Winter birding
is around the corner; temperatures at night are dropping, the days noticeably
shorter and the promise of long overdue rains for the next week. None of this
concerns the resident mountain birds or those winter interlopers as they
harvest hardy insects and fruiting trees. Another season beckons and another
exciting time to be in my mountains and with the autumn
slowly, but surely, passing into winter, many of our lingering migrants have
ventured further south seeking warmer climes. Now our winter visitors are
increasing in number as temperatures in the northern and middle reaches of
Spain begin to fall.
Griffon Vulture adult |
As in northern parts of Europe, the first bird to
bring news of winter’s cold front is the beautifully coloured and elegant
looking Lapwing Vanellus vanellus. The Spanish call this wader
Avefria and loosely translates to ‘bird of the cold’. Hopefully I won’t be
seeing many Lapwings then! In Andalucia we are lucky to avoid the worst of the
cold fronts and generally enjoy moderate temperatures during winter. Taking
advantage of these warmer temperatures, our resident birds have now been joined
by Alpine Accentor, Ring Ouzel, Siskin, Brambling and odd Black Vulture and
Long-legged Buzzard. It seems that in the case of Long-legged Buzzard Buteo
rufinus, sightings are becoming regular and this species has gone from
being a distinct rarity to a scarce autumn and winter visitor. There are even
reports of breeding near to the Tarifa area!
Woodlark |
Even although we are
near the end of November, I am still managing the odd day’s work and I visit my
‘favourite’ local area behind the white village of Montejaque as often as time
allows. Here the hawthorn bushes are now frequented by good numbers of Ring
Ouzel. These winter visitors arrive with a wave of migrants during October and
although many pass-on to northern Africa, many also stay to winter in this
area. The large majority of those choosing to stay are of the race Turdus
torquatus torquatus (originating from north Europe), but we also have
the sub species Turdus torquatus alpestris (an alpine bird
that also breeds in northern Spain), which winter in small numbers. It is
remarkable that any T.t.alpestris winter here as the great
majority winter mainly in north-west Africa, especially in the Atlas Saharien
regions on dry and bare slopes or crests with juniper woodland. Joining these
handsome birds this year are unusually high numbers of Siskin and Hawfinch,
certainly more than I have previously witnessed. A family of Golden Eagle has
frequented the area high on this route behind Montejaque, known as Sierra de
Libar, and the calls of the juvenile could often be heard resounding from the
steep sided mountains that surround this high valley. More recently, and for a
second time, I thought I was witnessing the pair of adults driving away another
encroaching adult, but as the birds approached me, I could see the ‘other’ bird
was a pale juvenile Imperial Eagle.
Blue Rock Thrush juvenile female |
I always find Black
Wheatear a lot easier to observe at this time of year and reaffirming my idea
on resident pairs is always a task I look forward to during this season. It is
amusing to watch the antics of territorial pairs of Black Wheatear confirming
their feeding rights by constantly chasing away Black Redstart, Stonechat and
Blue Rock Thrush from favoured areas. Equally, a joy to the ears (cold as they
might be) is the song and song flight of Blue Rock Thrush. These magnificent
thrushes seem to sing at all times of year and, despite the best efforts of
Black Wheatears, they can be frequently observed proclaiming their territories
during winter.
Hawfinch female |
Other birds, which
appear more confiding during this period are Rock and Cirl Bunting, although
their habit of flocking outside of the breeding season obviously means you can
spot them more readily. Huge flocks of mixed finches are now common, feeding on
fallow fields and the area near to Acinipo (old Ronda) allow close views of
these and also large numbers of Corn Bunting. This same area offers great
chances to see Crested and Thekla Lark feeding alongside of each other. Another
species which I managed to find in the almost down-land like habitat which
surrounds Acinipo is Hen Harrier. The male of the species is spectacularly
coloured and against ink coloured skies, with its clear white under parts
contrasting with black wing tips, can give an impression of an enormous gull
species. It is also a very good time to find large flocks of Rock Sparrow,
together with the huge flocks of finches; they also feed on open and fallow
ground. These birds can be surprisingly difficult in the breeding season, as
they tend to feed amongst Karst type habitats and you need them to pop-up on
any prominent rock to see them clearly.
Rock Bunting male |
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