Warblers, Rock Bunting and Black Redstarts – the gardens of Lanjaron in November

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The gardens and other patches of broken, open land around the village hold a surprising range of species at this time of year, and it’s a great time to take a seasonal look at what can be seen – and heard – on our local patch if you step out of the door…

Serin

House Sparrows, Great Tits and Blackbirds provide the usual background chatter, along with passing parties of Serin and Goldfinches.

Sardinian Warbler

Churring and clicking Sardinian Warblers forage every day through the bushes around the house in noisy, family groups – note how the red eye-ring still stands out in the more muted, grey cap of the female shown here. Invisible Cetti’s Warblers have been calling loudly from shrubs only metres from my patio doors and five minutes spent watching the nearest caqui fruit tree can bring wintering Blackcap and Chiffchaff in no time at all, putting four warbler species on a daily backgarden list.

Blackcap

Overhead, our local pair of Kestrels continue to defend their stronghold on the crags across the valley floor, seeing off Sparrowhawks and the occasional Raven with a noisy determination. With their Hirundine cousins gone for the winter, small, sooty brown Crag Martins have got the skies the themselves – and continue to out-fly all my attempts at photography as they zip past over the house!

Kestrel

Every now and then a Rock Bunting has passed by, having dropped down from summer territories above the village for the winter. Black Redstart are here in rather more numbers – bobbing and twitching with their “vibrating” rusty-red tails – and the males still showing summer plumage are a particularly colourful highlight, as we wait for the weather ro finally turn…

Black Redstart

With our birdwatching tours and holidays we can show you much more than fascinating birdlife of the village outskirts. Southern Spain has some of the best birding Europe has to offer – so please click here for all the details. For all our latest news and sightings, take a look our regular posts and trip reports!