Short-toed Eagles, Southern Grey Shrikes and dazzling Bee-eaters, another remarkable day of birdwatching as the Alpujarran summer rolls on!
It’s Monday morning, and the Birdwatchalpujarras team are off out with a client today, exploring the hillsides around Lanjaron once again. Another great chance to share our fantastic range of local habitats with a birdwatcher new to the region and, hopefully, to have a good look at some of our spectacular birdlife.
Grey cloud cover threatened rain but swiftly cleared as we headed for our first stop only minutes outside the village. We hoped to find Booted Eagles early on in the day, and with House Martins and Red-rumped Swallows swirling overhead we waited quietly with olive groves and scrubland opening out in the valley below us. Within minutes, our first raptor of the day soared into view, and a pale-form Booted Eagle got the trip off to a terrific start.
Keen to see as much as possible we decided to head up the mountain, and with parties of Crested Larks escorting the 4×4 we followed the track uphill. A Kestrel showed well within no time at all, and the snow white chest of an Alpine Swift stood out amongst the throng of dark brown Common Swifts floating above us. With wonderful views out to sea we pressed on and were soon rewarded with great views of another of our seasonal favourites, the Woodchat Shrike. A pair in fact, giving us the chance to compare the plumage of male and female, as they perched together at the top of a bush only metres from the car.
The ascent into Holm Oak woodland brought some relief from the arid scrub below, and nice views of a pair of Stonechats, not the most exotic of our local residents but scarcer this year after a hard winter. After a tantalizing glimpse of another Booted Eagle we reached the pine forest tree line, bringing a welcome chance to stretch our legs in the cooler air. We gave the birds of prey a chance to appear over the woodland below us and began the slow drive back down the mountainside.
Kiersten switched tracks for the descent through the Holm Oaks, and it paid off. Bee-eaters are without doubt one of our most flamboyant summer migrants and we were treated to a marvellous display as they swooped and glided down over the road, enjoying the best views we’ve ever had of these beautiful birds as they returned with their insect prey to favourite branches in the dead trees along the track. A flashing glimpse of a female Golden Oriole was as ever a welcome addition to the day and somewhat reluctantly we left the “pruh…pruh” calls of the Bee-eaters behind us to continue our journey downhill.
We took time to watch yet another pale-form Booted Eagle soaring high overhead once we’d cleared the trees, and Woodchat Shrikes continued to show well. There were still some surprises in store however and from a distance we thought we might have found something a bit special. Sure enough, one of the highlights of the day, a Southern Grey Shrike, our first of the year and a wonderful addition to the day list. We managed to get a little closer and it was great to compare this year-long resident with its equally striking migrant cousins. Two species of shrike in one day, great stuff!
We soon reached the point where we’d seen our pair of Woodchat Shrikes earlier on and the male was still in close attendance and we realised why. A quite beautifully marked juvenile, its grey and brown “vermiculated” plumage so different from the bold black, white and chestnut of its parents, staring back at us curiously while its father kept a wary eye close by.
With our time drawing to a close we decided to head for the patch where we had started our day, hoping for one last glimpse of our local birds of prey. We soon turned a corner to find not one but two large raptors circling over the hillside. Our last pale-form Booted Eagle of the day, together with a Short-toed Eagle. With a wingspan of over five feet finding this impressive summer visitor was a wonderful end to our excursion and rounded off the day perfectly. We ended our trip where we began, taking a last look at the views out over the valley, and a dark-form Booted Eagle soared slowly over the slopes above us before we headed back to the village.
Another superb day of birdwatching down here in Lanjaron, and we were thrilled to have been able to share it with our guest for the day. We’ll take a closer look at some of the fascinating species we encountered today over the next few days so please keep checking the posts as we continue to keep you up to date with all the latest news!
Related posts:
- A drive to Otivar and the Rio Verde…daytripping with the birdwatchalpujarras team 17th August 2009
- Bee Eaters and Alpine Swifts gather before heading south…late summer below the village of Lanjaron 19th August 2009
- Golden Orioles, Hoopoe and Woodchat Shrike. June in the Alpujarras 7th June 2010
- Griffon Vultures over Andalucia. May in the El Torcal Nature Reserve 20th May 2010
- A trip to the Sierra Tentudia
