CBBC January field trip
AS IS the normal custom, the Costa Blanca Bird Club (CBBC) held its January meeting around the shores of the blighted Mar Menor, with Kathy and Rob the leaders.
A total of 15 members turned up. The continuing high pressure weather guaranteed a cold but sunny day, as the group started by seeing good numbers of waders – little stints, redshanks, sanderlings, as well as greater flamingo were seen.
Moving on towards the beach, red-legged partridge, hoopoe, crested lark, stonechat and linnet were soon added to the list of common birds.
After driving around to the San Pedro visitors’ centre, and viewing the nearby Salinas, avocet, shelduck, blackcap, grey wagtail and common sandpiper were soon added.
The group then made for the southern part of the Mar Menor, and near El Carmoli, a kingfisher gave brief views, then two snipe flew overhead.
Black-necked and little grebe swam out on the sea, oblivious to the contamination that has been so much in the news.
A zitting cisticola was seen, and there was a distant view of grey plover.
At the yacht club of Las Urrutias, the wader list was much improved, with ringed, little ringed and Kentish plovers, and turnstone as well as a fine great white egret and many sandwich terns.
Inland, over the reedbeds of El Carmoli, a marsh harrier was seen.
The group then lunched at the Casa Valentin, Las Urrutias, seeing many monk parakeets in the vicinity.
The lunch was voted first class!
For the final stop of the day the venue was the Salinas de Marchamalo, near Cabo de Palos. Two greenshanks were soon spotted, as well as shelduck, avocet, stone curlew, and a southern grey shrike.
A distant view of what appeared to be a spoonbill couldn’t be confirmed.
A great deal of searching eventually resulted in the discovery of the expected group of golden plover.
It had been an enjoyable day, in convivial company, with a total of 61 species seen.
Unlike some of our field trips, nothing remotely rare had been found, but good views of common species had been appreciated.