Firecrests are working hard to defend their territories during my morning walk in El Romeral urban park in Alcoy today. A female hawfinch returns to this wintering hub for the species.

An intense full day watching birds in Alicante delivers a great final count for our party of three. Different migrant birds seen include four different Eurasian hobbies, definitely the top species of the day.

A full-day stopover in Dubai provided good time to explore the city despite extreme heat. We connect with Indian rollers, purple sunbirds, shikras, and white-cheeked terns within urban Dubai.