Birds in the North of Spain: July 2014

Saturday, July 26, 2014

New birding inside the Canyons

Tree Pipit

Zamanzas Valley

The first idea was go through the Cañones del Ebro y Rudrón P. N. and continue to the Ebro reservoir, because it begins already have migratory movement of some species and the Ebro water reservoir is always a good place to record interesting species.
But bad weather made us give up the second part of the route, so we look for birds exclusively on P.N. and in the end did not too bad, we registered a total of 60 species.

Red-backed Shrike is still the one of the species most recorder are now accompanied by young adults. Like other species are concentrated in family flocks and large groups, as finches like Serins and Linnets or large flocks of Rock Sparrow and are the most viewed groups. But the most striking are the large groups that form the Swallows and Martins, gradually gathered to begin their journey south in search of African lands.
Golden Oriole, Woodpeckers and Warbles with a significant number of birds from their respective habitats, though, between the leaves trees and their elusive behaviour makes the observation becomes difficult.

As a reward for this great day of birding, the presence of a small carrion, possibly a sheep, evidently attracted a good number of Griffon vultures that were patiently, waiting for the carrion area were totally safe to approach it. Task a little difficult because of the proximity to the track.

Bird List

Mallard

Common Quail

Little Grebe

Grey Heron
Black Kite 
Egyptian Vulture
 Griffon Vulture

Short-toed Eagle

Montagu's Harrier

Hen Harrier
Common Buzzard

Merlin
 Common Wood Pigeon
Little Owl
 Common Swift
Green Woodpecker

Great Spotted Woodpecker

Woodlark
 Skylark 

Sand Martin

Barn Swallow
 House Martin

Tawny Pipit
 Tree Pipit

Grey Wagtail 
White Wagtail

 Wren 
European Robin
 Black Redstart

Whinchat
Common Stonechat 

Wheatear
Blackbird
 Song Thrush 

Mistle Thrush
Whitethroat

Garden Warbler
Blackcap 

Bonelli's Warbler
 Iberian Chiffchaff

Firecrest

Spotted Flycatcher

Blue Tit

Great Tit

Golden Oriol
Red-backed Shrike 
Jay
Magpie

Red-billed Chough
Carrion Crow 
Spotless Starling 
House Sparrow 

Rock Sparrow
Common Chaffinch 
Serin 

Greenfinch

Linnet
Yellowhammer
 Cirl Bunting 
Corn Bunting

The return to Posada, the performed by one of the long paths that offer spectacular views of the Cañones del Ebro y Rudrón Nature Reserve.

Thank you very much to Stephanie and Ian and for your interest in the birds of Burgos
More information and www.molinodelcanto.com and www.mcbirding.com

Sunday, July 13, 2014

Las Merindades, Rapaces, Aves Acuáticas y mucho más.

Escribano Cerillo

Mediados de Julio y esta pasada semana con un tiempo más propio de Marzo o Noviembre, ligera llovizna y sobre todo un intenso frío agravado por el viento del norte. Aún así seguimos con unas muy buenas cifras de registros y observación de aves en Las Merindades. Durante nuestro último recorrido en busca de aves, con dos buenos ornitólogos, combinamos parte del P.N. de los Cañones del Ebro, la comarca de Bricia para terminar en el Embalse del Ebro. Durante las primeras horas registramos bastantes pequeñas aves, destacando, también durante toda la jornada, el gran número de Alcaudón Dorsirrojo, en algún momento visto al mismo tiempo que su mayor pariente el Alcaudón Real. Pero posiblemente lo más llamativo fue la observación de aves rapaces, no sólo por su número, sino también por, dejarse ver bastante bien. Aves como Alimoches, Culebrera Europea, Águila Calzada, Aguilucho Cenizo (varios ejemplares) y Aguilucho Lagunero…

Ánsares Comunes

Espátulas

Garza Real, ave que empieza a incrementar su número en el Embalse.

En los alrededores del Embalse destacar la presencia de Buitrón, ave que resulta escasa y no todos los años se presenta en esta zona. Cabe destacar el cambio que ya se está produciendo en el registro de aves acuáticas en el Embalse del Ebro. Si bien en otras ocasiones la observación de estas aves era casi testimonial, esta vez registramos varias especies entre las que destacamos Espátulas y un grupo de 26 Ánsares Comunes, registro realmente llamativo para estas fechas, es una de las pocas citas recogidas en época estival, y sin duda la del grupo más numeroso, según lo registrado en el Anuario Ornitológico de Burgos.

Alcaudón Dorsirrojo, una de las especies con más registros del día.

Al final de la jornada el recuento de aves registradas ascendió a 63 aves, número realmente extraordinario para las casi 5 horas que pasamos visitando estos maravillosos parajes del norte de Burgos.

Lista de Aves
Ánsar Común. Greylag Goose
Ánade Friso. Gadwall
Ánade Azulón. Mallard
Codorniz. Common Quail.
Zampullín Chico. Little Grebe
Somormujo Lavanco. Great Crested Grebe
Garza Real. Grey Heron
Cigüeña Blanca. White Stork
Espátula. Spoonbill
Milano Negro. Black Kite
Alimoche Común. Egyptian Vulture
Buitre Leonado. Griffon Vulture
Culebrera Europea. Short-toed Eagle
Aguilucho Lagunero. Marsh Harrier
Aguilucho Cenizo. Montagu's Harrier
Busardo Ratonero. Common Buzzard
Águila Calzada. Booted Eagle
Cernícalo Vulgar. Commons Kestrel
Andarrios Chico. Common Sandpiper
Gaviota Reidora. Black-headed Gull
Gaviota Patiamarilla. Yellow-legged Gull
Paloma Torcaz. Common Wood Pigeon
Vencejo Común. Common Swift
Martín Pescador. Kingfisher
Pito Real. Iberian Green Woodpecker
Pico Picapinos. Great Spotted Woodpecker
Alondra Común. Skylark
Avión Zapador. Sand Martin
Golondrina Común. Barn Swallow
Avión Común. House Martin
Bisbita Arboreo. Tree Pipit
Lavandera Cascadeña. Grey Wagtail
Lavandera Blanca. White Wagtail
Chochín. Wren
Petirrojo Europeo. Robin
Colirrojo Tizón. Black Redstart
Tarabilla Norteña. Whinchat
Tarabilla Común. Stonechat
Collalba Gris. Northern Wheatear
Mirlo Común. Blackbird
Zorzal Común. Song Thrush
Zorzal Charlo. Mistle Thrush
Buitrón. Zitting Cisticola
Curruca Capirotada. Blackcap
Mosquitero Papialbo. Bonelli's Warbler
Mosquitero Ibérico. Iberian Chiffchaff
Carbonero Común. Great Tit
Agateador Común. Short-toed Treecreeper
Oropéndola. Golden Oriol
Alcaudón Dorsirrojo. Red-backed Shrike
Alcaudón Real. Southern Grey Shrike
Arrendajo. Jay
Urraca. Magpie
Chova Piquirroja. Red-billed Chough
Corneja Negra. Carrion Crow
Estornino Negro. Spotless Starling
Gorrión Común. House Sparrow
Pinzón Vulgar. Common Chaffinch
Verdecillo. Serin
Pardillo Común. Linnet
Camachuelo Común. Bullfinch
Escribano Cerillo. Yellowhammmer
Escribano Triguero. Corn Bunting

Muchas gracias a Enrique y Jonathan por su interés en las aves de Burgos.
Mas información en www.mcbirding.com y www.molinodelcanto.com

Monday, July 07, 2014

Looking for Harriers

The plateaux areas of the P.N. Cañones del Ebro y Rudrón Nature Reserve.

This was the goal, but in the meantime we recorded a number of other birds. The idea was to looking for Harriers in the most favorable areas for these raptors, obviously deep valleys are not the most suitable, but as we crossed the valley, we did not lose the opportunity to record the birds in forest,villages and meadows.
In our first survey area, the Harriers shake off us , but yes Larks, Buntings, Stonechats, Finches ... Well, nothing happens, we try again in another area, where the records of Harriers are more usual, although again not appeared, yes they did Quails, Whinchats, Red-backed Shrike...

Red-backed Shrike

Going through the woods brought us the songs of Warblers, Tits, Treecreepers, Woodpeckers, and obviously not Harriers ... we arrived at Embalse del Ebro water reservoir, where recorded several Great Crested Grebe and Ducks, and the only wader of the day, a Common Sandpiper. Yellow wagtails, Spotless Starlings, Kestrels were other birds of this area. The clouds in the form of low fog, characteristic of this place began to appear, so we visited the last meadows, where, waiting us, Montagu's Harrier and Hen Harrier. A female wanted to show their hunting techniques and spent a long time hunting and flying a few meters grasslands and allowing Nigel to take stunning images.

Yellow Wagtail

Common Sandpiper

In short, another great day of birding in Las Merindades, with a total of 57 species. But, for Nigel and Anne, the birding in Las Merindades not end here, continued touring the spectacular locations offering this earth and at the end of his visit, recorder a total of 71 species.

Bird List

Gadwall

Mallard

Common Quail

Great Crested Grebe

Grey Heron

White Stork
Black Kite 
Egyptian Vulture
 Griffon Vulture

Short-toed Eagle

Montagu's Harrier

Hen Harrier
Common Buzzard

Golden Eagle

Booted Eagle

Common Kestrel

Common Coot

Common Sandpiper
 Common Wood Pigeon
 Common Swift

Great Spotted Woodpecker

Woodlark
 Skylark 

Sand Martin

Barn Swallow
 House Martin

Tawny Pipit
 Tree Pipit

Water Pipit

Yellow Wagtail

Grey Wagtail 
White Wagtail

Dipper
 Wren 
European Robin
 Black Redstart

Whinchat
Common Stonechat 

Wheatear
Blackbird
 Song Thrush 

Mistle Thrush
Whitethroat
Blackcap 

Bonelli's Warbler
 Iberian Chiffchaff

Goldcrest

Firecrest

Spotted Flycatcher

Long-tailed Tit

Blue Tit

Great Tit

Nuthatch
Golden Oriol
Red-backed Shrike 
Jay
Magpie

Red-billed Chough
Carrion Crow 
Spotless Starling 
House Sparrow 

Rock Sparrow
Common Chaffinch 
Serin 

Greenfinch

Goldfinch
 Linnet 
Bullfinch
Yellowhammer
 Cirl Bunting 
Corn Bunting

Birders, enjoying with the birds of Las Merindades

Thank you very much to Ann and Nigel for your interest in the birds of Burgos
More information and www.molinodelcanto.com and www.mcbirding.com

Friday, July 04, 2014

Young season

Grey Wagtail, young and adult

As we saw in our previous birding tour, in the P.N. Hoces del Alto Ebro y Rudrón Natural Reserve, the number of young birds is very striking, we can see many young birds of differents species, many of them still not far from their nests and fed by their parents, Shrikes, Wagtails, Finches, Sparrows ... In this great birding day with a good time of sun and clouds, but with some wind, we recorded a total of 51 species in just over four hours. One of the Red-backed Shrikes families, was one of the first family groups seen, other adults and their chicks were Grey Wagtail, Rock Sparrows, Stonechats, Sand Martin, Spotless Starling, Serin, ... Five species of raptors, Griffon Vulture, Egyptian Vulture, Booted Eagle, Common Buzzard, Black Kite. Interesting behaviour of Common Redstart, using a clothesline like lookout post for hunting.