Alicante, Spain June 2013

Transcription

1 Alicante, Spain June 2013 This was not a birding holiday, more a spot of birding whilst on holiday! Having rented a hire car for our 8-day summer holiday to Alicante, the opportunity presented itself for some pre-breakfast bird watching at El Hondo, Clot de Galvany, Santa Pola salt pans and Pinet lagoons. Six early morning (6am - 9am) birding sessions barely scratched the surface of the impressive birdlife in these coastal wetland habitats. I only managed 60 species! Vistabello road On a freshwater pool on the Vistabello road (CV861) enroute to El Hondo, I saw Black-winged Stilts noisily pursue a juvenile Black-crowned Night Heron, and yet the same birds didn t seem concerned by the presence of Slender-billed Gull, Little Bittern, Whiskered Tern, Squacco Heron and Cattle Egret. Night Heron Night Heron Slender-billed Gull Black-winged Stilt Whiskered Tern Squacco Heron

2 At a small bridge crossing the Vinalopo River on the CV851 road, I added Red-rumped Swallow, Common Swift, Grey Heron, Purple Heron, Cattle Egret, Corn Bunting, Zitting Cisticola, Thekla Lark, Woodchat Shrike and Hoopoe to my holiday list. Vinalopo river Red-rumped Swallow Swift Cattle Egret Hoopoe At the El Racons visitor centre observation deck overlooking a marshy pool at El Hondo, I observed Red-knobbed Coot (which were wing-clipped and sported ID tags around their necks), Purple Swamphen, Reed Warbler and another Whiskered Tern before the mosquitos got the better of me. Purple Swamphen Sunrise at El Hondo Red-knobbed Coot Whiskered Tern Reed Warbler

3 Multiple trips to Clot de Galvany nature reserve (near Gran Alicant) produced Little Owl, Hobby, Kestrel, Marbled Duck, White-headed Duck, Pochard, Coot, Moorhen, Little Grebe, Sardinian Warbler, Iberian Green Woodpecker, Serin, Barn Swallow, Goldfinch, Greenfinch, Spotless Starling, Wood Pigeon, Collared Dove, Magpie, White Wagtail, House Martin, House Sparrow, Spanish Sparrow and Blackbird, as well as Red Fox, Rabbit and Iberian Red Squirrel. Little Owl Iberian Green Woodpecker Hobby Goldfinch Barn Swallow Serin Serin Spotless Starling White-headed Duck

4 Rabbit Iberian Red Squirrel The main N332 coast road passes right through the Santa Pola salt pans which held large numbers of Greater Flamingos but there are very few good viewing points. The tower by the layby (half way between Santa Pola and Pinet) attracted roosting Yellow-legged, Lesser Black-backed, Blackheaded and Audouin's Gulls, as well as Spanish Yellow Wagtail and Kentish Plover. Santa Pola salt pans Yellow-legged Gull Yellow-legged Gull Spanish Yellow Wagtail Audouin s Gull Pinet lagoons on the coast near Pinet beach is also part of the Santa Pola Natural Park. After parking near the saline lagoon, screened off to allow a stealthy approach, I enjoyed good views of Greater Flamingo, Black-winged Stilt, Avocet, Ringed Plover, Kentish Plover, Little Egret, Common Tern, Shoveler, Mallard and Spotted Flycatcher. The terns were busy feeding their young, running the gauntlet of the gulls each time they returned from a successful fishing trip. The footpath led away from the car park to a wooden hide and then along a boardwalk towards the dunes. Unfortunately time was against me so this remains a path to be explored some other time.

5 Spotted Flycatcher Greater Flamingo Black-winged Stilt Black-winged Stilt Common Tern Common Tern Little Egret Kentish Plover Kentish Plover Avocet

6 On the one day during our holiday that it was too windy to sit on the beach without being sandblasted, we opted for a scenic drive into the Serra de Cabezon del Oro hills north of Alicante. Our first stop was the Coves de Canelobres, named after the candlestick-shaped stalactites and stalagmites formed over millions of years. The view from the cave entrance over the valley below was also excellent. We continued along the CV775 through the scenic mountain villages of Aigues, Relleu and Finestrat before heading downhill towards the sky-scrapers of Benidorm. During our drive the birds were few and far between, with only Jackdaw, Jay and Pied Flycatcher being notable and disappointingly no raptors. We did however see plenty of butterflies on the wildflowers by the roadside including Swallowtail, Painted Lady, Small White, Clouded Yellow, Marbled White, Common Blue, Gatekeeper, Wall Brown and Dingy Skipper. We also saw a large hornet-like insect and an unidentified dragonfly. Marbled White Wall Brown Dingy Skipper Dragonfly sp. Hornet sp. Butterfly sp. Finestrat Common Blue

7 ALICANTE BIRDING TRIP LIST (21 st -29 th June 2013) Grey Heron Little Grebe Slender-billed Gull Sardinian Warbler Purple Heron Mallard Black-headed Gull Reed Warbler Black-crowned Night Heron Eurasian Coot Audouin s Gull White Wagtail Little Bittern White-headed Duck Iberian Green Woodpecker Spanish Yellow Wagtail Little Egret Marbled Duck Eurasian Jay Common Blackbird Cattle Egret Pochard Jackdaw Spotless Starling Squacco Heron Northern Shoveler Magpie European Goldfinch Greater Flamingo Woodchat Shrike Collared Dove European Greenfinch Black-winged Stilt Little Owl Wood Pigeon Serin (Pied) Avocet Common Kestrel Eurasian Hoopoe Spanish Sparrow Kentish Plover Hobby Barn Swallow House Sparrow Ringed Plover Whiskered Tern Red-rumped Swallow Corn Bunting Red-knobbed Coot Common Tern House Martin Thekla Lark Purple Swamphen Yellow-legged Gull Common Swift Spotted Flycatcher Common Moorhen Lesser Black-backed Gull Zitting Cisticola Pied Flycatcher OTHER NOTABLE SPECIES Swallowtail Painted Lady Wall Brown Common Blue Small White Marbled White Gatekeeper Clouded Yellow Dingy Skipper Butterfly sp. Dragonfly sp. Hornet sp. Iberian Red Squirrel Red Fox Rabbit Bat sp. Suggested itinerary for next time: Day 1: am = Fly London to Alicante > Pick up hire car pm = Clot de Galvany Day 2: am = Clot de Galvany pm = Santa Pola saltpans and Pinet lagoon Day 3: am = Vinalopo river bridge (CV851), Vistabello road (lagoon) and El Hondo pm = Lagunas de la Mata and Torremundo (Sierra de Escalona) Day 4: am = Font Roja and Alcoi pm = Villena, Yecla and Claudette Day 5: am = Isle of Tabarca (boat trip from Santa Pola) pm = Drop off hire car > Fly Alicante to London Useful references: Costa Blanca Bird Club ( Birdforum ( A Birdwatching Guide to the Costa Blanca (Malcom Palmer, 1994)