Tuesday, August 12, 2014

End of breeding, start migration.

 Hoopoe
Definitely the breeding season is over, the last young birds have left their nests, but they can be seen chasing their parents or fending for themselves. But what catches the attention of a day in the field is silence, virtually there aren't birds singing, only is possible to hear, calls, contact or alarm voices.
In a few days will start the migratory path significantly, is still low.
Within the valley, the dense forest and the silence of birds, increases the difficult to birding.
So we head into plateaux areas, where brushy areas, arable lands boundaries,  and small villages, where the birding is more easy, all en route to the south of the Ebro reservoir.


 Yellowhammer

As on other occasions the most characteristic birds appear, Buntings, Finches, Chats ... and again appears one of the most spectacular Iberian birds, the Hoopoe.
The presence of waterfowl in the Ebro Reservoir remains low, although there were several species were not many and the number of birds was not much.



 Red-backed Shrike

Water smartweed
But the most interesting awaited us in the nearby pasture areas. A dead animal, possibly a horse, served as food for Griffon Vultures, good concentration, exceeding 150 birds.
One of the great shows that the Iberian nature can show us.
Although interestingly, we have only seen arrive Griffon Vultures and Crows, and, although the Egyptian Vultures still continuing in the region, we did not observe them in this area.






At the end of the day we recorded 39 species, a few less than in the past, but easily attributable to the absence of some, who have taken to way towards Africa as the Swifts.

Bird List
Gadwall
Mallard
Little Grebe
Grey Heron
White Stork
Honey Buzzard
Black Kite

Egyptian Vulture

Griffon Vulture
Common Buzzard
Common Kestrel
Black-headed Gull
Yellow-legged Gull
Hoopoe
Sand Martin
Barn Swallow

House Martin
Tawny Pipit

Tree Pipit
Yellow Wagtail
Whinchat
Common Stonechat

Wheatear
Blackbird
Zitting Cisticola
Dartford Warbler
Whitethroat
Great Tit
Red-backed Shrike

Jay
Magpie
Carrion Crow

Spotless Starling

House Sparrow

Rock Sparrow
Common Chaffinch

Linnet
Bullfinch
Yellowhammer

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

Monday, August 04, 2014

Winged Jewels

Golden Oriole

We continue to enjoy the birds in the P.N. Cañones del Alto Ebro y Rudrón Nature Reserve, this time being able to observe authentic winged jewels, Iberian Green Woodpecker, Golden Oriole and Hoopoe .... Really all birds have something that can elevate the term jewel, only is necessary appreciate it and know to look at them and especially never tire of birding, because really there aren't common birds. For example, is not a jewel the Goldfinch?, Or the Rock Sparrow with the yellow spot, like a autentic jewel, or the colour contrasts of Wheatears or small majesty of Shrikes .... we could go up complete the approximate 10,000 species of Earth.


 Cirl Bunting
Red-backed Shrike

But by the time we were the most representative of the P.N. Cañones del Alto Ebro y Rudrón, in this new day of birding inside the natural park, we recorded a total of 43 species including Griffon and Egyptian Vultures, specialists such as the European Honey Buzzard and a good number of small and spectacular birds.


 Grey Wagtail
 Griffon Vulture

Throughout the season, and as usual, the Red-backed Shrike is one of the easiest species to observe, and now with adults  accompanied by several young people who occasionally are seen hunting.
But as mentioned earlier, the presence of very striking bird, the Golden Oriole, without doubt, makes that we stop in their search in a poplars. While the Iberian Green Woodpeckers showed us their undulating flight. Stonechats, Sparrows, Redstarts, Warblers, Harriers ... to end the spectacle of the Hoopoe.

 Yellowhammer
 Rock Sparrow

Bird List
Common Quail
Egyptian Vulture

Griffon Vulture
Honey Buzzard
Montagu's Harrier
Common Buzzard

Common Wood Pigeon

Common Swift
Hoopoe
Green Woodpecker
Great Spotted Woodpecker

Skylark

Sand Martin
Barn Swallow

House Martin

Tree Pipit
Grey Wagtail

White Wagtail

Wren

European Robin

Black Redstart
Common Stonechat

Wheatear
Blackbird

Song Thrush

Mistle Thrush
Garden Warbler

Iberian Chiffchaff
Great Tit
Golden Oriole
Red-backed Shrike

Jay
Carrion Crow

Spotless Starling

House Sparrow

Rock Sparrow
Common Chaffinch

Serin

Greenfinch
Linnet
Bullfinch
Yellowhammer

Cirl Bunting



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