80 species were seen in the Alcossebre area in April 2017. No new species were added to the Alcossebre list, which currently stands at 220 species. One bird was a first of this year - a Wood Sandpiper. 23 species were first for this spring. Purple Heron, Squacco Heron, White Stork, Red Kite, Hobby, Black-winged Stilt, Common Sandpiper, Turtle Dove, Scops Owl, Bee eater, Roller, Golden Oriole, Wood Warbler, Reed Warbler, Common Whitethroat, Spotted Flycatcher, Pied Flycatcher, Rufous Nightingale, Common Redstart, Northern Wheatear, Black-eared Wheatear, Whinchat and Blue-headed Wagtail. I had the company of John Vincent on the 15th April., Michelle Nazuruk, Guy and Angela Hooper and David on the 17th April. This is how the month unfolded :- 1st April. 50 Great Cormorants and 9 Barn Swallows flew east. Six Shelduck flew south. Overnight arrivals were a female Sparrowhawk, a male Common Redstart, and two Subalpine Warblers. 3rd April. One Marsh Harrier, 15 Barn Swallows, two Red-rumped Swallows and one Sand Martin flew east. Overnight arrivals of 50 Pallid Swift, two Subalpine Warblers and one Stonechat. 4th April. Two Purple Herons flew NE - the first this spring. 23 Barn Swallows flew east. 5th April. One Marsh Harrier, 25 Common Swifts, 25 Pallid Swifts,125 Barn Swallows, 28 House Martins, and 6 Sand Martins. All flew east. 6th April. 22 Great Cormorants, three Marsh Harriers, one Sparrowhawk, 16 each Pallid and Common Swifts, 124 Barn Swallow, seven House Martins and five Sand Martins all flew east. Overnight arrivals two White Stork ,one Scops Owl two Black-eared Wheatears and three Blue-headed Wagtails. All first records for spring. The above is a photo taken by Barry Diplock of a Black-eared Wheatear that turned up in his garden! Most unusual - and thanks to Barry for that. 7th April. One Marsh Harrier, 34 Barn Swallows, 3 House Martins and 2 Sand Martins flew east and one Grey Heron flew south. Overnight arrivals one Green Sandpiper and one Nightingale - the first this spring. 8th April. 7 Great Cormorants, 14 Yellow-legged Gulls and 17 Barn Swallows flew east. 9th April. 15 Black-headed Gulls flew south. 12 Barn Swallows flew east. Overnight arrivals Two Red-rumped Swallows, two Turtle Doves - first this spring, one Woodchat Shrike. 10th April. One Great Cormorant east and 8 Barn Swallows. Overnight arrival Male Subalpine Warbler. 11th April. Overnight arrival of one Scops Owl, three Willow Warblers. 12th April. Two House Martins flew east. Overnight arrivals One Hobby (first this spring) and one Night Heron. 13th April. A flock of Bee eaters (first this spring) and five Barn Swallows flew east.Arrivals One Red Kite (first this spring), Four Turtle Doves, two Red-rumped Swallow, Common Redstart ( first this spring) and one Common Whitethroat. 15th April. One Glossy Ibis flew south. Overnight arrivals two Red-rumped Swallows and one Northern Wheatear - the first this spring. 17th April. One Purple Heron flew south, one Grey Heron flew east. An usual sighting of an Arctic Skua being mobbed by Yellow-legged Gulls! Four Black-winged Stilts at Capycorp lagoon were the first this spring. 18th April. Overnight arrivals. One Hobby, six Turtle Doves and three Rufous Nightingales. 19th April. One Grey Heron and 16 Yellow-legged Gulls flew east. Overnight arrivals one Rufous Nightingale, two Black-eared Wheatears, one each Northern Wheatear and Willow Warbler. 20th April. Four Barn Swallows flew east. Overnight arrivals one Night Heron, one Common Sandpiper (first this spring), One Woodchat Shrike and one Pied Flycatcher (first this spring). 21st April. Three Little Egrets flew east. Overnight arrivals male Subalpine Warbler and two Pied Flycatchers. 22nd April. 8 Barn Swallows and 4 Sand Martins flew east. Overnight arrivals One Red-rumped Swallow, two Pied Flycatchers and one Common Redstart. 23rd April. 7 Glossy Ibis, one Little Egret and 18 Barn Swallows flew east. Overnight arrivals one Hobby and one Spotted Flycatcher - the first this spring. 24th April. Overnight arrivals one Woodchat Shrike. male Whinchat -first this spring, two Willow Warblers. 25th April. One Grey Heron and 3 Barn Swallows flew east. Overnight arrivals. One Northern Wheatear, one Woodchat Shrike, one Nightingale , one Common Redstart and one Pied Flycatcher. 26th April. 9 Shelduck flew south. One Grey Heron, 3 Squacco Herons, 6 Cormorants and one Marsh Harrier flew east. Overnight arrivals. Two Turtle Doves.13 Bee eaters, one Golden Oriole (first this spring), 3 Willow Warblers, one each of Subalpine Warbler, Greater Whitethroat, Spotted Flycatcher and Pied Flycatcher. 28th April. Three House Martins flew east. Overnight arrivals 3 Common Sandpipers, one Roller ( first this spring), 10 Turtle Doves, two Woodchat Shrikes, four Pied Flycatchers, one each Spotted Flycatcher, Whinchat, Greater Whitethroat, Wood Warbler and Reed Warbler ( first this spring). 29th April. One Great Egret and 32 Glossy Ibis flew east. 10 Sandwich Terns flew south. Overnight arrivals. Three Woodchat Shrikes, 12 Bee eaters, two Golden Orioles, one Common Redstart and one Greater Whitethroat. Alcossebre weather in April, 2017. April was a settled month for weather. Winds were still on the cool side, but their was below average rainfall. The first week in April was mainly fine and sunny. There was a moderate north east wind on the 1st and 2nd. Temperatures were average for day but 3C cooler by night. The second week in April was again mainly fine and sunny. The last two days started off with thick mist, clearing to fine and sunny. Winds started off from a north easterly direction changing to east/south east from mid morning. Temperatures were again average for day, but still 3C cooler at night. The third week in April was mixed with four days fine and sunny. On the 17th to 19th it started off overcast and dull in the morning, but became sunny in the afternoon. Winds were gentle, north east until mid am then changed to the south east. Temperatures just slightly below average for both day and night. The fourth week in April. Was the most unsettled, with the first rain of the month on the 25th and 27th. Winds were again mainly north west am and east or south pm. On the 27th the cold north east continued all day. Temperatures were well below average in both day and night. The last two days in April were fine and sunny, albeit with a moderate north east wind. Average day temperature was 20C (68F). Average night temperature was 9C (48F) Highest day temperature was 24C (75F) on the 6th, 14th, and 17th Highest night temperature was 15C (59F) on the 19th. Coldest day was 12C (53F) on the 28th. Coldest night was 4C (39F) on the 21st. Total rainfall for April was 0.8 inches (20mm) over two days. This was well below the April average of 3.7 inches. This is unusual to get a thick mist here, on the morning of the 13th and 14th April.
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