Alicante

Bank swallow–Barn swallow–Common chiffchaff–Common pochard–Eurasian blackcap–Eurasian griffon–European red-rumped swallow–Iberian chiffchaff–Rüppell’s griffon–Sedge warbler–Western Bonelli’s warbler–Western house-martin–Western subalpine warbler–White wagtail–White-headed duck–Willow warbler

March 23, 2025

Traveller swallows

Spring has arrived to Alicante and prenuptial migration is all around us. Besides a surprising Rüppell’s vulture[…]

Reedlings amid the reeds

The bearded reedling is an uncommon inhabitant of reedbeds in south Alicante wetlands. Skulky and skittish, we[…]

Audouin’s gull–Balearic shearwater–Black-headed gull–Caspian gull–Common eider–Great cormorant–Lesser black-backed gull–Mediterranean gull–Mediterranean shearwater–Northern gannet–Razorbill–Ruddy turnstone–Sanderling–Slender-billed gull–Yellow-legged gull

February 7, 2025

Frenzy at the harbour

Exceptional days in Santa Pola — four different Caspian gulls hit the regional record of the species.[…]

Black redstart–Common chaffinch–Common chiffchaff–Crested tit–Dartford warbler–Eurasian crag-martin–Eurasian kestrel–European serin–Red-billed chough–Wallcreeper

February 3, 2025

Bouldering butterfly

The mythical wallcreeper is Spain’s 2025 Bird of the Year. One has shown up for almost a[…]

Asian green bee-eater–Cinereous vulture–Eurasian dotterel–Eurasian griffon–Gray hypocolius–Great hornbill–Iceland gull–Jambu fruit-dove–Lappet-faced vulture–Long-tailed duck–Oriental turtle-dove–Ural owl–Western swamphen–Yellow-browed warbler

December 31, 2024

Operation 1,000: A year in review

What started as a joke ended up as a quest. Through living between Finland and Spain and[…]

Winter birds in Aitana and Penyagolosa

Hiking paid off lately with montane winter specialties. Aitana provided goldcrest, ring ouzel, fieldfare, and redwing. Penyagolosa[…]

Black redstart–Coal tit–Common chiffchaff–Common firecrest–Crested tit–Eurasian blackbird–Eurasian blackcap–Eurasian collared-dove–Eurasian magpie–European greenfinch–European robin–Great tit–Hawfinch–Long-tailed tit–Rock bunting–Short-toed treecreeper

November 30, 2024

Firecrest business

Firecrests are working hard to defend their territories during my morning walk in El Romeral urban park[…]

Audouin’s gull–Balearic shearwater–Blue-winged teal–Common eider–European shag–Gray wagtail–Lesser black-backed gull–Mediterranean gull–Northern gannet–Pomarine jaeger–Ruddy turnstone–Slender-billed gull–Surf scoter–Yellow-legged gull

November 21, 2024

DANA brought an eider home

Two common eiders showed up in south Alicante after the deadliest storm of the century casted over[…]

Common chaffinch–Common chiffchaff–Crested tit–European robin–Great tit–Peregine falcon–Tawny owl–Yellow-browed warbler

November 6, 2024

Yellow-browed warblers in Font Roja

A Siberian migrant next to home: Birdwatching rarely gets as exciting as this! Only the 4th record[…]

Veles e vents

A light-hearted chronicle and gallery of a stormy day in the rocky shore of Cabo Cervera. Audouin’s[…]

Audouin’s gull–Bar-tailed godwit–Barn swallow–Black kite–Black tern–Black-headed gull–Black-tailed godwit–Black-winged stilt–Bluethroat–Booted eagle–Calandra lark–Caspian tern–Cetti’s warbler–Collared pratincole–Common buzzard–Common chaffinch–Common chiffchaff–Common greenshank–Common kingfisher–Common redshank–Common redstart–Common reed warbler–Common ringed plover–Common shelduck–Common tern–Common wood-pigeon–Corn bunting–Crested lark–Crested tit–Dartford warbler–Dunlin–Eared grebe–Eurasian blackbird–Eurasian blackcap–Eurasian collared-dove–Eurasian crag-martin–Eurasian curlew–Eurasian hobby–Eurasian jackdaw–Eurasian kestrel–Eurasian linnet–Eurasian magpie–Eurasian moorhen–Eurasian sparrowhawk–Eurasian spoonbill–Eurasian teal–Eurasian tree sparrow–European goldfinch–European greenfinch–European honey-buzzard–European pied flycatcher–European robin–European serin–European starling–European stonechat–Garganey–Glossy ibis–Golden eagle–Gray heron–Great cormorant–Great crested grebe–Great egret–Great reed warbler–Great tit–Greater flamingo–Green sandpiper–House sparrow–Iberian gray shrike–Iberian green woodpecker–Kentish plover–Little bittern–Little egret–Little grebe–Little owl–Little ringed plover–Little stint–Long-eared owl–Marbled duck–Mediterranean gull–Mistle thrush–Northern pintail–Northern shoveler–Northern wheatear–Peregine falcon–Pied avocet–Red crossbill–Red kite–Red-billed chough–Red-knobbed coot–Red-legged partridge–Ruddy turnstone–Ruff–Sanderling–Sandwich tern–Sardinian warbler–Short-toed treecreeper–Slender-billed gull–Spotless starling–Spotted redshank–Thekla’s lark–Water rail–Western cattle egret–Western swamphen–Whinchat–White-headed duck–Yellow-legged gull–Zitting cisticola

October 14, 2024

Enjoying the hobby on Global Big Day

An intense full day watching birds in Alicante delivers a great final count for our party of[…]

Bank swallow–Black tern–Black-headed gull–Black-tailed godwit–Black-winged stilt–Bluethroat–Booted eagle–Collared pratincole–Common buzzard–Common greenshank–Common kingfisher–Common pochard–Common reed warbler–Common ringed plover–Common sandpiper–Common tern–Eurasian blue tit–Eurasian coot–Eurasian dotterel–Eurasian hoopoe–Eurasian jackdaw–Eurasian jay–Eurasian kestrel–Eurasian moorhen–Eurasian thick-knee–European bee-eater–European honey-buzzard–European pied flycatcher–European red-rumped swallow–European robin–European serin–European turtle-dove–Gadwall–Garganey–Glossy ibis–Golden eagle–Gray heron–Great egret–Greater flamingo–Kentish plover–Little bittern–Little grebe–Little ringed plover–Long-tailed tit–Mallard–Marbled duck–Mediterranean gull–Northern bald ibis–Northern shoveler–Northern wheatear–Pectoral sandpiper–Pied avocet–Purple heron–Red-knobbed coot–Red-necked nightjar–Rock bunting–Ruff–Sanderling–Sandwich tern–Sardinian warbler–Short-toed snake-eagle–Slender-billed gull–Squacco heron–Water rail–Western cattle egret–Western marsh harrier–Western subalpine warbler–Western yellow wagtail–Whinchat–Whiskered tern–White-headed duck–Willow warbler–Wood sandpiper–Yellow-legged gull–Zitting cisticola

September 17, 2024

Closing loops during fall migration

September brought the opportunity to look for long-awaited species: dotterel and northern bald ibis. Bee-eaters, wheatears, flycatchers,[…]

Alpine swift–Black redstart–Black wheatear–Blue rock-thrush–Bonelli’s eagle–Booted eagle–Cetti’s warbler–Coal tit–Common chaffinch–Common cuckoo–Common firecrest–Common kingfisher–Common nightingale–Common swift–Corn bunting–Crested tit–Dartford warbler–Eurasian golden oriole–Eurasian goshawk–Eurasian griffon–Eurasian hoopoe–Eurasian jay–Eurasian linnet–Eurasian scops-owl–Eurasian sparrowhawk–European bee-eater–European red-rumped swallow–European serin–European turtle-dove–Golden eagle–Gray heron–Gray wagtail–Great reed warbler–Greater short-toed lark–Green sandpiper–Iberian green woodpecker–Lesser kestrel–Little owl–Little ringed plover–Melodious warbler–Peregine falcon–Pin-tailed sandgrouse–Red crossbill–Red-billed chough–Red-legged partridge–Rock bunting–Rock sparrow–Rufous-tailed rock-thrush–Short-toed treecreeper–Spectacled warbler–Tawny owl–Tawny pipit–Thekla’s lark–Trumpeter finch–Western Bonelli’s warbler–Western house-martin–Western Orphean warbler–Western subalpine warbler–Wood lark–Woodchat shrike–Yellow-legged gull–Zitting cisticola

June 30, 2024

Inland wildlife in a dry spell

A long drought is especially evident by June. Rufous-tailed rock-thrush, tawny pipit, pin-tailed sandgrouse, stone martens, and[…]

Audouin’s gull–European shag–European storm-petrel–Little egret–Pallid swift–Sardinian warbler–Yellow-legged gull

July 19, 2023

Storm-petrels of Benidorm

I join the monitoring staff of the local wildlife rescue center for a day to ring and[…]

Releasing threatened waterfowl

Amidst an avian botulism outbreak, several birds are released after recovering in the local wildlife rescue center.[…]