Today we had a short run out across the El Hondo fields. As we approached the roundabout for the palm farm track we spotted many Glossy Ibis and Cattle Egrets in a flooded field on our left. Our first bird on the track was a Red rumped Swallow, followed by a Booted Eagle and a mystery raptor, which may have been a Buzzard. When we stopped on top of the small bridge by the palm farm we saw four male Blackcaps moving around in the reeds. A couple of Jackdaws were sitting on top of the nest box with a Kestrel and another Kestrel appeared to be inside the nest box. Near the end of the track a Corn Bunting was singing from the top of a bush. We continued along ‘Green Sandpiper alley’ where two Green Sandpipers were seen.
Next we headed to the Santa Agueda towers, a recently discovered site for us and a very peaceful place. We climbed each of the towers in turn and although the patch of ground in front of the second tower was now dry we managed to see a few birds from here. On the partly hidden pools we could see Avocet, Black winged Stilt and Shelduck and at one point a small group of Glossy Ibis took off and flew away. We also saw Marsh Harrier, Great White Egret, Grey Heron, Sardinian Warbler, Blackcap and a Swallow made a brief appearance. A Cetti’s Warbler was heard only. We made our way back passing a Little Owl in the usual place on top of a disused building and continued along the vistabella road and back across the Salinas adding a few more common species to our list. Our final stop was at Pena Grande for our usual Friday lunch with Dave and Linda.
Species list – Cormorant, Great White Egret, Little Egret, Cattle Egret, Grey Heron, Flamingo, Glossy Ibis, Shelduck, Marsh Harrier, Buzzard, Booted Eagle, Kestrel, Black winged Stilt, Avocet, Turnstone, Green Sandpiper, Slender billed gull, Yellow legged Gull, Sandwich Tern, Woodpigeon, Collared Dove, Swallow, Red rumped Swallow, White Wagtail, Stonechat, Blackbird, Cetti’s Warbler, Sardinian Warbler, Blackcap, Southern Grey Shrike, Jackdaw, House Sparrow, Corn Bunting.