Birds in Spain Blog

After the January 2014 post on the blackish White Stork Ciconia ciconia at PN Aiguamolls de l'Empordà, more images and information on these individuals have been provided by Eva Solanes and Elena Jordà at Aguait dels Roncaires at the same Aiguamolls de l'Empordà park on 31st January 2014. See the enclosed images. Eva commented on the sighting (in catalan): 'El que despista, de no saber si és brut de brut o si és plomatge gris, és que de tamany es veu més petita que la resta i quan aixecava el vol, mentre totes les altres cigonyes anaven amb grup, aquesta anava sempre més separada'.  'What it is misleading is not knowing if it's dirty or its indeed a grey feathering. Size looks smailler than the rest and when it took off, while all the Whites went altogether, this remained on its own'. Thanks Eva for the input 

A dark, blackish stork was videotaped using hand-held digiscoping techniques on 10th January 2014 (Sergi Sales, Carolina García, Ricard Gutiérrez, see below). The bird resembled initially a Black Stork Ciconia nigra but obviously it was not because of entirely dark feathering. The possibility of a melanistic bird arose, but caution with these plumage aberrations is needed and indeed a paper on this species apparent cases of melanism was published not many years ago (Gordinho, L. 2008 Â propos des Cigognes blanches Ciconia ciconia 'melàniques' Ornithos 15: 304-307). Investigating through the net, and commenting the record with the fellows from the Empordà area, it became clear that there was not only one black (the above bird) but three 'dirty' storks in different degree of darkness (Àlex Ollé in litt). In fact, the portal ornitho.cat gathers sightings of these birds since at least November 2013 (links to ornitho.cat pages under the date, all photos and inf...

Mattias Ullman, from Sweden, reports interesting concentrations of some species in the Doñana area: ' On the afternoon the 18/11 we counted 4250 (!) glossy ibises Plegadis falcinellus on rice fields around Brazo del Este. (And also 1750 White Storks Ciconia ciconia and 11.100 Lesser Black-backed Gull Larus fuscus (!) in the same area)' Besides, he has also seen other special birds such as a Richard's Pipit Anthus richardi at La Janda, Cádiz, on 21.11 and a couple of rarities: American Golden Plover Pluvialis dominica and Greater Spotted Eagle Aquila clanga (see Rare Birds in Spain website). The Glossy ibis concentration is noteworthy, since the species is undertaking a large recovery (from c.1000 pairs in 2004, now perhaps 7206 individuals ( see here in Spanish ) but this is so far the only place in Spain where these concentrations are noted. RESUMEN : Citas interesantes de Doñana . Mattias Ullman, de Suecia, comunica un conjunto de citas interesantes entre las que sobr...

El mascle de Xibec observat al Llobregat l'1.12.2007 (© R.Gutiérrez) El macho de Pato colorado, con cercetas, en el Llobregat 1.12.2007 The drake Red-crested Pochard, with Common teals, at L'Hospitalet. 1.12.2007 Avui 1.12.2007 ha finalitzat la segona edició del Curs d'identificació d'ocells al camp amb una sortida al riu Llobregat entre L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, el Prat de Llobregat i Cornellà (també de Llobregat). S'han observat 41 espècies d'ocells en una zona molt atacada per les obres d'entubament de tota mena de canalitzacions. Una és primera cita per a L'Hospitalet (i potser Cornellà?): una femella de Morell de Cap-roig Aythya ferina que ha sortit volant de Cornellà i ha marxat riu avall, sobrevolant L'H. Gairebé increïble ha estat també l'observació, dins L'H d'un mascle de Xibec Netta rufina (trobada per Armand Ramal i altres), potser la segona cita per a la ciutat, acompanyat de xarxets. Més amunt, a Cornellà i davant de...