May continued the nice run of my year-long challenge to observe and report a different bird species every day. While spring migration gradually slowed down, breeding activity has been in full swing, making it a great time to revisit classic summer sites and explore a few distant destinations. As in previous months, a combination of local birding, work trips and weekend excursions produced memorable observations — some sought after but some rather unexpected.
I visited the classic breeding sites for some of the inland summer visitors around Alcoi, including quail (Coturnix coturnix), greater short-toed lark (Calandrella brachydactyla), golden oriole (Oriolus oriolus) and western subalpine warbler (Curruca iberiae). The lush green landscape held good numbers of nightingales (Luscinia megarhynchos), melodious warblers (Hippolais polyglotta), Dartford warblers (Curruca undata) and many more. My brother and I had a memorable encounter with a peregrine falcon (Falco peregrinus) chasing a golden eagle (Aquila chrysaetos), and I also managed to find both little owl (Athene noctua) and Eurasian eagle-owl (Bubo bubo) in the area.
Further south, around El Hondo near Elx, things became particularly interesting. One of the lagoons reached an ideal water level for waders. Marcos Real and Borja Candela found two very distant lesser yellowlegs (Tringa flavipes), an American vagrant that lingered in the area for several weeks — and a personal lifer! In addition, good numbers of curlew sandpipers (Calidris ferruginea), Kentish plovers (Anarhynchus alexandrinus), pied avocets (Recurvirostra avosetta), collared pratincoles (Glareola pratincola) and whiskered terns (Chlidonias hybrida) were also present. On a fortunate seawatch in Cabo Cervera next to Torrevieja, Darío Gijón and I were surprised to find two pairs of Atlantic puffins (Fratercula arctica) flying south relatively close to shore. Instead, slower days at work only allowed for some quick birding, with common reed warbler (Acrocephalus scirpaceus), red-rumped swallow (Cecropis rufula) andjackdaw (Coloeus monedula) recorded in different parts of the city.
During May, I also had the chance to explore several new areas. A work trip took me to Cazorla, Andalusia, where we failed to locate breeding bearded vultures (Gypaetus barbatus), but enjoyed good numbers of western Orphean warblers (Curruca hortensis), tawny pipits (Anthus campestris), northern wheatears (Oenanthe oenanthe) and western black-eared wheatears (Oenanthe hispanica). Spectacular landscapes during the day were followed by cool nights filled with the song of Eurasian scops owls (Otus scops).
A few days later, a short stay at El Portús, near Cartagena in Murcia, provided crystal-clear beach days with colleagues. The rugged coastal landscape produced blue rock thrush (Monticola solitarius), rock bunting (Emberiza cia) and wren (Troglodytes troglodytes) along a rather strenuous hike, as well as a colony of alpine swifts (Tachymarptis melba) breeding on the sea cliffs.
Later in the month, I returned to Murcia with Darío and David Climent in search of some of the region’s specialties. We only managed brief views of the star species at Cabo Cope, the rufous-tailed scrub-robin (Cercotrichas galactotes), but we also visited a radio-tagged northern bald ibis (Geronticus eremita) that had become separated from its flock.
One of the highlights of the month was a visit to Racó d’Ademus with Darío, Rodrigo Benavente and Jaime López. This remote corner of the Valencian Community is well worth visiting for several specialties not found elsewhere in the region. We spent the evening searching Dupont’s lark (Chersophilus duponti) territories and encountered around half a dozen territorial males singing at different times, mostly after dark under faint moonlight. We also watched white-throated dippers (Cinclus cinclus) flying back and forth along a forested stream. Before heading home, we visited the only breeding pair of Egyptian vultures (Neophron percnopterus) in the Valencian Community, near Tuéjar, where numerous griffon vultures (Gyps fulvus) were also present.
Here is the archive of the birds of the day for May 2026. Birds are reported in scientific, English and Valencian names (in the local variety of my hometown, as requested for the challenge), together with the location of each sighting.
- 1 May 2026: Western subalpine warbler (Curruca iberiae) busquereta de garriga (Alcoi, Alacant)
- 2 May 2026: Greater short-toed lark (Calandrella brachydactyla) terrerola vulgar (PN Serra Mariola, Alacant)
- 3 May 2026: Golden oriole (Oriolus oriolus) papafigo (PN Serra Mariola, Alacant)
- 4 May 2026: Squacco heron (Ardeola ralloides) oroval (Benferri, Alacant)
- 5 May 2026: European stonechat (Saxicola rubicola) cagamànecs (PN Font Roja, Alacant)
- 6 May 2026: Common cuckoo (Cuculus canorus) cucut (Albatera, Alacant)
- 7 May 2026: Audouin’s gull (Ichthyaetus audouinii) gavina corsa (Elx, Alacant)
- 8 May 2026: Eurasian eagle-owl (Bubo bubo) brúfol (Alcoi, Alacant)
- 9 May 2026: Common quail (Coturnix coturnix) guatla (Alcoi, Alacant)
- 10 May 2026: Common hoopoe (Upupa epops) apaput (Alcoi, Alacant)
- 11 May 2026: Eurasian coot (Fulica atra) fotja (Sant Joan, Alacant)
- 12 May 2026: Lesser yellowlegs (Tringa flavipes) tifort groc petit (PN El Fondó, Alacant)
- 13 May 2026: Curlew sandpiper (Calidris ferruginea) territ becllarg (PN El Fondó, Alacant)
- 14 May 2026: Thekla’s lark (Galerida theklae) cogullada fosca (Oriola, Alacant)
- 15 May 2026: Western jackdaw (Coloeus monedula) gralla (Elx, Alacant)
- 16 May 2026: Rufous-tailed scrub-robin (Cercotrichas galactotes) alça-rabo (PR Cabo Cope y Puntas de Calnegre, Murcia)
- 17 May 2026: Common reed warbler (Acrocephalus scirpaceus) xitxarra (Elx, Alacant)
- 18 May 2026: Crested lark (Galerida cristata) cogullada comuna (Alcoi, Alacant)
- 19 May 2026: Atlantic puffin (Fratercula arctica) fraret (Torrevella, Alacant)
- 20 May 2026: Northern wheatear (Oenanthe oenanthe) còlit gris (Campos de Hernán Perea, Jaén)
- 21 May 2026: Tawny pipit (Anthus campestris) trobat (Campos de Hernán Perea, Jaén)
- 22 May 2026: Western orphean warbler (Curruca hortensis) busquereta emmascarada (La Matea, Jaén)
- 23 May 2026: Blue rock thrush (Monticola solitarius) merla blava (Mazarrón, Murcia)
- 24 May 2026: Alpine swift (Tachymarptis melba) ballester (Mazarrón, Murcia)
- 25 May 2026: Dartford warbler (Curruca undata) busquereta cuallarga (PN Font Roja, Alacant)
- 26 May 2026: Pin-tailed sandgrouse (Pterocles alchata) ganga (Villena, Alacant)
- 27 May 2026: Red-rumped swallow (Cecropis rufula) oroneta cua-rogenca (Elx, Alacant)
- 28 May 2026: European roller (Coracias garrulus) cavaller (Elx, Alacant)
- 29 May 2026: Dupont’s lark (Chersophilus duponti) alosa becuda (Castielfabib, València)
- 30 May 2026: White-throated dipper (Cinclus cinclus) merla d’aigua (Castielfabib, València)
- 31 May 2026: Little owl (Athene noctua) mussol (PN Serra Mariola, Alacant)
