BREEDING HERON COUNT IN CÁCERES: PRELIMINARY RESULTS

Colony of Grey Herons (Ardea cinerea), 9 nests, and White Stork (Ciconia ciconia), 3 nests. The photograph shows the whole colony, built in a single dead Maritime Pine. The 9 Grey Heron nests break down into 5 nests with chicks of varying ages, two nests with sitting adults and two empty ones. Toril, Cáceres. 19-05-2011 (Javier Prieta). Click on the photo to see it bigger.

Now that summer has come for real, the breeding heron count in Cáceres is pretty much over. With some last-minute information still to come in, with the consequent tweaks and corrections, we can give a foretaste here of the final results, mainly to reward the participants and thank them for their sterling efforts. These thanks are fully deserved because the censusing team achieved practically complete coverage of the whole province. Once all the final results are in, especially from the province of Badajoz, which has bigger populations than Cáceres for most heron species, this blog intends to give a complete account of this final result. To see other entries on herons in Extremadura, click here.

Breeding heron count in the province of Cáceres. Preliminary results, 2011.

- Grey Heron. At least 44 colonies found with about a thousand breeding pairs between them. It is the most widespread heron species in the province, with presence in all the heron colonies found. Sharp upward trend.

- Cattle Egret. Present in only 6 colonies with a total of about 1700 pairs. Although it is still the most numerous of Extremadura's heron species, this is the lowest known figure for the species in Cáceres, with an appreciable downward trend, both in the number of colonies and the number of pairs.

- Little Egret. About 60 pairs found in 5 colonies, all mixed colonies with Cattle Egret. It has always been a scarce species in Cáceres and the present result is similar to previous counts (stable trend).

- Night Heron. One known colony (Arrocampo Reservoir) with about 20 pairs. Slight increase.

- Purple Heron. Estimated 46 pairs in the province's only breeding site (Arrocampo). Stable trend.

- Squacco Heron. At least three pairs, also in Arrocampo Reservoir. Stable trend.

- Great White Heron. After breeding for the first time in Arrocampo in 2010, at least two pairs are now nesting in the same site this year.

- There is no information on two heron species that were not targeted by the count: Little Bittern (common breeder) and Bittern (occasional breeder).

- Interesting spinoff Spoonbill information was also obtained during the heron count, with 4 breeding sites found accounting for a total of about 40 breeding pairs. These are the highest provincial figures, both in terms of colonies and breeding pairs (see 2010 figures). Upward trend.

From here we pass on our thanks to all participants and wish all blog readers a good summer.

Colony of Grey Herons (Ardea cinerea), 9 nests, and White Stork (Ciconia ciconia), 3 nests. The photograph shows the whole colony, built in a single dead Maritime Pine. The 9 Grey Heron nests break down into 5 nests with chicks of varying ages, two nests with sitting adults and two empty ones. Toril, Cáceres. 19-05-2011 (Javier Prieta). Click on the photo to see it bigger.

Now that summer has come for real, the breeding heron count in Cáceres is pretty much over. With some last-minute information still to come in, with the consequent tweaks and corrections, we can give a foretaste here of the final results, mainly to reward the participants and thank them for their sterling efforts. These thanks are fully deserved because the censusing team achieved practically complete coverage of the whole province. Once all the final results are in, especially from the province of Badajoz, which has bigger populations than Cáceres for most heron species, this blog intends to give a complete account of this final result. To see other entries on herons in Extremadura, click here.

Breeding heron count in the province of Cáceres. Preliminary results, 2011.

- Grey Heron. At least 44 colonies found with about a thousand breeding pairs between them. It is the most widespread heron species in the province, with presence in all the heron colonies found. Sharp upward trend.

- Cattle Egret. Present in only 6 colonies with a total of about 1700 pairs. Although it is still the most numerous of Extremadura's heron species, this is the lowest known figure for the species in Cáceres, with an appreciable downward trend, both in the number of colonies and the number of pairs.

- Little Egret. About 60 pairs found in 5 colonies, all mixed colonies with Cattle Egret. It has always been a scarce species in Cáceres and the present result is similar to previous counts (stable trend).

- Night Heron. One known colony (Arrocampo Reservoir) with about 20 pairs. Slight increase.

- Purple Heron. Estimated 46 pairs in the province's only breeding site (Arrocampo). Stable trend.

- Squacco Heron. At least three pairs, also in Arrocampo Reservoir. Stable trend.

- Great White Heron. After breeding for the first time in Arrocampo in 2010, at least two pairs are now nesting in the same site this year.

- There is no information on two heron species that were not targeted by the count: Little Bittern (common breeder) and Bittern (occasional breeder).

- Interesting spinoff Spoonbill information was also obtained during the heron count, with 4 breeding sites found accounting for a total of about 40 breeding pairs. These are the highest provincial figures, both in terms of colonies and breeding pairs (see 2010 figures). Upward trend.

From here we pass on our thanks to all participants and wish all blog readers a good summer.

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This week

A busy couple of days in the garden this week as newly fledged birds find the feeding station

1 Hooded Crow  juv

24 House Sparrow  17 juv

1 Pied Wagtail  juv

13 Chaffinch  7 juv

6 Goldfinch  5 juv

2 Siskin  2 juv

1 Robin  juv

2 Dunnocks  2 juv

3 Blackbirds  1 juv

1 Song Thrush  juv

1 Coal Tit  juv

1 Blue tit  juv

1 Gt Tit  juv

and the nest box with 4 Blue Tits in all feather medium 

A trip to the small reed bed site where

2 more Sedge Warbler ringed

a juv Reed Bunting and Blackcap

and a 

Blackbird

Port Lewaigue

5 Blackcaps  (4 juv 1 adult male)

2 Chiffchaff  juv

1 Willow warbler juv

3 Wren  1 juv

Blackbird  male

3 Dunnock 1 juv

3 Gt Tit   2 juv

3 Goldfinch 1 juv 

Point of Ayre

1 Herring Gull chick old enough to ring 

A big thanks to Ian Scott Kev's brother and our wildlife Police officer on the island for introducing me to Les Kneale this week, Lez used to be a ringer back in the sixty's

he invited me down to ring some Swallow pulli in his garage.

We got talking and the next day he had arranged to take me around 14 farms to get a little Swallow project underway .

34 Swallow Pulli ringed and a a good number of nests still on eggs and more farms still to visit.

A busy couple of days in the garden this week as newly fledged birds find the feeding station

1 Hooded Crow  juv

24 House Sparrow  17 juv

1 Pied Wagtail  juv

13 Chaffinch  7 juv

6 Goldfinch  5 juv

2 Siskin  2 juv

1 Robin  juv

2 Dunnocks  2 juv

3 Blackbirds  1 juv

1 Song Thrush  juv

1 Coal Tit  juv

1 Blue tit  juv

1 Gt Tit  juv

and the nest box with 4 Blue Tits in all feather medium 

A trip to the small reed bed site where

2 more Sedge Warbler ringed

a juv Reed Bunting and Blackcap

and a 

Blackbird

Port Lewaigue

5 Blackcaps  (4 juv 1 adult male)

2 Chiffchaff  juv

1 Willow warbler juv

3 Wren  1 juv

Blackbird  male

3 Dunnock 1 juv

3 Gt Tit   2 juv

3 Goldfinch 1 juv 

Point of Ayre

1 Herring Gull chick old enough to ring 

A big thanks to Ian Scott Kev's brother and our wildlife Police officer on the island for introducing me to Les Kneale this week, Lez used to be a ringer back in the sixty's

he invited me down to ring some Swallow pulli in his garage.

We got talking and the next day he had arranged to take me around 14 farms to get a little Swallow project underway .

34 Swallow Pulli ringed and a a good number of nests still on eggs and more farms still to visit.

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MORE PHOTOS OF THE VALDECAÑAS LAUGHING GULL

A few days ago we reported Extremadura's first ever Laughing Gull record (Larus atricilla), a bird seen at Valdecañas Reservoir, Cáceres (click here). The first sighting was on 14 June 2011 (Ángel Sánchez, Francisco Hurtado amd Manuel Flores) and the second - and for now the last - was made on 20 June (F. Hurtado, M. Flores, Esmeralda Rodriguez and Carlota Gutierrez). The three photos below were taken by Francisco Hurtado on this latter occasion.

A few days ago we reported Extremadura's first ever Laughing Gull record (Larus atricilla), a bird seen at Valdecañas Reservoir, Cáceres (click here). The first sighting was on 14 June 2011 (Ángel Sánchez, Francisco Hurtado amd Manuel Flores) and the second - and for now the last - was made on 20 June (F. Hurtado, M. Flores, Esmeralda Rodriguez and Carlota Gutierrez). The three photos below were taken by Francisco Hurtado on this latter occasion.

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Wordless Wood Pigeons on Wednesday

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ANOTHER RÜPPELL'S VULTURE IN MONFRAGÜE

Rüppell's Vulture (Gyps rueppelli), immature. Salto del Gitano, Monfragüe, Cáceres. 18-06-11 (Sergio Mayordomo).

Nearly exactly one year ago this blog duly reported the sighting of a Rüppell's Vulture (Gyps rueppellii) at Salto del Gitano in Monfragüe on 5 and 6 June 2010 (click here). This short entry is to report another bird seen in the same place on 18 June 2011. Again it's an immature bird, maybe in its 2nd or 3rd year. The observers this time were Sergio Mayordomo and Ricardo Montero.

We gave fairly copious information on the bird last time. Suffice it here to say there are only three confirmed records of this species in Extremadura with another two, ostensibly valid, in the queue for acceptance. As already pointed out there are other poorly documented records, suggesting that the bird is present in the area in low numbers on a fairly regular basis. These questionable records include a recent sighting of a bird seen near Trujillo in spring 2011, maybe an adult or subadult, for it is described as a "dark Griffon Vulture with white spots on the plumage" (María José Moreno and Julián Panadero).

Rüppell's Vulture (Gyps rueppelli), immature. Salto del Gitano, Monfragüe, Cáceres. 18-06-11 (Sergio Mayordomo).

Nearly exactly one year ago this blog duly reported the sighting of a Rüppell's Vulture (Gyps rueppellii) at Salto del Gitano in Monfragüe on 5 and 6 June 2010 (click here). This short entry is to report another bird seen in the same place on 18 June 2011. Again it's an immature bird, maybe in its 2nd or 3rd year. The observers this time were Sergio Mayordomo and Ricardo Montero.

We gave fairly copious information on the bird last time. Suffice it here to say there are only three confirmed records of this species in Extremadura with another two, ostensibly valid, in the queue for acceptance. As already pointed out there are other poorly documented records, suggesting that the bird is present in the area in low numbers on a fairly regular basis. These questionable records include a recent sighting of a bird seen near Trujillo in spring 2011, maybe an adult or subadult, for it is described as a "dark Griffon Vulture with white spots on the plumage" (María José Moreno and Julián Panadero).

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LAUGHING GULL. FIRST EVER RECORD FOR EXTREMADURA

Laughing Gull (Larus atricilla) in the foreground with a Black-Headed Gull (Larus ridibundus) in the background. Valdecañas Reservoir, Cáceres. 14-06-2011 (Ángel Sánchez)

On Tuesday 14 June 2011 Extremadura's first ever Laughing Gull (Larus atricilla) was spotted in Valdecañas Reservoir in the province of Cáceres. This American species is fairly similar to our Black-Headed Gull (Larus ridibundus). Gulls as a group are usually hard to identify; in this case, however, the bird was an adult in full breeding plumage so the few differences stood out well. The Laughing Gull's hood spreads much further down the neck; its mantle is a darker grey and its legs are longer. The lucky observers were Ángel Sánchez, Francisco Hurtado and Manuel Flores. Six days later, on Monday 20 June, the same bird was relocated on the opposite shore of the same reservoir, 7 km from the first site (F. Hurtado, M. Flores, Esmeralda Rodríguez y Carlota Gutiérrez).

Prima facie this seems a very surprising record, especially due to the date in late spring and the fact that the bird is an adult. A trawl of past records, however, shows both factors to be less extraordinary than might at first be thought. Maybe the most surprising fact after all is that it is an inland record, since all previous Spanish records were in coastal provinces, both on the Atlantic and Mediterranean side of the country.

Up to 2008, the most recent year with officially accepted records, a total of 51 Laughing Gulls had been recorded in Spain, 7 in the Canary Islands (CR-SEO, 2010). Still pending confirmation are two records from early 2009, in the Canaries and Málaga; there were no reported records in 2010. Up to June 2011 the Cáceres record seems to be the only one in the year (see the websites rarebirdspain and reservoir-birds). Nearly half (22) of the accepted sightings occurred in late 2005 when many storm-blown birds appeared after Hurricane Wilma.

De Juana's analysis (2006) of the 21 accepted sightings up to 2003 shows no clear seasonal pattern, with observations in almost every month of the year and peaks in winter (December-January) and during post breeding dispersal (July-August). The Cáceres record probably fits into the latter category. Broken down by ages, up to 2003 half the birds detected were adults, although there might be an in-built bias here as immatures are more likely to go unnoticed.
Sources: - De Juana, E. 2006. Aves raras de España. Lynx Edicions. Barcelona. - CR-SEO (Comité de Rarezas de SEO). 2010. Observaciones de aves raras en España, 2008. Ardeola 57(2).

Laughing Gull (Larus atricilla) in the foreground with a Black-Headed Gull (Larus ridibundus) in the background. Valdecañas Reservoir, Cáceres. 14-06-2011 (Ángel Sánchez)

On Tuesday 14 June 2011 Extremadura's first ever Laughing Gull (Larus atricilla) was spotted in Valdecañas Reservoir in the province of Cáceres. This American species is fairly similar to our Black-Headed Gull (Larus ridibundus). Gulls as a group are usually hard to identify; in this case, however, the bird was an adult in full breeding plumage so the few differences stood out well. The Laughing Gull's hood spreads much further down the neck; its mantle is a darker grey and its legs are longer. The lucky observers were Ángel Sánchez, Francisco Hurtado and Manuel Flores. Six days later, on Monday 20 June, the same bird was relocated on the opposite shore of the same reservoir, 7 km from the first site (F. Hurtado, M. Flores, Esmeralda Rodríguez y Carlota Gutiérrez).

Prima facie this seems a very surprising record, especially due to the date in late spring and the fact that the bird is an adult. A trawl of past records, however, shows both factors to be less extraordinary than might at first be thought. Maybe the most surprising fact after all is that it is an inland record, since all previous Spanish records were in coastal provinces, both on the Atlantic and Mediterranean side of the country.

Up to 2008, the most recent year with officially accepted records, a total of 51 Laughing Gulls had been recorded in Spain, 7 in the Canary Islands (CR-SEO, 2010). Still pending confirmation are two records from early 2009, in the Canaries and Málaga; there were no reported records in 2010. Up to June 2011 the Cáceres record seems to be the only one in the year (see the websites rarebirdspain and reservoir-birds). Nearly half (22) of the accepted sightings occurred in late 2005 when many storm-blown birds appeared after Hurricane Wilma.

De Juana's analysis (2006) of the 21 accepted sightings up to 2003 shows no clear seasonal pattern, with observations in almost every month of the year and peaks in winter (December-January) and during post breeding dispersal (July-August). The Cáceres record probably fits into the latter category. Broken down by ages, up to 2003 half the birds detected were adults, although there might be an in-built bias here as immatures are more likely to go unnoticed.
Sources: - De Juana, E. 2006. Aves raras de España. Lynx Edicions. Barcelona. - CR-SEO (Comité de Rarezas de SEO). 2010. Observaciones de aves raras en España, 2008. Ardeola 57(2).

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18 Jun 2011 - Red-footed Falcon, Nelson Head

I headed out to Nelson Head at Horsey today and was treated with great views of the 1st-summer male Red-footed Falcon. I watched the bird for half-an-hour before it flew inland to Hickling Broad. There was also plenty of nice Dark-green Fritillary butterflies in the dunes at Horsey too.

 For best quality select 'HD' from lower-right drop-down box.

I headed out to Nelson Head at Horsey today and was treated with great views of the 1st-summer male Red-footed Falcon. I watched the bird for half-an-hour before it flew inland to Hickling Broad. There was also plenty of nice Dark-green Fritillary butterflies in the dunes at Horsey too.

 For best quality select 'HD' from lower-right drop-down box.

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