Rare Birds in Spain Blog

Los contenidos de este blog se pueden seguir a partir de ahora en facebook haciéndose fan de la página en este enlace si disponeis de perfil en esa red social. Además también se ha creado un grupo de la página también dentro de facebook donde figurarán los enlaces a videos externos y otras cuestiones enlazadas desde aquí o la página web. The contents of this blog can be followed from now on also from facebook being a fan of Rare Birds in Spain from this link if you have a profile in that social net. Besides, there is also a rarebirdspain group also within facebook where all the links to external videos and other questions yet on their initial stages will be featured.

Foto: Anser brachyrhynchus © Juan Zaldivar Trabanco . Ría de la Villa, Octubre 2008 ( www.rarebirdspain.net ) Para los interesados en las aves raras, el birdwatching y la gestión de humedales en España en Noviembre daré un par de conferencias fuera de mi ámbito habitual y en la que podemos tener la ocasión de conocernos personalmente. El 7.11.2008 , en el marco de las Primeras Jornadas de Ecoturismo de la comarca de la Sidra, estaré en Villaviciosa, Asturies, para dar una conferencia sobre Infraestructuras de turismo ornitológico y ecoturismo en reservas naturales. En ella abordaré el interés de las reservas naturales para la observación de aves, del diseño de itinerarios e infraestructuras (observatorios, mamparas, miradores...) para disfrutar de las aves, conceptos como la señalización, temas de gestión y casos prácticos de cómo debe de ser una reserva natural para que sea interesante para las aves y l@s ornitólog@s. El folleto de las jornadas de ecoturismo de la comarca de la Sidra ...

On 10.10.2008 a Radde's Warbler was trapped and ringed at Amadorio river, Vilajoyosa, Alicante (Antonio Zaragozí, helped by Toni Mulet and Guillermo Mayor). A description has already been submitted to the Rarities Committe of this bird, the 3rd for Spain. In Antonio's words: 'El mosquitero de Schwarz se extrayò sobre las 18h en la zona habitual de anillamiento siempre que llegan estas fechas, ya que es una zona de resguardo del viento y se concentran muchas golondrinas, aviones roqueros y mosquiteros en pleno invierno. La EDAR de Villajoyosa hace que la gran cantidad de larvas de mosquitos estén aseguradas' 'The Radde's Warbler was captured around 18 hours in the usual ringina area of this part of the year. It's a place safeguarded from wind action where many swallows, rock martins and chiffchaffs gather during the winter. The waste plant from Vilajoyosa attracts a large amount of mosquito larvae to the area as well’ . Resumen: Mosquitero de ...

The arrival of Pectoral, Buff-breasted and Semipalmated Sandpipers has given the opportunity of capturing some videos of them. Here we enclose three samples: a Pectoral Sandpiper from Ebro Delta, Tarragona on 20.9 (Ricard Gutiérrez), a Buff-breasted Sandpiper from Colindres, Cantabria (Nazario Bocos) and a Semipalmated Sandpiper from Asturies (Marco García Gala). Thanks to Nazario, Marco and Nacho Vega for the videos. La llegada de Correlimos pectorales, canelos y semipalmeados nos ha dado la oportunidad de capturar algunos videos sobre ellos. Se adjuntan tres muestras: un correlimos pectoral del Delta de l'Ebre, el 20.9.2008 (Ricard Gutiérrez), un canelo de Colindres, Cantabria (Nazario Bocos) y un semipalmeado de Asturies (Marco García Gala). Gracias a Nazaroi, Marco y Nacho Vega por los videos. Calidris melanotos . Delta de l'Ebre. 20.9.2008 Tryngites subruficollis . Colindres, Cantabria. 18.9.2008 Calidris pusilla . Caravia, Asturies. 18.9.2008

De Juana (2006) lists 149 records of Pectoral Sandpiper in Spain, involving 163 individuals. From 1 st July to 15 th September 2008, a total of 36 individuals in 24 different records, some involving 3, 4 or 5 birds altogether have been recorded in the whole of Spain (see rarebirdspain.net for details). This is an unprecedented record which beats the year 2003 in which 20 birds in 18 records were accepted by the Spanish Rarities Committee. The distribution of the sightings has a clear Eastern bias, suggesting an Asian origin rather than a transatlantic vagrancy of the birds. First having a bunch of adults in July and August, September has brought a high number of juveniles to date. Distribution maps from August and first half of September show first an arrival of birds to the Mediterranean basin (where three had been seen in July) and singles at Asturies and Navarra. In the first half of September, a juvenile is recorded in the Canaries, and the number of records increase in the ...

Photo: © Ricard Gutiérrez, 13.8.2008 On 12th August 2008, Aiguamolls de l'Empordà Natural Park birdwatchers' Jordi Martí-Aledo and Àlex Ollé found a juvenile/1w Allen's Gallinule (Porphyrio alleni) at El Matà area (see map below), within the Aiguamolls Natural Park. This is the 1st for Catalonia and the northwesternmost sighting of the species in Spain. News were broadcasted and on 13th August morning at least 3-4 birders (including Sergi Sales, Aleix Comas and Ponç Feliu, who took pictures, see below) could manage to see the species. Photo: © Ponç Feliu, 13.8.2008 Around midday Rafael Armada saw the bird briefly. By early afternoon at least 20 people had gathered in the tower hide in the area to attempt the twitch, including people from Tarragona (Albert Cama), Osona county (R. Jutglà, Martí Rodríguez and others), Barcelona (F.López, J.L.Copete; Oriol Clarabuch; A.Ramal and R.Gutiérrez) and France (!) (Pierre-André Crochet and three more observers. The bird showed briefly...

Observer Richard Howard who is controlling the Egyptian Plover as being close to his residence in Murcia has sent us the following comments which seem interesting to take into account. I thought I’d drop you a note on my thoughts of whether a vagrant or escape, which may (or may not) be of interest to you. The Plover : a) Shows no signs of any feather damage or facial damage that you might expect had it been caged, in fact it is in pristine condition. b) Shows no sign of any wing clipping that may have been used to stop it escaping. According to my only reference (BWP), the adult only goes through a full moult in the summer. Hence it could not have just moulted, and then escaped. c) No identification rings on the legs. d) Although it will, when feeding, come quite close, you cannot approach it readily – if you do it flies to the opposite bank of the pool, and so is wary. e) It i...