Sunday 6 February 2011

JANUARY 2011: Notable Bird Sightings in Extremadura

Purple Swamphen (Porphyrio porphyrio). Arrocampo Reservoir, Cáceres, 9 January 2011 (Samuel Langlois).

A list of the most notable records sent to the GOCE forum in January 2011 (compiled by Sergio Mayordomo). (Click here for backdated months.).

-Emu: 2 escaped birds are known to have been present in the olive groves of Marchagaz, Cerezo and Palomero (Cáceres) since 17/01, although they have probably been living feral there for even longer (Alberto Pacheco).
-Bean Goose: one bird of the rossicus subspecies at Casas de Hitos, Navalvillar de Pela (Badajoz) on 9/01 (Martin Kelsey). Rarity pending acceptance by rarities committee.
-White Fronted Goose: one adult at Sierra Brava reservoir (Cáceres) on 03/01 (Xurxo Piñeiro); one young bird at Portaje reservoir (Cáceres) on 26/01 (Javier Prieta) and 5 birds at Lugar Nuevo, Peraleda de la Mata (Cáceres) on 29/01 (Sergio Mayordomo).
-Shelduck: 27 birds seen at Moheda Alta, Navalvillar de Pela (Badajoz) 27/01 (M. Kelsey), 28 on 29/01 (Godfried Schreur) and 27 on 31/01 (Luis Lozano). Biggest ever flock seen in Extremadura.
-Egyptian Goose: 1 at Cornalvo (Badajoz) on 11/01 (comm. José Ledo) and 5 from 21/01 (J. Ledo) to 30/01 (Ángel Sánchez). 1 at Casas de Hitos, Navalvillar de Pela (Badajoz)on 20/01 (Gonzalo Núñez-Lagos) and 3 on 22/01 (SEO-Cáceres). One bird at Ahigal reservoir (Cáceres) on 21/01 (J. Prieta).
-Red Crested Pochard: One drake at Casas de Hitos, Navalvillar de Pela (Badajoz) on 21/01 (Eva Palacios, Joaquín García, Miguel Ángel Muñoz and Paco Ramírez).
-Goosander: One first-winter female at La Torrecilla pond, Plasencia (Cáceres), on 9/01 (J. Prieta, Ricardo Montero and S. Mayordomo) with many more observations until 29/01 (Alfonso Rodrigo, César Clemente, Eduardo Amengual, E. Palacios, Javier Gayo, Javier Gómez, Javier Mahillo, J. Prieta, Manuel Curiel, Mario Alonso, M. Á. Muñoz, P. Ramírez and S. Mayordomo). Another first winter female on the River Tiétar at Monfragüe (Cáceres) on 21/01 (José María Benítez), on 23/01 (Manuel García del Rey, M. Kelsey and S. Mayordomo) and on 31/01 (M. Kelsey). Rarities pending acceptance.
-Cormorant: 1500-strong roost at Cubilar reservoir, Logrosán (Cáceres) in mid January (Chema Traverso).
-Glossy Ibis: one bird at Arrocampo reservoir (Cáceres) on 4/01 (Javier Briz and M. García del Rey). One bird in the Madrigalejo heron roost (Cáceres) on 9/01 and on 22/01 (M. Kelsey).
-Spoonbill: 19 birds at Los Arenales, Cáceres, on 9/01 (Javier Caballero). See more Extremadura records at GRUSEC.
-Bittern: one bird at Arrocampo reservoir(Cáceres) on 8/01 (S. Mayordomo).
-Little Bittern: one at Arrocampo reservoir (Cáceres) on 9/01 (J. Briz and Vicente Risco); 6 at Entrepuentes, Badajoz, on 16/01 (Juan Carlos Paniagua); 10 at Azud del Guadiana, Badajoz, on 25/01 (Casimiro Corbacho, J. C. Paniagua, Manuel Parejo, Mª Jesús García-Baquero and Patricia Gordón) and one female at Palazuelo (Badajoz) on 28/01 (M. Kelsey).
- Night Heron: one at Entrepuentes, Badajoz and 8 at La Alameda, Badajoz (J. C. Paniagua); at least 20 at Montijo reservoir (Badajoz) on 23/01 (Jesús Solana); 4 at Talavera la Real (Badajoz) on 24/01 (Antonia Cangas, E. del Viejo, Godfried Schreur and Pedro Schreur) and 10 at Azud del Guadiana, Badajoz, on 25/01 (C. Corbacho, J. C. Paniagua, M. Parejo, Mª J. García-Baquero and P. Gordón).
-Squacco Heron: one bird at Arrocampo reservoir (Cáceres on 4/01 (J. Briz and M. García del Rey) and two on 9/01 (Dave Langlois and Sammy Langlois). One bird at Palazuelo ricefields (Badajoz) on 22/01 (SEO-Cáceres).
-Great White Heron: 18 birds on 27/01 at Toril and Malpartida de Plasencia (Cáceres), 15 at a River Tiétar roost(J. Prieta).
-Black Stork: one bird at Oliva de Plasencia (Cáceres) on 2/01 (C. Clemente, J. C. Paniagua and S. Mayordomo); one at Serrejón (Cáceres) on 13/01 (José Luis Rivero and Steve Fletcher); two at Zorita (Cáceres) on 21/01 and one at Vegas Altas (Badajoz) on 23/01 (E. Palacios, J. García, M. Á. Muñoz and P. Ramírez); one at Moheda Alta, Navalvillar de Pela (Badajoz), on 27/01 (M. Kelsey); one at Alburquerque (Badajoz) on 30/01 (Juan Carlos Salgado) and at least one at Monfragüe (Cáceres) on 31/01 (M. Kelsey).
-Osprey: one at Arrocampo reservoir (Cáceres) on 4/01 (J. Briz and M. García del Rey). One at Gabriel and Galán reservoir on 4/01, 19/01, 20/01 and 21/01 (A. Pacheco).
-Booted Eagle: one light-phase bird at Talavera la Real (Badajoz) on 24/01 (A. Cangas, E. del Viejo, G. Schreur and P. Schreur).
-Avocet: 55 birds at Sierra Brava reservoir (Cáceres) on 22/01 and 12 at Casas de Hitos pond, Navalvillar de Pela (Badajoz) (SEO- Cáceres).
-Kentish Plover: 15 birds at Palazuelo (Badajoz) on 22/01 (SEO-Cáceres) and 25 on 28/01 (M. Kelsey).
-Curlew: 6 at Arrocampo reservoir(Cáceres) on 4/01 (J. Briz and M. García del Rey), 10 on 8/01 (S. Mayordomo) and 9/01 (D. Langlois, J. Briz, S. Langlois and V. Risco), and 5 on 15/01 (M. Kelsey). 34 seen at Galisteo (Cáceres) on 7/01 (S. Mayordomo) and 30 on 19/01 (J. Prieta). 2 birds at El Batán (Cáceres) on 19/01 (J. Prieta). 2 at Palazuelo (Badajoz) on 28/01 (M. Kelsey). One bird at Santa Amalia (Badajoz) on 31/01 (Á. Sánchez).
-Whimbrel: one bird at Santa Amalia (Badajoz) on 31/01 (Á. Sánchez). First winter record in Extremadura.
-Spotted Redshank: one at Laguna del Estanco, Oliva de Plasencia (Cáceres), on 2/01 (C. Clemente, J. C. Paniagua and S. Mayordomo) and another at Palazuelo (Badajoz) on 28/01 (M. Kelsey).
-Wood Sandpiper: one at Sierra de Fuentes (Cáceres) on 12/01 (Á. Sánchez). First winter record in Tagus catchment area.
-Ruff: 300 birds at Santa Amalia ricefields(Badajoz) on 29/01 (Fernando Yuste).
-Common Gull: one first winter bird at Sierra Brava reservoir (Cáceres) on 13/01 (N. P. Roberts).
-Yellow-Legged Gull: one at Ahigal reservoir(Cáceres) on 12/01 (A. Pacheco) and another at El Ancho, Arroyo de la Luz (Cáceres), on 21/01 (S. Mayordomo).
-Wryneck: one at Madrigalejo (Cáceres) on 22/01 (M. Á. Muñoz and P. Ramírez).
-Bearded Tit: one at Arrocampo reservoir(Cáceres) on 15/01 (M. Kelsey).
-Brambling: 2 birds at Moheda de Granadilla (Cáceres) on 21/01 (A. Pacheco), 4 at Hervás (Cáceres) on 22/01 (R. Montero), over 25 at Cabrero (Cáceres) on 28/01 and at least one at Tejeda del Tiétar (Cáceres) on 30/01 (J. Prieta).

First summer visitors
-Great-Spotted Cuckoo: one at Mérida on 18/01 (J. Solana), in the centre of Badajoz province, on 23/01 (Ferguss Crystal) and Arroyo de la Luz (Cáceres) on 29/01 (Rafael Parra).
-Pallid Swift: a flock of up to 15 swifts, possibly Pallid Swifts, at Alange reservoir (Badajoz) on 3/01, 4/01 and 5/01 (J. Solana). One bird heard in Plasencia on 26/01 (S. Mayordomo).
-House Martin: several seen in Plasencia (Cáceres) on 4/01 (M. Á. Muñoz and X. Piñeiro) and 4 at Alange (Badajoz) (J. Solana). 5 birds at Trujillo (Cáceres) on 9/01 (Jesús Porras). Detected in Navalmoral de la Mata (J. Briz) and Coria (J. Prieta) on 11/01.
-Sand Martin: one at Trujillo in early January (Jukka Rokkanen).
-Swallow: one at Alange (Badajoz) on 6/01 (Á. Sánchez), one at Brovales reservoir(Badajoz) on 15/01 (Antonio Núñez), 4 at Los Canchales (Badajoz) on 23/01 (G. Schreur), one at Sierra Brava (Cáceres) (M. Rodríguez) and Badajoz capital (J. C. Paniagua) on 25/01 and 10 at Coria (Cáceres) on 26/01 (J. Prieta).