At 7 AM I was ready to begin the second visit for the SACRE programme of this spring in Estella del Marques, near Jerez de la Frontera. I was looking forward to being able to compare the new results to those of last year.
The species that I counted the most this morning was the Goldfinch. It's always a pleasure to see them flying in little flocks. During my three-hour walk I counted almost forty individuals. |
| Melodious Warbler |
Compared to my visit in the same period a year ago, it was a bit cooler today, but still warm and mostly sunny. To reach the end of one part of my route this time I had to walk a few hundred metres in a field with crops, where last year this field was empty and easier to walk through.
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| The crop field that I had to make my way through |
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| Little Egret |
As I was more focused on counting and writing down the exact numbers, I surely missed some great photos. However I ended up with some decent shots.
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| Sardinian Warbler |
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| Nice soft light at around 9 AM |
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| Common Swift |
Generally, there was not much difference between the numbers of today and the ones of last year. Also the species I observed were more or less the same. No Little Owl this year, but I was fortunate to spot an amazing Buzzard in the very last minute of my walk.
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| Buzzard |
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| Red-rumped Swallow |
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| Stonechat |
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| Song Thrush |
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| Sardinian Warbler |
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| The Goldfinches´ favourite plants |
The last remarkable bird I saw right before heading back to our headquarters was a Montagu's Harrier, hunting low in the fields. I was a little late to focus perfectly but took a photo which clearly shows the species.
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| Montagu's Harrier |
With summer knocking on the door, the time for pleasant afternoon walks has ended. Temperatures will soon rise to high in the 30s and force us to wake up very early if we are to spot some birdlife out there. But it is definitely worth it!
Henry.
