Our first Subalpine Warbler! A trip report from Sierra de Lugar

It’s the start of a new week, and the birdwatchalpujarras team are off on a day-trip to Sierra de Lugar. It’s been a while since we visited this productive local patch and with our friend Andreas on board for the day we’re hoping to add a few interesting species to his holiday tick-list! The secluded, [...]

 
Wintering Blackcap start to head north

We’re in first day of the new month and while the weather is still a bit patchy, the days are slowly getting longer and warmer. Migration has most definitely begun, and some winter species will soon be moving on… The Blackcap Sylvia atricapilla have started to thin out noticeably, heading for breeding grounds further north. [...]

 
Bonelli's Eagle and a Southern Grey Shrike - February at the wetlands of Padul

It’s the first day of February down here in Andalucia, and Kiersten and I are off to visit our local wetlands at Padul. The extensive reedbeds and the flat patchwork of cultivated plots and rough grassland make this reserve a productive birding patch at any time of the year, and it could well be the [...]

 
The Black Redstart - an Andalucian winter speciality

Wintering Black Redstart continue to show well all around the village of Lanjaron, with splendid males bringing a welcome splash of colour to the month’s birdwatching… The Black Redstart Phoenicurus ochruros breeds across most of Europe, but shows different seasonal behaviour across its range. Around the Mediterranean region it is a year-long resident. Birds from [...]

 
Black Redstarts add a splash of colour to the Alpujarran winter

It’s the first day of December, and what better way to start the new month than with the latest images of one of our favourite seasonal visitors, the Black Redstart… Regular readers of our birding reports will recognize this species straight away. Definitely one of our more striking winter characters, and Kiersten captured all the [...]

 
Wintering Robins return again to Lanjaron

Over most of continental Europe the Robin has always remained a shy, woodland bird…much more wary than the tame, garden birds we know from the UK. It’s a  widespread resident over most of Spain and while we do see them through the summer months, for me they’re a bird of the winter… Northern European populations [...]

 
Green Woodpeckers and Southern Grey Shrikes...October on the hillsides of Lanjaron

With the month rolling on we’re making the most of the October sunshine and are off up the mountainside above Lanjaron. Although many of our summer visitors have now headed south for the warmth of African wintering grounds there’s still plenty to see, and there’s always the chance of something new and unusual… As ever, [...]

 
Black Redstarts return to Lanjaron for the winter

With many of our favourite summer visitors having already headed south to wintering grounds in Africa, you could perhaps be forgiven for expecting October to be one of our quieter birdwatching months. Seasonal departures are only part of the story however, and while many species have largely disappeared some are only just starting to arrive. [...]

 
Griffon Vultures over Andalucia. May in the El Torcal Nature Reserve 20th May 2010

Thursday morning…and I’m off with a friend to El Torcal Nature Reserve. Located about 30km north of Malaga near the town of Antequera, the area boasts one of the most impressive limestone landscapes in Europe. Highly eroded, surreal rock formations provide a fascinating backdrop and with fantastic views out towards the coast and a unique [...]

 

As the month rolls on, much of our attention is inevitably focused on new arrivals, as our summer visitors continue to return. There are departures too however, and two winter favourites have largely disappeared from the orchards and olive groves down here in the valley. Our Blackcap and Black Redstart are heading north, and the [...]