Greater Spotted Eagles return to El Hondo for another consecutive winter

 

 

On 28 October 2020 Jacobo Ramos found a 1w Greater Spotted Eagle Clanga clanga on an alfalfa field by the road from Santa Pola to El Hondo (El Fondo), Elx, Alicante (Alacant).  The bird was seen on the ground and flying around and it was eating something as it is shown in the photos. 

The same day an adult was seen while counting birds within El Hondo Park (Adrián Orihuela) but it was not the well known marked Estonian bird 'Tõnn' which, according to its satellite tag was on 31 October on its way to Spain but still in Germany (see map capture below and the online map here). 

In the last years a number of Greater Spotted Eagles and also a number of Lesser Spotted Eagles (Clanga pomarina) have been seen in this area in autumn and winter mostly, some to remain the whole season.

 





El 28.10.2020, Jacobo Ramos (fotos) encontró un primer invierno de águila moteada Clanga clanga en un campo de alfalfa de la carretera que va de Santa Pola a El Hondo, Alicante (Alacant). El ave estaba en el suelo comiendo y también se observó en vuelo, con algo en el pico como se ve en las fotos.

El mismo dia se observó un adulto mientras se censaban las aves del parque del Hondo (Adrián Orihuela) pero ese ejemplar no era el conocido 'Tõnn', la moteada estonia que aún, de acuerdo con los datos via satélite, estaba el 31.10.2020 en Alemania rumbo presumiblemente a España. Se puede seguir la ruta de este ave en este enlace de birdmap y hay una captura de su localización el dia 31.10.2020 debajo.

En los últimos años han invernado diferentes águilas moteadas, y se ha citado alguna pomerana también Clanga pomarina, en esta zona, la mejor de la Península para estas especies.

 


'Tõnn' route 31 Oct 2020. Online map here / Mapa online aquí

 

Acknowledgements: 

 The editor (Ricard Gutiérrez) wishes to thank Jana Marco for her collaboration, comments and kind inputs in this entry.


Cita/Citation: 

 Ramos, J.  2020. Greater Spotted Eagles return to El Hondo for another consecutive winter. Rare Birds in Spain blog. Retrieved from https://rarebirdspain.blogspot.com/2020/11/greater-spotted-eagles-return-to-el.html



Entradas populares de este blog

Ancient Murrelet (Synthliboramphus antiquus ), 1st for Spain, 3rd for the Western Palearctic

Imagen
On 24 May 2023, Roland Bekkers, photographed an Ancient Murrelet ( Synthliboramphus antiquus) at the Odiel river mouth , an important wetland in the Huelva province, in the Atlantic coast of Andalucia, S Spain. At 20:22 the same day the news came out and were broadcasted within the Rarebirdspain group. Despite the rarity of the record, a number of local birders decided to give it a try on 25 May morning.  Local birders asked to respect local colonies of Little Terns Sternula albifrons and Collared Pratincoles Glareola pratincola remaining within marked paths in any attempt of twitching the murrelet.  On 25 May, at 10:37 AM the bird was relocated c.400m from the mouth of the Mazagón Marina (José Luís Anguita, Manuel Bárcenas, Juanjo Cirpriano, Alfonso Barragán), UTM 37.138718, -6.841995 . See photos below (José Luís Anguita) and videos (José Manuel Reyes). Some boats flushed the bird c. 2000 m from the initial place and a bit later it flew a further 3000 m to the W remaining near the pl
Leer más

Grackles (Quiscalus) in the Iberian peninsula

Imagen
Quiscalus mexicanus , Mexico, 31.8.2007 © Ricard Gutiérrez Grackles (genus Quiscalus ) are birds from Icteridae family, typical of Neotropical region, but also present in the Holartic, including USA coast. Typical 'resort' birds known by many as those 'black' birds frequenting the tables of hotels in the Caribbean or Mexican coasts trying to steal food from customer's breakfast or lunch.  Not a typical long-distance migrant group, they are believed to be quite intelligent, in a rather Corvidae mood, so despite they cannot be considered as true vagrants to the Palearctic according to the uncapability of crossing by themselves the Atlantic, it is true that they (presumably) board on ships to do the crossing. And not only one species but, at least, two having been recorded in Gibraltar and mainland Spain.  E-listed in Europe due to the 'current rules', a review of the treatment of what A listing means regarding 'clever' birds such as Corvidae
Leer más

Rare Birds in Spain. Bird News 21-31 December 2023

Imagen
  Ricard Gutiérrez (editor). Data from eBird, ornitho.cat, observado.es, birdingemporda.com and Rarebirdspain whatsapp group   Ducks & Geese   26.12.2023 Branta bernicla hrota 2 ind, Santoña, Cantabria (Javier Train –photo-)   21.12.2023 Cygnus cygnus   2 ind Ría de Betanzos; A Coruña. Still present (Xabier Vázquez Pumariño; Cristina Soto); 22.12 (Javier Río); 23.12 (Daniel García Novo); 24.12 (Franqui Illanes –photo-; Ramón Ternero); 25.12 (Leticia Miranda); 26.12 (Javier Río; Jorge Vilas); 28.12 (Diego Montenegro);   29.12 (Carlos Durán; Francisco Rodal); 30.12 (Carmen Peñalver, Juno Toni); 31.12 (Xavier Parra).     24.12.2023 Cygnus cygnus 1 ind Urdaibai, Bizkaia. Still present (A.Galache).   30.12.2023 Spatula discors 1 1w Fuerteventura golf club, Antígua, Fuerteventura. Still present (Eliseo Reyes).   21.11.2023 Anas rubripes   1 male. Sada, A Coruña. Still present (Xabier Vázquez Pumariño; Cristina Soto); 22.12 (Javier Río); 28.12 (Diego Monten
Leer más