Another Sunday comes around and it’s birdwatching as usual, and I’m off down to a friend’s patch of land below the village in a determined effort to photograph Golden Orioles. With tall Poplars and Fig trees bordering a mature, old Olive grove it’s perfect habitat and the suspicion is these spectacular summer migrants are nesting right on the doorstep.
As we arrived I was certain I could hear the distinctive screeches and tropical calls that usually precede a flash of bright yellow and jet black…however, possibly because I was actually fully prepared for once, it was quickly apparent it wasn’t going to be easy. I settled down quietly to wait. Then waited some more. As the heat of midday kicked in there was no sign these secretive birds were going to make an appearance. In such beautiful surroundings however and with plenty of shade it really wasn’t that much of a problem. My concentration wandered a little and I started to check what else was about.
Almost immediately something caught my eye. A small, anonymous grey-brown bird flitted past and settled on a thin branch nearby, and there was something instantly familiar about it. Sat bolt upright on its perch, with a sharp-eyed and constantly alert look about it…then suddenly a flash of movement as it grabbed a passing insect in mid-air and returned to the same twig to eat its meal. Spotted Flycatcher. Fantastic! Spreading out across Europe from May onwards this late arrival from Africa is easily overlooked but I had a great view, close enough to see its streaky grey and brown cap and thin, black insectivore’s beak. My first ever in Spain and a brilliant addition to the day.
Still no sign of the enigmatic Orioles but a sweet fluid song from cover only yards away grabbed my attention. Long, plaintive notes and sudden liquid trills could mean only one thing…Nightingale. The bird was really close and I was sure I was looking straight at it but it needed a determined “leaf by leaf” search of a Fig tree before I managed to find it, singing its heart out almost invisibly in the foliage directly in front of me. Time stopped for a while and I just sat and listened until eventually the bird moved on. These seasonal visitors to the region are notoriously difficult to locate in the UK, and with one of the finest songs in Europe to be finding them here in Spain has been wonderful.
The offer of a cold drink brought a welcome quick break in the shade and another great view of a Spotted Flycatcher, perched briefly only yards from where we sat…possibly the same bird but I couldn’t help wondering if they had returned in some numbers and if I’d be seeing more around the village in coming weeks. As we sat I could hear but didn’t see Greenfinches, their song not unlike other related finch species but that droning, buzzy “dzweee” was a characteristic, give-away sound.
Just to finish off the day I packed up my camera and took one last look at the stand of Poplars, certain I’d see an Oriole now the “photo-shoot” was over. Typical…a jay-like screech and there it was, a flash of brilliant yellow and jet black as a male Golden Oriole broke cover and darted away. Birdwatching. All you can do is smile and carry on…
