New garden bird!

Male Black Redstart

 
  Got up this morning, had a shower, brushed me teeth, tapped the brush two times, cut me nails, or did I do that first before I brushed me teeth. I can't remember. Hold on a minute, I had me breakfast first and then cut me nails followed by brushing me teeth. Did I pick me toe nails off the floor? Anyway, I made me way outside and I could hear a SERIN in me garden. I found it on the grass. Was I dreaming? Then I heard Bryan shouting me name. No, it was a nightmare!! I looked over me shoulder and there was a stunning BLACK WHEATEAR!! This was followed by a cracking male SARDINIAN WARBLER!! It wasn't a dream or a nightmare. I was in Alicante, Spain and all these birds that I was seeing, were all in Trish and Bryan's garden. What a garden! Tean set off to France yesterday on a school trip for ten days. So while she was away, at the last minute, I booked a ticket and yesterday I arrived in sunny Spain. But today, it wasn't sunny. In fact I was told that it was the first time it's been cold and cloudy for nearly a month.
  I didn't care and started walking down the road, looking for ideal spots for birds. Just ten minutes from the house, I found, what looked like an ideal area and it turned out to be pretty good. There were lots to see including good numbers of Spotless Starling, Dartord and Sardinian Warbler, Robin and Black Redstart were everywhere. Out of the 30+Black Reds, I only saw one male. Just as was walking up the road towards the house, I could see the Black Wheatear on Bryan's garden wall!

Black Wheatear and a male Sardinian Warbler both taken from me bedroom window

  Late in the morning, Bryan and I set off to Santa Pola Salt Pans. The salt pans seemed to stretch for miles. Here I saw my first Slender-billed Gull, Grag Martin, Greater Flamingo Crested Lark, Southern Grey Shrike and Fan-tailed Warbler as well as other good birds. It was fantastic! I've been to a few European countries before, but that was to play football. This is the first time that I've ever done any birding in Europe and I was loving it alredy!

Southern Grey Shrike were on the roadside wires

Up to 10 Great White Egret were feeding around the salt pans

After missing 2 Grag Martin over Bryan's garden, I was so pleased to see good numbers all over the shop

  We continued along the coastal road from Santa Pola back to Bryan's place, stopping off to have a look around. The highlights were up to 5 Audouin's Gull and a single Kentish Plover. Also a single Long-tailed Parakeet over the car was only the second one that Bryan has ever seen. We had an 30 minute look at Clot Nature Reserve and in front of the hide there was a Hoopoe, the 7th of the day, showing at very close range for ten minutes. With the 15 Moorhen was my first Purple Gallinule. However, a Song Thrush, would you believe, proved to be the rarest bird of the day, if you take away that parakeet!
  The last bird of the day was the Black Wheatear just outside me bedroom window!

We saw 5 Audouin's Gull at very close range

Grey Plover was a good bird

A male Kentish Plover was on the shore showing well

This Hoopoe was just in front of the hide on the reserve

  I had a great first day and tomorrow were going to look for wetland birds and raptors.

TOTALS OF SOME OF THE BIRDS TODAY

6 CRESTED LARK            
5 FAN-TAILED WARBLER
6 WATER PIPIT
80+GREATER FLAMINGO
1 PURPLE GALLINULE
20+BLACK-WINGED STILT
10+SLENDER-BILLED GULL
2 BLACK-NECKED GREBE
1 GREY PLOVER
1 KENTISH PLOVER
1 SONG THRUSH
7 HOOPOE
1 LITTLE GREBE
5 AUDOUIN'S GULL
50+SARDINIAN WARBLER
40+DARTFORD WARBLER
50-60 BLACK REDSTART only 3 males
2 MARSH HARRIER
1 CATTLE EGRET
12 SANDWICH TERN
15+GREAT WHITE EGRET
30+LITTLE EGRET
50+SPOTLESS STARLING
100'S YELLOW-LEGGED GULL


 On June 24, Iranian Superstar Andy Madadian went into an LA recording studio with Jon Bon Jovi, Richie Sambora and American record producers Don Was and John Shanks to record a musical message of worldwide solidarity with the people of Iran. This version of the old Ben E. King classic is not for sale - it was not meant to be on the Billboard charts or even manufactured as a CD.....it's intended to be downloaded and shared by the Iranian people...to give voice to the sentiment that all people of the world stand together....the handwritten Farsi sign in the video translates to "we are one". If you know someone in Iran - or someone who knows someone in Iran - please share this link http://www.mydamnchannel.com/Don_Was/Vlogs/DonsVlogSeptember302011_7729.asp
It hasn't been updated since Semtember, but if you love music like me, then this a very good website to listen to with all tastes. From the great guy Clark to the amazing guitar player, Slash.