On a crisp blue morning in late October, some 14 members of the Costa Blanca Bird Club met just outside Alcoy for their monthly field trip.
We made our way up to the legendary Font Roja reserve, where the chilly air was more than usually silent. It took a good deal of patience and not a little footwork to compile a very small list there, which at least included the Blue Tits found nowhere else in the province, as well as Crested, Great, Coal and Long-tailed Tits. A Song Thrush flew past as we readied to leave.
Our next stop was Preventori, and most of the party walked through the woods, seeing Firecrest and Short-toed Treecreeper as well as a Red Squirrel. Many Griffon Vultures flew overhead in loose flocks.
We moved on down to our next viewpoint – over ‘Vulture Valley’ – immediately seeing the resident Blue Rock Thrush. Griffon Vultures didn’t disappoint – at one stage we could count 60 birds in the air at once. The party split up and David took some of the more agile members down the valley, seeing a pale phase Booted Eagle, and some Crag Martins, whilst others found a Black Wheatear and had fine views of a Firecrest. Black Redstart, Long-tailed Tits and Chaffinch were also seen. Those of us who were a little more static were rewarded with closer views of the Blue Rock Thrush and then a nice Peregrine Falcon.
Time for lunch, and Greta, the day’s leader, introduced us to the Restaurant Felix, which did us proud. It had been a thoroughly pleasant day.
