Friday, May 09, 2008

Breeding Bird Survey . Square VN3040

My second square- VN 3040- for the Breeding Bird Survey
has reported a total of 48 different species of birds, a number similar to other years and to the other squares that I make, VN 4040, a number of birds that can seem small, but this is obtained in only four hours and by habitats little varied.

In this second square, again the river Ebro and the moor is the principal habitats, although the cliffs of the canyons of limestone are very abundant.

Again, several migratory birds that have arrived, in this square have been seen are outstanding the Common Swift and Alpine Swift, this one an amazing bird.

1.Black Kite (Milvus migrans)
2.Common Buzzard (Buteo buteo)
3.Great Tit (Parus major)
4.Blue Tit (Parus caeruleus)
5.Coat Tit (Parus ater)
6.Wood Pigeon (Columba palumbus)
7.Great Spotted Woodpecker (Dendrocopos major)
8.Green Woodpecker (Picus viridis)
9.Common Cuckoo (Cuculus canorus)
10.Dunnock (Prunella modularis)
11.Carrion Crow (Corvus corone)
12.Magpie (Pica pica)
13.Jay (Garrulus glandarius)
14.Wren (Troglodytes troglodytes)
15.Song Thrush (Turdus philomelos)
16.Mistle Thrush (Turdus viscivorus)
17.European Robin (Erithacus rubecula)
18.Blackbird (Turdus merula)
19.Black Redstart (Phoenicurus ochruros)
20.Firecrest (Regulus ignicapillus)
21.Blackcap (Sylvia atricapilla)
22.Garden Warbler (Syvia borin)
23.Ibarian Chiffchaff (Phylloscopus ibericus)
24.Bonelli´s Warbler (Phylloscopus bonelli)
25.Eurasian Bullfinch (Pyrrhula pyrrhula)
26.European Serin (Serinus serinus)
27.European Greenfinch (Carduelis chloris)
28.European Goldfinch (Carduelis carduelis)
29.Common Chaffinch (Fringilla coelebs)
30.Short-Toed Treecreeper (Certhia brachydactyla)
31.Rock Sparrow (Petronia petronia)
32.House Sparrow (Passer domesticus)
33.Eurasian Golden Oriol (Oriolus oriolus)
34.Common Swift (Apus apus )
35.Alpine Swift (Apus melba)
36.Common Skylark (Alauda arvensis)
37.White Wagtail (Motacilla alba)
38.Grey Wagtail (Motacilla cinerea)
39.Tree Pipit (Anthus trivialis)
40.Spotless Starling (Sturnus unicolor)
41.Cirl Bunting (Emberiza cirlus)
42.Yellowhammer (Emberiza citrinella)




Monday, May 05, 2008

Blackbird like a Grey Plover

Today, after cutting the grass, I have been able to observe the behavior of hunting of Blackbird and the behavior has remembered me enormously the Plovers.
Blackbird arrives at the grass, walks, stretches the neck, look round searching a few movement of the grass, returns to walks, watches and attacks, removing an appetizing earthworm.
Now, changing the bird and the habitat:
Grey Plover arrives at the salt marsh, walks, stretches the neck, look round searching a few movement of the mud, returns to walks, watches and attacks, removing a appetizing worm.
These behaviors can see in others thrushes, Mistle Thrush, Song Thrush, Robin....
Birds with great eyes, necessary to catch the little movement.



You can see similar behavior here:
Blackbird, a male in a field, collecting earthworms to bring to the nest.

Grey Plover, an adult pair walking and feeding

Both of IBC, The Internet Bird Collection

Thursday, May 01, 2008

Breeding Bird Survey . Square VN4040

Again I have begun the routes of program SACRE - Breeding Bird Survey .
Cliffs of limestone, breed Crag Martin, Vultures, Chough....

In this first transect route (25 point counts, 5 minutes each on 10-km square ) by the square VN 4040, I have detected several species of African migratory birds just arrivals, Golden oriole (Oriolus oriolus) , Bonelli´s Warbler (Phylloscopus bonelli), Hoopoe (Upupa epops), Common Whitethroat (Sylvia communis), Northern Wheatear (Oenanthe oenanthe), Common Redstart (Phoenicurus phoenicurus), Booted eagle (Hieraaetus pennatus)**, thus like other already views days before.
Different habitats are crossed within the square, the first part of it, with the river Ebro, the riversides and the cliffs.
** out of transect
GR 99 River Ebro footpath

In the second part, many points counts are located in the moor.
A total of 51 detected species, similar as other years.
New species have not been detected.
Like curiosity, the Eurasian Crag Martin making the nests in the church of Ahedo de Butrón next to the House Martin, the Crag Martin is more normal to see him make the nests in caves and cavities on cliff faces.

Crag Martin left and House Martin right

Links:
European Bird Census Council