Windfarms

The last news on the collisions of birds in the windfarms are terrible, many White-tailed Eagle
died in Norway, Golden Eagles in Scotland (article) and here in Spain, they do not stop of news about dead of Eagles and Vultures.
The bad location of this type of energy is taking to a serious environmental problem, with one serious incidence in the populations of birds, many of these already threatened and in serious danger.
Even so this type of energy generation is continued with publicity like energy that respects the environment, something that this very far from the reality.
Here in the north of Spain the windfarms location cannot be more ominous, just in mountain summits, where the Griffon Vultures, and Eagles finds the currents thermal that they use in his flights.
In other cases these are in migratory routes where the collisions are frequent.
In 1970, the Griffon Vulture was in clear regression, is very possible that this situation we return it to live, single that now, with the destruction of its environment the recovery will be impossible.
A clear disappearance of the Egyptian Vulture is already being seen.
To the problems that produce the windfarms we can add the disappearance of the carrion of cattle origin that before found these birds.

You can find articles about the birds and windfarms in

iberica 2000.org

The SACRE Program II

After making the second route to the grids that I have assigned, it’s to make up books of the found species.
The routes have been made with good weather.
In grid VN44 I have located 62 different species and in the VN34, 54 were located, a clear difference because in the VN44 there is more variety of habitats and this is equivalent to a greater diversity of species.
Altogether 71 different species have been located, being located, the Common Cuckoo, excepting an observation of a concentration of approximately 100 Common Swift, as if they were in migration.
Birds that have been located for the first time:
Black-winged Stilt
Common Quail
Lesser Spotted Woodpecker
Wood Lark
Spectacled Warbler
In grid VN44 stays within the values of other years with maximums of 65 and minimum of 51.

SACRE program

I and the Bird #26 by The Hawk Owls' Nest

I and the Bird #26

About Swifts, House Martins & Swallows

The past day 05/26/2006 in Birds in the North of Spain , this post made reference to one of the more specialist birds, the Common Swift.
Along with the House Martins and Swallows have been of the birds that more near the man live, and have come using for many years the human constructions to nest.
But now its future is uncertain, and the last studies indicate that their populations are lowering in all Europe (for further details here), mainly seems that by the agricultural changes and changes in their habitual places of nest.

In the construction of new buildings or the reconstruction or renovation of the old, one does not consider, that this being avoided that these birds nest.
New systems of roofing tiles, elimination of eaves, closing of attics...., all this do that these birds do not find good places of nest between us.
For that reason we must make an effort and to try that, when you are made east type of works install new systems that allow to the installation of these birds and their conservation. You can find information about the diferents SCHWEGLER systems here Flyer (PDF)
If some summer we do not return to listen to the precious sound of the Common Swifts, will be the saddest summer.

More information in:
http://www.charliesbirdblog.com/ (June 13 2006: Conservation of Common Swifts...)
London's Swifts Homepage




House Martin double nest of Schwegler in the eaves of the Molino del Canto Inn

The birds from the Garden III

The Great Tit and Blue Tit begin more continuously to use the feeders, by which they see themselves with more assiduity.

Under the feeders isn’t difficult to find Common Chaffinch and Greenfinch, gathering the seeds of the ground
.
One becomes to listening to the Iberian Chiffchaff, and from time to time to listen the Common Chiffchaff .
Wren and Blackcap, easily locatable in the thickness of the shrubs.
On the trunks of the trees, the Short-toed Treecreeper and its acute call. And like specially showy bird that visits the garden every year, Common Redstart, a precious male singing searching a female.

Trip from North to South

A pretty week crossing Spain, from the north to the south, and crossing some of the natural spaces of Spain.
The first shutdown we did it in the National Park of Daimiel, natural space created by the confluence of two rivers, Cigüela and Guadiana.
This National Park, like the average Spain, is affected by drought and the little conscience of the people who live in the environs.
The aquatic birds, almost do not appear, since 2% of the floodable area are only flooded.
So the birds that live in the reeds, are the unique ones that cheers the visit, the most showy species were, Bearded Tit, Savi´s Warbler and Aquatic Warbler. Other observed species in el National Park.


Savi´s Warbler and Bearded Tit in the Field Notebook

Great Spotted Cuckoo
Common Swift
Common Wood-Pigeon
Eurasian Hoopoe
Common Redshank
Pied Avocet
Black-winged Stilt
Whiskered Tern
Cetti's Warbler
Eurasian Reed-Warbler
Great Reed-Warbler
Common Nightingale
Crested Lark
Yellow Wagtail
Magpie



Acuatic Warbler in the Field Notebook

Later we followed course the south, again it is possible to be verified as the lack of water and mainly badly the use of the water this being an increasing problem. We arrived the Natural Space Cabo de Gata, with several remarkable points: The Rambla Morales, coastal lagoon of doubtless value by the presence of White-headed Duck.
The salt pan of Cabo de Gata, one of the most interesting points for the observation of Greated Flamingo and is not difficult to see birds rings.



The gullies of Cabo de Gata, places in which still it is possible to find really showy species like the Lesser Short-toed Lark, European Roller or the European Bee-eater.
Birds observed in all Natural Space of Cabo de Gata.

Greated Flamingo
Eurasian Wigeon
Mallard
Common Pochard
White-headed Duck
Eurasian Hoopoe


European Roller
European Bee-eater
Great Spotted Cuckoo
Common Swift
Pallid Swift
Little Owl
Common Wood-Pigeon
Common Coot
Common Moorhen
Sanderling
Little Stint
Common Redshank
Common Ringed Plover
Kentish Plover
Eurasian Oystercatcher
Black-winged Stilt
Pied Avocet
Audouin's Gull
Whiskered Tern
Yellow-legged Gull
Slender-billed Gull
Black-headed Gull
Little Tern


Gull-billed Tern
Black Kite
Common Kestrel
Little Grebe
Grey Heron
Little Egret
Woodchat Shrike
Carrion Crow
Eurasian Jackdaw
Magpie
Black Wheatear
Spotless Starling

Lesser Short-toed Lark and White-headed Duck in the Field Notebook

Lesser Short-toed Lark
Crested Lark
Thekla Lark
Yellow Wagtail

Other visited natural spaces in the Southeast, the salt pans of Santa Pola where the Greated Flamingo ones were observed again.
Yellow-legged Gull
House Sparrow
Great Reed-Warbler
Little Egret
Purple Heron
Greater Flamingo
Great Crested Grebe
Black-winged Stilt
Pied Avocet
Whiskered Tern
Sand Martin

El Hondo area of reedbed partially flooded with cleared sand areas.

Birds observed in El Hondo area

Collared Pratincole
Yellow Wagtail
Black-winged Stilt
Pied Avocet
Little Grebe
Little Tern

Squacco Heron
Thekla Lark
Grey Heron
Corn Bunting
Black-headed Gull
Common Coot
Zitting Cisticola
European Honey-buzzard
Again the problem of the bad management of the water maintains this natural space on the brink of disappearance and again the golf courses and the urbanizations proliferate by all the coast

I and the Bird #25 by Rob's Idaho Perspective

I and the Bird #25

Chicks Season

During this time, when we left to see birds is easy to find birds that can seem us strange and unusual plumages, but far from being rare birds, we were at the time at which there is a great amount of chicks that begin his first flights, normally behind the kind parents.
We can see the typical chicks plumages, normally very similar to those of the females, of dull tones and nothing showy, so that they happen very unnoticed before possible predators.
Also its behavior is in showy general like clumsiness in flight or the lack of experience before a possible predator, which easily sees when before us, is almost without fear and even onlooker.
In the environs of Molino del Canto Inn , chickens of, Thrushes, Warblers, Finches, Tits…. can be found like more common birds.