On a Roll(er)

On the 1st July we decided to visit Osuna, which is about an hour’s drive from Cordoba. It is an area we have been to a few times in recent months and it has always provided a good range of species. This time we teamed up with friends from Fuente de Piedra with the aim of seeing some Rollers and Cream-coloured Coursers, which had been seen in the area recently.

European Roller

We met at Restaurante Las Vegas just outside Osuna and headed along the SE-715. In the fallow fields we had Crested Larks, Skylarks and Greater Short-toed Larks. As we reached the first bridge we stopped to look for Spectacled Warblers. We weren’t able to see any but we found Sardinian Warblers in the bushes, Red-legged Partridges running between the olive groves and a pair of Common Kestrels.

As we drove on we didn’t see much of interest, which was surprising as the weather was cool for this time of year. Passing over a small stream we had Stonechats, Linnets and Goldfinches and there were quite a few Black Kites circling the surrounding fields.

Black Kite with prey

We arrived at the bridge at Laguna de Los Ojuelos and parked the car for a closer look. There had been water last time we were here in May, but it had all dried up, as had most of the birdlife. We did manage to spot about 15 Griffon Vultures, a few Black Kites and some Ravens sitting in the fields. We also saw some Collared Patrincoles flying and calling over the dried up lake bed. Before long we turned around and headed back the way we had come. And our luck also began to turn. Our first Roller of the day landed on the fence by the side of the road, allowing a brief viewing before it flew off. We passed an Iberian Grey Shrike perched on a wire and saw Buzzards, a Marsh Harrier and a Booted Eagle.  

We turned off the road and headed towards Lantejuela, stopping along the way at some ruined farm houses. The first house gave us the chance to see another pair of Rollers and there were also numerous Lesser Kestrels, Bee-eaters and a Hoopoe. This time the Rollers gave us a better opportunity to admire their striking blue plumage. The dry, open countryside around Osuna is the kind of habitat which Rollers like and they most likely had a nest in a hole in the wall of the ruins. Unfortunately, their numbers are declining in many parts of Europe, especially in the northern part of their range.

Booted Eagle

Back on the road and we saw a dark-phase Booted Eagle circling above the road and a Montagu’s Harrier gracefully swooping over the fields. The Booted Eagle is the smallest eagle species to be found here in Andalusia and they take birds up to the size of partridges, rabbits, rodents and lizards. Most of them winter in Sub-Saharan Africa, although some remain here all year.

After stopping for a lunch break we went to the hide at Laguna del Gobierno. It was closed as usual so we were forced to peer over the wall. However we still managed to see plenty of birdlife. There were Pochards, White-headed Ducks, Little Grebes and Black-necked Grebes. The latter could be seen with their young on their backs. They frequently dived to forage for food before surfacing and passing the food to their young. 

Black-necked Grebe

In the trees around the lake and on the small island there were large numbers of Night Herons, Glossy Ibis and Little Egrets. Greater Flamingos were also feeding in the deep water and a Short-toed Eagle flew low overhead creating quite a disturbance.

We left Lantejuela in the direction of Marchena. Once again there were plenty of raptors about, such as Black Kites, Buzzards and Griffon Vultures. We also spotted a Little Owl sitting on a tree just off the main road. 

Little Owl

A little further on we had another Roller perching on a bale of hay by the side of the road and a juvenile Yellow Wagtail. It confused us for a second before we saw it flicking its long tail in the way that Wagtails do. We explored another ruined building which was home to yet more Rollers and around 15 to 20 Lesser Kestrels. 

Juvenile Yellow Wagtail

In the shade of some olive groves we saw a beautiful Turtle Dove foraging on the ground. This is another bird which has suffered a serious decline in population in recent times. This is most likely as a result of changes in farming practices, which mean that the weed, seeds and roots on which they feed are much scarcer. They winter in Africa and a bird caught and tagged in England revealed the incredible feats of their migration. It traveled 500-700 km each night and passed over vast landscapes such as the Atlas Mountains and the Sahara Desert. For more information on this bird, called Titan, click here.

Turtle Dove

As we headed home we had to admit defeat in our hunt for the Cream-coloured Courser, although our disappointment was eased by the sight of three more Rollers on the drive back to Cordoba.

Flying the Nest

June in Cordoba is often unbearably hot and not conducive to birdwatching. However this year temperatures have been lower and so I took advantage of this with a trip down to the river in the centre of the city.

House Martins and Swifts were hunting their prey above the water and Reed and Sedge Warblers were busy in the reeds along the banks. At this time of year there are lots of juveniles around. Young Night Herons, with their brown streaked plumage, lined up on the south bank. On the north bank a young Little Egret was patiently waiting for its lunch and a juvenile Glossy Ibis was busy preening itself. Glossy Ibis aren’t normally found on this part of the Guadalquivir, so it was a bit of a surprise to find one here. The Latin name, Plegadis falcinellus, refers to their distinctive downward curving bill and means ‘scythe’ or ‘sickle.’

Glossy Ibis

The juveniles lack the purple tinge of the adults and have some white feathers on the neck. When this one decided to explore the shallow water around the reeds it was quickly chased away by a Moorhen, who was protecting her young.

Glossy Ibis 

Bee-eaters, Yellow and White Wagtails and Spotless Starlings were also seen as I walked along the bank towards Puente del Arenal and the resident Kingfisher flew past. Goldfinches were foraging on burdocks and Greenfinches could be seen coming down to the water for a drink.

Greenfinch

I also spotted a male Little Bittern on the edge of the reed-bed. Normally quite a secretive bird this one could be observed for some time as it hunted in the shallow water. It is also, as the name suggests, incredibly small.  At about 35cm in length it is the smallest member of the heron family. They are migratory, normally arriving in April and returning to Africa in October.

Little Bittern

Before leaving I stopped at the Balcon de la Guadalquivir where there is a small mudflat. A Little Ringed Plover, with its distinctive yellow ring around its eye, was feeding in the mud before being forced to flee by another aggressive Moorhen.

Little Ringed Plover