The Big Garden Birdwatch

Unfortunately I haven't been able to get out to do much birdwatching over the last month. However, the annual Feria celebrations at the end of May in Cordoba meant I had a few days off work and the visit of family gave me the opportunity to head down to Malaga province. We were staying about 10km from El Torcal, a nature reserve with impressive karst rock formations. Temperatures were relatively cool for this time of year and the spring rainfall meant the countryside was looking greener than usual. We had fantastic views of the surrounding countryside from the house and a range of birds bigger than your typical garden.

The view from the garden

House Martins and Barn Swallows swooped overhead catching insects. Serins, Great Tits, Blue Tits, Goldfinches and Greenfinches were busy in the trees and Corn Buntings were constantly calling from their exposed perches. There were also a large number of Sardinian Warblers, including juveniles who had recently left the nest but were still being fed by their parents. Next to the house one pair had built a nest in a small shrub and we were able to observe both parents regularly bringing in food. They provided a varied diet with crab spiders, caterpillars and small insects on the menu.

Female Sardinian Warbler bringing food to the nest

Stonechats were seen perched on the top of bushes or on wires. They are a widespread bird about the size of a robin. The males are quite striking with black heads, white around the side of their neck and an orange red breast. Females lack the black head of the male and have a duller orange chest. Their sharp loud call, which sounds like two stones being tapped together, gives them their name. Crested Larks and Spotless Starlings were also visitors to the garden and occasionally Bee-eaters  passed overhead, their chirping call alerting us to their presence.

Female Stonechat

Griffon Vultures, probably from the colony at El Torcal, made occasional flyovers. While they are a relatively common sight in Andalusia these days, their huge wingspan always makes them a spectacular sight. A pair of Short-toed Eagles passed by on numerous occasions. At times they could be heard calling and were flying with their legs dangling below them. I am not sure if this was part of their mating ritual. Other times they could be seen hunting, hovering in the wind as they scoured the ground below for snakes. On our last day a Booted Eagle flew overhead and was mobbed by a Common Kestrel, which was missing several wing feathers. About twenty minutes later the same Kestrel was seen again and this time it was being mobbed by a Woodchat Shrike. And as the sun set we were able to hear the call of a Little Owl in the field next to us.

Griffon Vulture

By the end of the weekend our bird count was high, however the variety in the garden was not just limited to the bird life. We were also able to observe numerous reptiles and insects enjoying the Andalusian spring.