Arboleas Birding Group at María

Another missive from Dave and Gilly on the Almería group's exploits, this time to the area of Sierra María.

Thursday 26/3/09 - Trip to MARIA The weather forecast was for a sunny cloudless sky, and for once they were dead on. Four members of the group, plus two guests headed for our favourite mountain patch, the Sierra de Maria. Having met for breakfast at the garage cafe in Maria, we proceeded (sorry, this is beginning to sound like a statement in my previous life!) to the botanical garden just outside the town.
A wander round the chapel didn't produce anything of significance. Unlike some birders I'm not that interested in the insect world, but we were confronted by one of those hovering bees. It would not move, so after a lot of jiggling with the camera I got a photo......who was watching who? Amazing!
As we walked up to the garden's information centre a pair of Woodlarks were chasing each other and we saw the first of many Rock Buntings. Inside the forest we caught glimpses of Coal, Blue & Great Tits. The only migrant warblers that had arrived were Subalpine Warblers, one of which I managed to get a snap of. Short-toed Treecreepers were quite obliging, as was a Stonechat. At the "La Piza" recreation area, numerous Crossbill were hanging round the water deposit.
Next we went to the ruined farm buildings where on arrival a Common Buzzard was seen,as were a pair of Raven. Rock Sparrows were presumably nesting in the buildings. A 4x4 stopped next to us and we were pleased to have been found by two British birders from Chirivel. They asked if we'd like to be taken to see where the vulture feeding site was. Of course we jumped at the chance and arranged to meet in Maria at lunchtime. The plains were pretty bare. Northern Wheatear and six Kestrels at the hamlet. So back to Maria we went. We met up with our new friends. We followed them back to the outskirts of Velez Blanco, where we turned left just before the quarry. Down we went into the valley to the left of the mountain we know as the "Old Woman's Molar". On the hillside to our left was a hut in an enclosure. As if on cue, our vehicles obviously having been spotted from a high altitude, a small group of Griffon Vultures descended to see if lunch had arrived! They were joined by a hovering Short-toed Eagle. Ten or so Griffons were soaring close to the mountain with Red-billed Choughs playing in the up-draughts. In the seven years we've been up this way, we never knew this feeding station was here. Obviously it'll be hit and miss with regards to being there when a carcass is left, but the Griffons don't know that either! We'll definitely be returning there, hopefully with our new local birders.

Dave & Gilly