Weather: Sky clear, no wind, 13 - 30ºC. With Fran Garcia.
The 15th
of August here in Spain
is a public holiday (Ascension Day), and as I knew that there was ringing going
on at one of my favourite places, I decided to take a trip out - more than
anything to see some different birds.
After an
hour and a half’s drive, I arrived at 8 a.m.
The nets were already set up at the site, which is a stream surrounded
by reeds and bushes. We didn’t catch
many birds, but did catch the first passerine migrants of the autumn migration,
2 Willow Warblers. We also caught a
single Melodious Warbler which could have been on migration, and 6 Reed
Warblers and a couple of Nightingales.
Other interesting birds caught were a couple of Thekla Larks (the first
for this site), 3 Crested Larks, Great Tit, Cettis Warblers,
Goldfinches and Sardinian Warblers. Although it makes this post long-winded, I include photos of all the Crested and Thekla Larks so that the differences can be seen (or not!).
Melodious Warbler
Cetti's Warbler
Willow Warbler
Adult female Sardinian Warbler
Reed Warbler taking a quick snack!
Crested Lark - note long curved bill, and crest flattened
Another Crested Lark
Adult Thekla Lark (left) and adult Crested Lark (right). Note the Thekla is much greyer
The same two birds. Note the full crest on the Thekla, and shorter more triangular bill
Back view of the same two birds (the Thekla is in moult and has lost its tail)
Front/side view of the Thekla Lark
A closer view of the same bird
A juvenile Crested Lark - note the crest made of much fewer feathers
The second adult Thekla Lark caught, also in moult but this time with a tail!
Underwing of the second Thekla Lark caught - much greyer than the orangey underwing of Crested Lark
The second Willow Warbler caught
And finally, a Nightingale
Interesting
birds seen around the area included a juvenile Woodchat Shrike, a couple of
Chough, a dozen or so Corn Buntings, House Martins bringing food to their nests under a
bridge, and a single Crossbill flew through.
Species seen/heard during the day
Woodpigeon
Columba palumbus)
Swift (Apus apus)
Crested Lark (Galerida cristata)
Thekla Lark (Galerida theklae)
Nightingale (Luscinia megarhynchos)
Swallow (Hirundo rustica)
House Martin (Delichon urbicum)
Cettis
Warbler (Cettia cetti)
Reed
Warbler (Acrocephalus scirpaceus)
Sardinian
Warbler (Sylvia melanocephala)
Melodious
Warbler (Hippolais polyglotta)
Willow
Warbler (Phylloscopus trochilus)
Great
Tit (Parus major)
Woodchat
Shrike (Lanius senator)
Chough
(Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax)
Jackdaw
(Corvus monedula)
Chaffinch
(Fringilla coelebs)
Goldfinch
(Carduelis carduelis)
Crossbill
(Loxia curvirostra)
Corn
Bunting (Miliaria calandra)
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