12/4); from Finca Limoneros (12/4) and near the Rio Turon (Ardales) (16/4) |
|
House Martin (Delichon urbica) |
Common |
|
Yellow Wagtail (Motacilla flava ?iberiae) |
Three calling in flight near El Chorro (12/4) |
|
Grey Wagtail (Motacilla cinerea) |
One seen at Rio Guadalhorce (Alora) (13/4) and another at El Chorro (16/4) |
|
White Wagtail (Motacilla alba) |
One or two birds seen on the Rio Guadalhorce (Alora). Only noted on three other occasions |
|
Wren (Troglodytes troglodytes) |
One at El Chorro (16/4) |
|
Nightingale (Luscinia megarhynchos) |
Heard day and night from Finca Limoneros. Widespread |
|
Black Redstart (Phoenicurus ochruros) |
A male singing at El Chorro (16/4) |
|
Stonechat (Saxicola rubicola) |
Seen at several locations |
|
Western Black-eared Wheatear (Oenanthe hispanica) |
A fine male at Fuente de Piedra (14/4) and a female at Paraja Guadalhorce (18/4) |
|
Black Wheatear (Oenanthe leucura) |
Only two seen. One at Teba Gorge (15/4) and one at El Chorro (16/4) |
|
Blue Rock Thrush (Monticola solitarius) |
Two at the Teba Gorge (15/4) and two through the railway arch at El Chorro (16/4) |
|
Blackbird (Turdus merula) |
Widespread |
|
Cetti's Warbler (Cettia cetti) |
Heard everywhere and seen several times |
|
Fan-tailed Warbler (Cisticola juncidis) |
Common away from the towns |
|
Reed Warbler (Acrocephalus scirpaceus) |
Only two 'hearings' - one at Rio Velez (13/4) and another at Paraja Guadalhorce (18/4) |
|
Western Olivaceous Warbler (Hippolais opaca) |
One at the Rio Guadalhorce (Alora) (18/4) |
|
Sardinian Warbler (Sylvia melanocephala) |
Where aren't they? |
|
Blackcap (Sylvia atricapilla) |
A female seen at the Rio Guadalhorce (Alora) (13/4) and a male singing at El Chorro (16/4) |
|
Coal Tit (Parus ater) |
Below the Castillo de Gibralfaro, Malaga (17/4) |
|
Great Tit (Parus major) |
Fairly common |
|
Southern Grey Shrike (Lanius meridionalis) |
Six seen on bushes and wires along the road between Ronda and Puerto del Viento and one at the Teba Gorge (19/4) |
|
Woodchat Shrike (Lanius senator) |
Fairly common. One on wires at Finca Limoneros (12/4) and often nearby. |
|
Chough (Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax) |
At least 20 seen at the Teba Gorge (15/4 and 19/4); Good numbers seen from the Puente Nuevo in Ronda and good numbers on the ground with Jackdaws beside the Ronda to Puerto del Viento road (15/4). Also seen at El Chorro (16/4) |
|
Jackdaw (Corvus monedula) |
Seen along the Ronda to Puerto del Viento road (15/4) |
|
Raven (Corvus corax) |
Two were at El Chorro (16/4) |
|
Spotless Starling (Sturnus unicolor) |
Seen at several locations |
|
House Sparrow (Passer domesticus) |
Very common |
|
Spanish Sparrow (Passer hispaniolensis) |
Seen near Alora and at El Chorro only |
|
Chaffinch (Fringilla coelebs) |
Locally common |
|
Serin (Serinus serinus) |
Everywhere |
|
Greenfinch (Carduelis chloris) |
Not as common as Serin and Goldfinch |
|
Goldfinch (Carduelis carduelis) |
Everywhere |
|
Linnet (Carduelis cannabina) |
Seen along the Ronda to Puerto del Viento road (15/4) and on the road to Babastros (16/4) |
|
Crossbill (Loxia curvirostra) |
Three in the top of a pine at the Castillo de Gibralfaro, Malaga (17/4) |
|
Cirl Bunting (Emberiza cirlus) |
One seen at Finca Limoneros and several nearby. Not heard / seen as much as I expected. |
|
Rock Bunting (Emberiza cia) |
After much searching (in Greece previously and now in Spain) three males were seen on the road to Babastros (16/4) |
|
Corn Bunting (Miliaria calandra) |
Common |
| Birds seen at/from Finca Limoneros |
| Little Grebe, Little Egret, Grey Heron, Black Stork, Mallard, Kestrel, Little Ringed Plover, Yellow-legged Gull, Feral Pigeon, Swift, Pallid Swift, Alpine Swift, Bee-eater, Hoopoe, Swallow, Red-rumped Swallow, House Martin, Nightingale, Stonechat, Blackbird, Cetti's Warbler, Sardinian Warbler, Great Tit, Woodchat Shrike, House Sparrow, Serin, Greenfinch, Goldfinch, Cirl Bunting, Corn Bunting |