52 species were seen in the Alcossebre area in November 2019. No new species were added to the Alcossebre list, which stands at 244 species. One or two Northern Gannets were seen offshore throughout the month. The Spanish name for the Gannet is Alcatras! A total of 824 Great Cormorants passed through this month, including one flock with 157 birds. Great Cormorants in flight. Single Grey Herons were seen at Capycorp lagoon, Torre estate pond or passing through along the coast. Usually only single Little Egrets are seen along the coast, but there was three together at the Carregador on the 29th amusing the diners at Bar La Maya! Little Egret at Torre estate pond. It´s a good month to see Cattle Egrets in the rural farmland as they take advantage of newly ploughed fields. Up to 14 birds seen daily. Cattle Egrets. Four species of birds of prey were seen this month. A single Northern Sparrowhawk was seen on the 1st November. Contrast that with our first wintering Goshawk we have had, seen at least ten times, favouring local electric pylons to watch it´s main the local Collared Doves. A single Common Buzzard continues to winter, it favours the Rio San Miquel dry river. A bit risky because the hunters also shoot along the dry river bed. Up to four Common Kestrel were seen daily. Torre estate pond is the only place to see Common Moorhen here, holding up to 12 birds. A strange thing happened on the evening of the 30th November, I was sitting oudoors enjoying a wee whisky, when I heard a flock of Common Cranes calling loudly above the house! Now here is the thing, Common Cranes normally only fly in the daytime, so I think they must have been disturbed from a roosting place? My first record this year. The only wading bird seen this month was a Whimbrel on the coast on the 29th November. Four species of gull were seen this month Audouin´s Gull (max. 20 birds) and Yellow-legged Gull (max. 15 birds) were seen daily. Black-headed Gulls were only seen passing through eg 40 flying south on the 2nd of November. Mediterranean Gulls were in the biggest numbers with a flock of 70 birds resting on the sea on the 24th November. Up to 30 Sandwich Terns – the only tern species seen all the year round here – were at the juvenile camp rock roost on the 8th of November. Resident Wood Pigeon numbers were increased by incoming winter birds, building up to 90 birds daily. Likewise, Collared Dove numbers increased to a maximum of 184 birds, which suited the Northren Goshawk. For the first time this year no Little Owls were heard or seen. Single Kingfishers were seen either at Capycorp lagoon or the Torre estate pond. Up to five Hoopoes were seen daily. A Southren Grey Shrike was seen from the 5th to the 8th November. Up to 24 Common Magies were seen daily. A maximum of seven resident Crested Larks were seen daily, and the wintering Common Skylarks numbers peaked at 32 birds. Wintering Crag Martin numbers were impressive with up to 200 birds roosting on the town centre apartments. The only resident Tit species here – the Great Tit was seen daily with four birds maximum.Two Long-tailed Tits – a winter visitor – was seen on the 19th November. Six species of Warbler were seen this month. One Cetti´s Warbler – a winter visitor was heard up to the 19th November. Another winter visitor – the Common Chiffchaff was seen daily with a maximum of 14 birds. he resident Zitting Cisticola were in low numbers with only one ot two birds seen. Wintering Blackcap numbers peaked at 19 birds, and could be heard singing on milder days. Only a single wintering Dartford Warbler was seen in the coastal scrubland. Resident Sardinian Warblers were in good numbers with up to 23 birds seen daily. Wintering Robin numbers peaked at 23 birds seen daily. Wintering Black Redstart numbers peaked at 16 birds, the majority females. Wintering Stonechats maximum 14 birds, usually winter in pairs, and three pairs were seen along the coastal scrubland. One of the easier birds to photograph due to their confiding nature. Only one or two resident Blackbirds were seen in contrast to wintering Song Thrush which peaked at nine birds – much lower than previous years. Resident Spotless Starlings were well outnumbered by wintering Common Starlings whose numbers reached the hundreds. One or two wintering Grey Wagtails were seen either at Capycorp lagoon or the Torre estate pond or beside peoples swimming pools! Resident White Wagtails numbers were augmented by some winter birds with a maximum of 30 birds seen daily. Wintering Meadow Pipit numbers also peaked at 30 birds seen daily. The first wintering Reed Buntings arrived on the 25th November with four birds maximum. Five species of Finch were seen. Wintering Chaffinch numbers reached a record 253 birds counted on the 14th November. Resident Greenfinch were very much lower at a maximum of nine birds.
Resident Goldfinch numbers were increased by winter birds arriving, a peak of 70 birds. There are more Linnets seen in the winter than in summer, they peaked at 50 birds on the 16th November. Resident Serins peaked at 26 birds, I saw a melanistic Serin on the 17th November – see photo. |
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