Day 30 09.05.2017
We have been based in Merida for the last few days but have
been travelling some distance to do point counts. It was a relief this morning to
work just outside the city, or that’s what it felt like when I woke up, but in
reality the limited birdlife made it much less enjoyable. On the walk itself I
managed a single Great Bustard and a flock of Black-bellied Sandgrouse, plus a
single Turtle Dove and Night Heron. Once I had finished working in my box I had
a bit of fun papping Black-winged Stilts on a small pond nearby, plus I got to
try and photograph Azure-winged Magpies again. Once more the results are
unsatisfactory, but they’re getting better and who knows, when I leave I might
actually have some decent photos of them.
-Black-winged Stilt
-Azure-winged Magpie
Species List:
Merida: Collard
Dove, Feral Pigeon, Turtle Dove, Woodpigeon, Raven, Jackdaw, Magpie,
Azure-winged Magpie, Black-bellied Sandgrouse, Cattle Egret, Little Egret,
Black-crowned Night Heron, Great Bustard, Black-winged Stilt, Little-ringed
Plover, Hoopoe, European Bee-eater, Booted Eagle, Short-toed Eagle, Common Buzzard,
Marsh Harrier, Montagu’s Harrier, European Black Vulture, Calandra Lark,
Crested Lark, Short-toed Lark, Zitting Cisticola, Quail, Red-legged Partridge,
Serin, House Sparrow, Spanish Sparrow, Goldfinch, Greenfinch, Linnet, Clouded Yellow, Meadow Brown, Southern
Gatekeeper, Small Copper, Western Dappled White, Green-striped White,
Hummingbird Hawkmoth,
Day 31 10.05.2017
For our second day working around Merida we headed up the
road to an area of open montado and stubble fields. The weather was supposed to
turn in the afternoon and did not start great so this was our only work for the
day. There were more birds than yesterday but it was still a slow day. My first
Black-winged Kite for some time was a nice surprise, and there were good
numbers of both Iberian Grey and Woodchat Shrike. I got nice views of both
Calandra and Thekla lark but there were no photos to be had due to the poor
light conditions. Fortunately we avoided the rain, so that was a bonus!
-Calandra Lark
Species List:
Merida: Feral
Pigeon, Woodpigeon, Magpie, Azure-winged Magpie, Black-bellied Sandgrouse,
Cattle Egret, Hoopoe, European Bee-eater, Booted Eagle, Common Buzzard, Marsh
Harrier, European Black Vulture, Calandra Lark, Crested Lark, Short-toed Lark,
Zitting Cisticola, Red-legged Partridge, House Sparrow, Spanish Sparrow,
Goldfinch, Greenfinch, Linnet, Black-winged Kite, Chaffinch, Iberian Grey Shrike,
Woodchat Shrike, Mistle Thrush, Clouded
Yellow, Meadow Brown, Southern Gatekeeper, Small Copper, Western Dappled White,
Green-striped White, Hummingbird Hawkmoth,
Day 32 11.05.2017
We headed an hour away from Merida for our transects today,
but the day was not ideal with strong winds and frequent rainfall. Ultimately
this might have been the reason the days birding was so steady. I still had a
few nice birds, notable Black-winged Kite, Turtle Dove and a few Black-bellied
Sandgrouse, but the overall cold and wet very much took the edge off the day.
There was one extremely satisfying silver-lining, and that being my first real
mammal of the trip. Initially I was just wrapping up a point count when I heard
a snuffling noise nearby and looked up to see what I presumed was a Wild Boar
piglet. Clearly on its own and by weak nature of its behaviour it seems to have
been that way for some time, it showed no fear before it trotted on its way.
Stunned, I later came across a feeding group of 5 adults round the edge of a
pond. Incredible to see these awesome wild animals, really saving what would
have been a pretty poor day otherwise.
-Wild Boar
-Wild Boar
Species List:
Merida: Feral
Pigeon, Woodpigeon, Magpie, Azure-winged Magpie, Black-bellied Sandgrouse,
Cattle Egret, Hoopoe, European Bee-eater, Common Buzzard, Marsh Harrier, Calandra
Lark, Crested Lark, Short-toed Lark, Thekla Lark, Zitting Cisticola, Red-legged
Partridge, House Sparrow, Spanish Sparrow, Goldfinch, Greenfinch, Linnet,
Black-winged Kite, Chaffinch, Iberian Grey Shrike, Woodchat Shrike, Turtle
Dove, Wild Boar,
Day 33 12.05.2017
Again in similar conditions we returned to the site we had
surveyed the previous morning. This morning though the rain cut our time short,
it being seemingly pointless to be out trying to survey steppe birds in such
poor conditions. That being said, I had a pretty decent morning, with eleven
Great Bustards and quite a few Black-bellied Sandgrouse, plus Short-toed Lark,
Little Owl and then the usual Calandra and Thekla Larks. So not the worst
morning I have had here by any stretch of the imagination, but hardly the
greatest either.
In the evening the weather cleared up somewhat, and it
turned into a pleasant evening. We decided to head into Merida, to a park near
a roman bridge, that we had been recommended for a few nice birds. Our evening
was slow to get going but once we started to see birds we had a great time. A large
heronry (Mainly Cattle Egret and Glossy Ibis) was really nice, and we got brief
views of Purple Swamphen, including a chick. The birding highlight for certain
was a family of Penduline Tits, which showed well, and at times quite close
too. The none birding highlight was a Horseshoe Whip Snake that we found
settled on one the pillars supporting the bridge. An awesome beast to see,
especially since it was sat out in the open so chilled.
-Cattle Egret
-Spoonbill
-Horseshoe Whip Snake
-Penduline Tit
Species List:
Merida: Feral
Pigeon, Woodpigeon, Magpie, Azure-winged Magpie, Black-bellied Sandgrouse,
Cattle Egret, Hoopoe, European Bee-eater, Great Bustard, Grey Heron, Cormorant,
Gadwall, Mallard, Common Buzzard, Black Kite, Calandra Lark, Crested Lark,
Short-toed Lark, Zitting Cisticola, Red-legged Partridge, House Sparrow,
Spanish Sparrow, Goldfinch, Greenfinch, Linnet, Black-winged Kite, Chaffinch,
Iberian Grey Shrike, Meadow Brown,
Merida; Roman Bridge:
Purple Swamphen, Moorhen, Mallard, Gadwall, Little Egret, Cattle Egret, Glossy
Ibis, Spoonbill, Grey Heron, Purple Heron, Little Bittern, Black-crowned Night
Heron, Penduline Tit, Alpine Swift, Common Swift, Red-rumped Swallow, Barn Swallow,
House Martin, Golden Oriole, European Black Vulture, Black Kite, White Stork,
Greenfinch, Serin, Goldfinch, House Sparrow, Spotless Starling, Reed Warbler,
Gull-billed Tern, Feral Pigeon, Woodpigeon, Collard Dove, Hoopoe, Grey Wagtail,
Blackbird, Great Tit, Jackdaw, Raven, Horseshoe
Whip Snake,
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