Hello and welcome to my blog in which I hope to share with you my experiences of birding in the province of Cordoba, Spain.
 |
| The Guadalquivir and the Roman Bridge |
Where better to start my journey than on the banks of the Guadalquivir near the iconic Mezquita. My partner and I had decided to go looking for a Spotted Crake which had been seen in the area. We started our hunt at the Balcon del Guadalquivir. We spotted the resident Kingfisher darting around the reeds and numerous Little Egrets and Grey Herons in the trees. Despite being surrounded by the noise of a modern city many decide to roost here. A few minutes later a pair of Common Kestrels passed overhead, soaring in the wind while scanning the ground below.
 |
| Little Egret |
 |
| Common Kestrel |
After waiting a while more for our target bird to appear we decided to call it a day. We walked back towards the car passing alongside an unpromising narrow strip of water. This area is famous in Cordoba as the place teenagers go to do "botellón" or drinking in the street during Feria (the annual festival held in the last week of May). We certainly did not expect to find much of interest. We saw a pair of Mallard ducks and watched as a mother and father Moorhen fed their young.
 |
| Moorhen passing food to its young |
Chiffchaffs zipped among the bushes and a Sedge Warbler hopped between the reeds and the plastic that littered the waterway. This is a species which winters in Sub-Saharan Africa and can be found here from late February to early May as it migrates north. Both the male and female can be identified by the white stripe over the eye a dark streaked crown.
 |
| Chiffchaff |
A little further along a pair of Kingfishers flew past us, their electric blue dazzling in the afternoon sun. Then, in the mud, our Spotted Crake appeared before us. At only 22-24cm long it was much smaller than I had imagined but it was also much more beautiful, with white spots patterning its breast. It was not in the least bit concerned by our presence or that of the numerous dog walkers and joggers as it made its ways through the mud picking out worms. This was somewhat unusual as it is normally a shy bird that hides in thick vegetation. They do not commonly breed in Spain and this one was most certainly stopping off during migration.
 |
| Spotted Crake |
Barely had our excitement passed when I spotted the distinctive blue chest of a Bluethroat. This was a bird that had evaded us for sometime. It was soon joined by another as it foraged on the ground for insects. Like these ones, they are usually found near water and on the edge of reedbeds. Unfortunately, we were unable to get any pictures as they hid under bushes every time we raised the camera. Nonetheless, their sighting made the perfect end to our trip down by the river.
