tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-48963471171727011852024-02-20T23:36:14.354+01:00Birding ExtremaduraMartin Kelsey's blog on the birds, natural history and life in general in ExtremaduraMartin Kelsey at Birding Extremadurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02527391716863398379noreply@blogger.comBlogger259125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4896347117172701185.post-60815659400649083472023-01-16T19:07:00.002+01:002023-01-16T19:07:17.310+01:00Big Year 2022 Part Three: More special moments - November to December<p> </p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: arial; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Part Three: More
special moments - November to December <o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy081g1GIFocbec-Y7V-LKxwbezAoQV3DFXsWlzGcGgy_wjyF6ZtdG_nVIZT-NHKscZnMWrt13ll7hPc4B-a7Nz9EJOfgtvaW9z0R-xYQn2i8i1yBexxgXwMB_wYPS8-ummvykSpFxXzPNPJIC8AIO-fylAyveZYYwKN-c9Y-ctEjwbnwvGIB3cAqx/s544/Little%20Owl%20DSC02749%20-%20copia.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><img border="0" data-original-height="382" data-original-width="544" height="450" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy081g1GIFocbec-Y7V-LKxwbezAoQV3DFXsWlzGcGgy_wjyF6ZtdG_nVIZT-NHKscZnMWrt13ll7hPc4B-a7Nz9EJOfgtvaW9z0R-xYQn2i8i1yBexxgXwMB_wYPS8-ummvykSpFxXzPNPJIC8AIO-fylAyveZYYwKN-c9Y-ctEjwbnwvGIB3cAqx/w640-h450/Little%20Owl%20DSC02749%20-%20copia.JPG" width="640" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;"><i>Little Owl (Martin Kelsey): first seen 15 January</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><br /></span></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: arial; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">By the start of
November, I reappraised my progress. There were a few species, like Grasshopper
Warbler (a scarce autumn passage bird and always seen just by luck) that I had
missed and with now little chance of recovering. There were also a few winter birds
that I had missed at the start of the year that I still had a chance to find.
The first one I found was just 500 metres from my front gate: a pair of
Bullfinches feeding on desiccated blackberries in brambles growing over an old
wall. They were first I had ever seen so close to home. At my local patch Alcollarín
where the water levels were extremely low because of the prolonged drought, the
waders had been better than usual (probably because the nearby rice fields were
so dry) and the winter gull roost was starting to build up in numbers. I paid a
visit one late afternoon. Below the dam, something made me pause. The
Alcollarín river has a lovely belt of willows and shrubs along the bank and is
always good for small birds. Just the place I thought to find a Yellow-browed
Warbler. I parked and stood on a small wooden bridge. Common Chiffchaffs were
busy catching small insects close to the waters edge. Just a few minutes later,
a small warbler flew up into the tree beside the bridge, straight onto it I saw
its bright yellow supercilium and wingbars. I couldn’t believe it: a
Yellow-browed Warbler! The first I had found in Extremadura (and only the
fourth that I had ever seen in the region) and with that my personal year list
record was also broken. Elated I quickly got the news out (it stayed there for
about a week and was seen by many other local birders) and then proceeded to
watch the gulls coming to roost. Having eluded me all year so far, I was
delighted to find a Mediterranean Gull amongst the hundreds of Black-headed
Gulls present. Two more species to cross off the list of potentials that I had
made at the end of summer.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdHI5OenXdIsAErPY7gHOo-BIMMV4merqt4SzLTNRVpPuESOaIkoErZF38uPeZXyKCBUsZlCiTa-69bBkvwCqrzL3MiEaEtQaS7KZ5XfcvMpH8kHW8dfrVRKwNthdNpA75h4M2Di795WGfFV-rn3YaoaEPR_SssDxqiveoQYrlNHXEPxTNTWaNZ8om/s757/Yellow-browed%20Warbler%20DSC08616%20-%20copia.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><img border="0" data-original-height="588" data-original-width="757" height="498" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdHI5OenXdIsAErPY7gHOo-BIMMV4merqt4SzLTNRVpPuESOaIkoErZF38uPeZXyKCBUsZlCiTa-69bBkvwCqrzL3MiEaEtQaS7KZ5XfcvMpH8kHW8dfrVRKwNthdNpA75h4M2Di795WGfFV-rn3YaoaEPR_SssDxqiveoQYrlNHXEPxTNTWaNZ8om/w640-h498/Yellow-browed%20Warbler%20DSC08616%20-%20copia.JPG" width="640" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;"><i>Yellow-browed Warbler (Martin Kelsey): first seen 7 November</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><br /></span></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: arial; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">November continued
to give more. The day after finding the Yellow-browed Warbler I walked from the
village to see if the Bullfinches were still present. They weren’t, but on my return,
I checked a field close to my front gate to check the Song Thrushes and
Redwings feeding there. Amongst them, was a Ring Ouzel. It was a huge surprise
and it stayed for a few days, to be seen by several other birders. That was a
bird that I was very keen to find and had considered visits to mountain areas
where they may be overwintering. To find one at the edge of the village was a
huge relief.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO2wQ9TiQCZwvkNt81KK1jKge_hdOimIC5aONmgX-V8WeBFvIdMuNLQaFU_2USq5ehjmMr8lEd9mOoVvqaW8JIGkJHFhIQ07ctrTyhSvDrQ1zL97uadV1QqLU1Ufsm9q7GzpRtrYVsskeuuwOt-O9ZnAWAviau02ibbIkmobJcGahe02aceVzalEoo/s985/Ring%20Ouzel%20DSC08555%20-%20copia.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><img border="0" data-original-height="809" data-original-width="985" height="526" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO2wQ9TiQCZwvkNt81KK1jKge_hdOimIC5aONmgX-V8WeBFvIdMuNLQaFU_2USq5ehjmMr8lEd9mOoVvqaW8JIGkJHFhIQ07ctrTyhSvDrQ1zL97uadV1QqLU1Ufsm9q7GzpRtrYVsskeuuwOt-O9ZnAWAviau02ibbIkmobJcGahe02aceVzalEoo/w640-h526/Ring%20Ouzel%20DSC08555%20-%20copia.JPG" width="640" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;"><i>Ring Ouzel (Martin Kelsey): first seen 8 November</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><br /></span></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: arial; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Late November was
dominated by high winds from Storm Denise. I made regular visits to Alcollarín
and Sierra Brava reservoirs in case of finding birds that had been blown
inland. Whilst in the field, I received a call from David Lindo that he and a
companion had found an adult Kittiwake on the rice fields nearby. It was just a
few minutes from where I stood, so I got there quickly and the bird, an adult,
was still there, sitting at the edge of the track. With that, the Extremadura
year list record was broken. After a few minutes more, it flew off, not to be
seen again. The following day, on my return from fieldwork in southern Extremadura,
I noticed that there was a large flock of gulls at an ornamental pond in a park
at the edge of Miajadas. I stopped to check them out and found amongst many
Black-headed Gulls, an immature Kittiwake. It was a stunning bird and like some
of my other finds, was enjoyed by several visitors on the days that followed.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ9SXes-AR1jDJFCUcNh-QXOcawZToEsMdIuclOgWI7ntfdODu0tAu3s93Hnl3xyURGARN9UEMz1OQOzgs_Vr9gMWIz1O_qVXdlPE_j7_toZQ-IE67MJd_mjV1ox8tl-5eat5Pree1Odrhj4UPOU3ySDP_sS8wgq72-mpWALFYpDX7iUvTDheeE-kx/s1475/DSC08732.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1022" data-original-width="1475" height="444" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ9SXes-AR1jDJFCUcNh-QXOcawZToEsMdIuclOgWI7ntfdODu0tAu3s93Hnl3xyURGARN9UEMz1OQOzgs_Vr9gMWIz1O_qVXdlPE_j7_toZQ-IE67MJd_mjV1ox8tl-5eat5Pree1Odrhj4UPOU3ySDP_sS8wgq72-mpWALFYpDX7iUvTDheeE-kx/w640-h444/DSC08732.JPG" width="640" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;"><i>Black-legged Kittiwake (Martin Kelsey): first seen 23 November</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><br /></span></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: arial; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">My son and I did a
short trip to Salamanca for some birding at the end of the month and as we
returned to Extremadura, we stopped briefly at La Garganta to find a few
Goldcrests, a wintering bird I had missed at the start of the year. But that
was not the final word from November. From the middle of the month, I had been
checking the rice fields in the late afternoons to watch harriers go to roost
and look for Short-eared Owls. I found a couple of harrier roosts, but had
failed on the owls. On 29<sup>th</sup> November, whilst slowly driving along
the dirt tracks, I stopped beside one flooded field where there was a flock of
Dunlin. They took flight, thanks to a harrier, and as they circled before
returning to the field, I noticed a larger and paler wader with them. I
wondered whether it might be a Sanderling. Once they were back in the field, I
checked them through and quite quickly refound the bird: a Grey Phalarope. That
was brilliant, a bird I had not even put on the potentials list, and only the
second that I had ever found in Extremadura.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoCVAluOOyVUwGjFhyXy3iC88vs5Ygs9pUKg5zcJxCzHo8uCeB6SW4IvG5BDy_9qkVMXAad94nqeHeUSkIAgcTQ7_SkaVEw9LfI0IkZaRk3qKYDMyIbCBNrukr26jTMwogs6DW7oPNTLxBt1qM0sV0_EEPYrEPy4Rflm09f9gMoUHKlEtPuQbOx17m/s567/DSC08207%20-%20copia.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><img border="0" data-original-height="383" data-original-width="567" height="432" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoCVAluOOyVUwGjFhyXy3iC88vs5Ygs9pUKg5zcJxCzHo8uCeB6SW4IvG5BDy_9qkVMXAad94nqeHeUSkIAgcTQ7_SkaVEw9LfI0IkZaRk3qKYDMyIbCBNrukr26jTMwogs6DW7oPNTLxBt1qM0sV0_EEPYrEPy4Rflm09f9gMoUHKlEtPuQbOx17m/w640-h432/DSC08207%20-%20copia.JPG" width="640" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;"><i>Rock Sparrow (Martin Kelsey): first seen 21 January</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><br /></span></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: arial; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">December started
with 261 on my Year List. I was leading the field and had broken not just my
personal best, but also the all-time record. I wondered would it be possible to
reach 265 for the year? The first two weeks of December had record-breaking
rainfall. Over half of an average year’s worth of rain fell. There was severe
flooding and the reservoirs dramatically filled, to levels that I had not seen
for years. We spent a week away to take a break to mark our wedding
anniversary. I was back in the field in mid-December, doing fieldwork in the
south and checking Alcollarin every afternoon. There were still some gulls that
could be added to the list. On 16<sup>th</sup> December, a sunny afternoon,
amongst Black-headed Gulls flying at some distance at the far end of the
reservoir, I noticed a smaller gull with more rounded wings, which were dark
below. It was an adult Little Gull, a rarity in Extremadura and my first for my
local patch. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7ZygnqeLaHJpHIXoF3B4e03xGwN2x4MVBKGQOFbP21yz2NyJUP7boZ72Muu-szmcjOp7cEECW3OGGp2Hh8qddPuDyXKR54xnkQ41YHHr3dj1-XaEkpClqokY305OMF5eNrdN7Vrd-1LdsqovQZGmH_UscuQQB6QqYJJMewHM9ayoXcYmC8ynE_Df2/s1481/Iberian%20Grey%20Shrike%20DSC00745%20-%20copia.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1113" data-original-width="1481" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7ZygnqeLaHJpHIXoF3B4e03xGwN2x4MVBKGQOFbP21yz2NyJUP7boZ72Muu-szmcjOp7cEECW3OGGp2Hh8qddPuDyXKR54xnkQ41YHHr3dj1-XaEkpClqokY305OMF5eNrdN7Vrd-1LdsqovQZGmH_UscuQQB6QqYJJMewHM9ayoXcYmC8ynE_Df2/w640-h480/Iberian%20Grey%20Shrike%20DSC00745%20-%20copia.JPG" width="640" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;"><i>Iberian Grey Shrike (Martin Kelsey): first seen 8 January</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><br /></span></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: arial; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">I had been putting
off going to the city park in Cáceres to look for the resident Monk Parakeets
that live there, but whilst Christmas shopping I took a few minutes to stroll
down there. Alarmingly, the park was closed because of damage that the recent
gales had done to trees, but I waited at the perimeter until I glimpsed and
heard a Monk Parakeet, another feral species in Spain. Christmas passed and my plans
for a final visit to La Garganta were thwarted due to persistent high winds or
cloudy weather. So instead, David, my sister and I went to the summit of the
Villuercas Mountains on a morning miraculously calm, to look for Alpine
Accentor, which David had not yet seen during the year. As soon as we got out
of the car and walked just a few metres from it, in flew that gem of gems a
Wallcreeper. It was the first (and only one) seen in Extremadura in 2022 and we
enjoyed spectacular views of it for a few minutes at close range. It is surely
a regular wintering visitor to Extremadura but is a classic
needle-in-a-haystack bird. To cap it off, we then found a group of Alpine
Accentors for David.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL1XLSkv1YiPJGEYktLhwrpATn3H9YJdK_bdchA9j6Y-Mm0lVBHpfzkGdpaj6j1GMDwkcyt_qspeCxBPTCik18JXxcjKFTNMsVHRGq3EVR0of2PU-fHjW5K2TU3lBN-id80sAmhSa4LUGi60hYMrLK7b0Tg6ZZNz0lrkUdIMO1L3A1OGdM5KD4V6KS/s1108/DSC09040%20-%20copia.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><img border="0" data-original-height="790" data-original-width="1108" height="456" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL1XLSkv1YiPJGEYktLhwrpATn3H9YJdK_bdchA9j6Y-Mm0lVBHpfzkGdpaj6j1GMDwkcyt_qspeCxBPTCik18JXxcjKFTNMsVHRGq3EVR0of2PU-fHjW5K2TU3lBN-id80sAmhSa4LUGi60hYMrLK7b0Tg6ZZNz0lrkUdIMO1L3A1OGdM5KD4V6KS/w640-h456/DSC09040%20-%20copia.JPG" width="640" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;">Wallcreeper (Martin Kelsey): seen 28 December</span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><br /></span></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: arial; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">The following day
I received an email from my friend Neil Renwick. On 28<sup>th</sup>, he had
found an odd-looking wagtail and thought it was a Citrine, but he wanted my
opinion on it first. He attached some photos and it was clear to me that it was
indeed first-winter Citrine, a first ever for Extremadura! I immediately
contacted other birders. I drove down before dawn and did some driving along
tracks in the rice fields to be rewarded, at last, by a Short-eared Owl. At
first light (at the same place where I had found Aquatic Warber and
Red-throated Pipit!), Hugo, Raquel Lozano, David and I started searching for the
wagtail. It was two days since Neil had found it, but we felt certain that it
would still be present and sure enough, after a couple of hours of checking
each suitable looking field, we found the bird. It was 266 for my Year List and
a first for Extremadura to boot.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3Ti9GUat4DgV_r9ae5dGhXt3W1uVKpTubAcNDTGvEsSH5kcgB0e1ZJQ9tePqJqQ_PaPGw3fDXiGYmYaijThxpDDqNunbL_5pAUxP4seH296TWikus5p8fakOlRohoVWfhrWPNVGSwtW18l_DvbecNEddXDoIVciMvBRJphIy6XXGo98d-nUMMDFac/s1504/Citrine%20Wagtail%20DSC09561%20-%20copia.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1504" height="510" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3Ti9GUat4DgV_r9ae5dGhXt3W1uVKpTubAcNDTGvEsSH5kcgB0e1ZJQ9tePqJqQ_PaPGw3fDXiGYmYaijThxpDDqNunbL_5pAUxP4seH296TWikus5p8fakOlRohoVWfhrWPNVGSwtW18l_DvbecNEddXDoIVciMvBRJphIy6XXGo98d-nUMMDFac/w640-h510/Citrine%20Wagtail%20DSC09561%20-%20copia.JPG" width="640" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;"><i>Citrine Wagtail (Martin Kelsey): seen 30 December</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><br /></span></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: arial; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">I spent the last
few hours of daylight on 31<sup>st</sup> December at Alcollarín, enjoying the
gull roost, seeing another Mediterranean Gull. My local patch had proved its
worth, I had seen 163 species there during the year. The year ended, I had
broken my personal best for a year list in Extremadura and also set a new
record. I was two species ahead of the person in second place. For the second
year running I had the highest year’s total.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">What about the
rules I had set myself? 98% of the birds I saw were “self-found” and if I
exclude the birds that I subsequently found for myself elsewhere and species
found by others that were first for me in Extremadura (like the Citrine Wagtail
and Great Northern Diver), then I broke the rule for only 1.5% of the species
seen. </span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">As for maximizing the number of species seen
within 35 km from home, I calculate that the average distance I saw a bird for
the first time in the year was 32.47 km. 191 species were recorded for the
first time within my 35 km radius. Subsequent sightings closer to home of some
species initially recorded further away, showed that 206 species were seen
inside the limit. I am impressed by that total.</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0DP7xjZz315rjbker_FZlwA7YkXGWzyikJTbWINu6fiRnMQjVphZse_dmSsi9BUp3X_Rt4eg27RM-NJdFa_xgmxwK9faGtom7Ny2SIjzOd6u6bJu_j9My3USTuObtf_sdrCJVWOMH1Rke_1YG5zjvv_ighlFs23NZMSJrVTn1l67EtYspQYC_gC-6/s2416/Little%20Bustard%20DSC01270%20-%20copia.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1809" data-original-width="2416" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0DP7xjZz315rjbker_FZlwA7YkXGWzyikJTbWINu6fiRnMQjVphZse_dmSsi9BUp3X_Rt4eg27RM-NJdFa_xgmxwK9faGtom7Ny2SIjzOd6u6bJu_j9My3USTuObtf_sdrCJVWOMH1Rke_1YG5zjvv_ighlFs23NZMSJrVTn1l67EtYspQYC_gC-6/w640-h480/Little%20Bustard%20DSC01270%20-%20copia.JPG" width="640" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;"><i>Little Bustard (Martin Kelsey): first seen 7 February</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: arial; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">It had been a
great year, especially because of some of the rarities that I had found myself.
Yes, I had missed some birds. Red Knot, Ruddy Turnstone, Common Gull and Bald Ibis were all
species that were present at sites for several days, but I did not go to see
them because it would have broken my rules. I think that had I twitched all
possible species, I might have reached 270 species. Do I want to do it again?
No. It was a satisfying achievement, but frankly in the last few weeks it
became a bit of an obsession, putting in a lot of effort to look for birds like
Short-eared Owl, which are always a delight to see, but I have previously seen
them always just by chance, by luck. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: arial; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">So, this year,
2023, I will take the birding as it comes. I certainly have some goals and
targets. I want to enjoy my local patch birding at Alcollarín, I want to find
some more rarities. I have some in mind and I know that with effort and
perseverance, it sometimes works (it did with Red-throated Pipit and Aquatic
Warbler). I also want to explore some places that I have barely visited before.
But this year, I will not mind how many species I see or where I stand in the
rankings. Someone else can take the chase. My record is there to be broken.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: arial; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRL4VxTCuZpBIoeiZp8n4KrkxVtwP5PO5ZwSlHvKrwDYWoLMezKEnTO6HxYJmrSQzIQQIk9GsrlUeUtxPrtXrIk6sHqfczSvLAZQdpkef4FphZELvclcGq6rwTxkyeVatq2L-VuwLd_4JLPMDw81HMILSCgj3CO_wmO8G8FaLh8P7bzWBUIn-1KYdi/s692/DSC08223%20-%20copia.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><img border="0" data-original-height="505" data-original-width="692" height="468" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRL4VxTCuZpBIoeiZp8n4KrkxVtwP5PO5ZwSlHvKrwDYWoLMezKEnTO6HxYJmrSQzIQQIk9GsrlUeUtxPrtXrIk6sHqfczSvLAZQdpkef4FphZELvclcGq6rwTxkyeVatq2L-VuwLd_4JLPMDw81HMILSCgj3CO_wmO8G8FaLh8P7bzWBUIn-1KYdi/w640-h468/DSC08223%20-%20copia.JPG" width="640" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;"><i>Griffon and Black Vultures (Martin Kelsey)</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: arial; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><br /></span><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: arial; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: arial; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: arial; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p><b> Appendix 1:</b></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: arial; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Species
accumulative curve: the initial surge, levelling off and final bonuses<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: arial; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhUKc16WIs3nWtVuYBpoEZSx7b4ElKy0FiwsqCyH0GbVZvzLUsj0cwoLLjN5w9Wunmd8qstRZQI-cl1sd3OS1liOc3_i0XpNFEH339qzg-rd-SwMXc7N0kTIuSM_p_gvpT7J-_SHecKGowAbd0KjvEQCl4QneiMWUJLC96A26DFP8qLxO3JIy-jH_x/s567/Imagen1.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><img border="0" data-original-height="378" data-original-width="567" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhUKc16WIs3nWtVuYBpoEZSx7b4ElKy0FiwsqCyH0GbVZvzLUsj0cwoLLjN5w9Wunmd8qstRZQI-cl1sd3OS1liOc3_i0XpNFEH339qzg-rd-SwMXc7N0kTIuSM_p_gvpT7J-_SHecKGowAbd0KjvEQCl4QneiMWUJLC96A26DFP8qLxO3JIy-jH_x/w640-h426/Imagen1.png" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="mso-no-proof: yes;"><v:shapetype coordsize="21600,21600" filled="f" id="_x0000_t75" o:preferrelative="t" o:spt="75" path="m@4@5l@4@11@9@11@9@5xe" stroked="f">
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<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: arial; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Appendix 2</span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: arial; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">List of species seen in chronological order<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: arial; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="MsoNormalTable" style="border-collapse: collapse; mso-padding-alt: 0cm 3.5pt 0cm 3.5pt; mso-yfti-tbllook: 1184; width: 215px;">
<tbody><tr style="height: 15pt; mso-yfti-firstrow: yes; mso-yfti-irow: 0;">
<td colspan="2" nowrap="" style="height: 15pt; padding: 0cm 3.5pt; width: 161.5pt;" valign="bottom" width="215">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: white; font-family: arial;">1, Collared Dove<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 15pt; mso-yfti-irow: 1;">
<td colspan="2" nowrap="" style="height: 15pt; padding: 0cm 3.5pt; width: 161.5pt;" valign="bottom" width="215">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: white; font-family: arial;">2, Common Chiffchaff<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 15pt; mso-yfti-irow: 2;">
<td colspan="2" nowrap="" style="height: 15pt; padding: 0cm 3.5pt; width: 161.5pt;" valign="bottom" width="215">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: white; font-family: arial;">3, Long-tailed Tit<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 15pt; mso-yfti-irow: 3;">
<td colspan="2" nowrap="" style="height: 15pt; padding: 0cm 3.5pt; width: 161.5pt;" valign="bottom" width="215">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: white; font-family: arial;">4, Eurasian Blackcap<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 15pt; mso-yfti-irow: 4;">
<td colspan="2" nowrap="" style="height: 15pt; padding: 0cm 3.5pt; width: 161.5pt;" valign="bottom" width="215">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: white; font-family: arial;">5, Sardinian Warbler<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 15pt; mso-yfti-irow: 5;">
<td colspan="2" nowrap="" style="height: 15pt; padding: 0cm 3.5pt; width: 161.5pt;" valign="bottom" width="215">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: white; font-family: arial;">6, Spotless Starling<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 15pt; mso-yfti-irow: 6;">
<td colspan="2" nowrap="" style="height: 15pt; padding: 0cm 3.5pt; width: 161.5pt;" valign="bottom" width="215">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: white; font-family: arial;">7, Eurasian Blackbird<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 15pt; mso-yfti-irow: 7;">
<td colspan="2" nowrap="" style="height: 15pt; padding: 0cm 3.5pt; width: 161.5pt;" valign="bottom" width="215">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: white; font-family: arial;">8, European Robin<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 15pt; mso-yfti-irow: 8;">
<td colspan="2" nowrap="" style="height: 15pt; padding: 0cm 3.5pt; width: 161.5pt;" valign="bottom" width="215">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: white; font-family: arial;">9, House Sparrow<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 15pt; mso-yfti-irow: 9;">
<td colspan="2" nowrap="" style="height: 15pt; padding: 0cm 3.5pt; width: 161.5pt;" valign="bottom" width="215">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: white; font-family: arial;">10, Hawfinch<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 15pt; mso-yfti-irow: 10;">
<td colspan="2" nowrap="" style="height: 15pt; padding: 0cm 3.5pt; width: 161.5pt;" valign="bottom" width="215">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: white; font-family: arial;">11, European Serin<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 15pt; mso-yfti-irow: 11;">
<td nowrap="" style="height: 15pt; padding: 0cm 3.5pt; width: 156.5pt;" valign="bottom" width="209">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: white; font-family: arial;">12, Barn Owl<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
<td nowrap="" style="height: 15pt; padding: 0cm 3.5pt; width: 5pt;" valign="bottom" width="7"></td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 15pt; mso-yfti-irow: 12;">
<td colspan="2" nowrap="" style="height: 15pt; padding: 0cm 3.5pt; width: 161.5pt;" valign="bottom" width="215">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: white; font-family: arial;">13, Griffon Vulture<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 15pt; mso-yfti-irow: 13;">
<td colspan="2" nowrap="" style="height: 15pt; padding: 0cm 3.5pt; width: 161.5pt;" valign="bottom" width="215">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: white; font-family: arial;">14, Crested Tit<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 15pt; mso-yfti-irow: 14;">
<td colspan="2" nowrap="" style="height: 15pt; padding: 0cm 3.5pt; width: 161.5pt;" valign="bottom" width="215">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: white; font-family: arial;">15, Eurasian Blue Tit<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 15pt; mso-yfti-irow: 15;">
<td colspan="2" nowrap="" style="height: 15pt; padding: 0cm 3.5pt; width: 161.5pt;" valign="bottom" width="215">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: white; font-family: arial;">16, Zitting Cisticola<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 15pt; mso-yfti-irow: 16;">
<td colspan="2" nowrap="" style="height: 15pt; padding: 0cm 3.5pt; width: 161.5pt;" valign="bottom" width="215">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: white; font-family: arial;">17, Eurasian Crag Martin<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 15pt; mso-yfti-irow: 17;">
<td colspan="2" nowrap="" style="height: 15pt; padding: 0cm 3.5pt; width: 161.5pt;" valign="bottom" width="215">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: white; font-family: arial;">18, Mistle Thrush<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 15pt; mso-yfti-irow: 18;">
<td colspan="2" nowrap="" style="height: 15pt; padding: 0cm 3.5pt; width: 161.5pt;" valign="bottom" width="215">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: white; font-family: arial;">19, Black Redstart<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 15pt; mso-yfti-irow: 19;">
<td colspan="2" nowrap="" style="height: 15pt; padding: 0cm 3.5pt; width: 161.5pt;" valign="bottom" width="215">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: white; font-family: arial;">20, Blue Rock Thrush<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 15pt; mso-yfti-irow: 20;">
<td colspan="2" nowrap="" style="height: 15pt; padding: 0cm 3.5pt; width: 161.5pt;" valign="bottom" width="215">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: white; font-family: arial;">21, Alpine Accentor<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 15pt; mso-yfti-irow: 21;">
<td colspan="2" nowrap="" style="height: 15pt; padding: 0cm 3.5pt; width: 161.5pt;" valign="bottom" width="215">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: white; font-family: arial;">22, Common Linnet<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 15pt; mso-yfti-irow: 22;">
<td colspan="2" nowrap="" style="height: 15pt; padding: 0cm 3.5pt; width: 161.5pt;" valign="bottom" width="215">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: white; font-family: arial;">23, Cirl Bunting<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 15pt; mso-yfti-irow: 23;">
<td colspan="2" nowrap="" style="height: 15pt; padding: 0cm 3.5pt; width: 161.5pt;" valign="bottom" width="215">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: white; font-family: arial;">24, Northern Lapwing<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 15pt; mso-yfti-irow: 24;">
<td colspan="2" nowrap="" style="height: 15pt; padding: 0cm 3.5pt; width: 161.5pt;" valign="bottom" width="215">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: white; font-family: arial;">25, White Stork<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 15pt; mso-yfti-irow: 25;">
<td nowrap="" style="height: 15pt; padding: 0cm 3.5pt; width: 156.5pt;" valign="bottom" width="209">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: white; font-family: arial;">26, Red Kite<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
<td nowrap="" style="height: 15pt; padding: 0cm 3.5pt; width: 5pt;" valign="bottom" width="7"></td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 15pt; mso-yfti-irow: 26;">
<td colspan="2" nowrap="" style="height: 15pt; padding: 0cm 3.5pt; width: 161.5pt;" valign="bottom" width="215">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: white; font-family: arial;">27, Common Buzzard<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 15pt; mso-yfti-irow: 27;">
<td colspan="2" nowrap="" style="height: 15pt; padding: 0cm 3.5pt; width: 161.5pt;" valign="bottom" width="215">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: white; font-family: arial;">28, Eurasian Hoopoe<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 15pt; mso-yfti-irow: 28;">
<td colspan="2" nowrap="" style="height: 15pt; padding: 0cm 3.5pt; width: 161.5pt;" valign="bottom" width="215">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: white; font-family: arial;">29, Iberian Grey Shrike<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 15pt; mso-yfti-irow: 29;">
<td colspan="2" nowrap="" style="height: 15pt; padding: 0cm 3.5pt; width: 161.5pt;" valign="bottom" width="215">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: white; font-family: arial;">30, Iberian Magpie<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 15pt; mso-yfti-irow: 30;">
<td colspan="2" nowrap="" style="height: 15pt; padding: 0cm 3.5pt; width: 161.5pt;" valign="bottom" width="215">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: white; font-family: arial;">31, Common Raven<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 15pt; mso-yfti-irow: 31;">
<td nowrap="" style="height: 15pt; padding: 0cm 3.5pt; width: 156.5pt;" valign="bottom" width="209">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: white; font-family: arial;">32, Great Tit<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
<td nowrap="" style="height: 15pt; padding: 0cm 3.5pt; width: 5pt;" valign="bottom" width="7"></td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 15pt; mso-yfti-irow: 32;">
<td colspan="2" nowrap="" style="height: 15pt; padding: 0cm 3.5pt; width: 161.5pt;" valign="bottom" width="215">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: white; font-family: arial;">33, Woodlark<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 15pt; mso-yfti-irow: 33;">
<td colspan="2" nowrap="" style="height: 15pt; padding: 0cm 3.5pt; width: 161.5pt;" valign="bottom" width="215">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: white; font-family: arial;">34, Crested Lark<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 15pt; mso-yfti-irow: 34;">
<td colspan="2" nowrap="" style="height: 15pt; padding: 0cm 3.5pt; width: 161.5pt;" valign="bottom" width="215">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: white; font-family: arial;">35, Common Firecrest<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 15pt; mso-yfti-irow: 35;">
<td colspan="2" nowrap="" style="height: 15pt; padding: 0cm 3.5pt; width: 161.5pt;" valign="bottom" width="215">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: white; font-family: arial;">36, Song Thrush<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 15pt; mso-yfti-irow: 36;">
<td nowrap="" style="height: 15pt; padding: 0cm 3.5pt; width: 156.5pt;" valign="bottom" width="209">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: white; font-family: arial;">37, Redwing<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
<td nowrap="" style="height: 15pt; padding: 0cm 3.5pt; width: 5pt;" valign="bottom" width="7"></td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 15pt; mso-yfti-irow: 37;">
<td colspan="2" nowrap="" style="height: 15pt; padding: 0cm 3.5pt; width: 161.5pt;" valign="bottom" width="215">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: white; font-family: arial;">38, Spanish Sparrow<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 15pt; mso-yfti-irow: 38;">
<td colspan="2" nowrap="" style="height: 15pt; padding: 0cm 3.5pt; width: 161.5pt;" valign="bottom" width="215">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: white; font-family: arial;">39, White Wagtail<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 15pt; mso-yfti-irow: 39;">
<td colspan="2" nowrap="" style="height: 15pt; padding: 0cm 3.5pt; width: 161.5pt;" valign="bottom" width="215">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: white; font-family: arial;">40, Meadow Pipit<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 15pt; mso-yfti-irow: 40;">
<td colspan="2" nowrap="" style="height: 15pt; padding: 0cm 3.5pt; width: 161.5pt;" valign="bottom" width="215">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: white; font-family: arial;">41, Common Chaffinch<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 15pt; mso-yfti-irow: 41;">
<td colspan="2" nowrap="" style="height: 15pt; padding: 0cm 3.5pt; width: 161.5pt;" valign="bottom" width="215">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: white; font-family: arial;">42, European Greenfinch<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 15pt; mso-yfti-irow: 42;">
<td colspan="2" nowrap="" style="height: 15pt; padding: 0cm 3.5pt; width: 161.5pt;" valign="bottom" width="215">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: white; font-family: arial;">43, European Goldfinch<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 15pt; mso-yfti-irow: 43;">
<td colspan="2" nowrap="" style="height: 15pt; padding: 0cm 3.5pt; width: 161.5pt;" valign="bottom" width="215">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: white; font-family: arial;">44, Great Northern Diver<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 15pt; mso-yfti-irow: 44;">
<td colspan="2" nowrap="" style="height: 15pt; padding: 0cm 3.5pt; width: 161.5pt;" valign="bottom" width="215">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: white; font-family: arial;">45, Black Vulture<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 15pt; mso-yfti-irow: 45;">
<td colspan="2" nowrap="" style="height: 15pt; padding: 0cm 3.5pt; width: 161.5pt;" valign="bottom" width="215">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: white; font-family: arial;">46, Thekla’s Lark<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 15pt; mso-yfti-irow: 46;">
<td colspan="2" nowrap="" style="height: 15pt; padding: 0cm 3.5pt; width: 161.5pt;" valign="bottom" width="215">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: white; font-family: arial;">47, Dartford Warbler<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 15pt; mso-yfti-irow: 47;">
<td colspan="2" nowrap="" style="height: 15pt; padding: 0cm 3.5pt; width: 161.5pt;" valign="bottom" width="215">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: white; font-family: arial;">48, Eurasian Wren<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 15pt; mso-yfti-irow: 48;">
<td colspan="2" nowrap="" style="height: 15pt; padding: 0cm 3.5pt; width: 161.5pt;" valign="bottom" width="215">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: white; font-family: arial;">49, European Stonechat<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 15pt; mso-yfti-irow: 49;">
<td nowrap="" style="height: 15pt; padding: 0cm 3.5pt; width: 156.5pt;" valign="bottom" width="209">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: white; font-family: arial;">50, Dunnock<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
<td nowrap="" style="height: 15pt; padding: 0cm 3.5pt; width: 5pt;" valign="bottom" width="7"></td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 15pt; mso-yfti-irow: 50;">
<td colspan="2" nowrap="" style="height: 15pt; padding: 0cm 3.5pt; width: 161.5pt;" valign="bottom" width="215">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: white; font-family: arial;">51, Western Swamphen<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 15pt; mso-yfti-irow: 51;">
<td colspan="2" nowrap="" style="height: 15pt; padding: 0cm 3.5pt; width: 161.5pt;" valign="bottom" width="215">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: white; font-family: arial;">52, Great Cormorant<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 15pt; mso-yfti-irow: 52;">
<td colspan="2" nowrap="" style="height: 15pt; padding: 0cm 3.5pt; width: 161.5pt;" valign="bottom" width="215">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: white; font-family: arial;">53, Little Egret<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 15pt; mso-yfti-irow: 53;">
<td colspan="2" nowrap="" style="height: 15pt; padding: 0cm 3.5pt; width: 161.5pt;" valign="bottom" width="215">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: white; font-family: arial;">54, Eurasian Spoonbill<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 15pt; mso-yfti-irow: 54;">
<td colspan="2" nowrap="" style="height: 15pt; padding: 0cm 3.5pt; width: 161.5pt;" valign="bottom" width="215">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: white; font-family: arial;">55, Western Marsh Harrier<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 15pt; mso-yfti-irow: 55;">
<td colspan="2" nowrap="" style="height: 15pt; padding: 0cm 3.5pt; width: 161.5pt;" valign="bottom" width="215">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: white; font-family: arial;">56, Common Kingfisher<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 15pt; mso-yfti-irow: 56;">
<td colspan="2" nowrap="" style="height: 15pt; padding: 0cm 3.5pt; width: 161.5pt;" valign="bottom" width="215">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: white; font-family: arial;">57, Common Magpie<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 15pt; mso-yfti-irow: 57;">
<td colspan="2" nowrap="" style="height: 15pt; padding: 0cm 3.5pt; width: 161.5pt;" valign="bottom" width="215">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: white; font-family: arial;">58, Eurasian Jackdaw<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 15pt; mso-yfti-irow: 58;">
<td colspan="2" nowrap="" style="height: 15pt; padding: 0cm 3.5pt; width: 161.5pt;" valign="bottom" width="215">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: white; font-family: arial;">59, Eurasian Penduline Tit<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 15pt; mso-yfti-irow: 59;">
<td colspan="2" nowrap="" style="height: 15pt; padding: 0cm 3.5pt; width: 161.5pt;" valign="bottom" width="215">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: white; font-family: arial;">60, Bearded Tit<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 15pt; mso-yfti-irow: 60;">
<td colspan="2" nowrap="" style="height: 15pt; padding: 0cm 3.5pt; width: 161.5pt;" valign="bottom" width="215">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: white; font-family: arial;">61, Cetti’s Warbler<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 15pt; mso-yfti-irow: 61;">
<td colspan="2" nowrap="" style="height: 15pt; padding: 0cm 3.5pt; width: 161.5pt;" valign="bottom" width="215">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: white; font-family: arial;">62, Bluethroat<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 15pt; mso-yfti-irow: 62;">
<td colspan="2" nowrap="" style="height: 15pt; padding: 0cm 3.5pt; width: 161.5pt;" valign="bottom" width="215">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: white; font-family: arial;">63, Common Waxbill<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 15pt; mso-yfti-irow: 63;">
<td colspan="2" nowrap="" style="height: 15pt; padding: 0cm 3.5pt; width: 161.5pt;" valign="bottom" width="215">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: white; font-family: arial;">64, Egyptian Goose<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 15pt; mso-yfti-irow: 64;">
<td colspan="2" nowrap="" style="height: 15pt; padding: 0cm 3.5pt; width: 161.5pt;" valign="bottom" width="215">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: white; font-family: arial;">65, Northern Shoveler<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 15pt; mso-yfti-irow: 65;">
<td nowrap="" style="height: 15pt; padding: 0cm 3.5pt; width: 156.5pt;" valign="bottom" width="209">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: white; font-family: arial;">66, Gadwall<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
<td nowrap="" style="height: 15pt; padding: 0cm 3.5pt; width: 5pt;" valign="bottom" width="7"></td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 15pt; mso-yfti-irow: 66;">
<td colspan="2" nowrap="" style="height: 15pt; padding: 0cm 3.5pt; width: 161.5pt;" valign="bottom" width="215">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: white; font-family: arial;">67, Eurasian Wigeon<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 15pt; mso-yfti-irow: 67;">
<td nowrap="" style="height: 15pt; padding: 0cm 3.5pt; width: 156.5pt;" valign="bottom" width="209">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: white; font-family: arial;">68, Mallard<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
<td nowrap="" style="height: 15pt; padding: 0cm 3.5pt; width: 5pt;" valign="bottom" width="7"></td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 15pt; mso-yfti-irow: 68;">
<td colspan="2" nowrap="" style="height: 15pt; padding: 0cm 3.5pt; width: 161.5pt;" valign="bottom" width="215">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: white; font-family: arial;">69, Northern Pintail<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 15pt; mso-yfti-irow: 69;">
<td colspan="2" nowrap="" style="height: 15pt; padding: 0cm 3.5pt; width: 161.5pt;" valign="bottom" width="215">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: white; font-family: arial;">70, Eurasian Teal<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 15pt; mso-yfti-irow: 70;">
<td colspan="2" nowrap="" style="height: 15pt; padding: 0cm 3.5pt; width: 161.5pt;" valign="bottom" width="215">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: white; font-family: arial;">71, Little Grebe<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 15pt; mso-yfti-irow: 71;">
<td colspan="2" nowrap="" style="height: 15pt; padding: 0cm 3.5pt; width: 161.5pt;" valign="bottom" width="215">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: white; font-family: arial;">72, Great Crested Grebe<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 15pt; mso-yfti-irow: 72;">
<td colspan="2" nowrap="" style="height: 15pt; padding: 0cm 3.5pt; width: 161.5pt;" valign="bottom" width="215">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: white; font-family: arial;">73, Black-necked Grebe<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 15pt; mso-yfti-irow: 73;">
<td colspan="2" nowrap="" style="height: 15pt; padding: 0cm 3.5pt; width: 161.5pt;" valign="bottom" width="215">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: white; font-family: arial;">74, Black-headed Gull<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 15pt; mso-yfti-irow: 74;">
<td colspan="2" nowrap="" style="height: 15pt; padding: 0cm 3.5pt; width: 161.5pt;" valign="bottom" width="215">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: white; font-family: arial;">75, Lesser Black-backed Gull<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 15pt; mso-yfti-irow: 75;">
<td colspan="2" nowrap="" style="height: 15pt; padding: 0cm 3.5pt; width: 161.5pt;" valign="bottom" width="215">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: white; font-family: arial;">76, Black Stork<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 15pt; mso-yfti-irow: 76;">
<td colspan="2" nowrap="" style="height: 15pt; padding: 0cm 3.5pt; width: 161.5pt;" valign="bottom" width="215">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: white; font-family: arial;">77, Grey Heron<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 15pt; mso-yfti-irow: 77;">
<td colspan="2" nowrap="" style="height: 15pt; padding: 0cm 3.5pt; width: 161.5pt;" valign="bottom" width="215">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: white; font-family: arial;">78, Great White Egret<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 15pt; mso-yfti-irow: 78;">
<td colspan="2" nowrap="" style="height: 15pt; padding: 0cm 3.5pt; width: 161.5pt;" valign="bottom" width="215">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: white; font-family: arial;">79, Peregrine Falcon<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 15pt; mso-yfti-irow: 79;">
<td colspan="2" nowrap="" style="height: 15pt; padding: 0cm 3.5pt; width: 161.5pt;" valign="bottom" width="215">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: white; font-family: arial;">80, Eurasian Skylark<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 15pt; mso-yfti-irow: 80;">
<td colspan="2" nowrap="" style="height: 15pt; padding: 0cm 3.5pt; width: 161.5pt;" valign="bottom" width="215">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: white; font-family: arial;">81, Common Shelduck<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 15pt; mso-yfti-irow: 81;">
<td colspan="2" nowrap="" style="height: 15pt; padding: 0cm 3.5pt; width: 161.5pt;" valign="bottom" width="215">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: white; font-family: arial;">82, Eurasian Eagle Owl<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 15pt; mso-yfti-irow: 82;">
<td colspan="2" nowrap="" style="height: 15pt; padding: 0cm 3.5pt; width: 161.5pt;" valign="bottom" width="215">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: white; font-family: arial;">83, Grey Wagtail<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 15pt; mso-yfti-irow: 83;">
<td colspan="2" nowrap="" style="height: 15pt; padding: 0cm 3.5pt; width: 161.5pt;" valign="bottom" width="215">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: white; font-family: arial;">84, Greylag Goose<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 15pt; mso-yfti-irow: 84;">
<td colspan="2" nowrap="" style="height: 15pt; padding: 0cm 3.5pt; width: 161.5pt;" valign="bottom" width="215">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: white; font-family: arial;">85, Greater White-fronted Goose<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 15pt; mso-yfti-irow: 85;">
<td colspan="2" nowrap="" style="height: 15pt; padding: 0cm 3.5pt; width: 161.5pt;" valign="bottom" width="215">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: white; font-family: arial;">86, Common Crane<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 15pt; mso-yfti-irow: 86;">
<td colspan="2" nowrap="" style="height: 15pt; padding: 0cm 3.5pt; width: 161.5pt;" valign="bottom" width="215">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: white; font-family: arial;">87, Green Sandpiper<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 15pt; mso-yfti-irow: 87;">
<td colspan="2" nowrap="" style="height: 15pt; padding: 0cm 3.5pt; width: 161.5pt;" valign="bottom" width="215">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: white; font-family: arial;">88, Common Kestrel<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 15pt; mso-yfti-irow: 88;">
<td colspan="2" nowrap="" style="height: 15pt; padding: 0cm 3.5pt; width: 161.5pt;" valign="bottom" width="215">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: white; font-family: arial;">89, Black-winged Stilt<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 15pt; mso-yfti-irow: 89;">
<td colspan="2" nowrap="" style="height: 15pt; padding: 0cm 3.5pt; width: 161.5pt;" valign="bottom" width="215">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: white; font-family: arial;">90, Common Snipe<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 15pt; mso-yfti-irow: 90;">
<td colspan="2" nowrap="" style="height: 15pt; padding: 0cm 3.5pt; width: 161.5pt;" valign="bottom" width="215">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: white; font-family: arial;">91, Common Greenshank<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 15pt; mso-yfti-irow: 91;">
<td colspan="2" nowrap="" style="height: 15pt; padding: 0cm 3.5pt; width: 161.5pt;" valign="bottom" width="215">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: white; font-family: arial;">92, Cattle Egret<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 15pt; mso-yfti-irow: 92;">
<td colspan="2" nowrap="" style="height: 15pt; padding: 0cm 3.5pt; width: 161.5pt;" valign="bottom" width="215">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: white; font-family: arial;">93, Hen Harrier<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 15pt; mso-yfti-irow: 93;">
<td colspan="2" nowrap="" style="height: 15pt; padding: 0cm 3.5pt; width: 161.5pt;" valign="bottom" width="215">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: white; font-family: arial;">94, Red Avadavat<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 15pt; mso-yfti-irow: 94;">
<td colspan="2" nowrap="" style="height: 15pt; padding: 0cm 3.5pt; width: 161.5pt;" valign="bottom" width="215">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: white; font-family: arial;">95, Eurasian Tree Sparrow<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 15pt; mso-yfti-irow: 95;">
<td colspan="2" nowrap="" style="height: 15pt; padding: 0cm 3.5pt; width: 161.5pt;" valign="bottom" width="215">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: white; font-family: arial;">96, Eurasian Coot<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 15pt; mso-yfti-irow: 96;">
<td colspan="2" nowrap="" style="height: 15pt; padding: 0cm 3.5pt; width: 161.5pt;" valign="bottom" width="215">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: white; font-family: arial;">97, Jack Snipe<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 15pt; mso-yfti-irow: 97;">
<td colspan="2" nowrap="" style="height: 15pt; padding: 0cm 3.5pt; width: 161.5pt;" valign="bottom" width="215">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: white; font-family: arial;">98, Common Sandpiper<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 15pt; mso-yfti-irow: 98;">
<td colspan="2" nowrap="" style="height: 15pt; padding: 0cm 3.5pt; width: 161.5pt;" valign="bottom" width="215">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: white; font-family: arial;">99, Eurasian Sparrowhawk<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 15pt; mso-yfti-irow: 99;">
<td colspan="2" nowrap="" style="height: 15pt; padding: 0cm 3.5pt; width: 161.5pt;" valign="bottom" width="215">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: white; font-family: arial;">100, Little Owl<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 15pt; mso-yfti-irow: 100;">
<td colspan="2" nowrap="" style="height: 15pt; padding: 0cm 3.5pt; width: 161.5pt;" valign="bottom" width="215">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: white; font-family: arial;">101, Lesser Spotted Woodpecker<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 15pt; mso-yfti-irow: 101;">
<td colspan="2" nowrap="" style="height: 15pt; padding: 0cm 3.5pt; width: 161.5pt;" valign="bottom" width="215">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: white; font-family: arial;">102, Barn Swallow<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 15pt; mso-yfti-irow: 102;">
<td colspan="2" nowrap="" style="height: 15pt; padding: 0cm 3.5pt; width: 161.5pt;" valign="bottom" width="215">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: white; font-family: arial;">103, Corn Bunting<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 15pt; mso-yfti-irow: 103;">
<td colspan="2" nowrap="" style="height: 15pt; padding: 0cm 3.5pt; width: 161.5pt;" valign="bottom" width="215">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: white; font-family: arial;">104, Canada Goose<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 15pt; mso-yfti-irow: 104;">
<td colspan="2" nowrap="" style="height: 15pt; padding: 0cm 3.5pt; width: 161.5pt;" valign="bottom" width="215">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: white; font-family: arial;">105, Red-crested Pochard<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 15pt; mso-yfti-irow: 105;">
<td colspan="2" nowrap="" style="height: 15pt; padding: 0cm 3.5pt; width: 161.5pt;" valign="bottom" width="215">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: white; font-family: arial;">106, Common Pochard<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 15pt; mso-yfti-irow: 106;">
<td colspan="2" nowrap="" style="height: 15pt; padding: 0cm 3.5pt; width: 161.5pt;" valign="bottom" width="215">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: white; font-family: arial;">107, Common Pheasant<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 15pt; mso-yfti-irow: 107;">
<td colspan="2" nowrap="" style="height: 15pt; padding: 0cm 3.5pt; width: 161.5pt;" valign="bottom" width="215">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: white; font-family: arial;">108, European Golden Plover<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 15pt; mso-yfti-irow: 108;">
<td colspan="2" nowrap="" style="height: 15pt; padding: 0cm 3.5pt; width: 161.5pt;" valign="bottom" width="215">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: white; font-family: arial;">109, Water Pipit<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 15pt; mso-yfti-irow: 109;">
<td colspan="2" nowrap="" style="height: 15pt; padding: 0cm 3.5pt; width: 161.5pt;" valign="bottom" width="215">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: white; font-family: arial;">110, Little Ringed Plover<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 15pt; mso-yfti-irow: 110;">
<td nowrap="" style="height: 15pt; padding: 0cm 3.5pt; width: 156.5pt;" valign="bottom" width="209">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: white; font-family: arial;">111, Ruff<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
<td nowrap="" style="height: 15pt; padding: 0cm 3.5pt; width: 5pt;" valign="bottom" width="7"></td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 15pt; mso-yfti-irow: 111;">
<td nowrap="" style="height: 15pt; padding: 0cm 3.5pt; width: 156.5pt;" valign="bottom" width="209">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: white; font-family: arial;">112, Dunlin<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
<td nowrap="" style="height: 15pt; padding: 0cm 3.5pt; width: 5pt;" valign="bottom" width="7"></td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 15pt; mso-yfti-irow: 112;">
<td colspan="2" nowrap="" style="height: 15pt; padding: 0cm 3.5pt; width: 161.5pt;" valign="bottom" width="215">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: white; font-family: arial;">113, Spotted Redshank<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 15pt; mso-yfti-irow: 113;">
<td colspan="2" nowrap="" style="height: 15pt; padding: 0cm 3.5pt; width: 161.5pt;" valign="bottom" width="215">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: white; font-family: arial;">114, Pied Avocet<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 15pt; mso-yfti-irow: 114;">
<td colspan="2" nowrap="" style="height: 15pt; padding: 0cm 3.5pt; width: 161.5pt;" valign="bottom" width="215">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: white; font-family: arial;">115, Kentish Plover<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 15pt; mso-yfti-irow: 115;">
<td colspan="2" nowrap="" style="height: 15pt; padding: 0cm 3.5pt; width: 161.5pt;" valign="bottom" width="215">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: white; font-family: arial;">116, Common Ringed Plover<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 15pt; mso-yfti-irow: 116;">
<td colspan="2" nowrap="" style="height: 15pt; padding: 0cm 3.5pt; width: 161.5pt;" valign="bottom" width="215">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: white; font-family: arial;">117, Eurasian Curlew<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 15pt; mso-yfti-irow: 117;">
<td colspan="2" nowrap="" style="height: 15pt; padding: 0cm 3.5pt; width: 161.5pt;" valign="bottom" width="215">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: white; font-family: arial;">118, Black-tailed Godwit<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 15pt; mso-yfti-irow: 118;">
<td colspan="2" nowrap="" style="height: 15pt; padding: 0cm 3.5pt; width: 161.5pt;" valign="bottom" width="215">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: white; font-family: arial;">119, Little Stint<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 15pt; mso-yfti-irow: 119;">
<td colspan="2" nowrap="" style="height: 15pt; padding: 0cm 3.5pt; width: 161.5pt;" valign="bottom" width="215">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: white; font-family: arial;">120, Common Redshank<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 15pt; mso-yfti-irow: 120;">
<td colspan="2" nowrap="" style="height: 15pt; padding: 0cm 3.5pt; width: 161.5pt;" valign="bottom" width="215">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: white; font-family: arial;">121, Long-eared Owl<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 15pt; mso-yfti-irow: 121;">
<td colspan="2" nowrap="" style="height: 15pt; padding: 0cm 3.5pt; width: 161.5pt;" valign="bottom" width="215">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: white; font-family: arial;">122, Tawny Owl<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 15pt; mso-yfti-irow: 122;">
<td colspan="2" nowrap="" style="height: 15pt; padding: 0cm 3.5pt; width: 161.5pt;" valign="bottom" width="215">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: white; font-family: arial;">123, Garganey<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 15pt; mso-yfti-irow: 123;">
<td colspan="2" nowrap="" style="height: 15pt; padding: 0cm 3.5pt; width: 161.5pt;" valign="bottom" width="215">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: white; font-family: arial;">124, Ferruginous Duck<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 15pt; mso-yfti-irow: 124;">
<td colspan="2" nowrap="" style="height: 15pt; padding: 0cm 3.5pt; width: 161.5pt;" valign="bottom" width="215">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: white; font-family: arial;">125, Rock Sparrow<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 15pt; mso-yfti-irow: 125;">
<td colspan="2" nowrap="" style="height: 15pt; padding: 0cm 3.5pt; width: 161.5pt;" valign="bottom" width="215">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: white; font-family: arial;">126, Red-legged Partridge<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 15pt; mso-yfti-irow: 126;">
<td colspan="2" nowrap="" style="height: 15pt; padding: 0cm 3.5pt; width: 161.5pt;" valign="bottom" width="215">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: white; font-family: arial;">127, Common Woodpigeon<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 15pt; mso-yfti-irow: 127;">
<td colspan="2" nowrap="" style="height: 15pt; padding: 0cm 3.5pt; width: 161.5pt;" valign="bottom" width="215">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: white; font-family: arial;">128, Short-toed Treecreeper<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 15pt; mso-yfti-irow: 128;">
<td colspan="2" nowrap="" style="height: 15pt; padding: 0cm 3.5pt; width: 161.5pt;" valign="bottom" width="215">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: white; font-family: arial;">129, Eurasian Siskin<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 15pt; mso-yfti-irow: 129;">
<td colspan="2" nowrap="" style="height: 15pt; padding: 0cm 3.5pt; width: 161.5pt;" valign="bottom" width="215">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: white; font-family: arial;">130, Wood Sandpiper<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 15pt; mso-yfti-irow: 130;">
<td colspan="2" nowrap="" style="height: 15pt; padding: 0cm 3.5pt; width: 161.5pt;" valign="bottom" width="215">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: white; font-family: arial;">131, Eurasian Jay<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 15pt; mso-yfti-irow: 131;">
<td colspan="2" nowrap="" style="height: 15pt; padding: 0cm 3.5pt; width: 161.5pt;" valign="bottom" width="215">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: white; font-family: arial;">132, Great Spotted Woodpecker<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 15pt; mso-yfti-irow: 132;">
<td colspan="2" nowrap="" style="height: 15pt; padding: 0cm 3.5pt; width: 161.5pt;" valign="bottom" width="215">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: white; font-family: arial;">133, Spanish Eagle<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 15pt; mso-yfti-irow: 133;">
<td colspan="2" nowrap="" style="height: 15pt; padding: 0cm 3.5pt; width: 161.5pt;" valign="bottom" width="215">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: white; font-family: arial;">134, Bonelli’s Eagle<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 15pt; mso-yfti-irow: 134;">
<td colspan="2" nowrap="" style="height: 15pt; padding: 0cm 3.5pt; width: 161.5pt;" valign="bottom" width="215">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: white; font-family: arial;">135, Eurasian Nuthatch<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 15pt; mso-yfti-irow: 135;">
<td colspan="2" nowrap="" style="height: 15pt; padding: 0cm 3.5pt; width: 161.5pt;" valign="bottom" width="215">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: white; font-family: arial;">136, Common Moorhen<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 15pt; mso-yfti-irow: 136;">
<td colspan="2" nowrap="" style="height: 15pt; padding: 0cm 3.5pt; width: 161.5pt;" valign="bottom" width="215">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: white; font-family: arial;">137, Black-winged Kite<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 15pt; mso-yfti-irow: 137;">
<td colspan="2" nowrap="" style="height: 15pt; padding: 0cm 3.5pt; width: 161.5pt;" valign="bottom" width="215">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: white; font-family: arial;">138, Barnacle Goose<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 15pt; mso-yfti-irow: 138;">
<td colspan="2" nowrap="" style="height: 15pt; padding: 0cm 3.5pt; width: 161.5pt;" valign="bottom" width="215">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: white; font-family: arial;">139, Common House Martin<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 15pt; mso-yfti-irow: 139;">
<td colspan="2" nowrap="" style="height: 15pt; padding: 0cm 3.5pt; width: 161.5pt;" valign="bottom" width="215">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: white; font-family: arial;">140, Iberian Green Woodpecker<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 15pt; mso-yfti-irow: 140;">
<td colspan="2" nowrap="" style="height: 15pt; padding: 0cm 3.5pt; width: 161.5pt;" valign="bottom" width="215">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: white; font-family: arial;">141, Golden Eagle<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 15pt; mso-yfti-irow: 141;">
<td colspan="2" nowrap="" style="height: 15pt; padding: 0cm 3.5pt; width: 161.5pt;" valign="bottom" width="215">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: white; font-family: arial;">142, Black-bellied Sandgrouse<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 15pt; mso-yfti-irow: 142;">
<td colspan="2" nowrap="" style="height: 15pt; padding: 0cm 3.5pt; width: 161.5pt;" valign="bottom" width="215">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: white; font-family: arial;">143, Great Bustard<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 15pt; mso-yfti-irow: 143;">
<td colspan="2" nowrap="" style="height: 15pt; padding: 0cm 3.5pt; width: 161.5pt;" valign="bottom" width="215">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: white; font-family: arial;">144, Glossy Ibis<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 15pt; mso-yfti-irow: 144;">
<td colspan="2" nowrap="" style="height: 15pt; padding: 0cm 3.5pt; width: 161.5pt;" valign="bottom" width="215">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: white; font-family: arial;">145, Rock Bunting<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 15pt; mso-yfti-irow: 145;">
<td nowrap="" style="height: 15pt; padding: 0cm 3.5pt; width: 156.5pt;" valign="bottom" width="209">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: white; font-family: arial;">146, Merlin<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
<td nowrap="" style="height: 15pt; padding: 0cm 3.5pt; width: 5pt;" valign="bottom" width="7"></td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 15pt; mso-yfti-irow: 146;">
<td colspan="2" nowrap="" style="height: 15pt; padding: 0cm 3.5pt; width: 161.5pt;" valign="bottom" width="215">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: white; font-family: arial;">147, Water Rail<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 15pt; mso-yfti-irow: 147;">
<td colspan="2" nowrap="" style="height: 15pt; padding: 0cm 3.5pt; width: 161.5pt;" valign="bottom" width="215">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: white; font-family: arial;">148, Western Yellow Wagtail<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 15pt; mso-yfti-irow: 148;">
<td nowrap="" style="height: 15pt; padding: 0cm 3.5pt; width: 156.5pt;" valign="bottom" width="209">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: white; font-family: arial;">149, Osprey<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
<td nowrap="" style="height: 15pt; padding: 0cm 3.5pt; width: 5pt;" valign="bottom" width="7"></td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 15pt; mso-yfti-irow: 149;">
<td colspan="2" nowrap="" style="height: 15pt; padding: 0cm 3.5pt; width: 161.5pt;" valign="bottom" width="215">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: white; font-family: arial;">150, Rock Dove<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 15pt; mso-yfti-irow: 150;">
<td colspan="2" nowrap="" style="height: 15pt; padding: 0cm 3.5pt; width: 161.5pt;" valign="bottom" width="215">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: white; font-family: arial;">151, Black Wheatear<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 15pt; mso-yfti-irow: 151;">
<td colspan="2" nowrap="" style="height: 15pt; padding: 0cm 3.5pt; width: 161.5pt;" valign="bottom" width="215">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: white; font-family: arial;">152, Sociable Lapwing<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 15pt; mso-yfti-irow: 152;">
<td colspan="2" nowrap="" style="height: 15pt; padding: 0cm 3.5pt; width: 161.5pt;" valign="bottom" width="215">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: white; font-family: arial;">153, Brambling<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 15pt; mso-yfti-irow: 153;">
<td colspan="2" nowrap="" style="height: 15pt; padding: 0cm 3.5pt; width: 161.5pt;" valign="bottom" width="215">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: white; font-family: arial;">154, Great Spotted Cuckoo<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 15pt; mso-yfti-irow: 154;">
<td colspan="2" nowrap="" style="height: 15pt; padding: 0cm 3.5pt; width: 161.5pt;" valign="bottom" width="215">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: white; font-family: arial;">155, Pin-tailed Sandgrouse<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 15pt; mso-yfti-irow: 155;">
<td colspan="2" nowrap="" style="height: 15pt; padding: 0cm 3.5pt; width: 161.5pt;" valign="bottom" width="215">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: white; font-family: arial;">156, Calandra Lark<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 15pt; mso-yfti-irow: 156;">
<td colspan="2" nowrap="" style="height: 15pt; padding: 0cm 3.5pt; width: 161.5pt;" valign="bottom" width="215">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: white; font-family: arial;">157, Common Starling<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 15pt; mso-yfti-irow: 157;">
<td colspan="2" nowrap="" style="height: 15pt; padding: 0cm 3.5pt; width: 161.5pt;" valign="bottom" width="215">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: white; font-family: arial;">158, Stock Dove<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 15pt; mso-yfti-irow: 158;">
<td colspan="2" nowrap="" style="height: 15pt; padding: 0cm 3.5pt; width: 161.5pt;" valign="bottom" width="215">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: white; font-family: arial;">159, Little Bustard<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
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<tr style="height: 15pt; mso-yfti-irow: 159;">
<td colspan="2" nowrap="" style="height: 15pt; padding: 0cm 3.5pt; width: 161.5pt;" valign="bottom" width="215">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: white; font-family: arial;">160, Stone-curlew<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 15pt; mso-yfti-irow: 160;">
<td colspan="2" nowrap="" style="height: 15pt; padding: 0cm 3.5pt; width: 161.5pt;" valign="bottom" width="215">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: white; font-family: arial;">161, White-throated Dipper<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
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<tr style="height: 15pt; mso-yfti-irow: 161;">
<td colspan="2" nowrap="" style="height: 15pt; padding: 0cm 3.5pt; width: 161.5pt;" valign="bottom" width="215">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: white; font-family: arial;">162, Little Bittern<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 15pt; mso-yfti-irow: 162;">
<td colspan="2" nowrap="" style="height: 15pt; padding: 0cm 3.5pt; width: 161.5pt;" valign="bottom" width="215">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: white; font-family: arial;">163, Black-crowned Night-Heron<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 15pt; mso-yfti-irow: 163;">
<td colspan="2" nowrap="" style="height: 15pt; padding: 0cm 3.5pt; width: 161.5pt;" valign="bottom" width="215">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: white; font-family: arial;">164, Lesser Kestrel<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 15pt; mso-yfti-irow: 164;">
<td colspan="2" nowrap="" style="height: 15pt; padding: 0cm 3.5pt; width: 161.5pt;" valign="bottom" width="215">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: white; font-family: arial;">165, Common Reed Bunting<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
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<tr style="height: 15pt; mso-yfti-irow: 165;">
<td colspan="2" nowrap="" style="height: 15pt; padding: 0cm 3.5pt; width: 161.5pt;" valign="bottom" width="215">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: white; font-family: arial;">166, Egyptian Vulture<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
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<tr style="height: 15pt; mso-yfti-irow: 166;">
<td colspan="2" nowrap="" style="height: 15pt; padding: 0cm 3.5pt; width: 161.5pt;" valign="bottom" width="215">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: white; font-family: arial;">167, Red-billed Chough<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<tr style="height: 15pt; mso-yfti-irow: 167;">
<td colspan="2" nowrap="" style="height: 15pt; padding: 0cm 3.5pt; width: 161.5pt;" valign="bottom" width="215">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: white; font-family: arial;">168, Caspian Tern<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<tr style="height: 15pt; mso-yfti-irow: 168;">
<td colspan="2" nowrap="" style="height: 15pt; padding: 0cm 3.5pt; width: 161.5pt;" valign="bottom" width="215">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: white; font-family: arial;">169, Squacco Heron<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
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<tr style="height: 15pt; mso-yfti-irow: 169;">
<td colspan="2" nowrap="" style="height: 15pt; padding: 0cm 3.5pt; width: 161.5pt;" valign="bottom" width="215">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: white; font-family: arial;">170, Sand Martin<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
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<tr style="height: 15pt; mso-yfti-irow: 170;">
<td colspan="2" nowrap="" style="height: 15pt; padding: 0cm 3.5pt; width: 161.5pt;" valign="bottom" width="215">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: white; font-family: arial;">171, Greater Flamingo<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
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<tr style="height: 15pt; mso-yfti-irow: 171;">
<td colspan="2" nowrap="" style="height: 15pt; padding: 0cm 3.5pt; width: 161.5pt;" valign="bottom" width="215">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: white; font-family: arial;">172, Yellow-legged Gull<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
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<tr style="height: 15pt; mso-yfti-irow: 172;">
<td colspan="2" nowrap="" style="height: 15pt; padding: 0cm 3.5pt; width: 161.5pt;" valign="bottom" width="215">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: white; font-family: arial;">173, Ring-necked Parakeet<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
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<tr style="height: 15pt; mso-yfti-irow: 173;">
<td colspan="2" nowrap="" style="height: 15pt; padding: 0cm 3.5pt; width: 161.5pt;" valign="bottom" width="215">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: white; font-family: arial;">174, Carrion Crow<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 15pt; mso-yfti-irow: 174;">
<td nowrap="" style="height: 15pt; padding: 0cm 3.5pt; width: 156.5pt;" valign="bottom" width="209">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: white; font-family: arial;">175, Coal Tit<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
<td nowrap="" style="height: 15pt; padding: 0cm 3.5pt; width: 5pt;" valign="bottom" width="7"></td>
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<tr style="height: 15pt; mso-yfti-irow: 175;">
<td colspan="2" nowrap="" style="height: 15pt; padding: 0cm 3.5pt; width: 161.5pt;" valign="bottom" width="215">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: white; font-family: arial;">176, Common Crossbill<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 15pt; mso-yfti-irow: 176;">
<td colspan="2" nowrap="" style="height: 15pt; padding: 0cm 3.5pt; width: 161.5pt;" valign="bottom" width="215">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: white; font-family: arial;">177, Citril Finch<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
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<tr style="height: 15pt; mso-yfti-irow: 177;">
<td colspan="2" nowrap="" style="height: 15pt; padding: 0cm 3.5pt; width: 161.5pt;" valign="bottom" width="215">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: white; font-family: arial;">178, Black Kite<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 15pt; mso-yfti-irow: 178;">
<td colspan="2" nowrap="" style="height: 15pt; padding: 0cm 3.5pt; width: 161.5pt;" valign="bottom" width="215">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: white; font-family: arial;">179, Short-toed Eagle<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
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<tr style="height: 15pt; mso-yfti-irow: 179;">
<td colspan="2" nowrap="" style="height: 15pt; padding: 0cm 3.5pt; width: 161.5pt;" valign="bottom" width="215">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: white; font-family: arial;">180, Fieldfare<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
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<tr style="height: 15pt; mso-yfti-irow: 180;">
<td colspan="2" nowrap="" style="height: 15pt; padding: 0cm 3.5pt; width: 161.5pt;" valign="bottom" width="215">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: white; font-family: arial;">181, Grey Plover<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 15pt; mso-yfti-irow: 181;">
<td colspan="2" nowrap="" style="height: 15pt; padding: 0cm 3.5pt; width: 161.5pt;" valign="bottom" width="215">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: white; font-family: arial;">182, Moustached Warbler<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 15pt; mso-yfti-irow: 182;">
<td colspan="2" nowrap="" style="height: 15pt; padding: 0cm 3.5pt; width: 161.5pt;" valign="bottom" width="215">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: white; font-family: arial;">183, Sedge Warbler<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
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<tr style="height: 15pt; mso-yfti-irow: 183;">
<td colspan="2" nowrap="" style="height: 15pt; padding: 0cm 3.5pt; width: 161.5pt;" valign="bottom" width="215">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: white; font-family: arial;">184, Spotted Crake<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
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<tr style="height: 15pt; mso-yfti-irow: 184;">
<td colspan="2" nowrap="" style="height: 15pt; padding: 0cm 3.5pt; width: 161.5pt;" valign="bottom" width="215">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: white; font-family: arial;">185, Pallid Swift<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 15pt; mso-yfti-irow: 185;">
<td colspan="2" nowrap="" style="height: 15pt; padding: 0cm 3.5pt; width: 161.5pt;" valign="bottom" width="215">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: white; font-family: arial;">186, Common Quail<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 15pt; mso-yfti-irow: 186;">
<td colspan="2" nowrap="" style="height: 15pt; padding: 0cm 3.5pt; width: 161.5pt;" valign="bottom" width="215">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: white; font-family: arial;">187, Western Subalpine Warbler<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 15pt; mso-yfti-irow: 187;">
<td colspan="2" nowrap="" style="height: 15pt; padding: 0cm 3.5pt; width: 161.5pt;" valign="bottom" width="215">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: white; font-family: arial;">188, Northern Wheatear<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 15pt; mso-yfti-irow: 188;">
<td colspan="2" nowrap="" style="height: 15pt; padding: 0cm 3.5pt; width: 161.5pt;" valign="bottom" width="215">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: white; font-family: arial;">189, Tufted Duck<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 15pt; mso-yfti-irow: 189;">
<td colspan="2" nowrap="" style="height: 15pt; padding: 0cm 3.5pt; width: 161.5pt;" valign="bottom" width="215">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: white; font-family: arial;">190, Red-rumped Swallow<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
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<tr style="height: 15pt; mso-yfti-irow: 190;">
<td colspan="2" nowrap="" style="height: 15pt; padding: 0cm 3.5pt; width: 161.5pt;" valign="bottom" width="215">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: white; font-family: arial;">191, Yellow-crowned Bishop<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
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<tr style="height: 15pt; mso-yfti-irow: 191;">
<td colspan="2" nowrap="" style="height: 15pt; padding: 0cm 3.5pt; width: 161.5pt;" valign="bottom" width="215">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: white; font-family: arial;">192, Common Cuckoo<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 15pt; mso-yfti-irow: 192;">
<td colspan="2" nowrap="" style="height: 15pt; padding: 0cm 3.5pt; width: 161.5pt;" valign="bottom" width="215">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: white; font-family: arial;">193, Woodchat Shrike<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 15pt; mso-yfti-irow: 193;">
<td colspan="2" nowrap="" style="height: 15pt; padding: 0cm 3.5pt; width: 161.5pt;" valign="bottom" width="215">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: white; font-family: arial;">194, Booted Eagle<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 15pt; mso-yfti-irow: 194;">
<td colspan="2" nowrap="" style="height: 15pt; padding: 0cm 3.5pt; width: 161.5pt;" valign="bottom" width="215">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: white; font-family: arial;">195, Eurasian Scops Owl<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 15pt; mso-yfti-irow: 195;">
<td colspan="2" nowrap="" style="height: 15pt; padding: 0cm 3.5pt; width: 161.5pt;" valign="bottom" width="215">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: white; font-family: arial;">196, Alpine Swift<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 15pt; mso-yfti-irow: 196;">
<td colspan="2" nowrap="" style="height: 15pt; padding: 0cm 3.5pt; width: 161.5pt;" valign="bottom" width="215">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: white; font-family: arial;">197, Purple Heron<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 15pt; mso-yfti-irow: 197;">
<td colspan="2" nowrap="" style="height: 15pt; padding: 0cm 3.5pt; width: 161.5pt;" valign="bottom" width="215">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: white; font-family: arial;">198, Savi’s Warbler<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 15pt; mso-yfti-irow: 198;">
<td colspan="2" nowrap="" style="height: 15pt; padding: 0cm 3.5pt; width: 161.5pt;" valign="bottom" width="215">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: white; font-family: arial;">199, Willow Warbler<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 15pt; mso-yfti-irow: 199;">
<td colspan="2" nowrap="" style="height: 15pt; padding: 0cm 3.5pt; width: 161.5pt;" valign="bottom" width="215">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: white; font-family: arial;">200, Iberian Chiffchaff<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 15pt; mso-yfti-irow: 200;">
<td colspan="2" nowrap="" style="height: 15pt; padding: 0cm 3.5pt; width: 161.5pt;" valign="bottom" width="215">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: white; font-family: arial;">201, Collared Pratincole<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 15pt; mso-yfti-irow: 201;">
<td colspan="2" nowrap="" style="height: 15pt; padding: 0cm 3.5pt; width: 161.5pt;" valign="bottom" width="215">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: white; font-family: arial;">202, European Bee-eater<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 15pt; mso-yfti-irow: 202;">
<td colspan="2" nowrap="" style="height: 15pt; padding: 0cm 3.5pt; width: 161.5pt;" valign="bottom" width="215">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: white; font-family: arial;">203, Greater Short-toed Lark<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 15pt; mso-yfti-irow: 203;">
<td colspan="2" nowrap="" style="height: 15pt; padding: 0cm 3.5pt; width: 161.5pt;" valign="bottom" width="215">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: white; font-family: arial;">204, Common Redstart<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 15pt; mso-yfti-irow: 204;">
<td colspan="2" nowrap="" style="height: 15pt; padding: 0cm 3.5pt; width: 161.5pt;" valign="bottom" width="215">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: white; font-family: arial;">205, Montagu’s Harrier<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 15pt; mso-yfti-irow: 205;">
<td colspan="2" nowrap="" style="height: 15pt; padding: 0cm 3.5pt; width: 161.5pt;" valign="bottom" width="215">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: white; font-family: arial;">206, Common Nightingale<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 15pt; mso-yfti-irow: 206;">
<td colspan="2" nowrap="" style="height: 15pt; padding: 0cm 3.5pt; width: 161.5pt;" valign="bottom" width="215">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: white; font-family: arial;">207, Eurasian Wryneck<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 15pt; mso-yfti-irow: 207;">
<td colspan="2" nowrap="" style="height: 15pt; padding: 0cm 3.5pt; width: 161.5pt;" valign="bottom" width="215">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: white; font-family: arial;">208, Common Swift<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 15pt; mso-yfti-irow: 208;">
<td colspan="2" nowrap="" style="height: 15pt; padding: 0cm 3.5pt; width: 161.5pt;" valign="bottom" width="215">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: white; font-family: arial;">209, Common Reed Warbler<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 15pt; mso-yfti-irow: 209;">
<td colspan="2" nowrap="" style="height: 15pt; padding: 0cm 3.5pt; width: 161.5pt;" valign="bottom" width="215">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: white; font-family: arial;">210, Spectacled Warbler<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 15pt; mso-yfti-irow: 210;">
<td colspan="2" nowrap="" style="height: 15pt; padding: 0cm 3.5pt; width: 161.5pt;" valign="bottom" width="215">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: white; font-family: arial;">211, Western Orphean Warbler<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 15pt; mso-yfti-irow: 211;">
<td colspan="2" nowrap="" style="height: 15pt; padding: 0cm 3.5pt; width: 161.5pt;" valign="bottom" width="215">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: white; font-family: arial;">212, Western Black-eared Wheatear<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 15pt; mso-yfti-irow: 212;">
<td colspan="2" nowrap="" style="height: 15pt; padding: 0cm 3.5pt; width: 161.5pt;" valign="bottom" width="215">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: white; font-family: arial;">213, European Roller<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 15pt; mso-yfti-irow: 213;">
<td colspan="2" nowrap="" style="height: 15pt; padding: 0cm 3.5pt; width: 161.5pt;" valign="bottom" width="215">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: white; font-family: arial;">214, Gull-billed Tern<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 15pt; mso-yfti-irow: 214;">
<td colspan="2" nowrap="" style="height: 15pt; padding: 0cm 3.5pt; width: 161.5pt;" valign="bottom" width="215">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: white; font-family: arial;">215, Mute Swan<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 15pt; mso-yfti-irow: 215;">
<td colspan="2" nowrap="" style="height: 15pt; padding: 0cm 3.5pt; width: 161.5pt;" valign="bottom" width="215">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: white; font-family: arial;">216, Black-rumped Waxbill<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 15pt; mso-yfti-irow: 216;">
<td colspan="2" nowrap="" style="height: 15pt; padding: 0cm 3.5pt; width: 161.5pt;" valign="bottom" width="215">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: white; font-family: arial;">217, European Pied Flycatcher<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 15pt; mso-yfti-irow: 217;">
<td colspan="2" nowrap="" style="height: 15pt; padding: 0cm 3.5pt; width: 161.5pt;" valign="bottom" width="215">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: white; font-family: arial;">218, Great Reed Warbler<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 15pt; mso-yfti-irow: 218;">
<td colspan="2" nowrap="" style="height: 15pt; padding: 0cm 3.5pt; width: 161.5pt;" valign="bottom" width="215">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: white; font-family: arial;">219, Red-throated Pipit<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 15pt; mso-yfti-irow: 219;">
<td colspan="2" nowrap="" style="height: 15pt; padding: 0cm 3.5pt; width: 161.5pt;" valign="bottom" width="215">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: white; font-family: arial;">220, Whimbrel<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 15pt; mso-yfti-irow: 220;">
<td colspan="2" nowrap="" style="height: 15pt; padding: 0cm 3.5pt; width: 161.5pt;" valign="bottom" width="215">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: white; font-family: arial;">221, Curlew Sandpiper<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 15pt; mso-yfti-irow: 221;">
<td colspan="2" nowrap="" style="height: 15pt; padding: 0cm 3.5pt; width: 161.5pt;" valign="bottom" width="215">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: white; font-family: arial;">222, Garden Warbler<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 15pt; mso-yfti-irow: 222;">
<td colspan="2" nowrap="" style="height: 15pt; padding: 0cm 3.5pt; width: 161.5pt;" valign="bottom" width="215">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: white; font-family: arial;">223, Tree Pipit<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 15pt; mso-yfti-irow: 223;">
<td colspan="2" nowrap="" style="height: 15pt; padding: 0cm 3.5pt; width: 161.5pt;" valign="bottom" width="215">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: white; font-family: arial;">224, Melodious Warbler<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 15pt; mso-yfti-irow: 224;">
<td colspan="2" nowrap="" style="height: 15pt; padding: 0cm 3.5pt; width: 161.5pt;" valign="bottom" width="215">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: white; font-family: arial;">225, Common Tern<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 15pt; mso-yfti-irow: 225;">
<td colspan="2" nowrap="" style="height: 15pt; padding: 0cm 3.5pt; width: 161.5pt;" valign="bottom" width="215">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: white; font-family: arial;">226, Whinchat<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 15pt; mso-yfti-irow: 226;">
<td colspan="2" nowrap="" style="height: 15pt; padding: 0cm 3.5pt; width: 161.5pt;" valign="bottom" width="215">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: white; font-family: arial;">227, Eurasian Golden Oriole<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 15pt; mso-yfti-irow: 227;">
<td colspan="2" nowrap="" style="height: 15pt; padding: 0cm 3.5pt; width: 161.5pt;" valign="bottom" width="215">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: white; font-family: arial;">228, Temminck’s Stint<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 15pt; mso-yfti-irow: 228;">
<td colspan="2" nowrap="" style="height: 15pt; padding: 0cm 3.5pt; width: 161.5pt;" valign="bottom" width="215">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: white; font-family: arial;">229, Bar-tailed Godwit<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 15pt; mso-yfti-irow: 229;">
<td colspan="2" nowrap="" style="height: 15pt; padding: 0cm 3.5pt; width: 161.5pt;" valign="bottom" width="215">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: white; font-family: arial;">230, Western Bonelli's Warbler<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 15pt; mso-yfti-irow: 230;">
<td colspan="2" nowrap="" style="height: 15pt; padding: 0cm 3.5pt; width: 161.5pt;" valign="bottom" width="215">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: white; font-family: arial;">231, Red-necked Nightjar<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 15pt; mso-yfti-irow: 231;">
<td colspan="2" nowrap="" style="height: 15pt; padding: 0cm 3.5pt; width: 161.5pt;" valign="bottom" width="215">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: white; font-family: arial;">232, European Turtle Dove<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 15pt; mso-yfti-irow: 232;">
<td colspan="2" nowrap="" style="height: 15pt; padding: 0cm 3.5pt; width: 161.5pt;" valign="bottom" width="215">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: white; font-family: arial;">233, Black Tern<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 15pt; mso-yfti-irow: 233;">
<td colspan="2" nowrap="" style="height: 15pt; padding: 0cm 3.5pt; width: 161.5pt;" valign="bottom" width="215">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: white; font-family: arial;">234, Little Tern<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 15pt; mso-yfti-irow: 234;">
<td colspan="2" nowrap="" style="height: 15pt; padding: 0cm 3.5pt; width: 161.5pt;" valign="bottom" width="215">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: white; font-family: arial;">235, Whiskered Tern<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 15pt; mso-yfti-irow: 235;">
<td colspan="2" nowrap="" style="height: 15pt; padding: 0cm 3.5pt; width: 161.5pt;" valign="bottom" width="215">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: white; font-family: arial;">236, White-rumped Swift<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 15pt; mso-yfti-irow: 236;">
<td colspan="2" nowrap="" style="height: 15pt; padding: 0cm 3.5pt; width: 161.5pt;" valign="bottom" width="215">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: white; font-family: arial;">237, Tawny Pipit<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 15pt; mso-yfti-irow: 237;">
<td colspan="2" nowrap="" style="height: 15pt; padding: 0cm 3.5pt; width: 161.5pt;" valign="bottom" width="215">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: white; font-family: arial;">238, European Honey-buzzard<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 15pt; mso-yfti-irow: 238;">
<td colspan="2" nowrap="" style="height: 15pt; padding: 0cm 3.5pt; width: 161.5pt;" valign="bottom" width="215">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: white; font-family: arial;">239, Common Whitethroat<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 15pt; mso-yfti-irow: 239;">
<td colspan="2" nowrap="" style="height: 15pt; padding: 0cm 3.5pt; width: 161.5pt;" valign="bottom" width="215">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: white; font-family: arial;">240, Spotted Flycatcher<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 15pt; mso-yfti-irow: 240;">
<td colspan="2" nowrap="" style="height: 15pt; padding: 0cm 3.5pt; width: 161.5pt;" valign="bottom" width="215">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: white; font-family: arial;">241, Common Rock Thrush<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 15pt; mso-yfti-irow: 241;">
<td colspan="2" nowrap="" style="height: 15pt; padding: 0cm 3.5pt; width: 161.5pt;" valign="bottom" width="215">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: white; font-family: arial;">242, Ortolan Bunting<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 15pt; mso-yfti-irow: 242;">
<td colspan="2" nowrap="" style="height: 15pt; padding: 0cm 3.5pt; width: 161.5pt;" valign="bottom" width="215">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: white; font-family: arial;">243, Western Olivaceous Warbler<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 15pt; mso-yfti-irow: 243;">
<td colspan="2" nowrap="" style="height: 15pt; padding: 0cm 3.5pt; width: 161.5pt;" valign="bottom" width="215">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: white; font-family: arial;">244, Rufous-tailed Scrub Robin<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 15pt; mso-yfti-irow: 244;">
<td colspan="2" nowrap="" style="height: 15pt; padding: 0cm 3.5pt; width: 161.5pt;" valign="bottom" width="215">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: white; font-family: arial;">245, African Sacred Ibis<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 15pt; mso-yfti-irow: 245;">
<td colspan="2" nowrap="" style="height: 15pt; padding: 0cm 3.5pt; width: 161.5pt;" valign="bottom" width="215">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: white; font-family: arial;">246, Eurasian Nightjar<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 15pt; mso-yfti-irow: 246;">
<td colspan="2" nowrap="" style="height: 15pt; padding: 0cm 3.5pt; width: 161.5pt;" valign="bottom" width="215">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: white; font-family: arial;">247, Red-backed Shrike<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 15pt; mso-yfti-irow: 247;">
<td colspan="2" nowrap="" style="height: 15pt; padding: 0cm 3.5pt; width: 161.5pt;" valign="bottom" width="215">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: white; font-family: arial;">248, Eurasian Hobby<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 15pt; mso-yfti-irow: 248;">
<td colspan="2" nowrap="" style="height: 15pt; padding: 0cm 3.5pt; width: 161.5pt;" valign="bottom" width="215">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: white; font-family: arial;">249, Audouin’s Gull<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 15pt; mso-yfti-irow: 249;">
<td colspan="2" nowrap="" style="height: 15pt; padding: 0cm 3.5pt; width: 161.5pt;" valign="bottom" width="215">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: white; font-family: arial;">250, Pectoral Sandpiper<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 15pt; mso-yfti-irow: 250;">
<td colspan="2" nowrap="" style="height: 15pt; padding: 0cm 3.5pt; width: 161.5pt;" valign="bottom" width="215">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: white; font-family: arial;">251, Aquatic Warbler<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 15pt; mso-yfti-irow: 251;">
<td colspan="2" nowrap="" style="height: 15pt; padding: 0cm 3.5pt; width: 161.5pt;" valign="bottom" width="215">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: white; font-family: arial;">252, Sanderling<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 15pt; mso-yfti-irow: 252;">
<td colspan="2" nowrap="" style="height: 15pt; padding: 0cm 3.5pt; width: 161.5pt;" valign="bottom" width="215">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: white; font-family: arial;">253, Ruddy Shelduck<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 15pt; mso-yfti-irow: 253;">
<td colspan="2" nowrap="" style="height: 15pt; padding: 0cm 3.5pt; width: 161.5pt;" valign="bottom" width="215">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: white; font-family: arial;">254, Eurasian Dotterel<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 15pt; mso-yfti-irow: 254;">
<td colspan="2" nowrap="" style="height: 15pt; padding: 0cm 3.5pt; width: 161.5pt;" valign="bottom" width="215">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: white; font-family: arial;">255, Eurasian Bullfinch<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 15pt; mso-yfti-irow: 255;">
<td colspan="2" nowrap="" style="height: 15pt; padding: 0cm 3.5pt; width: 161.5pt;" valign="bottom" width="215">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: white; font-family: arial;">256, Mediterranean Gull<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 15pt; mso-yfti-irow: 256;">
<td colspan="2" nowrap="" style="height: 15pt; padding: 0cm 3.5pt; width: 161.5pt;" valign="bottom" width="215">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: white; font-family: arial;">257, Yellow-browed Warbler<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 15pt; mso-yfti-irow: 257;">
<td colspan="2" nowrap="" style="height: 15pt; padding: 0cm 3.5pt; width: 161.5pt;" valign="bottom" width="215">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: white; font-family: arial;">258, Ring Ouzel<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 15pt; mso-yfti-irow: 258;">
<td colspan="2" nowrap="" style="height: 15pt; padding: 0cm 3.5pt; width: 161.5pt;" valign="bottom" width="215">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: white; font-family: arial;">259, Black-legged Kittiwake<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 15pt; mso-yfti-irow: 259;">
<td colspan="2" nowrap="" style="height: 15pt; padding: 0cm 3.5pt; width: 161.5pt;" valign="bottom" width="215">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: white; font-family: arial;">260, Goldcrest<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 15pt; mso-yfti-irow: 260;">
<td colspan="2" nowrap="" style="height: 15pt; padding: 0cm 3.5pt; width: 161.5pt;" valign="bottom" width="215">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: white; font-family: arial;">261, Grey Phalarope<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 15pt; mso-yfti-irow: 261;">
<td colspan="2" nowrap="" style="height: 15pt; padding: 0cm 3.5pt; width: 161.5pt;" valign="bottom" width="215">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: white; font-family: arial;">262, Little Gull<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 15pt; mso-yfti-irow: 262;">
<td colspan="2" nowrap="" style="height: 15pt; padding: 0cm 3.5pt; width: 161.5pt;" valign="bottom" width="215">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: white; font-family: arial;">263, Monk Parakeet<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 15pt; mso-yfti-irow: 263;">
<td colspan="2" nowrap="" style="height: 15pt; padding: 0cm 3.5pt; width: 161.5pt;" valign="bottom" width="215">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: white; font-family: arial;">264, Wallcreeper<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 15pt; mso-yfti-irow: 264;">
<td colspan="2" nowrap="" style="height: 15pt; padding: 0cm 3.5pt; width: 161.5pt;" valign="bottom" width="215">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: white; font-family: arial;">265, Short-eared Owl<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 15pt; mso-yfti-irow: 265; mso-yfti-lastrow: yes;">
<td colspan="2" nowrap="" style="height: 15pt; padding: 0cm 3.5pt; width: 161.5pt;" valign="bottom" width="215">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="color: white;">266, Citrine Wagtail</span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: arial; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>Martin Kelsey at Birding Extremadurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02527391716863398379noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4896347117172701185.post-90982965682697071692023-01-15T18:39:00.011+01:002023-01-15T19:01:42.318+01:00Big Year 2022 Part 2: Windows of Opportunity - April to October<p> </p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: arial; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Part 2: Windows
of Opportunity - April to October <o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b></b></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN7_bfIQ-AjoAZwL9kOjI6zalMpr2z1TTnq7O6Nl4Ewv08V1gyZCbCZN_x2qDL7ZESyfPOAEoPsl0Tv9ltfpCaLBH56HCL-RkEFCFyQsYdNwdZHtxGX8Syf6aPDcgcaINW7AJzQ0fn50789n2LMJJMvJY_Vpfd4J3Ff6gt25FqLUOPB_y-BZLgsdnu/s1033/Black-winged%20Kite%20DSC00775%20-%20copia.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><img border="0" data-original-height="719" data-original-width="1033" height="446" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN7_bfIQ-AjoAZwL9kOjI6zalMpr2z1TTnq7O6Nl4Ewv08V1gyZCbCZN_x2qDL7ZESyfPOAEoPsl0Tv9ltfpCaLBH56HCL-RkEFCFyQsYdNwdZHtxGX8Syf6aPDcgcaINW7AJzQ0fn50789n2LMJJMvJY_Vpfd4J3Ff6gt25FqLUOPB_y-BZLgsdnu/w640-h446/Black-winged%20Kite%20DSC00775%20-%20copia.JPG" width="640" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;"><i>Black-winged Kite (Martin Kelsey) : first seen 28th January</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: arial; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><br /></span></b><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: arial; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">April is a crucial
month in any Big Year attempt in Extremadura. This is the peak month for the
northward passage of waders. Waders such as Grey Plover, Sanderling, Red Knot,
Turnstone, Whimbrel and Bar-tailed Godwit are very scarce. Although most
migrate along the coast, some follow an overland route across Spain. If they
meet adverse conditions, they might pause and stop off for a very brief rest.
The rice fields in the centre of Extremadura and the shores of reservoirs
provide places for them to stop and feed. Whilst there is still some migration
of Arctic-bound waders in early May (especially Common Ringed Plovers) and some
of these species can also make an appearance in early autumn, April offers us
the best opportunity. It is a narrow window of opportunity. April is also a time
when I am out every day with clients, visiting the full spectrum of habitats,
the rice fields included. During the month, we found Temminck’s Stint,
Whimbrel, Curlew Sandpiper and most remarkably a record-breaking flock of
Bar-tailed Godwits. This is considered a rarity in Extremadura and almost
always just single birds are seen. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSVDGQCkNqgyToXWhnRjp04761pChmLPTxAMMDMS1DueGXQ9aLneXVRnh_uFZ6mZ0NNOkobEj8ca2ZMKASst9B34CAO55ghccLVyNRSY1oecTfdugRBCMeA7EhqVnFB3UKSJFqKe6-e8BKhWxJ906rZJHxzPza_-ubMFnSAMNwxK5dMF10P_PHhLyb/s942/Bar-tailed%20Godwit%20DSC02248%20-%20copia.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><i><span style="font-family: arial;"><img border="0" data-original-height="770" data-original-width="942" height="524" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSVDGQCkNqgyToXWhnRjp04761pChmLPTxAMMDMS1DueGXQ9aLneXVRnh_uFZ6mZ0NNOkobEj8ca2ZMKASst9B34CAO55ghccLVyNRSY1oecTfdugRBCMeA7EhqVnFB3UKSJFqKe6-e8BKhWxJ906rZJHxzPza_-ubMFnSAMNwxK5dMF10P_PHhLyb/w640-h524/Bar-tailed%20Godwit%20DSC02248%20-%20copia.JPG" width="640" /></span></i></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;"><i>Bar-tailed Godwits and Grey Plover (Martin Kelsey): Bar-tailed Godwit first seen 22nd April, Grey Plover 25th February</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><br /></span></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: arial; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">I got a message on 22<sup>nd</sup> April
from my old friend John Muddeman that he had just found “112 BAR-TAILED GODWIT
at Palazuelo”. That was one of those drop everything and go moments. A number
like that in Extremadura was simply incredible. On my way there I would go past
Alcollarín Reservoir (where I had seen Bar-tailed Godwits a couple of times in
previous years), so I decided to make a stop there to check. Huddled at the
water’s edge in rather inclement weather were a group of 36 birds, all in
splendid breeding plumage. Amazing. I headed onto Palazuelo, where the field
that John described turned was the same where I had seen Whimbrel a few days
earlier. There were 28 Bar-tailed Godwits remaining, along with three Grey
Plover, which hadn’t been present when John was there. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: arial; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">The Godwits were
one of the highlights of the month, which also offered a Red-throated Pipit in
a rice field adjacent to one in which I had found my first one for Extremadura
just a year earlier. Passage Tree Pipits, Pied Flycatchers, Whinchats are
always treats in the spring, the latter two being quite abundant in the autumn.
The last new bird of the month was a singing Turtle Dove, whilst I was doing
some fieldwork. Sadly, like everywhere else, this species is getting much
scarcer.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDDLVUtblXTiUUQc3U3eGleUFgJuV7ThWCkGRFsYURBMaJpX_GV3r6QHpka6rdh3mzXygPlYPg0nIpu-WkvZdjP_zYqR2EGflWWLTEjqNCF_GD0N4MqEegZ6swADxGe-Gb0aFasmedr_tK6ozGqwIG059cjXOvdeUE5T3WMihkuFaLYTvX3_u2WZNS/s2137/Honey%20Buzzard%20DSC02714.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1505" data-original-width="2137" height="450" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDDLVUtblXTiUUQc3U3eGleUFgJuV7ThWCkGRFsYURBMaJpX_GV3r6QHpka6rdh3mzXygPlYPg0nIpu-WkvZdjP_zYqR2EGflWWLTEjqNCF_GD0N4MqEegZ6swADxGe-Gb0aFasmedr_tK6ozGqwIG059cjXOvdeUE5T3WMihkuFaLYTvX3_u2WZNS/w640-h450/Honey%20Buzzard%20DSC02714.JPG" width="640" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;"><i>Honey Buzzard (Martin Kelsey): first seen 7th May</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 12pt;">A Black Tern at
Alcollarín Reservoir was my first new bird in May, making the total 233, a
figure I had never reached before June. Alcollarín is a great place for marsh
terns and three days later I saw a Whiskered Tern there. There is a final wave
of spring migrants in May and within the first two weeks I had seen, thanks to
excursions for guests, White-rumped Swift, Rufous-tailed Scrub Robin (which
were worrying late in arriving), Honey Buzzard, Tawny Pipit and Western
Olivaceous Warbler. On such an outing, to the edge of the Gredos Mountains,
Common Rock Thrush, Ortolan Bunting and Common Whitethroat were added. A work
meeting in Badajoz city gave me the chance for a walk beside the Guadiana
River, seeing amongst other things, a long-staying African Sacred Ibis,
probably from the feral population in France.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFGQn5ECRf0AJT1hnFiNePrHkvNFPNfL1KPPAEPrOqz2Qig6w-4WQ_WYuZoXEvyvDaRpKiZPyv4SzVB12R5citsG5Tuv55kGUTA7Sh_zz_bsBl5Yppr4-SLMERS0tFWX0tKZlmzNFwqA3uGqJToxrK36GkanCd9ssLtr4pSBlBikeEdHzTI1iaw1Io/s1596/Yellow-banded%20Skipper%20DSC05170%20-%20copia.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1395" data-original-width="1596" height="560" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFGQn5ECRf0AJT1hnFiNePrHkvNFPNfL1KPPAEPrOqz2Qig6w-4WQ_WYuZoXEvyvDaRpKiZPyv4SzVB12R5citsG5Tuv55kGUTA7Sh_zz_bsBl5Yppr4-SLMERS0tFWX0tKZlmzNFwqA3uGqJToxrK36GkanCd9ssLtr4pSBlBikeEdHzTI1iaw1Io/w640-h560/Yellow-banded%20Skipper%20DSC05170%20-%20copia.JPG" width="640" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;"><i>Yellow-banded Skipper (Martin Kelsey</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><br /></span></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: arial; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">My focus in June
was on insects, specifically butterflies and dragonflies on request of the
guests that I was guiding for that month. This worked very well for the
bird-listing too. One of the most interesting areas for butterflies at that
time of the year is the area around La Garganta and I made several visits
there, finding on all visits the much-sought after Yellow-banded Skipper, one
of Spain’s rarest butterflies. Here too are a few pairs of Red-backed Shrike,
which just cross the boundary into northern Extremadura. European Nightjars
occur too (Red-necked Nightjars are much more widespread, and I hear them from
the house from late April). A year earlier, from the terrace bar of the hotel
that I use nearby, I had watched a Hobby being mobbed by swallows. I sat out on
that terrace for several evenings hoping for a repeat, finally being rewarded
so on 26<sup>th</sup> June.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWnjWy-aMCUN6xGqXXgTbargW4hzXyoHV8PhWtJIyh6mAWa423f7RXOlrgZN07jiDb1nUo2X2UrRL0ZWdgh2vTCx1nOexC2v5ajz5r-nGcabHmjDz7Ieo7L9QhdTv6bPJjgoM8PAysuMFn8nQWSYYMMNXvRLlARblazZN53GaEHRQYH0KUNxQmcdna/s526/Red-necked%20Nightjar%20a%20DSC00112.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><img border="0" data-original-height="351" data-original-width="526" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWnjWy-aMCUN6xGqXXgTbargW4hzXyoHV8PhWtJIyh6mAWa423f7RXOlrgZN07jiDb1nUo2X2UrRL0ZWdgh2vTCx1nOexC2v5ajz5r-nGcabHmjDz7Ieo7L9QhdTv6bPJjgoM8PAysuMFn8nQWSYYMMNXvRLlARblazZN53GaEHRQYH0KUNxQmcdna/w640-h428/Red-necked%20Nightjar%20a%20DSC00112.JPG" width="640" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;"><i>Red-necked Nightjar (Martin Kelsey): first seen 26th April</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><br /></span></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: arial; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">There then
followed a hiatus. July is a classic “dog days of summer” month. In Extremadura
we were hit by a record-breaking heatwave, the temperature on more than half of
the days that month in Mérida rose above 40ºC. Birding was only really possible
at first light and at dusk. Anyway, we had other plans. The new Global Birdfair
was taking place in England in the middle of the month, preceded by our son’s
university graduation and followed by a holiday to see my sister who was living
in the Outer Hebrides of Scotland. We left for the UK on 11<sup>th</sup> July for
the rest of the month. Now July is also when there can be surprises, and
typically the birding highlight took place when we were away, with the discovery
of a group of eight Sandwich Terns at a reservoir near Cáceres. This was only
the third record for Extremadura and, as it turned out, the first which was
“twitchable” as they remained there for two days. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: arial; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Back in Extremadura
at the beginning of August and my total stood at 248. I was nine short of
breaking my own record and eleven shy of breaking the all-time record. I had
five months ahead of me. I had seen almost all of the breeding species (only
the elusive Goshawk had escaped me), so my focus now would have to be on
finding species I had missed during the winter and passage migrants. I would
also need the determination and good fortune to find some rare surprises as
well. To get myself organized I made a list of species that I reckoned I had a
chance of finding still: there were 25 possibilities. It was now, more than
ever, down to searching for particular birds.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: arial; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">August is the best
month to find Audouin’s Gulls in Extremadura. This Mediterranean species breeds
on the coast, but there is a dispersal of juvenile birds in late summer, some
of which find themselves inland. I have even seen small groups of juvenile
Audouin’s Gulls at places like Alcollarin, where during month I made frequent
but fruitless visits. I eventually found a juvenile bird not there, but at a
small dam at the edge of the rice fields, whilst checking it on the
“off-chance” along with my friend David Lindo. It was he who found a day later
a Pectoral Sandpiper close to Cáceres. It is a bird I had seen before in
Extremadura and I hesitated about breaking my rule to go to see it, but given
who had found it, I was happy to have a go. On 12<sup>th</sup> August the news
was that it had moved to another site, so I headed there immediately and
managed some lovely views of this North American wader. It was my 250<sup>th</sup>
bird of the year. Remarkably I had never before reached that milestone before
December, so things were starting to look very good indeed.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_XN_QYVqIdRjJQ_ZOU5ISHPEKu4c26mRu0iM8SLnII6Fzo0pzPhQWHPfl16ZLvfHHPLvwuLUvJ4fJszxZKZ8zDxeKRb6YM8SNaXd7GAWU1HoW8deWSh67f6_1ltNI35YrU_NJOpY5akU2PRIQ1x5n48KkvJRdvyzh5PoMQ2jLO1o2WeAllF6nDZD5/s1790/Montagu's%20Harrier%20DSC06212%20-%20copia.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1215" data-original-width="1790" height="434" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_XN_QYVqIdRjJQ_ZOU5ISHPEKu4c26mRu0iM8SLnII6Fzo0pzPhQWHPfl16ZLvfHHPLvwuLUvJ4fJszxZKZ8zDxeKRb6YM8SNaXd7GAWU1HoW8deWSh67f6_1ltNI35YrU_NJOpY5akU2PRIQ1x5n48KkvJRdvyzh5PoMQ2jLO1o2WeAllF6nDZD5/w640-h434/Montagu's%20Harrier%20DSC06212%20-%20copia.JPG" width="640" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;"><i>Montagu's Harrier (Martin Kelsey): first seen 27th March</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><br /></span></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: arial; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">A bird that I had
long wanted to see in Extremadura is the Aquatic Warbler. The “reed warblers” <i>Acrocephalus</i>
are a group of species that I studied (a long time ago) and of the species that
breed in Europe, Aquatic Warblers are the rarest. The first time I saw them
were on their breeding grounds in Belarus, singing at dusk beside displaying
Great Snipe. Feather isotope analysis identified only quite recently their
wintering grounds in West Africa and to get there they migrate west and then
south, passing through the Iberian Peninsula in August. On passage they stop in
marshy ground, like rice fields. In such habitat they are extremely secretive,
silent and almost all records are of birds that are caught in mist nets. Some
ringing effort over the years had yielded a handful of records in the north of
Extremadura. A few years ago, I spent one morning with my friend Hugo Sánchez
who was ringing migrants, but although he had caught one a few days earlier, we
were unlucky that day. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJKAiMz2n35BpVt06UwAhIvaWeS--EnIdndKg4RsbEPqwPSMtaOiZLRenVPyCr417FM1dzYoFWCdO4eNqzP0onmz8YM8HW3MZzidBUj-T3SvMJmIr08UfZtHhnZqAtBguQ5SR-IUFucyyeJHmc__chEQEAr7I0AMXAE1RPOKUnfxZWTZbArg8HxN0i/s1056/Quail%20DSC06363%20-%20copia.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><img border="0" data-original-height="686" data-original-width="1056" height="416" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJKAiMz2n35BpVt06UwAhIvaWeS--EnIdndKg4RsbEPqwPSMtaOiZLRenVPyCr417FM1dzYoFWCdO4eNqzP0onmz8YM8HW3MZzidBUj-T3SvMJmIr08UfZtHhnZqAtBguQ5SR-IUFucyyeJHmc__chEQEAr7I0AMXAE1RPOKUnfxZWTZbArg8HxN0i/w640-h416/Quail%20DSC06363%20-%20copia.JPG" width="640" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;"><i>Common Quail (Martin Kelsey): first seen 2 March </i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><br /></span></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: arial; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">For the past three
years I have devoted time early morning in August, sitting patiently beside
what looked like good spots. In 2022, the drought over the previous winter
meant that almost all rice cultivation in the centre of Extremadura had
stopped, because there was no water available to flood the fields. All the
areas that I had visited in previous years were simply parched, barren fields. Eventually
I found an area where at least a third of the fields had a rice crop. This was
where I had to focus. By great coincidence it was also the area where I had
found a Red-throated Pipit the year before. These early morning visits were a
joy. The area was full of Quail, and as I sat in the car, on several occasions
I watched Quail come out onto the track. Montagu’s Harriers cruised over the
fields and groups of Glossy Ibis foraged. On my fifth morning, I was watching a
ditch, full of reed mace, where passage Sedge Warblers were in good numbers.
Suddenly a bird appeared in the open was strikingly slimmer and more yellow.
Through the binoculars a check of its head showed a bold central crown stripe,
and its flanks were strongly streaked. It was my first Aquatic Warbler in
Extremadura! It disappeared. To the left an Aquatic Warbler reappeared and this
time I noticed that it was carrying a<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>ring (where had it been ringed: Belarus, Poland, Spain?). It was only
when I checked my photos that I realized that the first bird was unringed.
There were two Aquatic Warblers. I was bowled over.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYEHgnHOXTZMZtDpzcJfRGFmQ50NgCClHPd_n43L_E-JhcQkt2BJJMvj73vxTxqRMfu-ZKkYuRjoz7rYdxaVk2xmgBUb7wycTCCv-7nPJX72TCtWpVnsJKKBDgSyTKxbIXrGP2COSR0uz8snfbeZYzkyvbr8-1-8D-m--bGN5hBxt-UjKpcLhskbDC/s1089/Aquatic%20Warbler%20DSC06373%20-%20copia.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><img border="0" data-original-height="788" data-original-width="1089" height="464" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYEHgnHOXTZMZtDpzcJfRGFmQ50NgCClHPd_n43L_E-JhcQkt2BJJMvj73vxTxqRMfu-ZKkYuRjoz7rYdxaVk2xmgBUb7wycTCCv-7nPJX72TCtWpVnsJKKBDgSyTKxbIXrGP2COSR0uz8snfbeZYzkyvbr8-1-8D-m--bGN5hBxt-UjKpcLhskbDC/w640-h464/Aquatic%20Warbler%20DSC06373%20-%20copia.JPG" width="640" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;">Aquatic Warbler (Martin Kelsey): seen 30 August</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><br /></span></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: arial; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">September offers a
second chance for passage waders, so I added Sanderling whilst taking some
clients to a reservoir near Cáceres. At Alcollarín I found a Ruddy Shelduck
with the large flock of Egyptian Geese congregate there in late summer. It is
assumed that Ruddy Shelducks which are recorded a few times each year in
Extremadura hail from feral populations in Europe, but the possibility must exist
that they may also be birds originating from natural populations in North
Africa.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: arial; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Dotterel are a
scarce, probably overlooked, passage migrant through Extremadura, mainly in the
autumn and sometimes overwintering groups are found. October is the best month
for finding them, when these gentle birds of the mountains in northern Europe pause at often traditional sites. This October I saw
Dotterel in three different places, two of which I had seen them at in previous
years and the other was a chance encounter whilst I was surveying birds in
southern Badajoz province. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglI0z9bINMxie9yb-qaSqjEy32LCydnsY5rCtBIdolLsetb18UeehdM9T4o9unOzu48LzKe5c12z-LhpONDqByAQfZMzMx7-DVacM3F31LUMUq09RK1P1pasLxX6GaaI8OO5PfKYxWl7fjD3NDjjcYcD9D8DhCmyDbh5bBElgFxdkIjcvSwmy7Ughu/s740/DSC07935%20-%20copia.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><img border="0" data-original-height="532" data-original-width="740" height="460" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglI0z9bINMxie9yb-qaSqjEy32LCydnsY5rCtBIdolLsetb18UeehdM9T4o9unOzu48LzKe5c12z-LhpONDqByAQfZMzMx7-DVacM3F31LUMUq09RK1P1pasLxX6GaaI8OO5PfKYxWl7fjD3NDjjcYcD9D8DhCmyDbh5bBElgFxdkIjcvSwmy7Ughu/w640-h460/DSC07935%20-%20copia.JPG" width="640" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;"><i>Eurasian Dotterel (Martin Kelsey): first seen 6 October</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-size: medium;">(see Part 3 for late autumn and winter)</span></span></span><p></p>Martin Kelsey at Birding Extremadurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02527391716863398379noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4896347117172701185.post-85355758727835897922023-01-14T18:37:00.001+01:002023-01-14T19:29:56.119+01:00Big Year 2022: Part One The rising curve - January to March<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm1euQimDpTh26K5xBqcE_9t92bNJgrV3tTMC8v6OfdSUnF-4IszOS_4KDPM7RK4s8mJhmtt-f6gwtSvzp4UNIOAPcSf79jurjZcOxOY5AzJApAXVGEfQwwGg9hyB31fkgJJAL9lDmmYf22kvk82kuDX0fNXwUU8mPraz3SDFA7Z9khCpkZptg9PT9/s1922/Spanish%20Sparrow%20DSC00505%20-%20copia.JPG" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="1548" data-original-width="1922" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm1euQimDpTh26K5xBqcE_9t92bNJgrV3tTMC8v6OfdSUnF-4IszOS_4KDPM7RK4s8mJhmtt-f6gwtSvzp4UNIOAPcSf79jurjZcOxOY5AzJApAXVGEfQwwGg9hyB31fkgJJAL9lDmmYf22kvk82kuDX0fNXwUU8mPraz3SDFA7Z9khCpkZptg9PT9/s600/Spanish%20Sparrow%20DSC00505%20-%20copia.JPG" width="600" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Spanish Sparrow (Martin Kelsey): first seen 8th January.<br /><br /></i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><b><div style="text-align: center;"><b>The rising curve - January to March</b> </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div></b><div>I had never intended to do a “Big Year” in Extremadura in 2022, to see how many of birds I could record in twelve months. We spent the New Year in Galicia, the wonderfully wet and windy north-west of Spain, and it wasn’t until January 6th that I saw my first birds of the year in Extremadura. I was planning to be quite relaxed about my birding. But by February, it was clear that, thanks to strokes of luck and a lot of time spent in the field, I was doing rather well in the accumulative total of birds seen. So, I decided then that I would set myself two targets: to break my own record of 256 species and to see more species than anyone else in 2022. <div><br /></div><div>However, I would also set some rules. First, only to twitch (i.e to make a special journey to see a specific individual bird found by someone else) if I had never seen that species before in Extremadura, all other birds would be “self-found”. I would also try to maximise my effort locally (with say a 35km radius of home). This was to reduce my carbon footprint (and frankly to keep costs as low as possible). Finally, work would have to come first (this would be easy to keep as most of my work is either showing other people birds or carrying out bird surveys in the field). </div><div><br /></div><div>I would use eBird, which is the world’s largest citizen science project to record all the birds I saw in Extremadura. I have been using eBird for many years, and so do all the active birders in the region. Thus, it would be very easy for me to see how other people would be faring on their birding doing the year. The information uploaded is in the public domain, meaning the details of all my finds would be shared. This is a rather beautiful thing about birding. Although a Big Year may be construed of a race between competitors, in truth information, guidance and advice is shared freely across the community, nothing is withheld (apart from rare occasions where the species or site concerned may be very sensitive to disturbance). Reciprocal altruism is the key. </div><div><br /></div><div>A Big Year follows a typical pattern with a surge in the first two months as birding takes in as many of the resident species and winter visitors as possible. There will be a second opportunity for wintering birds at the end of the year, but no winter is the same. In Extremadura, there can be “good” and “poor” winters for a range of species. Certain species of duck or wintering passerine can vary significantly in number depending on feeding or weather conditions further north, and winter storms can bring in unusual waders or gulls. </div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPqnwZb1qhRMc7zmJtl6y7aLYLC10WSrl5TxtJUQHFYxxm6pHSus4P_qvVTkZOJdLCgGlq2Vz-7zWuPu2SMhQJPxxJoKKOCqnPyE7NupWVmAfXtGn0tg1VmIYggagrpj-s5QJD-fUDAsUcQqej6Gcfprs0oStAzGfJNfATqO7DeKe0Kw93btwwgGDh/s1561/DSC08364%20-%20copia.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1033" data-original-width="1561" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPqnwZb1qhRMc7zmJtl6y7aLYLC10WSrl5TxtJUQHFYxxm6pHSus4P_qvVTkZOJdLCgGlq2Vz-7zWuPu2SMhQJPxxJoKKOCqnPyE7NupWVmAfXtGn0tg1VmIYggagrpj-s5QJD-fUDAsUcQqej6Gcfprs0oStAzGfJNfATqO7DeKe0Kw93btwwgGDh/w640-h424/DSC08364%20-%20copia.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Firecrest (Martin Kelsey): first seen 8th January.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><br /></div><div>My Extremadura year list started on 6th January with birds close to the garden, including one of my favourites, Hawfinch. It is a bird that I can see almost daily at home, so it was very fitting that it appeared on my first day. A Barn Owl calling on 7th was a good bird – this is a species that can be hard in Extremadura, fortunately they are back in the village after a gap of a few years. Later that day I made a visit to show my sister the spectacular rocky outcrops beside the village of Cabañas del Castillo, which rise at the western edge of the Villuercas Mountains, affording an expansive view across a rolling dehesa landscape. Here Eurasian Crag Martins, Blue Rock Thrush and Cirl Bunting were amongst new species seen, as well as a distant Alpine Accentor. This is winter visitor to favoured traditional sites, and always a joy to see. First thing the following day a walk around the village added birds like White Stork, Woodlark, Firecrest and Redwing. I then set off to the Prosperina Reservoir near Mérida. A year earlier, a wintering Great Northern Diver had been found, a species I had never seen in Extremadura. Because of COVID travel restrictions, movement outside one’s municipal boundaries was not allowed. Now a Great Northern Diver was present again, and no restrictions were in place. It was an unexpected second chance and not to be turned down! At the site, we combed the view across the water. It took a nail-biting few minutes before the bird was found, close to the distant shore and very actively feeding – spending more time underwater than above. </div><div><br /></div><div>I took my sister back to the airport in Madrid on 10th January and on my way back stopped at the Arrocampo Reservoir. This is an outstanding site, a shallow reed-fringed reservoir and the best area in the province of Cáceres for herons and egrets. Sure enough species like Western Swamphen and Spoonbill were added, but best of all Bearded Tit. Arrocampo is the only place where this species occurs in Extremadura, but the numbers are very small and can be very hard to find. Two days later I made my first visit of the year to my local patch, the Alcollarín Reservoir which added birds like Black Stork, Peregrine and Black-necked Grebe to the list. It is a site which would feature significantly during the year. </div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVD6NCnZgXcu8hqaj16iZITaNHvLfYwuPLPDbwzA6UyKp2PLUjwQLVa3-oLnBYIYscyOYrg7iyANxUkktjzWOnvUUP0tLtDtgV-9v19-HUcvYDvQqTrT3XnEFfCIenk64IuzM_rR19UcKKMfHxtBQn2ol5XSBI7H0tvlD49O1Zdpp745795Uc7V6Ow/s506/Jack%20Snipe%20DSC00626%20-%20copia.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="401" data-original-width="506" height="508" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVD6NCnZgXcu8hqaj16iZITaNHvLfYwuPLPDbwzA6UyKp2PLUjwQLVa3-oLnBYIYscyOYrg7iyANxUkktjzWOnvUUP0tLtDtgV-9v19-HUcvYDvQqTrT3XnEFfCIenk64IuzM_rR19UcKKMfHxtBQn2ol5XSBI7H0tvlD49O1Zdpp745795Uc7V6Ow/w640-h508/Jack%20Snipe%20DSC00626%20-%20copia.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Jack Snipe (Martin Kelsey): first seen 15th January</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><br /></div><div>Mid-January is the time for the international waterbird surveys and I set out with great anticipation to census birds in a variety of sites, spanning muddy rice stubble fields to Alcollarín. I have always enjoyed census work and these habitats in January also provide great potential for finding interesting birds. At first light on 14th January, I was watching an Eagle Owl at roost and just minutes later finding Greater White-fronted Geese (a local rarity) amongst the hundreds of wintering Greylag Geese that hail from Scandinavia. Black-winged Stilts and a Hen Harrier followed suite. At the Alcollarín Reservoir, a Jack Snipe was another useful bird to find for the list. They can be hit or miss, but this winter it was the first of several that I found. Lesser Spotted Woodpecker was the first one I had ever found at Alcollarín. There was also the year’s first Barn Swallow. </div><div> </div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsgZYTN7eJQ2S3gRzVFe3SEJqsszZnXcLCbrnCHPdLvh4rWsPOPtXV7DpFAYHYfbCPfZOfaw6tHSZ_R4HzB1JeXfeHgVtC8jLy4DjiuUfy_QeT9SGNZZ1zP7KnIMHKvG564XKfMu6Nroo4V3fCbGy5uzF501V2XSAvHCnmdlTirsPvmlrXHtUK-Xs1/s1567/Hen%20Harrier%20DSC09501%20-%20copia.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1214" data-original-width="1567" height="496" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsgZYTN7eJQ2S3gRzVFe3SEJqsszZnXcLCbrnCHPdLvh4rWsPOPtXV7DpFAYHYfbCPfZOfaw6tHSZ_R4HzB1JeXfeHgVtC8jLy4DjiuUfy_QeT9SGNZZ1zP7KnIMHKvG564XKfMu6Nroo4V3fCbGy5uzF501V2XSAvHCnmdlTirsPvmlrXHtUK-Xs1/w640-h496/Hen%20Harrier%20DSC09501%20-%20copia.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Hen Harrier (Martin Kelsey): first seen 14th January</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><br /></div><div>The rice stubble fields near Palazuelo were very rewarding for waders, including Avocet, Curlew and Kentish Plover. As I returned home in the evening of the 16th, a Long-eared Owl was calling. Overall, the census work had yielded an amazing total of 25, 332 individual birds, it had also helped in bringing my year list to 121 species in just ten days. </div><div><br /></div><div>I checked Alcollarín Reservoir again on 20th January, adding a drake Garganey and a Ferruginous Duck. Winter bird surveys on the hill beside the village added Short-toed Treecreeper and Siskin, whilst on my first visit to the Monfragüe National Park on 26th January Spanish and Bonelli’s Eagles were added. My last new bird in January was a Golden Eagle at the eastern end of the park. My total was 141. </div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqaED5bdRmuSTSWJcXSKy1eFbUQBSzh0L3FYr13jucJOhgcAEynsZWPQJB_Ovqw7gEDjyyt4frtQtLSp8X8KHijtTmrSUqzdUIIvEytRtz3a8LgUxTAfsAWCrIQXQtfa1cjVHPkdWmxuM_-bTpPw5jdbNxoaxv6_6FOUmLAyVJdgRaBy9JAH7qJVfa/s1602/Great%20Bustard%20test%20DSC07933%20-%20copia.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1285" data-original-width="1602" height="514" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqaED5bdRmuSTSWJcXSKy1eFbUQBSzh0L3FYr13jucJOhgcAEynsZWPQJB_Ovqw7gEDjyyt4frtQtLSp8X8KHijtTmrSUqzdUIIvEytRtz3a8LgUxTAfsAWCrIQXQtfa1cjVHPkdWmxuM_-bTpPw5jdbNxoaxv6_6FOUmLAyVJdgRaBy9JAH7qJVfa/w640-h514/Great%20Bustard%20test%20DSC07933%20-%20copia.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Great Bustard (Martin Kelsey): first seen 1st February</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><br /></div><div>My focus on wetlands had meant that until the start of February I had not yet paid a visit to our nearby plains. Cyril and Janet had come out for a week’s birding tour with me, so there was an opportunity to take them there to see both Black-bellied and Pin-tailed Sandgrouse, Great and Little Bustards, wintering Merlin, newly arrived Great Spotted Cuckoo and Calandra Larks. We travelled down to the centre of Extremadura to find Black Wheatear, seeing an Osprey flying over the heart of Mérida, Extremadura’s capital city. We went to see a Sociable Lapwing, which had been found just a day earlier by a local fieldworker who was censusing Black-tailed Godwits. Close by we found a Brambling in a flock of Chaffinches, a bird that is always great to find and can sometimes be scarce. By now I was approaching 160 species and, as the second week of February started, there was the chance of the first wave of spring migrants. Sure enough, Lesser Kestrels were returning to a colony near the village of Campo Lugar and my first Egyptian Vulture of the year was seen at the eastern end of Monfragüe. </div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt3j2czqhVQaKyHwQsOzYi_fRsD4yR0rple-dpQ26x7EFZYlaKPC1H4auJKbpohDogpgbev5jZcqwRWyzFXmBfYFeVEwhnFAW13S0HLyPNVYfwQRiGfBNma4UJiN2Hy5HCqpVrWsPlDZUiwebSAA0kog7u3xi9aIPZ9cFTbBeioFk9gvTwyjiKStph/s1034/Lesser%20Kestrel%20DSC02041%20-%20copia.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="726" data-original-width="1034" height="450" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt3j2czqhVQaKyHwQsOzYi_fRsD4yR0rple-dpQ26x7EFZYlaKPC1H4auJKbpohDogpgbev5jZcqwRWyzFXmBfYFeVEwhnFAW13S0HLyPNVYfwQRiGfBNma4UJiN2Hy5HCqpVrWsPlDZUiwebSAA0kog7u3xi9aIPZ9cFTbBeioFk9gvTwyjiKStph/w640-h450/Lesser%20Kestrel%20DSC02041%20-%20copia.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Lesser Kestrel (Martin Kelsey): first seen 10th February</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><br /></div><div>Every year, Extremadura hosts an International Bird Fair at Monfragüe and I am asked to take a group of guests on a short tour of Extremadura. We try to include a bit of everything, often starting in the southern part of the region and working north. With the itinerary planned a few weeks earlier, we had a fabulous first day with Black Wheatears, Bonelli’s Eagles, Spanish Imperial Eagles, Black Storks and Red-billed Chough (the latter new for the year) near the Sierra Grande of Hornachos in the centre of Badajoz province. </div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp0PDR53si2t2J234drX9JXx0OcdoadXQdSh2jv3FqaTiASuHxAv5scCwTmuNVczD0urBImRmtuke0dOdPmMDJyC_kqYnVByogHJDikSLueuO5SNd9L8AGhfPBwqi6dvSLBz3mwFQtqtKwZScB8FXehBwHU_RRKNIsCOHSdT6pR_aVYd8OqGqCWNAJ/s2393/Black%20Stork%20DSC00915%20-%20copia.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1632" data-original-width="2393" height="436" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp0PDR53si2t2J234drX9JXx0OcdoadXQdSh2jv3FqaTiASuHxAv5scCwTmuNVczD0urBImRmtuke0dOdPmMDJyC_kqYnVByogHJDikSLueuO5SNd9L8AGhfPBwqi6dvSLBz3mwFQtqtKwZScB8FXehBwHU_RRKNIsCOHSdT6pR_aVYd8OqGqCWNAJ/w640-h436/Black%20Stork%20DSC00915%20-%20copia.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Black Stork (Martin Kelsey): first seen 12th January</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><br /></div><div>We started the following day in the city of Badajoz itself, beside the River Guadiana where we re-found a group of Caspian Tern that had been seen on and off there, as well as Squacco Heron. The final day, in the northern part of the Cáceres province, I took the group close to the border with Salamanca, a mountainous region with pinewoods. New birds for the year here included Common Crossbill and Coal Tit, and best of all, two Citril Finches which were feeding at the car park as we returned from a walk. These are great birds to see anywhere, and rather rare winter visitors to Extremadura. It was certainly not a species that I had banked on seeing at all during the year. </div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQxNRLCuFLX5LlYQhBrc9Udhrm4FjRhJewyL4QLxJ4m91Sj_06-Clkg-ZRydkcF6WOkMGIqlILYCEIGXmsZGTfyK8ech4jty_8-IwieuEJK24RFIscgXpjbLOfphauNq8TR61Hl5-S0jGa-J7Th_jpgNjkn8Wv5-GfjL9iWRJuaZbntWmG2LY6dB4L/s912/Caspian%20Tern%20DSC00931%20-%20copia.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="622" data-original-width="912" height="436" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQxNRLCuFLX5LlYQhBrc9Udhrm4FjRhJewyL4QLxJ4m91Sj_06-Clkg-ZRydkcF6WOkMGIqlILYCEIGXmsZGTfyK8ech4jty_8-IwieuEJK24RFIscgXpjbLOfphauNq8TR61Hl5-S0jGa-J7Th_jpgNjkn8Wv5-GfjL9iWRJuaZbntWmG2LY6dB4L/w640-h436/Caspian%20Tern%20DSC00931%20-%20copia.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Caspian Tern (Martin Kelsey): first seen 16th February</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><br /></div><div>The next few days saw me carrying out bird survey work in a range of habitats not far from home. Most of the places I was visiting I had not been to before. I carried out timed counts of birds at different viewpoints (twenty in total). This was work that I would carry out periodically until June. This routine work would be good for finding a range of new spring migrants and indeed, during this first session, I added Short-toed Eagle and Black Kite to the list, but most unexpected was a Fieldfare, a very scarce winter visitor in Extremadura and certainly not guaranteed every year. At the end of February a work visit took me back to Mérida and I made a short detour to some gravel pits where a friend had found a Moustached Warbler a few days earlier. After some wait, it eventually showed itself (they are typically very elusive birds) and a newly arrived singing Sedge Warbler also put on a show. </div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwrs8O37uiK5BG3q8B1rjlPS68Fwc30PGhaEId6sTxV1lqsm1zJBPod0UskhKOyyk_3OzJhKUsVbIuhFZ_SRCtFQ5JZsnb5qm_3KV2MZ0OA3HPLqHBDNDpvL_r7mERsJr-QhS1oFKHF6eq9bgGtQKLds75vLgHcvO-kMilmcpnpSO2Jfjle8LH8hW0/s1621/Short-toed%20Eagle%20DSC01155%20-%20copia.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1142" data-original-width="1621" height="450" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwrs8O37uiK5BG3q8B1rjlPS68Fwc30PGhaEId6sTxV1lqsm1zJBPod0UskhKOyyk_3OzJhKUsVbIuhFZ_SRCtFQ5JZsnb5qm_3KV2MZ0OA3HPLqHBDNDpvL_r7mERsJr-QhS1oFKHF6eq9bgGtQKLds75vLgHcvO-kMilmcpnpSO2Jfjle8LH8hW0/w640-h450/Short-toed%20Eagle%20DSC01155%20-%20copia.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Short-toed Eagle (Martin Kelsey): first seen 22nd February</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>My first new bird in March was a Pallid Swift, passing a viewpoint near the Tamuja River. Later that day on my home, just outside Trujillo I stopped to watch a Spotted Crake that had been found a little earlier. Early spring 2022 turned out to be a very good season for this species, just a few days later I found one beside a small river which I had been checking regularly as a good crake spot. More spring migrants followed swiftly: Common Cuckoo, Woodchat Shrike, Western Subalpine Warbler, Northern Wheatear, Red-rumped Swallow. </div><div><br /></div><div>On my way to collect guests from Madrid, I stopped off at Arrocampo and a Savi’s Warbler was singing. I had time to check some nearby dehesa and was delighted to find both Willow Warbler and Iberian Chiffchaff in song. It was 26th March and I had reached 200 species. It was the earliest that I had ever reached that landmark (most years it would take me up to mid-April) and by then, I was sure, that I had a good chance to at least break my own record for the year. </div><div><br /></div><div>I was leading a group for Speyside Wildlife for a week in late March, focusing on both birds and orchids. It was ideal time for both, the orchids were superb thanks to recent rain (we saw 19 species that week) and the tour’s timing coincided with more spring migrants. European Bee-eaters, Collared Pratincoles, Montagu’s Harriers, Nightingales: all by the end of March, with the total now standing at 210 species.
</div></div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6Hh0g0O2dXrO7ejXoObQ9L6zadTwqScWL6zodoJEyJ_ImUd0D6r_f2QX4bpsakygG9ZjQuiNsgYtS2Y7wDijlGWgBW2uebMwKQyYdv0pnJboE3xNpYBfPAkk5wD6qQ52D25HugR0TwuZSJkyeUMidI9vVI02Qdmf07rr3vdOUosaGmGtGYUvlEdmR/s900/Bee-eater%20DSC02268%20-%20copia.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="737" data-original-width="900" height="524" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6Hh0g0O2dXrO7ejXoObQ9L6zadTwqScWL6zodoJEyJ_ImUd0D6r_f2QX4bpsakygG9ZjQuiNsgYtS2Y7wDijlGWgBW2uebMwKQyYdv0pnJboE3xNpYBfPAkk5wD6qQ52D25HugR0TwuZSJkyeUMidI9vVI02Qdmf07rr3vdOUosaGmGtGYUvlEdmR/w640-h524/Bee-eater%20DSC02268%20-%20copia.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>European Bee-eater (Martin Kelsey): first seen 27th March</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>(see Part 2 for Spring and Summer)</div>Martin Kelsey at Birding Extremadurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02527391716863398379noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4896347117172701185.post-29202126651249843712021-12-05T13:11:00.005+01:002021-12-05T13:11:56.939+01:00Silence of fallen leaves<p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWP81-uKaK0RBKFVI1p92Z7cQC5sO71c1o9OjNinG0xNDP1GTizBRYEIS2-1mblRkkL4EuNBt-JO0h3Tgl_LWEnyGGhjoAoD4p7Yz73e8sZSEygyCriXyMQc1uctPvywc3LlMkHZzhxpE/s548/DSC09771.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="365" data-original-width="548" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWP81-uKaK0RBKFVI1p92Z7cQC5sO71c1o9OjNinG0xNDP1GTizBRYEIS2-1mblRkkL4EuNBt-JO0h3Tgl_LWEnyGGhjoAoD4p7Yz73e8sZSEygyCriXyMQc1uctPvywc3LlMkHZzhxpE/w640-h426/DSC09771.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Early December in the hills (Martin Kelsey)</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><br /> </p><p>Eight months earlier, under the softness of a fresh canopy of Sweet Chestnut leaves, the sight of a vast colony of creamy Barton's Orchids filled me with joy. Now, only a single wizened grey spike, bearing the husks of the seed capsules remains in view. It is exposed on a mossy bank, with the rest of the colony now hidden under the deep blanket of coppery leaves covering the ground in this grove. The trees stand dormant and a winter's silence now clothes this hilltop. Until a Jay screeches and somewhere through the trees a Roe Deer barks, making me jump.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXXOD9W9NoFttHtLPtQq35X6iPY-8fYb_oYM9zzn8HvAxZoqt0f0clIu8DpF8usI0oJOjXNehZFdAV8AekvPA9uecDA8Eqy42gMnPLCyGjHEc5rwjS0yAhi9cyAzGIzY3wyylr0P9tNqo/s548/DSC09796.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="365" data-original-width="548" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXXOD9W9NoFttHtLPtQq35X6iPY-8fYb_oYM9zzn8HvAxZoqt0f0clIu8DpF8usI0oJOjXNehZFdAV8AekvPA9uecDA8Eqy42gMnPLCyGjHEc5rwjS0yAhi9cyAzGIzY3wyylr0P9tNqo/w640-h426/DSC09796.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">A frosty trail (Martin Kelsey)</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p><br /></p><p>There is still colour in many of the Sweet Chestnuts and Pyrenean Oaks. I am at about a 1000 metres above sea-level and the temperature is hugging freezing point (but in the frost pockets lower down it was down to minus 4º C) and autumn just about perseveres here, although there is a distinct wintery feel to the birds. Walking along a ride, where the shade has kept the ground frozen, there is a constant flurry of Redwings, erupting from the tree-tops with thin but penetrating wisping calls. I watch one through the foliage: their facial expression is stern thanks to the bold patterning of whitish supercilium and dark brown streaks. A male Brambling sits high in a sapling beside the path, preening its peach-orange breast. Siskins give their brittle chattering from the canopy above.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKZURnD-gRbPaexVryJZ6EDqCh8NCCOKT7FvWnwHyGBN4uXELiveCIdxn3TuV8fHNlyYIJ4L7ycK3WWX9ByUtJ6HCyLSs-zyGE7_Yk84875iMF_85mcvfmf7-f-dk2xFx_DUFlqZSA8dM/s548/DSC09805.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="365" data-original-width="548" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKZURnD-gRbPaexVryJZ6EDqCh8NCCOKT7FvWnwHyGBN4uXELiveCIdxn3TuV8fHNlyYIJ4L7ycK3WWX9ByUtJ6HCyLSs-zyGE7_Yk84875iMF_85mcvfmf7-f-dk2xFx_DUFlqZSA8dM/w640-h426/DSC09805.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>The magnificent view across to the Villuercas Mountains (Martin Kelsey)</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p><br /></p><p>From a viewpoint I can look across to the Villuercas Mountains to my east. Across this undulating panorama I see nothing but unbroken forest: there is no sign of human presence, save the radio masks on the Villuercas peak itself. This walk is the place where I watched busy, territoral Two-tailed Pashas in September, a magnificent butterfly whose larval food plant is the Strawberry Tree. Only today am I aware of just how many of these shrubby trees abound here. They are laden with their eponymous-looking fruits and the hillside in front of me has broad bands of these, their fruits in glorious contrast to the shining green leaves, and beloved by Blackbirds. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8bmCpTY8S6asuhRRYPuFaWbSKqtcpDlUCZ75F_b_q9P0UZh4yw2ufFJL5dTriDJPT8EGSHnS9DmIj1NrOZjvV4315da1PcGJuzCse5guUvupE89vk8Q10ygp8CWYRw8tcrMtaYv3z3jM/s548/DSC09811.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="365" data-original-width="548" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8bmCpTY8S6asuhRRYPuFaWbSKqtcpDlUCZ75F_b_q9P0UZh4yw2ufFJL5dTriDJPT8EGSHnS9DmIj1NrOZjvV4315da1PcGJuzCse5guUvupE89vk8Q10ygp8CWYRw8tcrMtaYv3z3jM/w640-h426/DSC09811.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Strawberry Tree (Martin Kelsey)</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p><br /></p><p>Long periods of silence are broken by sounds as birds move in their search for food. The smallest birds are joining up into mixed foraging groups. This is a typical strategy for small woodland birds in winter, helping to keep a collective, lookout for predators and ensuring a more efficient search for food. It recalls my days in tropical forests, where such behaviour is a year-round phenomenon resulting in the feast and famine experience for the birdwatcher - long periods of calm followed by a frenzy of activity as birds pass-by and it can become frustratingly impossible to keep up with them all. Here, in the winter mixed woodlands of Extremadura, the array of species is more limited but it still brings excitement. Lomng-tailed Tits seem to be the key species, certainly numerically making up the strength of the flock. There are Crested Tits, Blue Tits and Great Tits. A Short-toed Treecreepers gamely tries to keep up - it seems as if it is torn between searching the tree truck on its careful upwards spiral or racing to catch-up with the others. A smaller bird hovers at the tips of the twigs. It settles and moves with a darting speed that makes it difficult to get a clear view of it. At last a view of its head, vividly patterned black and white on the side of the head and a crown that bears a flame of red and yellow, rising as if in a hearth: a perfect image of that matches its name: Firecrest.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEEpXMqMww0_wHQoOlTxhB-msnUytF9FM_cO76nCxKTqhyKDDLIG5YrtexgykZR-v1Xuw7gSY9wMnQK58miP6fi_ejGgvGjsSlDpzPGAUW9Xx4QBppfIgzbyGbbS9d2LUvo_AAEzt4z1k/s1238/DSC09774+-+copia.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="980" data-original-width="1238" height="506" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEEpXMqMww0_wHQoOlTxhB-msnUytF9FM_cO76nCxKTqhyKDDLIG5YrtexgykZR-v1Xuw7gSY9wMnQK58miP6fi_ejGgvGjsSlDpzPGAUW9Xx4QBppfIgzbyGbbS9d2LUvo_AAEzt4z1k/w640-h506/DSC09774+-+copia.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Firecrest (Martin Kelsey)</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p><br /></p><p>From the end of the track the view opens: pastures and the burnished bronze of autumnal bushes. In the far horizon the sun catches the snow in the upper slopes of the Gredos Mountains. There winter has finally taken hold.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2J9syu99eCFrgMCexTrAU_Rg-tNhWBYRN8g5ZPo1pEh8TM19qtLJJnqyWjzWEllZnvhLaK0kgn7G8LiAn0nAyJ4-VZ3E69yDPUPUyR6AuCyaRvtoGCbGa9olv_V89RxeAnWp8OfePCYE/s548/DSC09814.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="365" data-original-width="548" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2J9syu99eCFrgMCexTrAU_Rg-tNhWBYRN8g5ZPo1pEh8TM19qtLJJnqyWjzWEllZnvhLaK0kgn7G8LiAn0nAyJ4-VZ3E69yDPUPUyR6AuCyaRvtoGCbGa9olv_V89RxeAnWp8OfePCYE/w640-h426/DSC09814.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">View north to the Gredos Mountains (Martin Kelsey)</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p><br /></p>Martin Kelsey at Birding Extremadurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02527391716863398379noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4896347117172701185.post-61090348475669083442021-11-29T13:22:00.005+01:002021-11-29T13:31:26.917+01:00Milestones<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDKQBuzHGMmwxr7UTqvIJDlNOGf91x793WdZFimLQohd5dl8OqHEBbKjQ6dEOTwPwbH4cPs3XQEKLazt0vgZuLWjCLT-8zRuuJyKw_nxAyuLxJPB0diOS8KhLooS2yszlxZXQWg2WOKSw/s922/Alcollar%25C3%25ADn+P1220351.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="692" data-original-width="922" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDKQBuzHGMmwxr7UTqvIJDlNOGf91x793WdZFimLQohd5dl8OqHEBbKjQ6dEOTwPwbH4cPs3XQEKLazt0vgZuLWjCLT-8zRuuJyKw_nxAyuLxJPB0diOS8KhLooS2yszlxZXQWg2WOKSw/w640-h480/Alcollar%25C3%25ADn+P1220351.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Alcollarín Reservoir (Martin Kelsey)</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /> </span></div></blockquote></blockquote><p>A blustery late afternoon in mid-November and I pause to watch a large flock of small birds that zing like a wind-blown sheet pegged to a washing-line. They gather on the ovine-nibbled sward beside feed mangers in a small paddock populated by some ewes and lambs, under the shade of broad holm oaks. For no apparent cause, a "dread" sweeps across them and they retreat into the trees, like the sheet torn off the line. A minute or so later they calmly descend again, as if the sheet gently floats back to the ground. This woosh of panic and then calm happens every few minutes.</p><p>Most of them are sparrows, both House and their chunkier Spanish cousins. But there are also Chaffinches amongst them, and where there is a large winter flock of these, then there is always a chance of their northern counterparts: Bramblings. I settle down with my 'scope to pan across the groups of feeding birds once they are on the ground. It is frustrating - it seems that as soon as I start, they become airbourne again and disappear into the thick evergreen foliage above them. Patience: they drop down again and I start over again. As I hoped, I quite quickly find a Brambling amongst them, thanks to its amber shoulders and breast. Then another and another: at least three birds present. Most birders have a soft-spot for these finches, with their orangey-hues and narrow white rump, best glimpsed as they take off. Vast flocks of millions can sometimes gather in roosts in central Europe, in the extreme south-west of their wintering range such as in Extremadura, they are usually found in amongst Chaffinch flocks, only sometimes forming flocks of their own and rarely more than a hundred birds. Like many other boreal species, they are irruptive species, with numbers heading south and west varying greatly from year to year, depending on both their breeding success and the availability of autumn food (in the case of Bramblings beech mast). This unpredictabilty combined with their attractive appearance make them always a bird to treasure for many.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqAJlROKeP7-1B-fWLhi2vVO96TwqNkrqE7pVlJWyCfBGeCrztPUOGE_niBUEcNAApdR2MIAF9RD995_OjTwH85I9EKDu4c8hI-WUGPBS58y0GH246ZGUCcP8vOEwWqrCpHGTfZGBxKks/s725/Brambling+DSC09312+-+copia.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="505" data-original-width="725" height="446" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqAJlROKeP7-1B-fWLhi2vVO96TwqNkrqE7pVlJWyCfBGeCrztPUOGE_niBUEcNAApdR2MIAF9RD995_OjTwH85I9EKDu4c8hI-WUGPBS58y0GH246ZGUCcP8vOEwWqrCpHGTfZGBxKks/w640-h446/Brambling+DSC09312+-+copia.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Brambling (Martin Kelsey)</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p><br /></p><p>This sighting has special significance for me too, because with it I had reached a very personal milestone. Since 2014, when access became possible, I am made regular visits to the Alcollarín Reservoir. Lying just twenty or so minutes from home, it has become what we describe in birders' jargon, my local patch. I can nip there quickly for a morning or late afternoon visit, or for a whole day for that matter. Surrounded by dehesa woodland, much of it on granite outcrops and with low-lying grazing pasture as well, there is an alluring variety of habitats. Furthermore, it is great for birds all year round (I especially enjoy early mornings there in the dog days of summer). Like any good local patch, I always, always arrive there with a sense of nervous anticipation: what will it turn up next?</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTUJ8QQ4VRDOiwWPSIzq5wl9nHbMD4m2scb8MV-NgUj-5bPCffWDGCT98jghKALfDwzD-d1jNKmScVTY-hwJHWTAvG4SLGuSW4iNY9egwaKWnVEu2rmYR7-nSn4xnbi1ay6heQkbesYAE/s922/Alcollarin+31+August+2014+023.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="692" data-original-width="922" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTUJ8QQ4VRDOiwWPSIzq5wl9nHbMD4m2scb8MV-NgUj-5bPCffWDGCT98jghKALfDwzD-d1jNKmScVTY-hwJHWTAvG4SLGuSW4iNY9egwaKWnVEu2rmYR7-nSn4xnbi1ay6heQkbesYAE/w640-h480/Alcollarin+31+August+2014+023.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Alcollarín Reservoir in August 2014 (Martin Kelsey)</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p><br /></p><p>Local patches for birders have had special significance during the pandemic. With travel further afield restricted, our local patches have literally helped us stay sane. During the tight lockdown in spring 2020 and during the period last winter when our municipality had closed its borders, my visits to Alcollarín were impossible. Those were the longest gaps in my coverage of the site, I yearned to return there and duly did, as soon as restrictions were lifted.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_Lv0mDumIUmgVJZTxTxiZkSlifFB5n2t30_xoI8nOTUGEmFOYrstaQx6SQxC_GviH6Er87PRF1vigmnS4lJlSr-su3yFcdh4yzljub7c2L0yWp8AqX4uqOb8_2MHkgUDBg4Y6olx9u7A/s922/White-headed+Duck+P1270544.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="692" data-original-width="922" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_Lv0mDumIUmgVJZTxTxiZkSlifFB5n2t30_xoI8nOTUGEmFOYrstaQx6SQxC_GviH6Er87PRF1vigmnS4lJlSr-su3yFcdh4yzljub7c2L0yWp8AqX4uqOb8_2MHkgUDBg4Y6olx9u7A/w640-h480/White-headed+Duck+P1270544.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>White-headed Duck (Martin Kelsey)</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p><br /></p><p>The significance of the Bramblings were they were the 200th species of bird that I had personally recorded at Alcollarín. Over the years birding there, there have been numerous inforgettable moments (many shared with you in this blog). The first rarity I found there was White-headed Duck (in November 2014) which I have also recorded there in 2016 and 2018. It has chalked up Extremadura's first Smew and Ring-necked Ducks. I have seen an amazing 27 species of wader there, including Grey Phalarope. I am hoping one day to find a North American shorebird there, one day. I recall the spectacle of a flock of 13 juvenile Audouin's Gulls appearing out of an aseasonal thick fog on 26th July 2018. And standing on the dam before dawn in May this year, surrounded by singing Red-necked Nightjars. Local patches are above all about special moments, often experienced in the intimacy of one's own company.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkNPVS-TqnrfoufAbLP7QbhzRP0YRTKnFHvlJ9j7qtW_Ux4UXvPvObD73YUY8G6pylzh6nDEvwWCiXaoEG-zM0lNps7vchHm5ZSNcJJNryVIG19rMfKC_3NB3CK_mijwEHkX0jRC-F4qI/s922/Audouin%2527s+Gull+P1050276.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="692" data-original-width="922" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkNPVS-TqnrfoufAbLP7QbhzRP0YRTKnFHvlJ9j7qtW_Ux4UXvPvObD73YUY8G6pylzh6nDEvwWCiXaoEG-zM0lNps7vchHm5ZSNcJJNryVIG19rMfKC_3NB3CK_mijwEHkX0jRC-F4qI/w640-h480/Audouin%2527s+Gull+P1050276.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Audouin's Gulls in a summer mist (Martin Kelsey)<br /></i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p><br /></p><p>With a total of 219 species recorded at Alcollarín (yes, I have missed a few goodies there, especially during the municipal lockdown), it lies in 4th position of eBird "hotspots" for Extremadura. It is also one of the most important waterbodies in the region for wintering duck (in this year's waterbird census, I recorded over 11,000 birds there, including 6650 Shoveler). I count myself extremely fortunate indeed.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br />Martin Kelsey at Birding Extremadurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02527391716863398379noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4896347117172701185.post-39570663225175317702021-07-05T12:26:00.002+02:002021-07-05T13:56:45.776+02:00An Orchid Odyssey<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj06pg_APydaEE8XSZVCqgZQr3RpEZaB0gyFuvLfDqQPvYfHcR_75wfUktjyvdfKibLSQRsynhv-t6CWQjdEwDEzCGbHm11tQpq1LGIRDClyq2baS0ff6dKaBWIfUoBrXT9wxcpX-TrmFo/s922/Sawfly.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="692" data-original-width="922" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj06pg_APydaEE8XSZVCqgZQr3RpEZaB0gyFuvLfDqQPvYfHcR_75wfUktjyvdfKibLSQRsynhv-t6CWQjdEwDEzCGbHm11tQpq1LGIRDClyq2baS0ff6dKaBWIfUoBrXT9wxcpX-TrmFo/w640-h480/Sawfly.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Sawfly Orchid <i>Ophrys tenthredinifera</i>: one of the most widespread species in Extremadura</span> </td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div>Orchids are compelling. Even the most botanically-challenged birders will stop to admire one in flower. Simply being an orchid commands attention. The name is instantly recognisable, sounds special - although how many will know that it comes from the Greek word for testicle, thanks to the pair of tubers that many orchids have underground? The flower itself is attractive, usually held aloft on an upright stem, gorgeous and intriguing to those curious enough to get on their knees for a closer look. Beyond their appearance are fascinating life-histories and ecologies. They have an association with fungi which provide nutrients and sometimes have highly-specific pollinating agents. The bee orchids are sexual traps that lure young male bees by pretending to look (and smell) like female bees.<div><br /></div><div>A long wet and mild winter for growth and a long hot dry summer for dormancy is what suits the orchids growing in Extremadura, with almost all flowering in the lengthening days of spring. Not including a very localised autumn species, orchids can be seen in flower over an amazing seven months in Extremadura, from January to July. This means that for both the enthusiast as well as the curious, there is the scope to look for orchids for more than half of the year. It is an odyssey that will lead one to a truly wonderful variety of habitats and locations. This year, with the pandemic shutting down my usual springtime work, I set about to explore beyond my usual haunts, with orchids as my special quest.</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxCDtCKd1gZfPhTl7iHvRzHIM4-wHu9dFN-48r0uW58LNKXAdA_bNcH8bG5_u7EUZpzoj_kEdcnqoUdvSFj4XKW5ruRm4LrHelHcIVXm91lFl9vBrlhtXD8U_okFUoWttft8-UdI81FoE/s461/Giant+Orchid++P1060171.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="346" data-original-width="461" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxCDtCKd1gZfPhTl7iHvRzHIM4-wHu9dFN-48r0uW58LNKXAdA_bNcH8bG5_u7EUZpzoj_kEdcnqoUdvSFj4XKW5ruRm4LrHelHcIVXm91lFl9vBrlhtXD8U_okFUoWttft8-UdI81FoE/w640-h480/Giant+Orchid++P1060171.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="text-align: left;">Giant Orchid </span><i style="text-align: left;">Himantoglossum robertianum</i><span style="text-align: left;">: the earliest to flower</span></span></td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><div>The first orchids in flower, from mid-January onwards, are the appropriately named Giant Orchids <i>Himantoglossum robertianum</i>. These magnificent and robust plants, mainly occur in southern Extremadura. The colony that I often see first of all grows in an unforgiving, litter-strewn verge beside a main road. Many orchids are pioneer species, that move into open terrain. There they can be at risk from grazing animals, or, in their absence, the gradual process of ecological succession, when they became shaded out by woody plants. </div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLOVjTp_3w4GOOWjM1pVQz9sfCJUmsAfv-woNHq72Fzwq3Q0uRlyCfgMZtRmr3F9um5j2POOHYcXggFcBr2rcEfy85CF0tJVlqc5byxkduAT1Blf8KylSj9OBrydXQTCFuZo2JvaqWT_k/s548/Sierra+de+Mosca+DSC02905.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="365" data-original-width="548" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLOVjTp_3w4GOOWjM1pVQz9sfCJUmsAfv-woNHq72Fzwq3Q0uRlyCfgMZtRmr3F9um5j2POOHYcXggFcBr2rcEfy85CF0tJVlqc5byxkduAT1Blf8KylSj9OBrydXQTCFuZo2JvaqWT_k/w640-h426/Sierra+de+Mosca+DSC02905.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Typical habitat for the scarce <i style="text-align: left;">Ophrys dyris</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><div>It is all about balance - and geology for those species (the majority) which have a preference for limey soils. Exploring a hillside in Cáceres province in February for the first time, the presence of the scrubby Kermies Oak advertised limestone. Spread between the bustles of this oak was a large colony of <i>Ophrys dyris</i>, especially below straggly Wild Rosemary. </div><div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLniN7yn7dw5uVxpob0dHvHgbfaZ7rnDPLZ3lMFRKSIiDrlBj56_mjR7Rt5p_ALEXmuOaPp_-23TfIlBoaYV7G1_moNIfO0l39-60_-QOWAs_j5GRvrwSoPdJEndk1BdH3WUbHTDXQ9JY/s1115/Ophrys+dyris+DSC02869+-+copia.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="878" data-original-width="1115" height="504" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLniN7yn7dw5uVxpob0dHvHgbfaZ7rnDPLZ3lMFRKSIiDrlBj56_mjR7Rt5p_ALEXmuOaPp_-23TfIlBoaYV7G1_moNIfO0l39-60_-QOWAs_j5GRvrwSoPdJEndk1BdH3WUbHTDXQ9JY/w640-h504/Ophrys+dyris+DSC02869+-+copia.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Ophrys dyris</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table></div><div><br /></div><div>This is a rather rare species, which I had only seen at one other site beforehand. I also devoted time in early spring to wander along the paths close to home, to be rewarded with some of the densest clumps of Champagne Orchids <i>Anacamptis champagneuxii</i> that I had ever seen.</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD2aFSj44emODhmJU5wk8CVOWdWM2Nh4scR0-_WejT8It_ur4Ok1mi8SvNeCcw2PymXAAII53ot_yB7HFHFavOb08Xo51e37YPsYXXlQ0lqiFRWS1zBITJQSIVK5UEePnH23bY6skVVD4/s548/Champagne+Orchid+DSC03233.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="365" data-original-width="548" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD2aFSj44emODhmJU5wk8CVOWdWM2Nh4scR0-_WejT8It_ur4Ok1mi8SvNeCcw2PymXAAII53ot_yB7HFHFavOb08Xo51e37YPsYXXlQ0lqiFRWS1zBITJQSIVK5UEePnH23bY6skVVD4/w640-h426/Champagne+Orchid+DSC03233.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;">Champagne Orchid </span><i style="text-align: left;">Anacamptis champagneuxii</i></td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /><br /></div><div>The geology of most of Extremadura is quartzites, slates and granites, leading to acidic conditions. Limestone areas are mainly in the southern half of the region, as sierras rising from plains, affording me quite magnificent views. </div><div> </div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGQ6zOfMAMBDqf1Y43aiCqlJ8RIHrjg3dBMXJ5gXdz6bAQL51DdphMaVO-nnxIrlcHvIPhQiyvm8MUhd0s0-95vg_9cZCHrc-YkQlRunibCKY6Hzw1jLhuIv57tcvT4N_8wiLctk8CUWc/s548/Sierra+Calera+DSC06969.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="365" data-original-width="548" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGQ6zOfMAMBDqf1Y43aiCqlJ8RIHrjg3dBMXJ5gXdz6bAQL51DdphMaVO-nnxIrlcHvIPhQiyvm8MUhd0s0-95vg_9cZCHrc-YkQlRunibCKY6Hzw1jLhuIv57tcvT4N_8wiLctk8CUWc/w640-h426/Sierra+Calera+DSC06969.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">A view from a sierra in Badajoz province</span></td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><div>They tend to mainly traditionally-farmed with old, sometimes abandoned olive groves, small disused lime quaries, open woodland and grazing goats. </div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3mbVM_sGq8y2wKkytittBU2FmJNjuAHAOO-LcSY453zdGfm_DEs3Mzsls2b_bWg3RWs-2eofRzTvzNATqLjZR2C-77GfSHCwiLopSvBAhaT3oAGXWJq9aBfKfVR6oP9uA-Kzdv5HqKMQ/s548/DSC03543.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="365" data-original-width="548" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3mbVM_sGq8y2wKkytittBU2FmJNjuAHAOO-LcSY453zdGfm_DEs3Mzsls2b_bWg3RWs-2eofRzTvzNATqLjZR2C-77GfSHCwiLopSvBAhaT3oAGXWJq9aBfKfVR6oP9uA-Kzdv5HqKMQ/w640-h426/DSC03543.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">An amazing show of Pink Butterfly Orchids <i style="text-align: left;">Anacamptis papilionacea</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><br /></div><div>The variety and sheer density of orchids can be extraordinary, especially in late March, from flamboyant Pink Butterfly Orchids <i>Anacamptis papilionacea</i> (in their hundreds) to the tiny and easily overlooked Bumblebee Orchid <i>Ophrys bombylifora</i>. </div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRA1WORurUKixNSIAzHZhVBhfWGWLKwcNF1L7zFwKL4AV2p_nOVXqMir9UrFfTJQdaAyn2EQ9CfXGPsCAIwEZwxaZeN8o_YVBTyiCvdzd5hnyjmD1tuzV-abU0_l2PD6BF4e62YeX1vfU/s922/Bumblebee.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="692" data-original-width="922" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRA1WORurUKixNSIAzHZhVBhfWGWLKwcNF1L7zFwKL4AV2p_nOVXqMir9UrFfTJQdaAyn2EQ9CfXGPsCAIwEZwxaZeN8o_YVBTyiCvdzd5hnyjmD1tuzV-abU0_l2PD6BF4e62YeX1vfU/w640-h480/Bumblebee.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">The tiny Bumblebee Orchid <i style="text-align: left;">Ophrys bombylifora</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><div>On a walk on one such hillside, I saw for my first time in Extremadura, Man Orchid <i>Aceras anthropophorum</i>, with its cluster of tiny figurines, growing beside the much commoner Naked Man Orchid <i>Orchis italica</i>, bearing pink-coloured flowers with an appendage hanging between the "legs" of its minature men. </div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4z1hEfOBNP2iS1b7GBI0uIgGUwJE5EpMjaNmBlgRlAtCzm_AeGJ1aPvOOofGF_sTKYmJgeJrmPIb5BJda5cAcNQis6WHt5_phjToEjgYmx3GfOqyan7c-5p9JMJ5n_KiKrpEz_x-WQKM/s548/Man+Orchid+DSC03789+-+copia.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="365" data-original-width="548" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4z1hEfOBNP2iS1b7GBI0uIgGUwJE5EpMjaNmBlgRlAtCzm_AeGJ1aPvOOofGF_sTKYmJgeJrmPIb5BJda5cAcNQis6WHt5_phjToEjgYmx3GfOqyan7c-5p9JMJ5n_KiKrpEz_x-WQKM/w640-h426/Man+Orchid+DSC03789+-+copia.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="text-align: left;">Man Orchid </span><i style="text-align: left;">Aceras anthropophorum</i><span style="text-align: left;">: a very localised species in Extremadura</span></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdj8bMJxAwclKENpd7Q-vqpuFSxVlWS1P0GftmpHEm1F_nQELTfqpdLHmoUzkARpOvabvUrbBMhbRMkTVBsTM5lAJTtE-CHpp6pKWUsFKo62uvd3qpZEwczjX4DFnuilpTlnAg1LkGtHE/s548/Naked+Man+Orchid+DSC03814.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="365" data-original-width="548" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdj8bMJxAwclKENpd7Q-vqpuFSxVlWS1P0GftmpHEm1F_nQELTfqpdLHmoUzkARpOvabvUrbBMhbRMkTVBsTM5lAJTtE-CHpp6pKWUsFKo62uvd3qpZEwczjX4DFnuilpTlnAg1LkGtHE/w640-h426/Naked+Man+Orchid+DSC03814.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">The aptly-named Naked Man Orchid <i style="text-align: left;">Orchis italica</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><div>As spring progresses, the dominant group of orchids in open habitats become the Serapias, or tongue orchids, One of these, the Green-flowered Tongue Orchid <i>Serapias perez-chiscanoi</i>, was first described in science just over thirty years ago and for a long time was thought only to occur in Extremadura. However, colonies have recently been found in neighbouring areas in Portugal and Toledo province.</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjMoFR2pcs-R5dbIBs3qORmDHp96MQUN9nKUCiltRTL6YByRxSs3W_KNf6ZxJWmKm3rUpwOrvZp7EucIlNp9NhYDoZYWOIvMRXMBAHxcgQAxw473l9gNlaRsORteeaCr0b2_YhmgHKAqo/s548/DSC04123.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="365" data-original-width="548" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjMoFR2pcs-R5dbIBs3qORmDHp96MQUN9nKUCiltRTL6YByRxSs3W_KNf6ZxJWmKm3rUpwOrvZp7EucIlNp9NhYDoZYWOIvMRXMBAHxcgQAxw473l9gNlaRsORteeaCr0b2_YhmgHKAqo/w640-h426/DSC04123.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="text-align: left;">The near-endemic Green-flowered Tongue Orchid </span><i style="text-align: left;">Serapias perez-chiscanoi</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><div>There is a wonderful site for it close to our home, on the plains near Trujillo. Here in late April it can be found growing beside the much more widespread Common Tongue Orchid <i>Serapias lingua</i> as well as numerous Bug Orchids <i>Anacamptis coriophora</i>. Confinement by lockdown last year led to me spending much more time in the our own small olive grove where I found the Small-flowered Tongue Orchid <i>Serapias parviflora</i>. It was in flower again this year.</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgagmIOSUMFHTdAC0mp9huNt9PSpirLGW789ESmpq8N7sDtvjJDethl6qmzM_VV-pYLWw1gKnLXLF2d3L7H1diJxuUbt9NgjYS2UPGPJ1p3KeAMznt6AE-dGUWQua7AVByu5bMOZYnllwA/s548/Serapias+parviflora+DSC08279.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="365" data-original-width="548" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgagmIOSUMFHTdAC0mp9huNt9PSpirLGW789ESmpq8N7sDtvjJDethl6qmzM_VV-pYLWw1gKnLXLF2d3L7H1diJxuUbt9NgjYS2UPGPJ1p3KeAMznt6AE-dGUWQua7AVByu5bMOZYnllwA/w640-h426/Serapias+parviflora+DSC08279.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="text-align: left;">Small-flowered Tongue Orchid </span><i style="text-align: left;">Serapias parviflora </i><span style="text-align: left;">in our garden</span></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><br /></div><div>April and May see the appearance of the shade-tolerant orchids in woodland, especially deciduous woodland. Timing is everything. There is a small window of opportunity to see orchids at their best, which one can easily miss by a week. And this will vary from year to year, depending also on variations in rainfall and temperature. I often explore such woodland in the Villuercas Mountains in search for butterflies in late spring and thus catch just the tail-end of this orchid season. For some species this year, I timed it perfectly: discovering a vast colony of Barton's Orchid <i>Dactylorhiza insularis</i>, which has creamy-white flowers with little orange spots, in a patch of woodland I regularly go to, but always in early summer. </div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2sJH4M5S-xuvx_moAb8mOt9qBAV9MLcaOZjTmlFdKQZG6ZTzp0OBvO7gCeL9WBggz-10Qy1v3H4b9nDq0wTNmltxlakM5bYMu9B1hroxRiTH4sYzQE3FPxPLpEuHYQrOAmgQX9X1kRw8/s329/Barton%2527s+Orchid+DSC03937+-+copia.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="280" data-original-width="329" height="544" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2sJH4M5S-xuvx_moAb8mOt9qBAV9MLcaOZjTmlFdKQZG6ZTzp0OBvO7gCeL9WBggz-10Qy1v3H4b9nDq0wTNmltxlakM5bYMu9B1hroxRiTH4sYzQE3FPxPLpEuHYQrOAmgQX9X1kRw8/w640-h544/Barton%2527s+Orchid+DSC03937+-+copia.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="text-align: left;">Barton's Orchid </span><i style="text-align: left;">Dactylorhiza insularis </i><span style="text-align: left;">which loves shady deciduous woodland</span></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><br /></div><div>In another area of woodland, which is a favouite of mine for butterflies, I found a colony of the strange Violet Limodore <i>Limodoro abortivum</i>, a parasitic orchid with no chlorphyll which in dry years will even flower and produce seed underground. </div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1PZnyRJZrteahUqjsd32zStiNtp1vcE0ZFnAGbyF9Su4XLCrbDdOw2C4mKy8I7zRoUt_aZV5mY4iE3lyNB9ICy6cE-mahtusOR7mclScpdwTTTBIW9YPm8doow-Tr_ZKGMGu8-BYukzI/s548/DSC04489.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="365" data-original-width="548" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1PZnyRJZrteahUqjsd32zStiNtp1vcE0ZFnAGbyF9Su4XLCrbDdOw2C4mKy8I7zRoUt_aZV5mY4iE3lyNB9ICy6cE-mahtusOR7mclScpdwTTTBIW9YPm8doow-Tr_ZKGMGu8-BYukzI/w640-h426/DSC04489.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="text-align: left;">Violet Limodore </span><i style="text-align: left;">Limodoro abortivum</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><br /></div><div>In the same area, two months later in early July, my spring odyssey culminated with encountering a colony of Summer Lady's Tresses <i>Spiranthes aestivalis</i>, a small orchid with a tworl of delicate white flowers growing amongst the boulders of a mountain stream. </div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNvO5Ci6hFUROUQZqGF5sOGjXQ7wgEMN8NnYKtI8uJF3pQd9LQIj5EU1CJ7C5VSVsFaz06Ykvm_7adfxXtskv884bgQ-OokfL8mRLISV74PfwNJzsZT2dYGsIEUNBRIP5Xe8ahnJKbzJM/s548/DSC05544.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="365" data-original-width="548" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNvO5Ci6hFUROUQZqGF5sOGjXQ7wgEMN8NnYKtI8uJF3pQd9LQIj5EU1CJ7C5VSVsFaz06Ykvm_7adfxXtskv884bgQ-OokfL8mRLISV74PfwNJzsZT2dYGsIEUNBRIP5Xe8ahnJKbzJM/w640-h426/DSC05544.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="text-align: left;">Summer Lady's Tresses </span><i style="text-align: left;">Spiranthes aestivalis</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2rk63uMREH1HDy8czU9lN_vAk_N5dyFDMaERWXVQfQhhlWf4329_gxX-jrWpKrAmmfjNGdcoCMsmzRK7q0sQofh8C1JFElixLrT3qB-8d7mA4bvCA3DFt6SCrMBRDQfIJLEKrJZx5Wxs/s548/DSC05519.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="365" data-original-width="548" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2rk63uMREH1HDy8czU9lN_vAk_N5dyFDMaERWXVQfQhhlWf4329_gxX-jrWpKrAmmfjNGdcoCMsmzRK7q0sQofh8C1JFElixLrT3qB-8d7mA4bvCA3DFt6SCrMBRDQfIJLEKrJZx5Wxs/w640-h426/DSC05519.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Habitat for the Summer Lady's Tresses <i style="text-align: left;">Spiranthes aestivalis</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><div>Just how many species of orchids there are in Europe, or for that matter just in Extremadura, is a subject of fierce debate. The taxonomy of many, especially the bee orchid and tongue orchid groups is murky indeed. There is a big gulf between the "splitters" who base their recognition of species largely morphological differences and which creature is involved in pollinating them, and the "lumpers" who consider such differences well within the boundaries of natural variation. This gives a range in Extremadura from 40 species to well over 60, depending on your school of thought. This year I have photographed 31 taxa, which was not an exhaustive effort. I prioritised going to new areas or visiting sites at new times, so I missed several species that I regularly see. That being said, there remains a handful of species, for which timing still confounded me.......there is always next year. </div><div><br /></div><div>PS</div><div>We are proud of our orchids in Extremadura, there is even an <a href="http://orchydarium.es/index.php/en/site/index" target="_blank">Orchid Interpretation Centre</a> at Almaráz, close to the hotspot for orchids in northern Extremadura. </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>Martin Kelsey at Birding Extremadurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02527391716863398379noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4896347117172701185.post-48317456021537475952021-03-23T17:29:00.000+01:002021-03-23T17:29:09.819+01:00Hidden birds<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiACEQmBNYWmsSlfd1f3NCKgFol1XcbJr02qMRefia0h8Qt_4ZcncYtU0p1_pe_ilGGIa0ezTQw6Qq-_vYXCxbNK08Bc-WfZ0rQUHobp-679q40hQy1QUyFia6W4j-5WK5dx6nQ0lHXwQI/s999/Great+Bittern+a+DSC03282+-+copia.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="662" data-original-width="999" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiACEQmBNYWmsSlfd1f3NCKgFol1XcbJr02qMRefia0h8Qt_4ZcncYtU0p1_pe_ilGGIa0ezTQw6Qq-_vYXCxbNK08Bc-WfZ0rQUHobp-679q40hQy1QUyFia6W4j-5WK5dx6nQ0lHXwQI/w640-h424/Great+Bittern+a+DSC03282+-+copia.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Great Bittern (Martin Kelsey)</td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div>Birders will know that birding is as much about bird-listening as it is about bird-watching...probably most birds are detected by sound first. So when birds are quiet, their detectability is hugely reduced. Many factors will be at play. The activity patterns of birds vary during the day (and night), small birds are more likely to be calling, singing and actively feeding in the first few hours of the day. Large birds like vultures will be most visible from late morning as the air warms. Detectability will vary by season. I can see one of my favourite birds, the Hawfinch, in the garden throughout the whole year, but in April and early May, they become very hard indeed to find. This is when they are nesting. They must be nesting somewhere close (perhaps even in the garden itself) because a male sings close to house in early spring and a family group with recently-fledged young appear in mid-May. Weather conditions will affect detectability considerably, especially wind, which can make small birds difficult to locate in trees or in tall vegetation. And then the habitat itself is a hugely significant variable. Open places like mudflats or lakes are quite easy places to find birds, but dense foliage is quite another matter. And if the open landscape has tall vegetation like a marsh or reedbed, then I quickly get that feeling that I am merely scratching the surface. Most of the birds lurking in thick vegetation will remain undetected, with just a teasing call the only thing that reveals their presence. <div><br /></div><div>This morning I had the experience of watching a large marshland bird materialise into view and then through merely a short stride, vanishing. I stood beside a small old gravel pit with patches of reed mace and rushes. Sedge Warblers on their northward migration had stopped here to refuel. Their abrupt calls and occasional little bursts of song gave me some indication of how many there were. Just occasionally I glimpsed them, appearing briefly low in the vegetation. A Purple Heron stood motionless during the entire length of my stay. Sometimes a Moorhen broke cover, but the squealing Water Rails remained hidden from view. I was about to move on when a streaked brownish form appeared. It was that most-compelling of birds, a Great Bittern. It appearance reminded me of a Star Trek teleportation, its body taking form in front of me. A supreme example of an amply-proportioned bird (it is the size of a large goose) that, thanks to its superb camouflage and the slow-fluidity of its movement, can remain undetected in a remarkably small patch of vegetation. It "bitterned" its neck vertical and then hunched down again, before sending its bill horizontally and low to the left, poised in wait for prey. It froze in this posture for several minutes, before recoiling and dissolving before my eyes into the rushes. The apparition vanished.</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIl1IiRNldJRV4XANk7Lm-BIA4vFPRbP3ZoUMDQpT-WUE6kePlskbPIBGMT_-B_hUn6uUcEsr64baHFY7DbQLS95gaYTeZD-Pf-a536M2P12LjRqQw_DBP1YjgbM0Z3k8nnNnSNOioJjY/s1314/Jack+Snipe+a+DSC02683.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="876" data-original-width="1314" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIl1IiRNldJRV4XANk7Lm-BIA4vFPRbP3ZoUMDQpT-WUE6kePlskbPIBGMT_-B_hUn6uUcEsr64baHFY7DbQLS95gaYTeZD-Pf-a536M2P12LjRqQw_DBP1YjgbM0Z3k8nnNnSNOioJjY/w640-h426/Jack+Snipe+a+DSC02683.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jack Snipe (Martin Kelsey)</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><br /></div><div>The combination of plumage and behaviour is also deployed by another species whose scientific name <i>Lymnocryptes minimus</i> captures it all: a small bird, hidden in the marsh. It is the Jack Snipe. I remember my first encounter with this tiny wader nearly 50 years ago in a small patch of boggy ground near my home in South Wales. My friend and I had found Water Rails there and it became a favourite haunt on Saturday mornings in the winter. Crossing the patch one day, a streaky brown bird flew up from my feet and quickly dropped again just a few metres away. I managed to see its long, straight bill and knew immediately that it was a Jack Snipe, since unlike the Common Snipe it was silent and did not tower above me when flushed. I saw precisely where it had landed. Venturing across to the spot, I hoped to flush it again, but despite my efforts I never saw it again. Since then over the years, I have seen many Jack Snipe, almost always in the same circumstances. Occasionally I have seen one land in open ground, far enough away for it to feel secure and have watched its extraordinary, almost mechanical, bouncing stance. Its body seems attached to its legs by a carefully controlled spring. But never, ever, had I come across a Jack Snipe at my feet without it flying off first. </div><div><br /></div><div>Recently, I had come across two or three Jack Snipe in an area of rushy ground where the heavy late winter rain had left muddy puddles. On this occasion, I had set off again and stopped beside one of these puddles, now with much reduced surface water. Looking down, close to my feet, beside some trampled rush stems, was a motionless bird, crouching with its bill flat against the ground. At a casual glance, it would be passed off as a corpse. But the glint in its eye, in which I could even see my reflection, betrayed it as alive. I held my breath and watched. It was a Jack Snipe. I couched too and looked at it. I realised that I had left the camera in the car and silently cursed myself. Then the thought crossed my mind...could I go back for the camera? I back-tracked and walked swiftly back to the car. It was an eight-minute round trip. I was convinced that the bird would have taken my departure as a cue to disappear. As I approached the place a second time, the bird had not moved. I settled down and took some photos. It was only when I paused to look at the back of the camera, that the Jack Snipe was aware that my eye was off it. It sprung upward in flight, arcing around me and dropping into more rushes. And there, I left it in peace.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>Martin Kelsey at Birding Extremadurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02527391716863398379noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4896347117172701185.post-70437586416228210222021-02-16T11:27:00.002+01:002021-02-16T11:29:35.519+01:00Sounds of spring<p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt80Q92rYT58lxmts2ZUUIcd23tfzLVaXCF7HQK7mUEn3snt-9twn5Vp9zNqg2Q28POPzfzvzLAr7qHHbKdcVusgDuParU16r4Mg95Age8A90_DRduCKhlOENLS_GHzOCATHP3wxMOMJA/s2003/Barn+Swallow+a+DSC07528.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1747" data-original-width="2003" height="558" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt80Q92rYT58lxmts2ZUUIcd23tfzLVaXCF7HQK7mUEn3snt-9twn5Vp9zNqg2Q28POPzfzvzLAr7qHHbKdcVusgDuParU16r4Mg95Age8A90_DRduCKhlOENLS_GHzOCATHP3wxMOMJA/w640-h558/Barn+Swallow+a+DSC07528.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Male Barn Swallow (Martin Kelsey)</td></tr></tbody></table><br /> The invitation comes from just outside the bedroom window. It is joyful and instantly uplifting. Sliding and rising, rhythmic and textured like honey, the song of a Barn Swallow is like a conversation with a friendly neighbour, ending with a teasing mechanical twizzle. The sound opens a box of memories, of childhood holidays on farms, brought back to me this morning after more than half a century. One swallow does not make a summer, or so the saying goes, but for me there is no surer sign of spring. </p><p>The swallows have been around since late January, but a pair have been checking out my toolshed for a couple of days now and today sang for the first time from the old satellite dish just below the window. Their favourite perch. It marks the change, because spring reaches us in mid-February. </p><p>This has been a challenging transition for me. Still under a municipal lockdown thanks to persistence in COVID infection rates locally, I have been missing the cues I take elsewhere because so many of my late winter routine visits have been closed to me. I walk along the lanes from the village, passing neighbours whose eyes, appearing above face masks, give me the only clue of their hidden smiles of greeting. But sounds around the garden, rather than sights, tell me all I need to know.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy0bTW_cl-7zxvcUKPy33cNREBPpU3sNnPZy2BMQlUxZ-zdgT3R4FFRCidJEoCtoNyzta5HjixBBCva7Q0N9hg7OJUlnXfbwuzKFoSrP2x8FyYRmkalUhOP9EwDAny9045-WslgdJgFZU/s922/Hawfinch+late+Feb+2014+018.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="692" data-original-width="922" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy0bTW_cl-7zxvcUKPy33cNREBPpU3sNnPZy2BMQlUxZ-zdgT3R4FFRCidJEoCtoNyzta5HjixBBCva7Q0N9hg7OJUlnXfbwuzKFoSrP2x8FyYRmkalUhOP9EwDAny9045-WslgdJgFZU/w640-h480/Hawfinch+late+Feb+2014+018.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hawfinch in almond tree (Martin Kelsey)</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p>High in the blushing almond blossom is a hesitant and seemingly random series of clicks and tinks. It is quiet, reflective, like a solitary rehearsal of an actor mouthing a soliloquy before coming on stage. The bird itself is hard to see, perched motionless amongst the petals. That is the best that a Hawfinch song gets, but I know these birds well and as soon as I hear the sound, I know precisely where to look. Like the swallows, the Hawfinch has its favourite perch.</p><p>The Spotless Starling on the TV aerial, which kept me <a href="https://www.birdingextremadurablog.com/2020/03/lockdown-birding-part-6.html" target="_blank">amused during the strict lockdown</a> last year, is back there again with his whoops and chortles. A pair of Sardinian Warblers give rough little contact calls as they investigate a possible nest site. A Short-toed Treecreeper reveals itself thanks to a slow gentle crescendo of high-pitched notes.</p><p>The day progresses and a breeze has carried a confetti of almond blossom to the yard. The timber kitchen door has soaked-in the afternoon sun - it is warm to touch. </p><p>The sounds of spring continue after the sun has set and a crescent moon hangs over the Sierra de los Lagares to the west. First the long drawn-out croak from an Iberian Water Frog, then the clacking of White Storks as the pair settle down for the night on their nest. As the first stars appear, the churring of Natterjack Toads spreads like an enveloping mist. There is no silence, just the sounds of love. It is spring.</p>Martin Kelsey at Birding Extremadurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02527391716863398379noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4896347117172701185.post-2715524867313801512021-01-25T14:56:00.000+01:002021-01-25T14:56:06.501+01:00Counting time<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgilH8tOe-A_mJKtfI7iarzCyLKwYp4chIsj_Gi8zftx6M4xkALz6RULet6kSCRkm0iAM6OO6FjmkLytaOB3MnIrmbfKlvk0lM3WxyBQW9KbKkijxoVm0XpXcndKkLG-by17bpoQwl9diM/s1099/DSC02637.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="756" data-original-width="1099" height="440" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgilH8tOe-A_mJKtfI7iarzCyLKwYp4chIsj_Gi8zftx6M4xkALz6RULet6kSCRkm0iAM6OO6FjmkLytaOB3MnIrmbfKlvk0lM3WxyBQW9KbKkijxoVm0XpXcndKkLG-by17bpoQwl9diM/w640-h440/DSC02637.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Common Cranes (Martin Kelsey)</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br />Returning to Extremadura after caring for my mother during her final weeks is like turning a page and starting a new chapter. With the passing of one's parents, life is never again the same. A reminder of mortality, but also the urge to commit to never taking things for granted, to appreciate what we have around us. Let nature flow!<div><br /></div><div>January here is counting time. Counting birds that is, and most of my time in the last few days has been about doing that. So here is my counting tale, which ends with an owl and a duck!</div><div><br /></div><div>On my return, what better than to take the walk from home, taking in the hill behind the house in circular route along a lane, amongst old olive groves, pasture and patches of evergreen oak <i>dehesa</i>? This is a favourite of mine and one which I use to contribute every winter to the bird population monitoring work of SEO/BirdLife. During two hours I record every individual bird. I have done so twice for each of the last eleven winters. Overall on 21 walks (I still have one walk left to do this winter) I have recorded 62 species of birds and counted 14,564 individual birds. On my count last week was 34 species and 598 individuals, the commonest five being Chaffinch, Song Thrush, Spanish Sparrow, Spotless Starling and House Sparrow. Interestingly, Blackcaps, which normally are somewhere in the top three (and I have recorded 2147 individuals to date) were fewer than usual. They feed mainly on olives and it had been a very poor winter for the fruit.</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdfZsvfRdQMA88v9S3gFSYb4OEEbxJtO_4ySQim0VoCdrIA9WmqqA5dX353cq8COJ1NXZ0sS-Mpo54n6_7141_lSOVQ_7XBpzcPOFGt9xHhNA1sm24nXFZ_9UkL1SpeWqIHEtNUiGVJ40/s1095/Embalse+de+Alcollar%25C3%25ADn+DSC02577.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="730" data-original-width="1095" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdfZsvfRdQMA88v9S3gFSYb4OEEbxJtO_4ySQim0VoCdrIA9WmqqA5dX353cq8COJ1NXZ0sS-Mpo54n6_7141_lSOVQ_7XBpzcPOFGt9xHhNA1sm24nXFZ_9UkL1SpeWqIHEtNUiGVJ40/w640-h426/Embalse+de+Alcollar%25C3%25ADn+DSC02577.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Alcollarín Reservoir (Martin Kelsey)</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><br /></div><div>The COVID-19 restrictions continue in Extremadura. Currently we have to remain within our local municipal boundaries. However, an exception has been granted this month for long-term wildlife monitoring work. Thus, bearing my official safe passes, signed by the government of Extremadura, I have been able to participate in the census of Common Cranes, and the international wetland birds survey. My local patch, the reservoir of Alcollarín (which come the expiry date of my survey permit, will be out of bounds for me as it lies in another municipality), was one of the sites I counted. There rafts of duck floated somnabulantly, gently rocking on the wavelets. The count took me most of the day, partly because of the simple scale of the task, but also because I sought to prolong the reconnection with nature there for as long as I possibly could. During the six hours of my stay, I met no one. Only a distant shepherd was out and, as I left, a walker from the nearby village. But whilst hardly any people, there were nearly 11,500 birds, with Shoveler dominating with 6650 present. I have yet to see the overall results from Extremadura, but I suspect that this flock will be largest of the region.</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKLTrK2Qd-dVFfk3kbrdniGt3Sx-PkDEvi9zahjTGgPfk5EzCwCdq0BFqfZpTrD3sQ6YHDV8SUXbGnYdImFCd_hxNt8TQ4fJFBOuPJsVbqZuFBxBgq1a5wbrgS4sO5Pj6x-8dv4c7niCo/s986/DSC02656.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="657" data-original-width="986" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKLTrK2Qd-dVFfk3kbrdniGt3Sx-PkDEvi9zahjTGgPfk5EzCwCdq0BFqfZpTrD3sQ6YHDV8SUXbGnYdImFCd_hxNt8TQ4fJFBOuPJsVbqZuFBxBgq1a5wbrgS4sO5Pj6x-8dv4c7niCo/w640-h426/DSC02656.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Wet winter rice fields Martin Kelsey)</span></td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><div>A few days later I slowly tracked the perimeters of expanses of arable land to count wintering Common Cranes. The generous rains this winter have left the rice-fields far soggier than usual. More of the stubble had been ploughed into the mud and most fields were now inundated. The view across my census zones was quite different from the usual - a vast body of open water. The cranes had largely concentrated on the few areas unploughed and on the fields of maize stubble. My total at the end of the day was 7,121 birds. </div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmjMnGoTIju_yht70p2VxR35WrgFG4DkXgkUottC0pSNJly0d-rQEu-MNAf090R_Xp9EOVKRzlnssnrSXIBiJtCQTHsOR7ty85HDX8lsEqmDXP3awOoL2m52zeMN1JTPpOmG1QanTS5-M/s743/Short-eared+Owl+a+DSC02596.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="620" data-original-width="743" height="534" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmjMnGoTIju_yht70p2VxR35WrgFG4DkXgkUottC0pSNJly0d-rQEu-MNAf090R_Xp9EOVKRzlnssnrSXIBiJtCQTHsOR7ty85HDX8lsEqmDXP3awOoL2m52zeMN1JTPpOmG1QanTS5-M/w640-h534/Short-eared+Owl+a+DSC02596.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Short-eared Owl (Martin Kelsey)</span></td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><div>On completion of the count, I followed a track across the fields themselves, as the quickest way back home. The flooded fields were largely devoid of much birdlife, apart from the Black-headed Gulls which swiveled in dainty fashion as they swam, their neck at a hauty angle, their wing-tips raised in a fastiduous gesture to keep them dry. As I watched, a bouyant silent smoothness appeared, moved more by the gusts of wind than by its own effort, it seemed. Landing on a bank, its quince-yellow eyes fixed on me, before its head turned, with the padding of a feather duvet. The Short-eared Owl rose again, carried by the breeze in my direction, coming aground right beside the car, which it glowered at through a picket of dry plant stems.</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqmqn0MfNyDX4J-GTvaV5ezLYv8_BJAZTemxPu5nnYMU36eiek0Oq0IV_CHXgQPbHUfOrEDzwFlw_cN81BzQZT5lRJ7XVxM4rgnaMOwDDCTQ9G44k77Jes3XCuYwX9zg0jlERJOdgevRU/s876/DSC02602.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="584" data-original-width="876" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqmqn0MfNyDX4J-GTvaV5ezLYv8_BJAZTemxPu5nnYMU36eiek0Oq0IV_CHXgQPbHUfOrEDzwFlw_cN81BzQZT5lRJ7XVxM4rgnaMOwDDCTQ9G44k77Jes3XCuYwX9zg0jlERJOdgevRU/w640-h426/DSC02602.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Short-eared Owl right beside the car (Martin Kelsey)</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><br /></div><div>I paused once more at Alcollarín. The afternoon was overcast, but it had stayed dry. If anything there seemed be even more Shoveler there than during my count, evenly spread across the main body of water. I set up my telescope and careful worked my way through the dozing duck, on the look out for something different. I have done so countless times and once in a while I am rewarded by a surprise. Over time, I have seen almost all the duck species recorded in Extremadura at this site. But for many years I had vainly searched the groups of Common Teal for the North American subspecies, <i>carolinensis</i> (the "Green-winged Teal"). Teal are second only to Shoveler in terms of abundance here. My count yielded a staggering 1890 birds. So it was with a wee bit of hope but very low expectations that I focused on these smaller duck. Clearly though my planets were in alignment that day, because after barely ten minutes of routine scanning, a dot of a Teal came into the field of my telescope. Despite being half a mile away, the striking white vertical band bordering its breast was clearly visible, almost like a slit, so clean cut it appeared. I only managed the poorest of record photos using my mobile phone, but this diagnostic feature was easy to see. Let nature flow indeed!</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQOLiDcBlkb6biB0LH9v6HNZUIvaailI9Nj4Lf5VdlCNVevpJ8gcg9doTLzsppg8W0kiXsXsmZRuF-p-GHAsbfdMYZawqkxBNVjjabfGfEnCcwuUtiR2u0KlhoqSUCayIYIukTkbLIvdY/s1213/Green-winged+Teal+IMG_7463.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1122" data-original-width="1213" height="592" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQOLiDcBlkb6biB0LH9v6HNZUIvaailI9Nj4Lf5VdlCNVevpJ8gcg9doTLzsppg8W0kiXsXsmZRuF-p-GHAsbfdMYZawqkxBNVjjabfGfEnCcwuUtiR2u0KlhoqSUCayIYIukTkbLIvdY/w640-h592/Green-winged+Teal+IMG_7463.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">A very distant Green-winged Teal (Martin Kelsey)</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><br /></div><div> </div>Martin Kelsey at Birding Extremadurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02527391716863398379noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4896347117172701185.post-42705253523746274902020-10-20T19:18:00.025+02:002020-10-21T10:29:09.708+02:00The Global Birding Weekend in Extremadura<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjNKdu-lxsFw38FHSsBX8FfF1fi3c2ZMj7h69MqZBmeoTIgrKxKXct_Fq6WWvFG8YULkn0GkWt-VqWYyXd-CbHNQ7oWpR9-UovYydsXflttXaOVQwTKUBVbbba9WhIJ6TRGaAGkS05ToI/s1095/DSC01336.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="730" data-original-width="1095" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjNKdu-lxsFw38FHSsBX8FfF1fi3c2ZMj7h69MqZBmeoTIgrKxKXct_Fq6WWvFG8YULkn0GkWt-VqWYyXd-CbHNQ7oWpR9-UovYydsXflttXaOVQwTKUBVbbba9WhIJ6TRGaAGkS05ToI/w640-h426/DSC01336.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">The Global Bird Watch weekend saw many arriving Common Cranes (Martin Kelsey)</span><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p>October is often considered a bit of an in-between month in Extremadura. The great wave of trans-Saharan migrants such as flycatchers, Common Redstarts, Whinchats and Ortolan Buntings has peaked in September as they paused to refuel. The often exciting variety of waders on overland migration has mainly passed through. Winter visitors are starting to appear, but it will not be later in the month that their numbers build up to reach the amazing spectacle which is winter birding here. And whilst we sometimes find unexpected rarities, as elsewhere, in October, we can never compete with the coastal sites.</p><p>So it was with great curiosity that five members of <a href="https://www.guidextremadura.com/english/" target="_blank">GUIDEX</a>, the association of nature guides in Extremadura, formed a team called "Extremadura Birding Guides" to register as part of the <a href="https://globalbirding.org/home" target="_blank">Global Birding Weekend</a>. Together with about a hundred teams and thousands of individuals across over 120 countries, we spent the weekend of 17th and 18th October out in the field, as a worldwide celebration of birds. Saturday 17th was also the long-running Global Big Day, organised by <a href="https://ebird.org/home" target="_blank">eBird</a>, a huge network of birders around the world. All of our sightings could be tallied up as part of the Global Big Day, and we could continue through Sunday 18th October as well to submit what we had seen. </p><p>But how many species could we reasonably expect to see? In a full week of birding in the peak of spring one can expect to see over 150 species of birds in Extremadura, and if there happens to be a very good wader passage or there are still some wintering duck hanging around, then the figure can approach 180 species. On the other hand, if sheer listing is not the priority and one wants to spend as much time looking at plants or insects as one does at birds, or savouring the historic heritage of the region, then a relaxed 110 or 120 species is still a happily satisfying total. It all depends on your pace and priorities. But what about in just two days? And in mid-October?</p><p>The first thing that was clear was that we were not aiming to win any competition...the event was global and included people birding in places like Colombia, the country with more species of birds than anywhere else. We would also, as has been the theme for activities ever since the COVID pandemic struck, operate as a virtual team. We would individually do our own thing, in our own way and combine our totals. We also agreed that the focus should also be relaxed and enjoyable. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCLOArQYFJCno_LsR2RcXrt5VCzpNh2mMaZuacPUK2ZV6UdnhYymJUps_gcvcJlLVphv_8pPZI6uxQQneK-D8SM6mxrhoXj0e3EaDOTMsSyJ900jQQfmJgrt4F4zZ0Efxrg5PeQYgB4iQ/s548/DSC01376.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="365" data-original-width="548" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCLOArQYFJCno_LsR2RcXrt5VCzpNh2mMaZuacPUK2ZV6UdnhYymJUps_gcvcJlLVphv_8pPZI6uxQQneK-D8SM6mxrhoXj0e3EaDOTMsSyJ900jQQfmJgrt4F4zZ0Efxrg5PeQYgB4iQ/w640-h426/DSC01376.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Alcollarín Reservoir, one of the sites visited on Day 1 (Martin Kelsey)</span><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p>So the team members set their own itineraries. On the Saturday, I would start with a local walk from home and then with Claudia drive to nearby favourite birding sites: the rice fields and Alcollarín Reservoir. In Sunday I had to take part in a national radio interview, to be recorded in the north of Extremadura, and on our return home we would visit the Monfragüe National Park and then the plains north of Trujillo. Jesús Porras, based in Trujillo would focus on the plains close to the town on the first day, and then make a visit to a small reservoir nearby and go to Arrocampo reservoir on the Sunday. Hugo Sánchez, Raquel and Fran Espinosa would bird together on the Saturday, going to the plains and some wetlands near Cáceres and Plasencia. On Sunday, they would bird independently close to their homes in the north of the region. José Luis Bautista already had planned to be away in Portugal that weekend, but would manage some birding en route. Finally Godfried Schreur would focus entirely on the variety of habitats within walking distance from his home in La Codosera in the west of the region, indeed he only drove a total of 15 kilometres the whole weekend. So we concentrated on places we knew well, leaving vast swathes of Extremadura untouched.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNf2Jsg55lMPrcmkBtRc-XM0jw4XJa5zU7OBX4o68AbH-s-OaWRA75YXQX356NLKNOsimyqJDCibUjANj9ZkFtG_7M6HVN5NOpF8X0YZ8RTd0w0LlMHax_ybQSrOK5S-SFwUzQgu9yRAM/s548/DSC01377.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="365" data-original-width="548" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNf2Jsg55lMPrcmkBtRc-XM0jw4XJa5zU7OBX4o68AbH-s-OaWRA75YXQX356NLKNOsimyqJDCibUjANj9ZkFtG_7M6HVN5NOpF8X0YZ8RTd0w0LlMHax_ybQSrOK5S-SFwUzQgu9yRAM/w640-h426/DSC01377.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Monfragüe National Park Day 2 (Martin Kelsey) </span><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p>The first bird listed on the Saturday was a Red-necked Nightjar by Hugo, Raquel and Fran as they headed south towards Cáceres. At first light on the plains, they had picked up Great Bustards and Black-bellied Sandgrouse, and a rather late Montagu's Harrier. Godfried on his walk in the first half of the morning was also finding late migrants in the form of Subalpine and Garden Warblers. On my wander along the lanes near home, what was particularly striking has the large passage of arriving Song Thrushes and Skylarks, as well as a small group of Common Cranes. The fine, settled weather was ideal for migration. Meanwhile Jesús, just outside Trujillo, was also on plains, adding emblematic species like Little Bustard, Pin-tailed Sandgrouse and Spanish Eagle to our list, as well as wintering Merlin and Hen Harrier.</p><p>By late morning, Claudia and I paused by a small pond, at the edge of a neighbouring town, where the highlights were a Black Stork and a female Red-crested Pochard. Not far from there, we watched an Eagle Owl enjoying the autumn sunshine. Meanwhile Hugo, Raquel and Fran had stopped at a reservoir close to Cacéres and found four more Red-crested Pochard as well as a small group of migrating Pintail. Jesús had pulled a late Lesser Kestrel out of the bag, as well as a large flock of over 500 Spanish Sparrows. Just outside the territory, José Luis added a Black-winged Kite. It turned out to be the only one seen over the weekend by the team, although had he been visiting one of his local patches near Mérida, he would almost certainly have found a pukka Extremaduran one.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtEdENKjYxj58eF5Ddq7ou8WVLMt6ilJLnXOnWQF1o-SgpYos-q3xE_BVR-BQQD4FFcJs5ANwnASjpobnqLfMGF2PR3R2eosTQqBM9l8A0LoJ-RLzri7iBCkPsj413sycTMIFuFqD57hs/s616/Water+Pipit+a+DSC01353.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="443" data-original-width="616" height="460" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtEdENKjYxj58eF5Ddq7ou8WVLMt6ilJLnXOnWQF1o-SgpYos-q3xE_BVR-BQQD4FFcJs5ANwnASjpobnqLfMGF2PR3R2eosTQqBM9l8A0LoJ-RLzri7iBCkPsj413sycTMIFuFqD57hs/w640-h460/Water+Pipit+a+DSC01353.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Newly arrived Water Pipit (Martin Kelsey) </span><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p>Claudia and I spent the middle part of the day on the rice fields, seeing well over a hundred newly arrived Common Cranes, some obliging Water Pipits and the only Bluethroat of the weekend. Rice harvesting was well underway and on some ploughed-over wet fields a range of wader species were present. At one moment they all took off, as a Peregrine made a couple of dramatic sweeps across the fields. However because of illegal stubble-burning, the pall of smoke was decidedly unpleasant, so regrettably we retreated, but not before stopping to admire a stunning clump of Serotine Narcissus in flower. At this time, Hugo, Raquel and Fran had moved to a deep river valley, finding hoped-for Black Wheatear, as well as Blue Rock Thrush. Jesús at a river valley to the east picked up Bonelli's Eagle.</p><p>We concluded the day at Alcollarín Reservoir, seeing more migrant Pintail, Kentish Plovers (which we had missed on the rice fields) and a magnificent pair of Golden Eagles soaring overhead. There was no sign of the long-staying Greater Flamingo, but no worries, Hugo, Raquel and Fran found three at another site to the north. After that they stopped at a pool near Galisteo. Now this is one of those places that seems to draw rarities in like a magnet. Nothing mega was present this time, but a Ferruginous Duck was a nice find, and the only one for the weekend.</p><p>Some team members continued after sunset, Jesús finding both species of nightjar close to Trujillo, as well as another Eagle Owl for the list, whilst Fran added Tawny Owl. That brought our total for the day to 146!</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGSGN9UCQLaDi9kjCJbzOzJUsOSFKKyrg8Ab-7gVVFoUw9PcyJp2ScB3D5IcYG4f1sTgBUquYtLnQiII2MWemXb5I3RnVq4IoxR_1tx3VjzlFMXQTlbuMhdkYd3HFKId27fe1ri98c3es/s548/DSC01351.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="365" data-original-width="548" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGSGN9UCQLaDi9kjCJbzOzJUsOSFKKyrg8Ab-7gVVFoUw9PcyJp2ScB3D5IcYG4f1sTgBUquYtLnQiII2MWemXb5I3RnVq4IoxR_1tx3VjzlFMXQTlbuMhdkYd3HFKId27fe1ri98c3es/w640-h426/DSC01351.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Serotine Narcissus (Martin Kelsey) </span><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p>Godfried's strategy of staying close to home in the wonderful surroundings of La Codosera certainly paid off on Sunday with Goshawk and Bullfinch. The latter is a very localised and scarce winter visitor to Extremadura. Fran found a Redwing and, to his great relief, Lesser Spotted Woodpecker. It turned out to be the only one for the team. It is normally a dead cert for him close to home, but had been elusive. Hugo also added what, surprisingly, was our only Firecrest. I had spent most of the morning at the radio interview, so only started birding midday. We headed to the Monfragüe National Park to be treated with displaying Spanish Eagles and a single Bonelli's Eagle.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS_5aaivbiudr2GcSIngBwjxoM9J0cxo4w3R1c7ZLCScpNI7pi5-6TgOqUnjLMRAflSL0BlFCTTN5b3Vv2a63Dfz7xIxWc5Te_MO6v_UEVGeLQLA1qtpdXGRwxO2KyzP2Gr6wJ_kkOC_Y/s1372/DSC01416.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="990" data-original-width="1372" height="462" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS_5aaivbiudr2GcSIngBwjxoM9J0cxo4w3R1c7ZLCScpNI7pi5-6TgOqUnjLMRAflSL0BlFCTTN5b3Vv2a63Dfz7xIxWc5Te_MO6v_UEVGeLQLA1qtpdXGRwxO2KyzP2Gr6wJ_kkOC_Y/w640-h462/DSC01416.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Displaying Spanish Eagle (Martin Kelsey) </span><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p>Godfried added Grasshopper Warbler, a great find. Jesús in the meantime had spent the afternoon with his partner Sandra at Arrocampo reservoir for Purple Swamphen and Little Bittern, and an Osprey was a useful bonus. Not wanting to rest on his laurels, they then found a group of seven Dotterel on their return home, just outside Trujillo. The final bird for the team was a Barn Owl, which Jesús saw close to home as he was taking his dog for a walk.</p><p>The Barn Owl brought our list to an amazing 161 species (or 160 if the cross-border Black-winged Kite is excluded), including 18 species of diurnal birds of prey. So much for October being a quiet month! It is a total which we would have been happy with at any time of the year and well beyond our expectations. And apart from Godfried's highly productive walks, we had barely touched the southern province of Badajoz and missed species like Penduline Tit and Red-billed Chough. But it is in the nature of this type of exercise that a few regular species get missed, but usually they are compensated for by surprises. That was certainly the case this time.</p><p>It was great to feel part of an activity which across the world on the Saturday recorded over 7000 species of birds with over 30,000 participants. But most of all it was a hugely enjoyable and relaxing experience, there was no pressure. It was curiosity which drove us. And curiosity is the best driver of all. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6Ez238dYd-_qUR47pj-zfnuf1YfwBSUhSsFRijH3xCcZ_L-6MYFtpkOki3EV5pCnOP2RJbEM8A7O7_G04lXRHaKkgIYD7s2tQ_SosCMizgeD9MxGLPI6Ti2oVakWHQiw14sB3mg75smA/s1095/DSC01456.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="730" data-original-width="1095" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6Ez238dYd-_qUR47pj-zfnuf1YfwBSUhSsFRijH3xCcZ_L-6MYFtpkOki3EV5pCnOP2RJbEM8A7O7_G04lXRHaKkgIYD7s2tQ_SosCMizgeD9MxGLPI6Ti2oVakWHQiw14sB3mg75smA/w640-h426/DSC01456.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Great Bustards at the end of the day (Martin Kelsey) </span><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Martin Kelsey at Birding Extremadurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02527391716863398379noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4896347117172701185.post-48638374225106993952020-09-05T15:26:00.000+02:002020-09-05T15:26:25.744+02:00A young master at work<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdX1RKAOc-EexeqlsMHAWT8lOiXE0wbzq_XzCK9gjd5BuklA0MjA4ub-3QhftL1OE76xxQhS0i0XW6W-hVQx8lc6L1EJfdc7ddzZKMRMUMM_DffOv0yW8WJzlvqBkL_FSP9hEZKO9TUBk/s1083/Spotted+Flycatcher+a+DSC01056.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="784" data-original-width="1083" height="464" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdX1RKAOc-EexeqlsMHAWT8lOiXE0wbzq_XzCK9gjd5BuklA0MjA4ub-3QhftL1OE76xxQhS0i0XW6W-hVQx8lc6L1EJfdc7ddzZKMRMUMM_DffOv0yW8WJzlvqBkL_FSP9hEZKO9TUBk/w640-h464/Spotted+Flycatcher+a+DSC01056.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Spotted Flycatcher (Martin Kelsey)</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p>This is flycatcher month in Extremadura. Fresh from broad-leaved forests in central and northern Europe, Pied Flycatchers are the most abundant. With their urgent, metallic alarm call, they are easy to locate and on my regular walk along the lane from the house I can expect to find five or six in the space of twenty minutes. At this time of year, all are in plumages similar to that of spring females, a satin brown above with whitish underparts and a bold white flash on the wing. The males are no longer the striking "pied" black and white excitements of spring. My morning's tally in September will exceed the total number of spring passage birds that I will see in a normal year here. There are several reasons for this. The numbers of migrant birds will always be greater in the autumn than the spring because the population is larger - there being adults and young birds on the move. In spring, one sees only those birds that have survived the migration route there and back. Autumn migration is often more relaxed, with birds staying for longer at their staging points en route. But with Pied Flycatchers there is also another factor. The southward route they take in the autumn is different. The reason I see so few in the spring is that most are migrating much further to the east. After the breeding season, they loop down on a more westerly front.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyS1VhB9b1_AaSAyAdcEEWI4XxujJrsX-IAi0Nhcr8dtiDdUPHYQVnyS5eUWibm8TUb33rukWMk07RiNilhYABisR4WBJ7vFayPWWYCdySIPFROE06y6QKW3U8QtdRBAP2JMf27qEWS44/s621/Pied+Flycatcher+8A5A5557.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="414" data-original-width="621" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyS1VhB9b1_AaSAyAdcEEWI4XxujJrsX-IAi0Nhcr8dtiDdUPHYQVnyS5eUWibm8TUb33rukWMk07RiNilhYABisR4WBJ7vFayPWWYCdySIPFROE06y6QKW3U8QtdRBAP2JMf27qEWS44/w640-h426/Pied+Flycatcher+8A5A5557.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pied Flycatcher (John Hawkins)<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p>They are engaging little birds. Early one morning recently, I stood close to an old dry-stone wall marking the boundary of an abandoned olive grove. There was a pack of Sardinian Warblers, clearly agitated. I got the feeling that I was not their concern, and true enough a cocky little Weasel lolloped along the top of the wall towards me, pausing when registering me and then snuffling down in between the stones. On a branch just above it a vigilant Pied Flycatcher repetitively gave its alarm whilst simultaneously raising one wing as if flagging a staccato signal.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSSMC_Z-sITUIYqYeim4pubGL65E1kciMJ_h-nVMqu_GlPZy6brL-SSTACyaTZa1FLQfhVz8FJ9Vl_LaxgBm76jblnyCwaOiBRF_ptgRJgSSSsvT2rzjoP_4mITl_aC6LYYv9BPsi-t_k/s1121/Spotted+Flycatcher+a+DSC01040.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="913" data-original-width="1121" height="522" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSSMC_Z-sITUIYqYeim4pubGL65E1kciMJ_h-nVMqu_GlPZy6brL-SSTACyaTZa1FLQfhVz8FJ9Vl_LaxgBm76jblnyCwaOiBRF_ptgRJgSSSsvT2rzjoP_4mITl_aC6LYYv9BPsi-t_k/w640-h522/Spotted+Flycatcher+a+DSC01040.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Spotted Flycatcher (Martin Kelsey)<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p><br />The plainer Spotted Flycatchers are fewer in number. For the last two days, a young bird has adopted a corner of our garden as its stopover. The scientific species name for it<i> striata</i>, is a more accurate description of its appearance, being finely streaked on the head and breast rather than spotted. The pale tips of the wing coverts, forming a wing bar, told me that this bird was on its very first migration. It is making this journey entirely on its own. Somehow, almost miraculously, an internal genetic message makes connection with the position of a star, Polaris, 433 light years away and this bird's brain calculates angle of inclination and time to check its solitary nocturnal flight. Countless generations worth of inheritance, lodged in its genes will also tell it when to stop, in some Sahelian thicket on the other side of a two-thousand kilometres crossing of the Sahara. All on its own.</p><p>In the meantime it had found our garden. Each afternoon it has perched on a couple of bramble twigs in a dappled corner where a column of midges gathers, lit up by a shaft of sunlight. In exemplary flycatcher fashion, it makes sallies from the perch, returning to the same spot. These short flights vary. Some are downward sweeps, curving and then rising back to the perch. Others strike out horizontally, with a bank and swerve to return. I have also watched it rise vertically, perhaps to ten metres from the ground, before a sharp descent to the twig. On the first afternoon, it was averaging a sally every 25 seconds. It was there for at least an hour and 55 minutes. During that time it had probably made 276 flights. The success rate was impossible to estimate, given the prey items were so small, but sometimes I heard a snap of the bill closing quickly. On such occasions I suspect the insect, caught up in the stiff bristles close to the base of the bill, had found its way into the flycatcher`s gape. The bird had earned its name.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF338oWhBfHmFtNgkB8wdTEuRw_JnoDrOj9sXhBWsUY7lRKww8nYhbL3QM1J5vDYz7ioKp6gFTSPGRmlXyQhNljBeuQcL_mfoi9UBlzuiInBIK4IiDEg9CmlZMtSYhq-iyDLtkGFHnrUw/s1024/Spotted+Flycatcher+DSC01032.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="898" data-original-width="1024" height="562" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF338oWhBfHmFtNgkB8wdTEuRw_JnoDrOj9sXhBWsUY7lRKww8nYhbL3QM1J5vDYz7ioKp6gFTSPGRmlXyQhNljBeuQcL_mfoi9UBlzuiInBIK4IiDEg9CmlZMtSYhq-iyDLtkGFHnrUw/w640-h562/Spotted+Flycatcher+DSC01032.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Spotted Flycatcher (Martin Kelsey)<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p><br />This young Spotted Flycatcher was not the only bird attracted to these midges. A crowd of Red-rumped Swallows took turns to make individual sorties, gliding across my view and fluttering to swivel and take an insect. They accompanied these manoeuvres with delighted chortles. Curiously absent on the first afternoon, other species had come on board by the second. House Sparrows ungainly but gameful, plunged into space, poorly equipped to catch these tiny insects. A Blue Tit tried its luck, flying upwards in a flurry of wingbeats. More impressive were the attempts of a Stonechat, learning to use a single lookout and masterly sweeping glides almost as impressively as its model. Perhaps it was fanciful, but it seemed that the Spotted Flycatcher had started a trend.</p><p> </p>Martin Kelsey at Birding Extremadurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02527391716863398379noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4896347117172701185.post-83038105081354882102020-08-15T21:43:00.008+02:002020-08-16T09:29:17.278+02:00Wandering minstrels<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSGCfEpsaMiSNVLy0s_2e1m4JJU7KCZyQZTBEhsrV4BsAjsAD7AMUi3aTCzq2tD9SgOWW-Y8c3AjohKGowtSiOiYjrJlcZr1LNw-m_d1NDpmFwQ_FnswyEwRfEgw6afJt9ExJhaNQpwQY/s1066/Willow+Warbler+a+DSC00868.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="994" data-original-width="1066" height="597" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSGCfEpsaMiSNVLy0s_2e1m4JJU7KCZyQZTBEhsrV4BsAjsAD7AMUi3aTCzq2tD9SgOWW-Y8c3AjohKGowtSiOiYjrJlcZr1LNw-m_d1NDpmFwQ_FnswyEwRfEgw6afJt9ExJhaNQpwQY/w640-h597/Willow+Warbler+a+DSC00868.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Willow Warbler (Martin Kelsey)</span></td></tr></tbody></table><p><br /></p><p>Nature tells me that by 15th August autumn has arrived in Extremadura. There is something about the freshness at dawn, after nights that have now lengthened to almost ten and half hours long. The turquoise midday sky is now bereft of Black Kites, most of which are already in Africa. And the arrival of a tiny bird from northern Europe marks the change of season with certainty. </p><p>This morning I watched a loose group of four of these lemon-soft sprites foraging along our driveway. In tireless fashion they popped in and out of view amongst the narrow leaves of an almond tree. It was an exploration with a search-image of miniscule arthropods, to be found on the underside of the leaves. These were reachable by peering from a perch, or by making a short, fluttering hover just bill-distance from the foliage. Exhausting possibilities there, they flew across the drive onto a patch of lawn and then onto the gravel. So engrossed were they in their morning foray for food, that they ignored me completely. They approached my hidden form, exploring, it seemed, the sides of each pebble in their way.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih7cx3-Sla1beGVMleAqPnTVKtXH7CtYvGuv3Y7TPYBUk88vKqYkjdOw7r17W9XOy5qCClHdy2m50uUpMeH2wVaZ4Jl6UDJm2PO2A4OXmekOJhM0Qk-yGaJzJ81pz64O0kN_kSKyPz9G0/s702/Willow+Warbler+a+DSC00801.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="509" data-original-width="702" height="464" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih7cx3-Sla1beGVMleAqPnTVKtXH7CtYvGuv3Y7TPYBUk88vKqYkjdOw7r17W9XOy5qCClHdy2m50uUpMeH2wVaZ4Jl6UDJm2PO2A4OXmekOJhM0Qk-yGaJzJ81pz64O0kN_kSKyPz9G0/w640-h464/Willow+Warbler+a+DSC00801.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Two Willow Warblers (Martin Kelsey)</span><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p><br />The Spanish name for this passage migrant is the <i>Mosquitero Musical </i>(the "musical flycatcher"), whereas I know it by its somewhat more prosaic English name: the Willow Warbler. They caught my imagination when I was a young birder in several ways. I read that they weighed less than 10g, which meant that you could put one in an envelope and post it at standard letter rate. Yet, remarkably they spent the winter in tropical Africa, many travelling as far as South Africa. The arrival of Willow Warblers in Europe is heralded by sound (hence the Spanish name) - to my ears one of the most moving and sweetest of all bird song. A simple, almost fragile, cadence of pure mood-lifting notes, for me in Britain, it marked spring. </p><p>In Extremadura, Willow Warblers are birds of passage. They make a brief appearance in spring, stopping just for a few days and often detectable by short bouts of practice singing. For a song so significant to my memories, this moment makes me stop in my tracks and close my eyes. For a few seconds I want no distractions. In this extraordinary lockdown year, I feared that I would miss this experience - but on one morning, on the 16th April to be precise, just for barely a minute, a wavering sweet sound gently weeped from deep in a holm oak tree close to our front gate. And that was that, my only Willow Warbler this spring.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWHOUVyF9AzMQfwVGVdcSWGLctJzNeWKxMCfVs525Nu-iofmzv-kda5Cwt0sPPBhBC1tD08UYQOz5Bu7NyqJYPUiltgzfT0XUvtiJdWSn6qFJjZCmTCHGQrkTDuqgo091nZSWrIXo_m6Y/s843/Willow+Warbler+a+DSC00749.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="669" data-original-width="843" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWHOUVyF9AzMQfwVGVdcSWGLctJzNeWKxMCfVs525Nu-iofmzv-kda5Cwt0sPPBhBC1tD08UYQOz5Bu7NyqJYPUiltgzfT0XUvtiJdWSn6qFJjZCmTCHGQrkTDuqgo091nZSWrIXo_m6Y/s640/Willow+Warbler+a+DSC00749.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Willow Warbler in almond tree (Martin Kelsey)</span><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p><br /></p><p>In the autumn, it is another story. The wandering mistrels are largely silent, bar an occasional soft call note. But they are everywhere. As numbers build up during August and September, they can be encountered not just in the woodland habitat that one would expect, but also right out on the open plains, perched on wire fences and dropping down in the crisp withered grasses to feed. Barren this landscape might appear, but for the Willow Warblers this is likely to be their last prolonged stopover to feed up before making that truly extraordinary crossing of the Sahara Desert. Flying at night to avoid the heat and predators, they will rest, if lucky, at an oasis - if not, then in the shade of a stone. But yet, by mid August Willow Warblers have been recorded in Mauritania, in late August in Kenya and by September, there are already records of Willow Warblers in South Africa.</p>Martin Kelsey at Birding Extremadurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02527391716863398379noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4896347117172701185.post-53165690564733779032020-08-07T14:19:00.001+02:002020-08-07T14:19:12.436+02:00A swift appointment<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEielBC_NnI2OAfePn1_rfBnGt-KHqQAdO8PV3nIclW0UZg1uivh-nwBLg9S6nIgOjhb1gb9bKRvDiRRgYTtVphGfH3rObMlZXJEsLdLTJI7JQY8EUen3u6mdI9XuK2vscV_WaLnI0d14hY/s510/Pallid+swift+a+DSC00627.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="415" data-original-width="510" height="521" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEielBC_NnI2OAfePn1_rfBnGt-KHqQAdO8PV3nIclW0UZg1uivh-nwBLg9S6nIgOjhb1gb9bKRvDiRRgYTtVphGfH3rObMlZXJEsLdLTJI7JQY8EUen3u6mdI9XuK2vscV_WaLnI0d14hY/w640-h521/Pallid+swift+a+DSC00627.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">An appointment with Pallid Swifts (Martin Kelsey)</span><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p><br />Standing in Trujillo's main square one evening this week, loud screams distracted my quiet contemplation of the socially-distanced groups dining at the pavement cafes. The disturbance came from above. At the rooftops, small bats rolled out from their roosts and fluttered over the tiles. But the sound came from higher still. Only then, squinting hard into the disappearing light of when evening turns to night, did I make out the culprits. A swirling gang, wheeling and dealing swifts, growing in density as if by vortex, others were sucked in. Perhaps there were sixty or so, it was hard to tell. I glanced back to cafes and realised that no one else was peering, stiff-necked, upwards. I was the only one mesmerised by these aerial barracudas. Perhaps no one else had even heard the screams.</p><p><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuRwoXSDoPFcul5tUj9s5tTxLOOHrMEm7xD1eqiCfv8IwsV3jcuqzQbRUz0S8zyl3hwdj_Cr68vgaZ_jKfSXQS2VB-8PUDOAXBrNGMLFU_2ZD_WBG6o5zD4FUFt6WWABkuSx_wygWVbBE/s762/swifts+a+DSC00599.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding: 1em 0px;"><img border="0" data-original-height="485" data-original-width="762" height="407" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuRwoXSDoPFcul5tUj9s5tTxLOOHrMEm7xD1eqiCfv8IwsV3jcuqzQbRUz0S8zyl3hwdj_Cr68vgaZ_jKfSXQS2VB-8PUDOAXBrNGMLFU_2ZD_WBG6o5zD4FUFt6WWABkuSx_wygWVbBE/w640-h407/swifts+a+DSC00599.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Swifts gathering (Martin Kelsey)</span><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p><br /></p><p>Gravity sucked these long, stiff-winged birds downwards, plunging towards the cavities and cracks in the masonry in the 16th century palaces cornering the square. There they would roost. Some of the swifts swooped, as in a victory lap, proudly straight to their chosen spots. Others took on an odd fluttering flight, tentative and unpractised. I wondered if these were juvenile birds.</p><p>With darkness, the sound disappeared, but I remained standing, quite exhausted simply as a witness. I vowed to return.</p><p>And so it was a dawn today, fifteen minutes before sunrise. There were just three other people in the square, all bemasked. An elderly man sat on a bench, with a stoic gaze. There were two street-cleaners, in hi-visibility jackets, busy beside their small trolly-van. Bats were returning to their roosts and forays of Spotless Starlings, were erupting from the trees in bee-lines to the grasslands out of town. Above the belfry of the Church of St. Martin, above the now empty White Stork nests, higher still, came the sound of screams. And there was the frenzied pack of swifts. They had beaten me to it, up in the sky before I had even entered the square. The light was slowly growing, the sun still below the horizon, but the sky already washed pearly blue, with Venus to the east and the waning moon to the west. From the slightly disyllabic call and their shape, I reckoned that almost all of the swifts were Pallid. This surmise was confirmed as the sun rose and their grey-brown plumage was evident. Indeed, I only saw one sootier Common Swift that I was sure of. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfkDtsM-Eq7f-iJ3xdVz07uByGcpwlI00DWNSD5UiP0zQa0QYKTez8QMw17DVgwEFpEFv9uDRrkeHd2giMi0i9rqdWdp60E2gwaXuChw6FLC-wHsLw67GOmoNT9S-MbXNXvNIG6gFRz5Q/s1095/Trujillo+DSC00657.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding: 1em 0px;"><img border="0" data-original-height="730" data-original-width="1095" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfkDtsM-Eq7f-iJ3xdVz07uByGcpwlI00DWNSD5UiP0zQa0QYKTez8QMw17DVgwEFpEFv9uDRrkeHd2giMi0i9rqdWdp60E2gwaXuChw6FLC-wHsLw67GOmoNT9S-MbXNXvNIG6gFRz5Q/s640/Trujillo+DSC00657.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Morning in the main square of Trujillo (Martin Kelsey)</span><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p><br /></p><p>The flock started to disperse. Some headed off, whilst others returned, almost to ground level, in their terrifying chases of twos and threes, at breakneck speed and extraordinary in agility, with twists and turns to avoid the sides of buildings, almost ricocheting down the alleys leading off the square. Too fast to follow with binoculars, they left me breathless.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKVE8MTq6AhuLH6pCCMVtmJa6IglFI5iYvVLkgpL9SnSAyVPCXEqG9Fn5AR8hivrzbQEOgoMrXPA6UQ_2agKQbD8cBvD9jTmzaw9q91pFP29MRFWGBN5LT1SAwPkGMOXgTq1rQDAUdNzs/s548/Crag+Martin+a+DSC00680.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="365" data-original-width="548" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKVE8MTq6AhuLH6pCCMVtmJa6IglFI5iYvVLkgpL9SnSAyVPCXEqG9Fn5AR8hivrzbQEOgoMrXPA6UQ_2agKQbD8cBvD9jTmzaw9q91pFP29MRFWGBN5LT1SAwPkGMOXgTq1rQDAUdNzs/w640-h426/Crag+Martin+a+DSC00680.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Crag Martins taking in the early morning sun (Martin Kelsey)</span><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p><br /></p><p>When my turn came to leave, there were a mere handful of swifts left to watch, whilst on the now sunlit granite walls on the western side of the square, thirty Crag Martins gathered in a loose group to sunbathe and preen, enchanting in their quiet and purposeful busyness.</p>Martin Kelsey at Birding Extremadurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02527391716863398379noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4896347117172701185.post-47402288219782900752020-07-28T19:09:00.002+02:002020-07-28T20:54:30.455+02:00Secret pools<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKiv-kpcC1buG4Qpfngwqf4EOaaU0WVPDVJG4x0kVkchR5iDf0CGfLRWgCdNrVDN6tCPNFdhq1XFo0w7hOFQrMoXVwIvQbqWs2LD0A36DcWpHDEbsmZzmEBlvQ7LJkbsxiHwcrzLWs4z8/s1095/DSC00297.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="730" data-original-width="1095" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKiv-kpcC1buG4Qpfngwqf4EOaaU0WVPDVJG4x0kVkchR5iDf0CGfLRWgCdNrVDN6tCPNFdhq1XFo0w7hOFQrMoXVwIvQbqWs2LD0A36DcWpHDEbsmZzmEBlvQ7LJkbsxiHwcrzLWs4z8/w640-h426/DSC00297.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><font size="2">The secret pools (Martin Kelsey)</font><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div>Just over forty kilometres from home, the place could have been on another continent. Standing in the shade of a grove of alders and strawberry trees, amongst water-smoothed boulders, a deep dappled pool fed by a gushing torrent, I felt bourne away to a sub-tropical Andean mountain stream. The water in the pool was so clear that I watched shoals of small fish twisting in silver flashes. We were tucked into a gorge, a strip of lush green squeezed between the thrusts of ancient quartzite. The crests of the cliffs above us were the eroded splinters of these vertical planes, extraordinarily held in place by gravity. The high-summer blue sky was constantly criss-crossed by Griffon Vultures, along with flutters of Crag Martins and Red-rumped Swallows. A group of four nimble White-rumped Swifts chased each other in front of the rock face. <div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja4nTe1bdl7wxuJmANpnhEkMZmOFl5nLXUBRaGrfH9lrI6Xj3CNGZnGJVoyhFmzXVvfMIsPnKuXLTCyC0ZkNhJkPdmFD64TAe-IG7NrVkHe6KPc91dIpVFN1VAj622JrZUpKXBbEgKFpQ/s1095/DSC00412.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="730" data-original-width="1095" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja4nTe1bdl7wxuJmANpnhEkMZmOFl5nLXUBRaGrfH9lrI6Xj3CNGZnGJVoyhFmzXVvfMIsPnKuXLTCyC0ZkNhJkPdmFD64TAe-IG7NrVkHe6KPc91dIpVFN1VAj622JrZUpKXBbEgKFpQ/w640-h426/DSC00412.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><font size="2">A constant flow (Martin Kelsey</font></td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><div>The stream entering the gorge had long ago dried-up. The gushing cool water now at our feet seemed close to miraculous. There was no visible source. Neither was there a path through this hidden, magical gorge. We scambled over boulders, squeezing between them to drop to a patch of shingle and then negotiated the twists of tree roots and more rocks. The view of our way ahead was sometimes visible as a series of sunlit small pools, with small waterfalls at each stepped descent, under an arch of green. A yelping call broke the silence and in front a dark form stood close to the water. Checking with our binoculars, we could see that it was a young Golden Eagle, which had come down to drink or bathe. It flew off, the base of its tail flashing white through the dappled shade.</div><div><br /></div><div>Our pursuit was dragonflies and their presence strengthened this tropical sensation. Two species of spreadwings clustered in groups, hanging from exposed rootlets in the shade of boles of twisted trees. Blue Keeled Skimmers and red Broad Scarlets zigzagged to territorial chases. Away from the water and spending most of their time perched on withered flower stems were darters. Most were Common Darters with their florid mosaic pattern on the side of the thorax, but we were pleased to find two Southern Darters, a highly localised species in Extremadura and this site was well away from known areas. </div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigRvFJOFh_y3A-8rDBBuWAavFJlA-xzuHU0dH9HLEkiuTvetWk1BIaAeO7_zTnZgEChqFzlSqgFQguk6-hy7z3SFwsBlYzGxCrAMKHHNRjI52gBSMdGZq09j0JqF4DxcZfSUy_mstt9-g/s783/Southern+Darter+a+DSC00300.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="657" data-original-width="783" height="538" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigRvFJOFh_y3A-8rDBBuWAavFJlA-xzuHU0dH9HLEkiuTvetWk1BIaAeO7_zTnZgEChqFzlSqgFQguk6-hy7z3SFwsBlYzGxCrAMKHHNRjI52gBSMdGZq09j0JqF4DxcZfSUy_mstt9-g/w640-h538/Southern+Darter+a+DSC00300.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><font size="2">Southern Darter (Martin Kelsey)</font><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><div>A Western Spectre poked around under the fronds of waterside vegetation, before zooming up the bank and finding a rocky overhang where it rested, suspended vertically, in deep and obscure shade. Small Pincertails rested too, but in sunny spots.</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyg6pyLNP3-38t8eX-Dy9sVrahmbVR9q0-imeo3nLpL80R1Jh9bCEm0GuAPY8N51dT_XeGF62-TZXOobV9xh9Ph0pGKJ73_JjYGN7Lgs23f9ZP3bq9GRHtJ35X_B2Thqc_jaH46C12VnA/s1001/Small+Pincertail+a+DSC00324.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="792" data-original-width="1001" height="506" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyg6pyLNP3-38t8eX-Dy9sVrahmbVR9q0-imeo3nLpL80R1Jh9bCEm0GuAPY8N51dT_XeGF62-TZXOobV9xh9Ph0pGKJ73_JjYGN7Lgs23f9ZP3bq9GRHtJ35X_B2Thqc_jaH46C12VnA/w640-h506/Small+Pincertail+a+DSC00324.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><font size="2">Small Pincertail (Martin Kelsey)</font></td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Stopping where we planned to finish the exploration, I looked a little further downstream. Through my binoculars, a red dragonfly caught my attention, somehow looking even brighter than the Scarlet Darters. I scrambled onward to where I could get a closer look. In almost disbelief, I realised what it was. Below me was an Orange-winged Dropwing. Only recorded for the first time in Spain in 2007 in Malaga, this African species has established itself across parts of southern Spain. I had been looking for it for several years in Extremadura, where it had been found in just a handful of places in the last few years. It has a reputation of favouring small ponds and fountains in town parks and even swimming pools. This secret setting could not have been further removed from that, with its pebbly pools filled with pure crystalline water.</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4ClIHE470GhKo7VuvsFHoTPjchkmFi3_b9X7grFpMuW3whyphenhyphennv7hRNwooGlNIYkkbOPKyH3sVu7FvnH4_zHe8mm2CqBWZM2rJN_OjAbKDl6EIw9ZQChlMIkUNqHHAN3s83zOJv-RbxfrY/s1487/Orange-winged+Dropwing+a+DSC00329.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1245" data-original-width="1487" height="536" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4ClIHE470GhKo7VuvsFHoTPjchkmFi3_b9X7grFpMuW3whyphenhyphennv7hRNwooGlNIYkkbOPKyH3sVu7FvnH4_zHe8mm2CqBWZM2rJN_OjAbKDl6EIw9ZQChlMIkUNqHHAN3s83zOJv-RbxfrY/w640-h536/Orange-winged+Dropwing+a+DSC00329.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><font size="2">Orange-winged Dropwing (Martin Kelsey)</font><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><div>The heat of the day drove the dragonfly to obelisk. Holding its abdomen vertically and wings splayed, as it perched at the sharp tip of a rush, the posture is thought to help the insect control its temperature. The broad saffron-orange bases to both pairs of wings is also supposed to manage the heat, as well as making the species so distinctive. I could see that many of the veins across the wing were also pigmented red, whilst the <i>pterostigma</i>, the coloured cell at the outer edge of the wing, was rather small and dark. </div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9y7y1jTnRQI4lJiEifnpi2ASqIqeNJB4phvTz8GBSZGv1ni9q4xXQ5z3Im_-EANI3f7y2-MWWoYYOhyphenhyphenpSvWy41xcGwWFEiZnvxTGsrRka2c7X7jyhi73NMD9LW3aIaG_CHJJjmzEiOvM/s1765/Orange-winged+Dropwing+a+DSC00343.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1397" data-original-width="1765" height="506" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9y7y1jTnRQI4lJiEifnpi2ASqIqeNJB4phvTz8GBSZGv1ni9q4xXQ5z3Im_-EANI3f7y2-MWWoYYOhyphenhyphenpSvWy41xcGwWFEiZnvxTGsrRka2c7X7jyhi73NMD9LW3aIaG_CHJJjmzEiOvM/w640-h506/Orange-winged+Dropwing+a+DSC00343.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><font size="2">Obelisking Orange-winged Dropwing (Martin Kelsey)</font><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>The heat causing this obelisking behaviour also drove us to take a celebratory swim in the deep shady pool just upstream. The water temperature was perfect and we could float on our backs looking up to the crags through the canopy and the vultures gliding above. The sensation was totally sublime. With trepidation we gathered our belongings and made the climb back to the top of gorge. As soon as we left the narrow confines of shade, the water disappeared and we trudged across the bleached dry watercourse in a crispy-brown floored dehesa woodland, battered by a 40º C heat. It felt as if we had crossed from the verdant Andean subtropics to the Outback in the space of a minute.</div><div><br /></div><div> </div></div>Martin Kelsey at Birding Extremadurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02527391716863398379noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4896347117172701185.post-69706797547032624032020-07-14T14:20:00.001+02:002020-07-14T14:20:17.047+02:00A moving feast<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0vZYOz5tDszdBFo3-2HeVIq7IuHrgCtzYKlYzPtJ__qY5vkMzUNbCl2AbsSd6lEDbHHM78C-TldLWNoUCx3RiamEkb3d5jbqDDN-NX48_iQ5IdIpaknwjC5NWjIzQaMwnnF7jQYX1O0k/s1039/Collared+Pratincole+a+DSC09912.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="718" data-original-width="1039" height="442" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0vZYOz5tDszdBFo3-2HeVIq7IuHrgCtzYKlYzPtJ__qY5vkMzUNbCl2AbsSd6lEDbHHM78C-TldLWNoUCx3RiamEkb3d5jbqDDN-NX48_iQ5IdIpaknwjC5NWjIzQaMwnnF7jQYX1O0k/w640-h442/Collared+Pratincole+a+DSC09912.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><font size="2">Collared Pratincole (Martin Kelsey)</font><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div>The rice fields are at their most uniform. A vast spread of small rectangular plots, all with lush lime-green growing crop, are fed by a hierarchy of canals, channels, ditches and plastic-lined breaks in the bunds. The water is gravity-carried from the Sierra Brava Reservoir. Bare-earth bunds retain the paddies, their upper part baked by the 40º heat, the lower half of the bank darkened by the osmotic rise of moisture. These bunds are alleyways for the birds hanging out here: freshly arrived Northern Lapwings, gangs of Tree Sparrows, rows of White Storks and Cattle Egrets and the clay-coloured Collared Pratincoles. These anomalous waders shuffle on their short legs, but maintain an elegance thanks to their long wings neatly folded over their forked tails. When at rest at a distance they appear rather dowdy, but when closer, my attention is carried to their heads and necks: their short, curved bill, reddish at its base, a creamy throat neatly defined in black.<div><br /></div><div>In the thumping heat, the birds on these raised banks appear to be the only sign of animal life. But as I gaze across the blank green monoculture, flakes of gold glint in constant horizontal motion above the crop. Hundreds, no thousands, are in view. They zigzag and cruise, rise and drop. The <i>Typha </i>shoots growing in the irrigation ditches are tipped by them at rest. This is a colossal biomass of dragonflies, all of a single species: Red-veined Darters. In the space of just a couple of weeks since my last visit, they have emerged into a magnificent celebration of summer. </div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip_7sOYKD_WG39OjhxZhf4I4WqbRKWyBe0C-zxH3ocNFS_UMThbDKl-8TW_FBR34J7Mk6MIAp6aQeW4wKVUc9-P3ZuRnablXqThLnwnOvEuUytRyvjvg87iUWvjNfnOw_i0NZ9dItJVHA/s1095/Coll+Prat+Red-veined+Darter+DSC00064.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="730" data-original-width="1095" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip_7sOYKD_WG39OjhxZhf4I4WqbRKWyBe0C-zxH3ocNFS_UMThbDKl-8TW_FBR34J7Mk6MIAp6aQeW4wKVUc9-P3ZuRnablXqThLnwnOvEuUytRyvjvg87iUWvjNfnOw_i0NZ9dItJVHA/w640-h426/Coll+Prat+Red-veined+Darter+DSC00064.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><font size="2">Red-veined Darters (Martin Kelsey)</font><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><div>Their arrival is celebrated too. I notice a Bee-eater on a wire, its bill swiping the dragonfly against its perch in a well-practised manoeuvre. But it is the Collared Pratincoles that are feasting this morning. They rise from the bunds, their long tern-like wings carrying them on a pursuit flight that is sweeping and erratic, echoing that of the darters. They make a return, dragonflies in their bills, borne for their fledged young, standing in wait, spotty and expectant on the bund.</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihz0iBRFDgb8jnel48f-6P0T9Z0rToucSADzBUlMXB2vS8JK40wNrSGrS4xl0cPpfEVkpBIvUOQP4oojChAF2oS7yZf8Ql2DnQaY7kCU3t5DvCdH-p1LFlQ0cKjbk2hS_UDSHQfQ4wS_k/s1282/Collared+Pratincole+a+DSC09834.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="870" data-original-width="1282" height="434" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihz0iBRFDgb8jnel48f-6P0T9Z0rToucSADzBUlMXB2vS8JK40wNrSGrS4xl0cPpfEVkpBIvUOQP4oojChAF2oS7yZf8Ql2DnQaY7kCU3t5DvCdH-p1LFlQ0cKjbk2hS_UDSHQfQ4wS_k/w640-h434/Collared+Pratincole+a+DSC09834.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><font size="2">Juvenile Collared Pratincole (Martin Kelsey)<br /></font></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>One bird close to me has opted for a less energetic way to snatch the dragonflies. Noticing how there is a continuous movement of Red-veined Darters leaving the field and how they lose height as they cross the interface of crop and track, this Collared Pratincole stands in wait. As a dragonfly passes close enough, the bird crouches in readiness to attack. </div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS4dozgI6Z0TyTm_yVzORiqoqHvOv6w92trfZPvhXdrQTOxY597ZfMRGFvYHBzlI5Umo65W8NM2YaM8Mnyvctz9Meul7Uyxa6STOWNi9mOPgCIgQdCXhks0AHwBDVIyuzlcblVXwOsOtA/s1307/Collared+Pratincole+a+DSC09956.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1307" height="522" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS4dozgI6Z0TyTm_yVzORiqoqHvOv6w92trfZPvhXdrQTOxY597ZfMRGFvYHBzlI5Umo65W8NM2YaM8Mnyvctz9Meul7Uyxa6STOWNi9mOPgCIgQdCXhks0AHwBDVIyuzlcblVXwOsOtA/w640-h522/Collared+Pratincole+a+DSC09956.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><font size="2">Collared Pratincole ready to strike (Martin Kelsey)</font><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><div>As released by a trigger, the pratincole springs forward with a lunge and a rapid series of steps. Sometimes this is climaxed by a short flutter, wings outstretched, showing the ochre-red underwing, and its tail spread - an unexpected striking white, tipped with black.</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDxeMIf0Y-YKsP1eFyFnlK7t4o52i4WqeCiVsu3WyUqbm55tm2SoUfUSX2qkTwDtWm-vOI9KPtxdQrsuOef3itvU9CefPybsLCybe-rauHARMFJGg83eD2lU_yYuilRMZhwearmu0cn_I/s1108/Collared+Pratincole+a+DSC09957.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="931" data-original-width="1108" height="538" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDxeMIf0Y-YKsP1eFyFnlK7t4o52i4WqeCiVsu3WyUqbm55tm2SoUfUSX2qkTwDtWm-vOI9KPtxdQrsuOef3itvU9CefPybsLCybe-rauHARMFJGg83eD2lU_yYuilRMZhwearmu0cn_I/w640-h538/Collared+Pratincole+a+DSC09957.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><font size="2">With Red-veined Darter (Martin Kelsey)</font><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>A rice-farmer on a bicycle, a mattock across the handlebars, wobbles into view and the pratincole is pursuaded to fly across the field to the bund on the opposite side. As I continue on my way, the stream of countless darters remains in flow.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><div><br /></div><div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div></div></div>Martin Kelsey at Birding Extremadurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02527391716863398379noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4896347117172701185.post-82542464991910460342020-07-03T18:42:00.001+02:002020-07-03T18:43:04.109+02:00Melting into a shadow<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMwADY9WNHEFdmUAFY_8YCXv9O77L15-gcQSp6hRVb-5Ua06wUx3s5jAC8Devaj1kwyXpBUoEK7QrpQA5Mpk3WZeDIT_J2aviu2cDZiPuBm3j4jpJnUFrxBFie-fvOmDcEpV0LTqs4CnA/s659/Nightingale+a+DSC09767.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="545" data-original-width="659" height="518" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMwADY9WNHEFdmUAFY_8YCXv9O77L15-gcQSp6hRVb-5Ua06wUx3s5jAC8Devaj1kwyXpBUoEK7QrpQA5Mpk3WZeDIT_J2aviu2cDZiPuBm3j4jpJnUFrxBFie-fvOmDcEpV0LTqs4CnA/w625-h518/Nightingale+a+DSC09767.jpg" width="625" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><font size="2">Juvenile Nightingale (Martin Kelsey)</font><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div>As dusk approaches, a dark and long-legged sprite bounds into view. Its effortless long hops make the bird seem weightless, or at least as light as a feather. As it lands it holds its slender body upright, wings droop slightly and the tail raises just above the horizontal. It peers quizzically sideways and leans forward. Changing its mind, with its tail making a hesitant quiver, it springs into another three hops. A pause again, but this time a peck and its tweezer-like bill nips up an ant from the stone paving. <div><br /></div><div>The tail is burnt sienna in colour, its upperparts duller brown with a greyish paler wash below. The combination of pale buffy spots on its back and wing-coverts and its mottled head and breast suggest a young bird. It is indeed a juvenile Nightingale, just starting to venture out on its own. It is not bothered by my presence, hopping to within two metres from me, and then only diverting away thanks to the distraction of the harvester ant trail nearby. </div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgVmLEs7i1zoNOsnpSuNInYnAGXX52CwBt18Txj5Rn0by_bpq06q9flOBCHG9NwbVCR9kp6MjqoFaL7sUckLNfT7FX9sLG4J1UBaGgrUWvyZOcOdn6EVTbu4fC_mTXjmIGutpezLrEuTw/s632/Nightingale+a+DSC08148.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="523" data-original-width="632" height="518" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgVmLEs7i1zoNOsnpSuNInYnAGXX52CwBt18Txj5Rn0by_bpq06q9flOBCHG9NwbVCR9kp6MjqoFaL7sUckLNfT7FX9sLG4J1UBaGgrUWvyZOcOdn6EVTbu4fC_mTXjmIGutpezLrEuTw/w625-h518/Nightingale+a+DSC08148.jpg" width="625" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><font size="2">The juvenile's father, the male Nightingale in full song in April (Martin Kelsey) </font><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><div>It is the offspring of the Nightingale that accompanied our lockdown. All April he sang through day and night in the trees close to the house, loudest in the early hours, stamping his presence in glorious decibels. Together with his mate, they nested in the garden and one of their brood now accompanies me every evening.</div><div><br /></div><div>No longer is there springtime song, that embracing flow of liquid richness. Instead, the Nightingales now utter a loud grating croak, sometimes described as frog-like, but more like a mechanical ratchet. When especially alarmed, they give a piercing truncated whistle, jarring and strident.</div><div><br /></div><div>I have seen his parents around too, their feathers looking tired and patchy. They are starting to moult and will take about 45 days to replace all of their feathers. This ensures that they are in fit condition as they embark on their journey across the Sahara to spend the winter in Central Africa. The youngster will lose its spots over the next few weeks, so that when it is ready to migrate, making the same journey alone, guided by a genetically-determined map and navigational tools, it will look very similar to its parents.</div><div><br /></div><div>During the heat of the day there is no sound or motion, perhaps like me, the Nightingales are taking a siesta. The evening brings this bird out of the shade. I watch it hopping close to me, peering at the ground and base of the walls until twenty minutes after sunset, it then hops back into the shade, barely visible in the dusk light, melting back into a shadow.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>Martin Kelsey at Birding Extremadurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02527391716863398379noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4896347117172701185.post-31704603473230529282020-06-14T11:40:00.010+02:002020-06-15T09:29:18.790+02:00A land of extremes<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJR2U7hNR1zGU4-FLlKN6Xd0R5-oHYVK-H5S7zmgXl28MlKABmbQ6VGm3J8MdF7-zkVfNeEmCmoRDWx2_QuWcNvs3-Lg-yNIx-0dj4X84s-y1H1_HcMjC4gSg00P7GMtIFUFxmJitRjS4/s1095/La+Serena+DSC09043.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="730" data-original-width="1095" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJR2U7hNR1zGU4-FLlKN6Xd0R5-oHYVK-H5S7zmgXl28MlKABmbQ6VGm3J8MdF7-zkVfNeEmCmoRDWx2_QuWcNvs3-Lg-yNIx-0dj4X84s-y1H1_HcMjC4gSg00P7GMtIFUFxmJitRjS4/w640-h426/La+Serena+DSC09043.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><font size="2">La Serena (Martin Kelsey)</font><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br />There is a popular misconception that the name of our region, Extremadura, is derived from the union of two Spanish words which translate as "extremely hard". It is a belief that reinforces another misconception: that the region is tough and inhospitable. An area that people have sought to escape from rather than to arrive in. Sure, on the vast plains in central and southern Extremadura, spring peters out early by mid-May. Thistles have seeded and grasses have hauntingly become dust-yellow and brittle. By then, these landscapes have indeed become extremely hard. The view north from the village of Peñalsorda in the deep south-east of Extremadura offers a panorama with undulations recalling desert dunes, with the remote castle of Puebla de Alcocer, marking a northern limit. Over much of the plains of La Serena the soil is so thin that slaty dog's teeth of crooked, jagged rock break the surface.<div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvJXyzDDJ455-Lxtr1np6XMOoGyh-nroJIvg9-BYnwHnO3KbZNxhoEKivZNwPBDgA1xsa3Y7O7uHGuY69_orX_g5JuNZj4MI12d2Cpo5lBouooyeoNltsmGtYLGPKde1fzG86Lbk0Qh6M/s1095/DSC08916.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="730" data-original-width="1095" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvJXyzDDJ455-Lxtr1np6XMOoGyh-nroJIvg9-BYnwHnO3KbZNxhoEKivZNwPBDgA1xsa3Y7O7uHGuY69_orX_g5JuNZj4MI12d2Cpo5lBouooyeoNltsmGtYLGPKde1fzG86Lbk0Qh6M/w640-h426/DSC08916.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><font size="2">Dog's Teeth (Martin Kelsey)</font><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><div>Hidden from that view, spidering through the topography to mark historic watercourses, lies the vast La Serena reservoir. Covering 14,000 hectares, today it is barely at 25% of its capacity. A testament to a decade of rainfall deficit. Bleached hillsides, bare of any live vegetation, or indeed soil, are evidence of where water used to be, reaching a line of geometric horizontal precision, the high water mark. Above that boundary parched herbaceous cover, tufty silvery grey <i>Retama</i> bushes and the occasional holm oak grow. The average capacity over the last decade was 75%. This was significant for the task in hand, as I was looking for heronries, using data from the previous national census a decade earlier.</div><div><br /></div><div>Carrying a government authorisation allowed me to travel outside the enclave of my own province (Cáceres) into the the southern half of Extremadura. COVID-19 lockdown was in a phased relaxation, with limits of movement still in place. Colonies of herons are often in zones of inundated dead trees. Now those trees stood on dry land, far from water. I had to go to the distant extreme of the reservoir where the River Esteras entered from Castille-La Mancha to find areas where the trees were still in, or beside, water. Parties of Red-billed Chough rippled over the sheep pasture whilst on silt beaches Little Terns were in courtship. A noisy chuntering endlessly flowed from the vast colony of Great Cormorants here, adults panting on their nests. Pock-marked through the skeletal structure of what would have been riverine gallery forest before the reservoir's dam was completed in 1990, were Grey Heron nests, finding protection at last.</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX9sYXcW59pqtiwlVZdVg7colGCtAJWboiV8CI5g_piQDh5qfGot-vzaCtDaDXamVIvLcd9-Ki7LnSAggv8lQ_CdaI7QFNqSn4NNACa-ivbqvGPODj3aJIw0K2-6mgUXHea_UGOAkrvaA/s986/DSC08928.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="657" data-original-width="986" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX9sYXcW59pqtiwlVZdVg7colGCtAJWboiV8CI5g_piQDh5qfGot-vzaCtDaDXamVIvLcd9-Ki7LnSAggv8lQ_CdaI7QFNqSn4NNACa-ivbqvGPODj3aJIw0K2-6mgUXHea_UGOAkrvaA/w640-h426/DSC08928.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><font size="2">Great Cormorant colony (Martin Kelsey)</font><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><div>My fieldwork also took me along slow-flowing rivers downstream of dams, where the species I encountered most often was the lithe Purple Heron. Their nests were much harder to find, bunkered down in the depths of <i>Typha </i>or <i>Phragmites </i>beds. But the birds were easy to see, sometimes in flight with their long-necks packed into a coil-like bulge, sometimes stationary at the edge of still water, eyes focussed for fish fry, ready for the brain to send its lethal message to the monstrous dagger of a bill. </div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOOfthzGud7-7kw39QsG1p2Fo3eI-02HfAUXBZskbeISNEzRNgZXaYWtrzUo0yKq8Yw63_nTPFYS6SfuYhhOktIU7xnBKWhbVRZt0Z9ims3qir6IebyToehjJC24M00EZnDSjaHW4-htI/s600/Purple+Heron+DSC09228.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="522" data-original-width="600" height="556" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOOfthzGud7-7kw39QsG1p2Fo3eI-02HfAUXBZskbeISNEzRNgZXaYWtrzUo0yKq8Yw63_nTPFYS6SfuYhhOktIU7xnBKWhbVRZt0Z9ims3qir6IebyToehjJC24M00EZnDSjaHW4-htI/w640-h556/Purple+Heron+DSC09228.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><font size="2">Purple Heron (Martin Kelsey)</font><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><div>In a straight line north-north-west of 185 km, or 268 km by road, my sense of extremes became absolute. A week after my exploration in the summer brown of La Serena, I now stood in a mountain flower meadow. I had shifted back in time to early spring. </div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuQ1BgoxKZGQO_jOIuEbGmr8bqPLNgRziHNXrN4gOYhnWqT1NuX2UbTnJLSO-_0kFQ9DCqsmr0TOni5324naWnaIdn3Vty5_DB0_0IW7SvP0iwDsWHM37Ltd4Vfk5aB53qDuxsPrSnRvc/s876/La+Garganta+DSC09203.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="584" data-original-width="876" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuQ1BgoxKZGQO_jOIuEbGmr8bqPLNgRziHNXrN4gOYhnWqT1NuX2UbTnJLSO-_0kFQ9DCqsmr0TOni5324naWnaIdn3Vty5_DB0_0IW7SvP0iwDsWHM37Ltd4Vfk5aB53qDuxsPrSnRvc/w640-h426/La+Garganta+DSC09203.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><font size="2">Mountain meadow in northern Extremadura (Martin Kelsey)</font><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><div>Butterflies were my pursuit but I became easily distracted by Red-backed Shrikes, Common Whitethroats and Firecrests, birds of more northern breeding ranges, captured as it were by the Extremadura's reach into the Gredos Mountains. I looked up to the broom moorland above the trees and a small pocket of snow sat tucked in a gully. Soft rattles of Western Bonelli's Warbler song reached me from all angles. There were a good selection of fritillary butterflies to soak in too. </div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXXU5RvmN0PSn5maK_b2gr9R45MwKP_RnPnE640HiH0pawuVch_JnbPfn6O9zsUr9bwvTNzgvPVIJVu_UGHvGmsBGnAv_apjvJD2PbNMWClqo8VIDNQ20uIFSlOhhjQGz289PuFtmu_rM/s896/Niobe+Fritillary+DSC09116.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="756" data-original-width="896" height="540" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXXU5RvmN0PSn5maK_b2gr9R45MwKP_RnPnE640HiH0pawuVch_JnbPfn6O9zsUr9bwvTNzgvPVIJVu_UGHvGmsBGnAv_apjvJD2PbNMWClqo8VIDNQ20uIFSlOhhjQGz289PuFtmu_rM/w640-h540/Niobe+Fritillary+DSC09116.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><font size="2">Niobe Fritillary (Martin Kelsey)</font><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><div>Marsh, Niobe and Knapweed were abundant, but these are quite widespread species in northern Extremadura, but the Small Pearl-bordered Fritillaries were, like the Red-backed Shrikes, right at the southern limit of their range, at home in a landscape that welcomed.</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXJvj7ldyrgbmxdYYvWFjDW8dt5BCsUUUuF58C5gFUSGGmZKnb5SN3KXJwJmGcVfNRH6NS9WPjz_iDh1c4KU8ZKABNtWZcnK9WjHkZWkJe3OONbdhoQJLnOLcTqIlEi0P0V2JR4q1ro38/s1081/Small+Pearl-bordered+Fritillary+DSC09173.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="821" data-original-width="1081" height="486" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXJvj7ldyrgbmxdYYvWFjDW8dt5BCsUUUuF58C5gFUSGGmZKnb5SN3KXJwJmGcVfNRH6NS9WPjz_iDh1c4KU8ZKABNtWZcnK9WjHkZWkJe3OONbdhoQJLnOLcTqIlEi0P0V2JR4q1ro38/w640-h486/Small+Pearl-bordered+Fritillary+DSC09173.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><font size="2">Small Pearl-bordered Fritillary (Martin Kelsey)</font></td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div></div>Martin Kelsey at Birding Extremadurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02527391716863398379noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4896347117172701185.post-16772637211712788402020-05-23T10:55:00.000+02:002020-05-23T12:07:29.100+02:00Emergence<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE5M6FJ2sODYZm0OLo9fLnVkkb0kkiX9q7xXpf_8czq8ZtBRYHglCjSym9tpNTBmtg_qFiYpNOkx04aTRI6qqpbxKWbMT8Ztg4HovV_TjpWEmEXPqCYUvVBT0VDcGWL7A7nn6wrz6ilB4/s1600/DSC08469.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="730" data-original-width="1095" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE5M6FJ2sODYZm0OLo9fLnVkkb0kkiX9q7xXpf_8czq8ZtBRYHglCjSym9tpNTBmtg_qFiYpNOkx04aTRI6qqpbxKWbMT8Ztg4HovV_TjpWEmEXPqCYUvVBT0VDcGWL7A7nn6wrz6ilB4/s640/DSC08469.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A first dawn back on the plains of Extremadura (Martin Kelsey)</td></tr>
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It was an emotional reunion. After over six weeks away, I had missed its prime. But with huge gratitude I was there to witness the evensong of spring on the plains, as it ebbed away. Summer comes early on the steppes of Extremadura.<br />
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Lockdown was still in place, but I carried a government authorisation to work as a volunteer to monitor the classic steppe species, all confronted with a challenged future. On getting out of the car, I instinctively did the most simple thing. Standing facing east, I soaked in the very first rays from the rising sun in a landscape which seemed unlimited and eternal. Backlit feathery <i>Retama </i>bushes providing perches for singing Corn Buntings, emerged from the mist. Pondering forms of grazing cattle shuffled in the mist. Everywhere larks were singing.<br />
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With a weaving buoyancy a Montagu's Harrier tracked over the vast meadow beside me. A dawn and dusk hunter, searching the ground for a vulnerable nestling or oblivious rodent. This raptor is on the verge of extinction here and this individual was rarer still: a stunning melanistic form with plumage all sooty-black, save for grey, paler silven tones on the underside of its outer wing.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwCEi6RA10ZnE4Cw7k0QKPFvXV73KLWMfuOqUSF8B8l0s7VJ1Ao7nvYzRqSBZP0JRyv0tRh_DWnQqnt2HRdNPhG-6xPOLM_dr8KTqadRkX0m3OGmvwKK9PUu8jYEhYByaGDYH2bRK4Z_g/s1600/Turtle+Dove+a+DSC08667.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1433" data-original-width="1600" height="572" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwCEi6RA10ZnE4Cw7k0QKPFvXV73KLWMfuOqUSF8B8l0s7VJ1Ao7nvYzRqSBZP0JRyv0tRh_DWnQqnt2HRdNPhG-6xPOLM_dr8KTqadRkX0m3OGmvwKK9PUu8jYEhYByaGDYH2bRK4Z_g/s640/Turtle+Dove+a+DSC08667.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A Turtle Dove (Martin Kelsey)</td></tr>
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A Turtle Dove rested on the top of a single tree, a pause on its onward journey to rest and preen, whilst on the other side of the same tree, an Iberian Grey Shrike surveyed its territory, the gentle rosy flush on its breast matching that on the Turtle Dove, captured from the early sun.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9Xy4hwxP3b9ibEuC9UhVP3FPP_j_32ZLuemH_Gii8r3YQKKYiPRhaiyNutSAIn-DK_Ui_bmdo06ztNzHEeD59Hd86Ety-q3GO09PlqqIQQyF1eHzYVSrG_Fl25Y-6WES3yp-PMw5xbEQ/s1600/Iberian+Grey+Shrike+a+DSC08700.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1147" data-original-width="1361" height="538" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9Xy4hwxP3b9ibEuC9UhVP3FPP_j_32ZLuemH_Gii8r3YQKKYiPRhaiyNutSAIn-DK_Ui_bmdo06ztNzHEeD59Hd86Ety-q3GO09PlqqIQQyF1eHzYVSrG_Fl25Y-6WES3yp-PMw5xbEQ/s640/Iberian+Grey+Shrike+a+DSC08700.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Iberian Grey Shrike (Martin Kelsey)</td></tr>
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On an area of thinner soil, on the eastern slope of an undulation three huge male Great Bustards were performing their "<i>rueda</i>", the Spanish term denoting their lekking dance, when having transformed their massive bodies into white pyramids, their throat pouched inflated to resemble orange medicine balls and their nuptual moustache bristles vertically erect like tufts, they shuffle sumo-wrestler like, in a slow rotation. They pick an area of short pasture, uncluttered by wild flowers, to enhance their visibility. My friend Jesús Porras told me that once from the castle of Trujillo, using a telescope, he could make out the white dots of dancing Great Bustards from a distance of eight kilometres.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiPU5Uk324oY5ez4jRJEFvNS9ZqbvWnUZMOpbNXlFujUVp18Q4tcf0GdgHirE3yAKV0CKAVCLpWsKUvEXIMTZu1N5DcbvPAcRHQ3ltyKIHxRMZEjTnbBOIdtOPwGAkFVvZ_s2wUmclMhM/s1600/Little+Bustard+a+DSC08617.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="721" data-original-width="845" height="546" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiPU5Uk324oY5ez4jRJEFvNS9ZqbvWnUZMOpbNXlFujUVp18Q4tcf0GdgHirE3yAKV0CKAVCLpWsKUvEXIMTZu1N5DcbvPAcRHQ3ltyKIHxRMZEjTnbBOIdtOPwGAkFVvZ_s2wUmclMhM/s640/Little+Bustard+a+DSC08617.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Male Little Bustard (Martin Kelsey)</td></tr>
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One of the key subjects of the conservation survey is the Little Bustard, a severely endangered species. In early May they are still in their peak of their courtship. Vegetation is now at its tallest, the flowering heads of grasses starting to blond, stocky thistles in bloom and swathes of daisies. To be visible, the advertising male looks for slightly higher more open ground, perhaps next to a rocky outcrop, on an ants' mound or even along a sheep track. Here he stands and stamps, the neck feathers erect like a cobra's hood, alarmingly striped white on black. Viewing the bird from a safe distance through my telescope, I see the neck jerk back and bill open. A moment later my ears receive the short, rasping sound that the bird had produced. The lapse caused by the difference between the velocities of light and sound - physics and biology interwoven.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNSSRwqtufCvclAFXk86OEftPeDYX2VZiWLzFwi8my7Yh69EYMkkKyKQOtF1buVWMnv32FVxQHPWPsHkUwwJsUIL1qjqxu2yK1_1TnE_Bx5WUE1UXsHx5MH0v0oaAEiLTSAkxEPf-Ioic/s1600/DSC08445.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="730" data-original-width="1095" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNSSRwqtufCvclAFXk86OEftPeDYX2VZiWLzFwi8my7Yh69EYMkkKyKQOtF1buVWMnv32FVxQHPWPsHkUwwJsUIL1qjqxu2yK1_1TnE_Bx5WUE1UXsHx5MH0v0oaAEiLTSAkxEPf-Ioic/s640/DSC08445.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Perez-Chiscano's Tongue Orchid (Martin Kelsey)</td></tr>
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It has been the wettest spring for over a decade and the floral display was stunning. Jesús had told me of a great find he had made just a few days earlier and on my first day on the plains I completed my survey with a special treat. Nestled in the verge of an ancient drovers' trail, close to some <i>Retama </i>bushes, were over a dozen creamy flower spikes, with delicate dark veins. Named after its discoverer, Perez-Chiscano's Tongue Orchid is known only from Extremadura and a few recently found colonies across the border in Portugal. These were growing just 12 kilometres from home, far closer to base than any that I had previously seen. The damp spring had created ideal conditions for this orchid and my emergence onto the plains had, by serendipity, been timed to see them to perfection.Martin Kelsey at Birding Extremadurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02527391716863398379noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4896347117172701185.post-58254072599979375462020-05-10T14:04:00.003+02:002020-05-10T18:03:14.527+02:00Lockdown Birding Part 14<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwcW-eikcHh2kg8bD4H1psENX2QSPNFjMV8r4cGW6eLa5IqgKPrPjOny9ipvGkTlGAdBn3Y1WtAT2ihxajJUDmgADC8l87vgGfUpdU52omWt30GZG2hlrxZkvVaZRp6r7q8buh7m03sqc/s1600/Red-rumped+Swallow+a+DSC08522.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1424" data-original-width="1600" height="568" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwcW-eikcHh2kg8bD4H1psENX2QSPNFjMV8r4cGW6eLa5IqgKPrPjOny9ipvGkTlGAdBn3Y1WtAT2ihxajJUDmgADC8l87vgGfUpdU52omWt30GZG2hlrxZkvVaZRp6r7q8buh7m03sqc/s640/Red-rumped+Swallow+a+DSC08522.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Red-rumped Swallow (Martin Kelsey)</td></tr>
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Only infrequently seen at the start of the lockdown, Red-rumped Swallows are now close confidents of our confinement. They are happy to sit on the balcony railing as I stand just a few feet away by. They chortle in their friendly budgerigar manner whilst perched in the shade next to our open kitchen door. I am not sure where this pair has chosen to nest. The old nest beside the kitchen still stands but over the last years has seen other occupants: Blue Tits and Wrens. It is now full of holes and stuffed with moss, an alien nest-lining for the Red-rumped Swallows, which gather small feathers floating airbourne.<br />
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The Stonechats must now be on their second brood, and the Barn Swallows in the toolshed are using the same nest from which their three first-brood chicks successfully fledged. There are family parties of Blue Tits working the bushes. Their ashy-smudged juveniles inquisitively picking at the bark of the twigs. The Nightingale is paired up and I suspect nesting at the edge of the garden.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT4uoW7f_JKh9MaTDueFZLJShViyNF1wmvoKdcTZyUyTSkdbkrVsSyIq1tBHFjEqx_HwcCM8GWZ2_8vhfdK7oT5Z6hNJcr3rqj_Y2lx1z_MjKatBXnABKOe_EBNhs5UnjNlhEfMNGGI1o/s1600/Stonechat+a+DSC08480.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1388" data-original-width="1600" height="554" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT4uoW7f_JKh9MaTDueFZLJShViyNF1wmvoKdcTZyUyTSkdbkrVsSyIq1tBHFjEqx_HwcCM8GWZ2_8vhfdK7oT5Z6hNJcr3rqj_Y2lx1z_MjKatBXnABKOe_EBNhs5UnjNlhEfMNGGI1o/s640/Stonechat+a+DSC08480.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Stonechat from the balcony (Martin Kelsey)</td></tr>
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We have now completed eight weeks of lockdown and although in the final week we have been permitted to take an hour's walk each day, I have maintained my balcony birding as an important and much anticipated daily routine. Tomorrow the lockdown relaxes further and for the first time since mid-March, I shall be able to go birding away from the village - provided I stay within the provincial boundaries. Given the prospect of being able to venture further afield, I suspect that this will be the final Lockdown Birding blog, unless God forbid, the health situation takes a turn for the worst.<br />
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Since 15th March, I have logged almost 60 hours of lockdown balcony birding and recorded 77 species. These have included no fewer than 14 species of diurnal bird of prey (not counting three species of owl), among which have been Egyptian Vulture, Montagu's Harrier and Honey Buzzard. The latter was one of my hoped-for species - only once before in 15 years had I seen one from the house. It features as one of the highlights of the whole period.<br />
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Interestingly, despite this long period of active spring that my attention has been focused on the birds of the garden, I did not see anything that I had not previously recorded at home. I am rather surprised by this, but I guess it reflects the fact that we have been here 16 years and over that time have seen pretty much most that is likely to turn up close to the house in the spring. I have no doubt at all that had I being able to invest in sound recording equipment I could easily have added several more species of nocturnal migrants.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaoZAqPJynREPvGVkF8pVcnVoXNDoq4S_lu2LOz0YjJcsjKrUEDu9f7Y7l2qPB3t3Nr9VxYr1TCExxuXQPjCAwIr1wRErkCHPcFU1uOKcjM-JMwcPixhqzt04uChD5axV1i-aZPpMdJtg/s1600/Serapias+parviflora+DSC08279.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="730" data-original-width="1095" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaoZAqPJynREPvGVkF8pVcnVoXNDoq4S_lu2LOz0YjJcsjKrUEDu9f7Y7l2qPB3t3Nr9VxYr1TCExxuXQPjCAwIr1wRErkCHPcFU1uOKcjM-JMwcPixhqzt04uChD5axV1i-aZPpMdJtg/s640/Serapias+parviflora+DSC08279.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Small-flowered Tongue Orchid (Martin Kelsey)</td></tr>
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I have also noted down the butterflies seen, but the generally damp and cool conditions that have prevailed over the two months mean that my list is a modest 13 species. But these very same conditions, however, have ensured a remarkable show of wild flowers around the garden and olive grove. The highlight here, certainly, was the discovery of a colony of Small-flowered Tongue Orchids, literally just a few metres from where I am sitting to write this blog.<br />
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I have always valued our immediate surroundings for the nature that is granted at our doorstep, the sound of a Blackbird singing and the gentle flow of spring colours, but never as much as over the last two months. It has provided solace, comfort and reassurance. Now this balcony will continue to be a treasured local patch as part of my birding in Extremadura.Martin Kelsey at Birding Extremadurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02527391716863398379noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4896347117172701185.post-17638366939857074162020-05-06T16:49:00.002+02:002020-05-06T16:49:24.135+02:00Lockdown Birding Part 13<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjT6xMFh66gLNZvpmaT5jvEQ7oCijFl0JyDylS6v5JXoZjphov5F56qunyOZvWWVvYHy1E6SLkfYxda_fjkJ-uh1DO2sDHPAKtztMmsgXKtjJyBmiPxM7yPuFY1_f2lcl1TWnys6H6eKes/s1600/Black+Kite+a+DSC08531.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1132" data-original-width="1600" height="452" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjT6xMFh66gLNZvpmaT5jvEQ7oCijFl0JyDylS6v5JXoZjphov5F56qunyOZvWWVvYHy1E6SLkfYxda_fjkJ-uh1DO2sDHPAKtztMmsgXKtjJyBmiPxM7yPuFY1_f2lcl1TWnys6H6eKes/s640/Black+Kite+a+DSC08531.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Black Kite over the house (Martin Kelsey)</td></tr>
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From the balcony I can see gentle hills to the east, south and west. I stand with my back to the house, so there is no view northwards. Ignoring the wall of the house behind me and the floor I am standing on, this means that almost half of the bird habitat offered to my view is the sky.<br />
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My good friend David Lindo's message is to "Keep Looking Up". So much happens above, but when walking it is too easy to keep focused on just the ground and vegetation, During the lockdown, standing on my balcony, there is no excuse. Sightings in the sky have granted me surprise and action. The arrival of a Black Kite swinging low overhead is usually announced by the swearing of Iberian (Azure-winged) Magpies. They lift from their hidden perches, sometimes two or three in unison to engage the raptor in pursuit. The Black Kite makes a subtle adjustment to its rudder through a twist of the tail, and changes course. The Iberian Magpies want the sky kite-free. The intruder seems nonchalant as it glides off.<br />
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Panic calls of swallows invariably mean the appearance of a Booted Eagle at this time of the year. Although the smallest of the eagles here (similar in size to a buzzard), it is an aggressive hunter, dropping by a steep stoop to attack prey on the ground, such as lizards. But they punch above their weight and often hunt birds. I once watched a Booted Eagle plunging in an attempt to take a adult Mallard from a small river. It proved in vain. On another occasion, we watched a stoop onto a family party of Barn Swallows. This time the eagle was successful and it barely gave us a glance as it perched on a gatepost to pluck the juvenile swallow. Its extraordinary acute vision facilitates the location of potential prey, perhaps some recently fledged swallows perched on a twig, even when it is airbourne, high above us.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMwX4WyPps7AG5GF3Mc3dTpt0zdMrlNIlrJeCzqnWK4cZ4UzpYKJvwmuIfKo7Yym9BuVOugmHK3Cvywok09ruEprEIqidujKM9n2XER9CTELR9sUjZ9BWBsIMDZ1UUxZOGyAzMaHsn5MI/s1600/Raven+a+DSC08308.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1390" data-original-width="1600" height="556" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMwX4WyPps7AG5GF3Mc3dTpt0zdMrlNIlrJeCzqnWK4cZ4UzpYKJvwmuIfKo7Yym9BuVOugmHK3Cvywok09ruEprEIqidujKM9n2XER9CTELR9sUjZ9BWBsIMDZ1UUxZOGyAzMaHsn5MI/s640/Raven+a+DSC08308.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A playful troop of Ravens (Martin Kelsey)</td></tr>
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Ravens have been gathering these days. This morning a flock of nearly 40 frollicked, wheeled and tumbled in the updraughts beside the hill. Watching such birds exploring the fluidity of the air confirms our limitations. Not only do they exalt in the freedom of all three dimensions, way beyond our terrestrial restrictions, but the sky must feel more liquid than gas to them. They feel and embrace air's fluid forces, the currents, eddies and flows that are simply invisible to our senses.<br />
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The sky too is their highway of course. By looking up a few days ago I was rewarded by a bird that I usually see once or twice in early May when I am birding locally and I had really hoped would appear during a balcony birding session. At a midday session, a bird rose over the trees to the south, made two soaring turns before, as if on a fixed course, gliding high in my direction. It appeared dark and flat-winged. I guessed its identify straightaway, and it was quickly confirmed as it crossed the sky above me: a Honey Buzzard. A day or two earlier it would have made a long glide across the Straits of Gibraltar, crossing the sea at the narrowest ithmus. It would have reached the Spanish coast at low altitude, almost certainly together with others. Over Extremadura, mostly they are migrating so high that they are barely visible, it is only a few hours after sunrise, when they are embarking from a roost site, they they are low enough to see.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ_CxMFRLprKmzGAsR3MOhRfK6wQjk_73qiP85bET1uhwH5iu7nOVYzcjQnw-J7zazu1hkEgbTVqHkS3_wpcERVMmMJGZ4_J0ecNmsAhtPNl7lTCSz4sBp8HhMOjkdhUUiz5W_zfvuKEw/s1600/Honey+Buzzard+a+DSC08490.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="642" height="566" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ_CxMFRLprKmzGAsR3MOhRfK6wQjk_73qiP85bET1uhwH5iu7nOVYzcjQnw-J7zazu1hkEgbTVqHkS3_wpcERVMmMJGZ4_J0ecNmsAhtPNl7lTCSz4sBp8HhMOjkdhUUiz5W_zfvuKEw/s640/Honey+Buzzard+a+DSC08490.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A migrating Honey Buzzard over the house (Martin Kelsey</td></tr>
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Brief appearances of migrants in a hurry have been a feature of the lockdown birding in the last few days. At dawn I heard the soft billing of a Turtle Dove, just three times and then not again. A Garden Warbler flew across my view. It settled and explored an olive tree, and then flew on. Barely audible a couple of days ago was a quiet conversational chatter of Reed Warbler. Lockdown Birding has given me a much better hold of the trancience of bird migration in spring.<br />
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<br />Martin Kelsey at Birding Extremadurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02527391716863398379noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4896347117172701185.post-78593234973822391842020-04-27T12:35:00.001+02:002020-04-27T15:30:58.061+02:00Lockdown birding Part 12<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixIYWPZ1YUsPcBWLxHueMtWGd43PyYQ-80ixyvEaN_Ek6GrqyxItWyhSIFOon-dgJtyxnJsSFf9RXF1yF_8pZfTF5dpKI_uZ0Vz59MRIOFEvbXOakW-GArBvzZkCvjvElsHodaHjgclAc/s1600/Sardinian+Warbler+a+DSC08304.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="721" data-original-width="902" height="511" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixIYWPZ1YUsPcBWLxHueMtWGd43PyYQ-80ixyvEaN_Ek6GrqyxItWyhSIFOon-dgJtyxnJsSFf9RXF1yF_8pZfTF5dpKI_uZ0Vz59MRIOFEvbXOakW-GArBvzZkCvjvElsHodaHjgclAc/s640/Sardinian+Warbler+a+DSC08304.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sardinian Warbler (Martin Kelsey)</td></tr>
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Teased by its characteristic scratchy rattle, I lean over the balcony to try to get a view of the Sardinian Warbler. Movement through the leaves in the hedge betrays its presence as it works its way upward. It rises in a short flight to land on the old rusty electricity pole beside the house. Smart and striking, with the perfect contrast of white throat and matt black head, with a vermilion orbital ring. Like the call, its song scratches its way through a gentle set of even notes, rather conversational and intimate. Until off it launches in a surprise jerky airbourne performance, climbing into the sky with its long, white-sided tail see-sawing in fluttery rhythm. At the climax, the descent starts and with a final tease, the bird cocks its tail as it sneaks back into the brambles.<br />
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The Sardinian Warbler occurs around the Mediterrean and is around here the widespread breeding <i>Sylvia</i> warbler. At this time of the year, I would normally be out in a favourite area of broom and lavander scrub, with scattered cork oak trees, just twenty or so minutes from where I am standing, with a very good chance of finding all eight species of <i>Sylvia</i> warblers that breed or migrate through Extremadura. Under lockdown, that <i>Sylvia-fest </i>may have to wait another year. In the garden, we have two species: the jaunty Sardinian and Blackcaps. The latter are much more subdued in plumage and in behaviour too. Very common here in winter, we have also a breeding population. In the spring, our garden Blackcaps keep themselves concealed deep in the foliage where an almond and bay tree come together, bound in union by ivy. Occasional short alarm calls may be provoked by passing cats. However, unlike the Sardinian, the Blackcap song is a rich melody of notes that once earned it the title of "the Northern Nightingale".<br />
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We have now completed six weeks of lockdown, and since my last tally (see <a href="https://www.birdingextremadurablog.com/2020/04/lockdown-birding-part-9.html">https://www.birdingextremadurablog.com/2020/04/lockdown-birding-part-9.html</a>) I have added a futher three species to the bird list, which now stands at 70. They are Black Stork, Golden Eagle and Golden Oriole.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGovK7kMBlVYyrz6e7EUA4pylcy6ghQctcmoRhgJGdYS8vTYTDiKv7xKFFlCL-CyTcCO0hDA1PDUY8ZS-gS3PrJJujz3vzir6PW3Lk8S9HsYkBhShelKnGMGX0HtZxoFe9DLtlTZEbEFw/s1600/Hail+Hail+DSC08318.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="365" data-original-width="548" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGovK7kMBlVYyrz6e7EUA4pylcy6ghQctcmoRhgJGdYS8vTYTDiKv7xKFFlCL-CyTcCO0hDA1PDUY8ZS-gS3PrJJujz3vzir6PW3Lk8S9HsYkBhShelKnGMGX0HtZxoFe9DLtlTZEbEFw/s640/Hail+Hail+DSC08318.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A drift of spring hail (Martin Kelsey)</td></tr>
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It has been a magnificently wet spring this year - indeed it is the wettest April locally for years. This was at its most dramatic just a couple of days ago with an afternoon thunderstorm which left great drifts of hailstones on the ground, some of which remained in place all night. The hail shredded the leaves of the chard and lettuce in the vegetable garden.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1C83u221W5ZrdmwslV4Onmg_-vtaF7nZ1xasEyjk6MuGQJoCGCFukdWWFxfyjO75JF6ugZ7gs0pjYTxyBp0oDGkudZ2-Bw8bShaJBIy4WOhXrVWeiLbHpj8kFGbLv7FKXNvmMIygSq9A/s1600/Serapias+parviflora+DSC08280.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="365" data-original-width="548" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1C83u221W5ZrdmwslV4Onmg_-vtaF7nZ1xasEyjk6MuGQJoCGCFukdWWFxfyjO75JF6ugZ7gs0pjYTxyBp0oDGkudZ2-Bw8bShaJBIy4WOhXrVWeiLbHpj8kFGbLv7FKXNvmMIygSq9A/s640/Serapias+parviflora+DSC08280.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Small-flowered Tongue Orchid (Martin Kelsey)</td></tr>
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The rain and overcast weather has not been great for seeing many butterflies, but we have been surrounded in the garden and olive grove by a spectacle of wild flowers. I walk slowly around the olive grove three times a day, as a short form of exercise. I rarely have the opportunity to do so in a normal spring. So whether I have simply not noticed them before, or the neighbour's sheep have nibbled them in other years, or whether it is thanks to such optimal weather, but it filled me with joy to find a little colony of Small-flowered Tongue Orchids (<i>Serapias parviflora</i>) growing just behind the house. A true gift and recompense.<br />
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Martin Kelsey at Birding Extremadurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02527391716863398379noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4896347117172701185.post-38482744094744378772020-04-22T17:37:00.002+02:002020-04-27T15:33:38.904+02:00Lockdown Birding Part 11<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpOJ3oB91bJaS50gvQWrhKQL6uc5LV9ymL63KXVFY5kz69xtUJcsV-FxwN8Gy7Cn1zrZwmXS6xV0RigVytWMxJy0vfGVIP5fAPPfA4u5KGpWRaB3FDpLZzMvGOgjdtHP5e7GQFAfTa_4w/s1600/Nightingale+a+DSC08148.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="523" data-original-width="632" height="528" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpOJ3oB91bJaS50gvQWrhKQL6uc5LV9ymL63KXVFY5kz69xtUJcsV-FxwN8Gy7Cn1zrZwmXS6xV0RigVytWMxJy0vfGVIP5fAPPfA4u5KGpWRaB3FDpLZzMvGOgjdtHP5e7GQFAfTa_4w/s640/Nightingale+a+DSC08148.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Common Nightingale (Martin Kelsey)</td></tr>
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Everytime I have been out for my balcony birding session, and pretty much whenever I have stopped to listen, day or night, our Nightingale has been singing. He arrived a few days later than the others which are holding territories to the west and to the south of us. They are within earshot yes, but not bombarding us like this one. We can hear our Nightingale when we are inside the house, with all of the windows closed.<br />
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From the balcony I can find him perched in an acacia tree close by, or a mulberry. He has favourite song perches, which is where I instinctively look for him. He stands still and almost upright, bill agape. He looks confident and accomplished. There is no need for show, his song speaks for itself.<br />
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The song of a Nightingale is a meditation, with deliberate pauses between each phrase to focus the attention. It reminds me of classical Persian music, which is hypnotic and often improvised, with short series of notes punctuated by silence. Like the music, the phrases are varied and of great beauty, simple and clear. It is as if, the Nightingale, as the musician, uses the pause to hold us, to capture us. We guess how the next phrase might flow. It may bear fruity, rich mellow notes or they may be piercing and strident. There are fluid chortles, scratchy notes that have been lubricated smooth as if by honey. And sooner or later, the wonderful high descending whistles that hold one in suspense, "making the hairs on the back of one's neck stand on end" as the late John Meikeljohn, a dear friend and inspiring naturalist, once told me.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZksC5g9mw9hr0Wy3AuxnBF592bZw6CwdmEqG6jEN4rAo3BJOnZqm5rI7IyZK3YfyWSLRn2J6q7GYw0hpaBm9Y4DgzlbLQ588cZW8-CrMQp3ETMLg2KVnw6b4i5Ml0UCu1o75uM9qrpt8/s1600/Corn+Bunting+a+DSC08227.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1206" data-original-width="1445" height="534" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZksC5g9mw9hr0Wy3AuxnBF592bZw6CwdmEqG6jEN4rAo3BJOnZqm5rI7IyZK3YfyWSLRn2J6q7GYw0hpaBm9Y4DgzlbLQ588cZW8-CrMQp3ETMLg2KVnw6b4i5Ml0UCu1o75uM9qrpt8/s640/Corn+Bunting+a+DSC08227.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Corn Bunting (Martin Kelsey)</td></tr>
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As reliable as the Nightingale is the Corn Bunting, at least during day time. Whenever I step out onto the balcony I can hear him singing, to my right, across the lane, in the meadow beside us. There he will stand, perched on top of a sheep-browsed stunted bushy holm oak. Sometimes, he flutters off to a bank of brambles, his pink legs hanging limply as he passes over wild flowers. By comparison to the Nightingale, his song is stereotyped and predictable, a short buzzy flourish. But here in Extremadura, the Corn Bunting song is the watermark that labels the open habitat of meadows. Bunting song provides simple, structured but evocative emblems for their respective habitats: Reed Buntings in marshes, Cirl Buntings in scrub-filled valleys, Rock Buntings on cliff faces and the haunting song of Ortolans now starting to fill the open expanse of broom moorland high in the Gredos Mountains.Martin Kelsey at Birding Extremadurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02527391716863398379noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4896347117172701185.post-28521093751292637282020-04-17T14:07:00.000+02:002020-04-17T14:07:01.410+02:00Lockdown Birding Part 10<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgURrs6BAdj1GyvrpAs0KmFdT0S6Tc0QvLfIstEFLcds7FLN0AEdLqsS0iMawuZpC6bojxtE9VpDizE_DfLotaCW5YSfaMLLISaeRocQQMndlzgdUt1B474S_RuEI2NFAIvWLp7BB7Z5NI/s1600/Barn+Swallow+DSC08143.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1005" data-original-width="1269" height="506" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgURrs6BAdj1GyvrpAs0KmFdT0S6Tc0QvLfIstEFLcds7FLN0AEdLqsS0iMawuZpC6bojxtE9VpDizE_DfLotaCW5YSfaMLLISaeRocQQMndlzgdUt1B474S_RuEI2NFAIvWLp7BB7Z5NI/s640/Barn+Swallow+DSC08143.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Just fledged Barn Swallows in the rain (Martin Kelsey)</td></tr>
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Wobbling on the flimsy, pliable tip of the twig, amongst the mulberry's soft, lime-fresh leaves, the newly-fledged Barn Swallows had certainly picked a challenging day to leave the nest. Shafts of heavy rain stung diagonally, driven by the fierce southerly wind. Just a few hours earlier, they had left the snugness of their feather-lined mud-cup nest, deep in the shelter of my toolshed. Uncertain of balance, they shuffled along the twig. They bore a rather glum expression, thanks to their huddled stance and wide, soft gape flanges. The latter reminded me of the face of a sad clown.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZDpGGVelTCNBBiCi9_GhWtz3PFHqMLJP9MBmAQbA1sBc5AvDa2FTg8AVqsK7kKXg091HTaS9Qx_uZWJgk9HMO5fobhrPk8uhoM12jcVqpugNsg35K_TxzkUA_xTetTWc5V9XnSJdYkvM/s1600/Barn+Swallow+DSC08130.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="634" data-original-width="809" height="500" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZDpGGVelTCNBBiCi9_GhWtz3PFHqMLJP9MBmAQbA1sBc5AvDa2FTg8AVqsK7kKXg091HTaS9Qx_uZWJgk9HMO5fobhrPk8uhoM12jcVqpugNsg35K_TxzkUA_xTetTWc5V9XnSJdYkvM/s640/Barn+Swallow+DSC08130.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A novice landing on too small a twig (Martin Kelsey)</td></tr>
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<br />From time to time, a parent swallow arrived with food, settling for the briefest of moments alongside the youngster, plunging its bill into the wide gape before launching itself off the twig again. The lucky fledgling exuded a satisfied shimmer. It was extraordinary how the parent swallows were managing to find and bring in flying insects under such atrocious weather. They worked hard, zigzagging low over the meadow that I could see from the balcony. Only close to the vegetation might insects lurk. A Crag Martin almost carressed the canopy of a holm oak in similar pursuit.<br />
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I feared for the young birds' survival, but this morning, I watched them again. The three of them were sitting in the same mulberry tree, which grows in a sheltered position and has easily accessible entrance for the parents. The very same branches were used last year by young swallows from the same nest. I am sure that their parents had escorted them there, as a safe place to sit on their first few days out.<br />
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Today I was struck too by the agility and confidence of these young birds in flight. Three weeks ago they were embryos inside the egg. I was now watching them swoop and glide like their parents, rushing close past my face and then banking alongside the trees, before sweeping upwards to their perches. Only there did inexperience betray them with a fumbled landing, a brief jerkiness before resuming their stoic composure. Martin Kelsey at Birding Extremadurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02527391716863398379noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4896347117172701185.post-63030242876471286502020-04-14T12:18:00.001+02:002020-04-14T12:18:08.625+02:00Lockdown Birding Part 9<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNUNv6kBdT-TEKpA7A-qJ3nbxir22TXtrF6BoTuf6gIx1fmIwxw3Mtotk-w1RU9OsO16kj0sV_79VeFDPmcouULvP8sh9uftBYSJmV6EHwxvfneRpGymJNP3GrexT1ukmpPUFq2LYtYW4/s1600/Common+Cuckoo+DSC08058.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="739" data-original-width="916" height="516" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNUNv6kBdT-TEKpA7A-qJ3nbxir22TXtrF6BoTuf6gIx1fmIwxw3Mtotk-w1RU9OsO16kj0sV_79VeFDPmcouULvP8sh9uftBYSJmV6EHwxvfneRpGymJNP3GrexT1ukmpPUFq2LYtYW4/s640/Common+Cuckoo+DSC08058.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Common Cuckoo flying past the balcony (Martin Kelsey)</td></tr>
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<br />Today's protagonist signals his presence by the best known of all bird sounds. Its repeated, disyllabic call carries far, onomatopoeic and easily imitable: "<i>cuc..koo</i>". I look south across to the slope of the Sierra de los Lagares and spot a distant long-tailed bird. It flies on an unwavering, horizontal trajectory, its body held likewise, propelled by strong downward stokes of determined pointed wings. The almond tree in front of the house obscures my view. As the Common Cuckoo reappears it has come much closer and is tracking a wide arc that will take it cruising around the amphitheatre of our coombe. It calls as it does so. An announcement of possession. I have seen the female around as well, on patrol not for rivals but for opportunities. Our cuckoos close to home with have access to none of the classic Common Cuckoo hosts, as known through studies elsewhere: Reed Warblers, Dunnocks or Meadow Pipits. None of those species nest nearby. Once I watched a fledged Common Cuckoo in the garden being fed by Stonechats. The pair of Stonechat that I can see from our balcony are now busy feeding fledglings, but perhaps the cuckoo might strike on their second brood. Sardinian Warblers might also be a target.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiojfiAoh3D3bA81xFj7ARN0duXshu186qvlTJASzsvqzto9Pjo8GPRHa36DYIp_yC8JseKAXtufrurFgolJD5B2-9M7n1RGAE_goJy8sH5vHwarTe4Bk3PdE5GT5BUxdazvfjsXVQ9dPE/s1600/Sardinian+Warbler+DSC08081.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1193" data-original-width="1376" height="554" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiojfiAoh3D3bA81xFj7ARN0duXshu186qvlTJASzsvqzto9Pjo8GPRHa36DYIp_yC8JseKAXtufrurFgolJD5B2-9M7n1RGAE_goJy8sH5vHwarTe4Bk3PdE5GT5BUxdazvfjsXVQ9dPE/s640/Sardinian+Warbler+DSC08081.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sardinian Warbler (Martin Kelsey)</td></tr>
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The lockdown has now completed four weeks and we are heading for another two weeks, at least. Week-by-week, the numbers of species I have recorded has slowly increased: 45 species in Week 1, 49 species in Week 2, 52 species in Week 3 and 53 species in Week 4. In total the lockdown list now stands at 67 species.<br />
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Week 4 (6th - 12th April) saw the arrival of Bee-eaters, with many lockdown birders in the region almost simultaneously catching this wave of small parties sailing high overhead, detectable by their short, rolling whistles. Some of this birding network are setting up equipment to record sounds right through the night, to then analyse using easily accessible software the following day. Analysis of noctural migration (nocmig) has become very popular across Europe, especially during this lockdown. Many waders and duck are migrating at night, as are species like rails and crakes, calling as they do so. The results coming from such home-based studies are extraordinary, full of surprises. The basic equipment required does not need to be expensive, although sadly under my circumstances, I have no spare spending money at the moment!<br />
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Intrigued by what people are detecting, I have resorted on three nights to take a more old-fashioned approach, namely to sit outside for an hour or so at night (I have done so from midnight onwards) when it has been dry and calm. On the first occasion last week, I sat below a marbled sky, dappled clouds backlit by the pink Moon. Nightingales and Little Owls were joined by Tawny Owl and then the abrupt <i>toots </i>of Scops Owl, calling from close to the house. Just before heading back inside, a mechanical-sounding rhythmic tock-tock sounded briefly the hillside: Red-necked Nightjar. By a clear week, it was the earliest I have ever recorded here.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl3E7sQqz4MInhVwKoENeJKXg0Gf2M8yOEcWV9pRcAjhIsVKrcwJNwksCj5f-OCuYidaMiVN13dEf25oiJYUAdpSMFFvG6CH3xkIek9LeNlFh_EeXgbhFN2UNFfJHvO6AKmFkKVAG48UU/s1600/Nightingale+DSC08118.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="829" data-original-width="1016" height="520" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl3E7sQqz4MInhVwKoENeJKXg0Gf2M8yOEcWV9pRcAjhIsVKrcwJNwksCj5f-OCuYidaMiVN13dEf25oiJYUAdpSMFFvG6CH3xkIek9LeNlFh_EeXgbhFN2UNFfJHvO6AKmFkKVAG48UU/s640/Nightingale+DSC08118.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nightingale (Martin Kelsey)</td></tr>
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On the second occasion, the nightjar did not call, but as I sat just before one in the morning, a Moorhen called from just above me, twice, as it flew over. And then, across to the south, from the very direction that I had been watching the Common Cuckoo during the day, came the curious long-drawn-out nocturnal calls of Great Spotted Cuckoo. Nocturnal listening by birders in the region has revealed that the species appears to do a territorial flight in the middle of the night, producing a call that is simply never heard diurnally. Another lockdown discovery.Martin Kelsey at Birding Extremadurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02527391716863398379noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4896347117172701185.post-17749559028298903372020-04-09T13:14:00.000+02:002020-04-09T15:15:52.244+02:00Lockdown Birding Part 8<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRDjGKUqFo4ANOPuwYl34PYc2b5C8HHGh_ZvjJUH2iDtLzh0Q5o4OtGU5Ilt2EfxKKT4I5e_aTBckMS19NzHYgcgygR6-EVVg4v0vZIuGHjsJ_dZdsnvIl4lpJ3b1PEaS59I9HdN8WtgQ/s1600/Great+Cormorant+DSC08022.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1227" data-original-width="1600" height="490" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRDjGKUqFo4ANOPuwYl34PYc2b5C8HHGh_ZvjJUH2iDtLzh0Q5o4OtGU5Ilt2EfxKKT4I5e_aTBckMS19NzHYgcgygR6-EVVg4v0vZIuGHjsJ_dZdsnvIl4lpJ3b1PEaS59I9HdN8WtgQ/s640/Great+Cormorant+DSC08022.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Great Cormorants passing high over the house (Martin Kelsey)</td></tr>
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From the balcony (again...) I notice a small skein of slender, dark birds appearing from the south-west, high above the ridge-top. I position myself better and watch them pass, continuing on a clean north-east trajectory. They are a dozen Great Cormorant. Their determined passage, in that direction, in formation and at that height suggests migration. Great Cormorants have been nesting at some reservoirs in Extremadura since 2002 (there was an isolated breeding record in the 1990s) and they now nest at Alcollarín Reservoir just 15 km away. They are, however, a very common winter visitor and one can find them not just on reservoirs and along large rivers in considerable numbers (sometimes in flocks of several hundred strong) but also encounter individuals on small ponds out on the plains or along smaller seasonal rivers in deep-set valleys.<br />
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They are a species I have seen a couple of times from the house over the span of over fifteen years that we have been here, but during lockdown, I have seen Great Cormorants on four occasions so far. Lockdown has coincided with spring migration and when I am out on the balcony I try to look-up at least half of the time, hence that small migratory group flying over silently across the vast expanse of blue sky was detected. How much more is passing overhead that I miss when I am checking the tops of bushes instead, working in the garden or simply being indoors?<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBfbD6kg4xUP-n5MqjjGvJcbQTZvzQU1ZFqpGnu9H1VioUNZ3ruIpRRLHeXG-9Jm0PojPQve28bt6bLosxOg6GuIyzEaLT_TRwYMUxoXSHE7WT9Dxk_rz8YpJ-HyyV174TJQ9dOVQWA_c/s1600/Montagu%2527s+Harrier+DSC07992.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="872" data-original-width="1052" height="530" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBfbD6kg4xUP-n5MqjjGvJcbQTZvzQU1ZFqpGnu9H1VioUNZ3ruIpRRLHeXG-9Jm0PojPQve28bt6bLosxOg6GuIyzEaLT_TRwYMUxoXSHE7WT9Dxk_rz8YpJ-HyyV174TJQ9dOVQWA_c/s640/Montagu%2527s+Harrier+DSC07992.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Migrating Montagu's Harrier seen over the house on 7th April (Martin Kelsey)</td></tr>
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In a memorable, and I think almost prescient, passage in his Preface of <i>Where to Watch Birds in Britain and Europe</i> (1970), John Gooders wrote "If someone looks skywards long enough, say from a backyard in Solihull, he will sooner or later see a rough-legged buzzard, wild swans, and who knows what other rarities. All can be added to the list, but in what sense are they birds of a back garden? And of what interest is it that if one puts in enough hours staring skywards and has the ability to identify what is seen, perserverence will be finally rewarded by a sight of birds that we know must pass over the district every so often anyway?"<br />
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Birders across the world now are in lockdown (here is Spain for 26 days already). For us in the northern hemisphere there is a profound, gnawing sense of loss of not being out in the field to anticipate the flow of spring arrivals and migration. We are all becoming this fictional Solihull birder. And I suspect that as the weeks of lockdown progress, most of us will profoundly disagree with Gooders' assertion. He ignores two fundamental points.<br />
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First is the context of the balcony or backyard. It is no different from a birdwatching hide or a coastal headland. It is a place which offers a view onto the world. A seawatcher will sit in a sheltered spot on a cliff-top and train a telescope onto distant objects far out to sea: those skuas or shearwaters have no tangible affiliation with that landmark to be sure, but for the observer it is the access portal for discovery, exploration and connection with vast biological processes that extend way beyond the limits of our senses. My balcony (or the Solihull backyard) is our link now to seasonal change and migration. The skies above us are pathways and foraging grounds, as significant as any tree, shrub or pavement.<br />
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And secondly, is the passion that drives us all as naturalists, and our curiosity. These energies are being significantly tested at the moment, but wherever we are and whatever we are doing, we always have our vision and hearing innately plugged in to our surroundings. This not just offers personal satisfaction. There are more birds passing over us than we can possibly imagine. Thanks to citizen's science, backyard records are changing our knowledge and understanding of bird migration and phenology, not least through the amazing findings that people are making by analysing sound recordings made at nightime of birds on nocturnal migration.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhphIn_YJnG9hA1fmQBitV86VF9SPVCTwkETMH2FIyni8dDI9xQHmS1jbtoHspCv9l1AuAzgAYtlD8XsfjoznUSzplFPe-7kQrNXR2Ucxf-RinMaylLNIMTuWTWS_eGM1rBuyonsc_ud-0/s1600/DSC07996.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="365" data-original-width="548" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhphIn_YJnG9hA1fmQBitV86VF9SPVCTwkETMH2FIyni8dDI9xQHmS1jbtoHspCv9l1AuAzgAYtlD8XsfjoznUSzplFPe-7kQrNXR2Ucxf-RinMaylLNIMTuWTWS_eGM1rBuyonsc_ud-0/s640/DSC07996.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">April's moon from the balcony (Martin Kelsey)</td></tr>
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<br />Martin Kelsey at Birding Extremadurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02527391716863398379noreply@blogger.com2