South East Spain - September 2002

Eddie Walker

During the last week of September I visited an area in south east Spain, staying at the home of Pam Price who has recently moved there. Pam’s home is located in Rafal a small town south of Alicante and approximately seven miles inland of Torrevieja and conveniently located to some excellent birding sites and one major international reserve El Hondo.

Rafal is situated in a mainly agricultural area, the main crops being Lemons, Pomegranates and Melons. These are mostly in small allotment size plots about an acre in size, the birds which I saw regularly in this area were Hoopoes, Great Grey Shrikes, Crested Larks, Fan tailed Warblers, Serin, Sardinian Warblers and Cattle Egrets. Passage Honey Buzzard were also seen on several days during my stay. These areas are easily accessed with a network of smaller roads enabling undisturbed views of the various species, Cattle Egrets were particularly numerous with groups in excess of 200 regularly present Great Grey Shrikes appeared on almost every wire. Comments made about Cattle Egrets were that if you were to start digging with a fork you would probably get a Cattle Egret around your feet, like a Robin back home!

Some of the species seen on my visit to El Hondo were hundreds of Flamingo’s, several Purple Gallinule, one Squacco Heron, numerous Little Egret, several White-headed Ducks and six Whiskered Terns. Wader species that were present included Black-winged Stilt, Kentish Plover, Ruff, Spotted Redshank, Wood and Green Sandpiper. A Glossy Ibis flew in and landed in one of the lagoons and Bluethroats and Bearded Tits were present in the reeds.

Nearby are the Santa Pola Salinas with large numbers of Flamingo’s and Yellow-legged Gulls, on one of the Salinas were Slender-billed and Audouin’s Gulls and numerous waders including Black winged Stilt, Kentish Plovers and Avocets, Marsh Harrier and Osprey were also present.

Inland are plains and mountains with spectacular scenery, species seen were Alpine Swift, Black Wheatear and in the outskirts of one town in excess of one hundred Red-rumped Swallows.