Sunday morning at the Guadalhorce; Lesser Flamingos; Brazo del Este

This is just a quicky note after a short visit to the Guadalhorce this morning after losing an hour's sleep with the time change to see (a) birds and (b) friends, or should it be the other way around? Not that there was a lot to see, certainly less than on Thursday when I was there and it was cooler too, more so as the morning progressed and the wind got up.

There are still a few Cormorants knocking around, all immatures as far as I could see, and the Osprey too remains. Antonio Miguel told of a couple of Pratincoles having been seen on Friday and Saturday, along with up to 5 Black-eared Wheatears and a single Northern Wheatear, but were they there this morning? Were they hell! And the Spanish Sparrows of a few weeks sicne have shoved off too. It's alright having Nightingales singing and Serins bouncing all over the place, but one requires a little more stimulus at times. And as fortune favours the bold/lucky/brave/stupid (take your pick) the stimuli came in the shape of first a Whiskered Tern which was still gaining breeding plumage and looked a little pale, and the second was a small flock of 6 Gull-billed Terns which flew inland up the river, presumably on their way to the lake at Fuente de Piedra where they breed.

Talking of Fuente de Piedra, Peter Jones of the Andalucian Bird Society tells me of no less than 7 (yes, seven) Lesser Flamingos seen there yesterday, 28 March. I am due to be up there on Tuesday, so I shall keep my fingers crossed.

Now that I have my Zeiss scope back from the Zeiss Krankenhaus in Deutschland, observation with a scope takes on a new meaning, not that I am knocking the little Nikon by any means, it's a great little scope.

Brazo del Este (Sevilla) (it's in our 'Where to watch ...' guide): Paco Chiclana has just posted a note about his observations there today, species including Grasshopper Warbler, Reed and Great Reed Warblers, Whiskered Terns and Pratincoles. After the rains there are goodly numbers of waders. There is also a colour-ringed Marabou Stork! Ye gods, Africa is here again.